tommy243

Hi,

I am a qualified accountant set on a move to the Caribbean. Both Cayman and Bermuda sound amazing and am trying to decide between the two and would appreciate anyones input on ...

- I believe the cost of living in Bermuda is higher, so would you be likely to have more disposable income living in Cayman, once you have paid your rent / food etc?

- Is it easy enough to find house-mates in both places, as I would be flying solo?

Thankyou!!!

Bermudashorts

Hi again Tommy,

I think you might need to price up the two separately, I can't imagine you will find that many people who have experience of both. So I can give you an idea of Bermuda.

Ok well to house share I think your rent and bills are going to be between $1,000 to $2,000 per month, depending on how nice a pad you want. I would expect you will be taking home about $6,000 to $7,000 pm as a newly qualified with a practice.

Cars can be expensive to buy, although petrol is cheaper than in the UK. A lot of people get around by moped though, certainly for the first couple of years and you can pick on of thsoe up prettily cheapily. Groceries are more expensive than in the UK, but I don't think to the extent that it would be a big factor in your decision as a single guy. Eating and drinking out in bars and restaurants is more like US prices than UK prices, i.e. a bit cheaper.

For me, the items I found most expensive was my rent but that was because I chose to rent a large house. My electricity bill, which was betwen $300 and $700 a month, but that was because I had a large house with air conditioning and we spent a couple of hundred $ per month on cable TV and internet, but as you are sharing this cost will be shared too. Initially we found buying furniture much more expensive than in the UK, but again we had a big house to buy furniture for.

Overall, I know a lot of people that started off working for an accountancy firm and they all seem to manage just fine and I never heard any complaints.

Once again, hope this helps.

Umpatan

Now, may I ask, is that $1000 to 2,000 Cayman Island dollars per month or US dollars?

Bermudashorts

I am writing about Bermuda, so definitely not Cayman dollars

The Bermudian dollar is pegged to the US dollar 1:1 so it is the same thing.

bermybhoy

Hmmm...think you're ambitious with the lower end of that scale...would say minimum $1,500 for most people, easily over $2,000. That said, anecdotally, rents are dropping with jobs being lost.

Starting with Big 4 this year I'd estimate around $70k, after deductions you're maybe talking just over $5,000 take home a month. Assuming you don't have massive debts at home, it's obviously still more than enough to enjoy yourself...

movin'on

We've lived in Bermuda not Cayman but a lot of people we know left Bda to move to Cayman. IMO
Bermuda - prettier, more sophisticated but v expensive, can only stay for 6 yrs,
Cayman - nearer US and rest of caribbean, similar climate, more relaxed I think.

We were in Bermuda and loved it. We're now in Oz but Cayman was a consideration but wanted something different from island life (missing it now though!). Our friends went from Bermuda to Oz to Cayman and they just LOVE it!!

Good luck

Bermudashorts

I know loads of people who have stayed in Bermuda for well over six years, just need to apply and if there are no Bermudians to do your job then it generally is not a problem. Well it wasn't for anyone that I came across anyway

Still though, there is always a temporary feel about living in Bermuda, you can't vote, can't buy a house, your right to stay will alwyas be linked to your job and IMO therefore will never be able to fully integrate.

Bermyboy - re my earlier post on cost of living, I looked at e-moo and there were plenty of places available as a house share for about that price. I agree of course you can spend more, I was trying to give the poster an idea of the bare minimum he might need to survive in Bermuda.

jennieinbermuda

hi i have lived in both places.....my opinions :
CAYMAN - better weather , hot all year round ( but have to put up with the hurricanes)
touristy
very relaxed
friendlier and safer than Bermuda
slightly cheaper than bermuda, and get more more your money rent wise
great social scene...bars and nightlife, a few nightclubs , partying always something to do , but everything closes at midnight on saturdsay night.
everyone drives cars
jobs more available to non-corperate folks
even though its british its rather "american"
NO good shopping apart from duty free merchandise expensive perfume ,jewelry and souveniers
good supermarkets
lots hotels and high rise buildings
public transport not so good...very basic buses
can buy houses relitivly easily
can find rentals and roomates easy


BERMUDA -Beautifull
more sophisticated and british
nice parks and lots of beaches and coves
only allowed one car per household
canot buy a house unless a millionaire
most people ride scooters ...a little dangerous but a lot of fun
great weather in summer may- october
can get VERY cold and damp in winter surprisingly so...especially if riding a bike, and no heating in house
nightlife not so good from october to may pretty boring, but good in summer- though not as much choice as cayman
very good public transport -buses and ferries
more advanced and modern...shops include french connection,benaton apple i store, marks and spencers for you brits !
crime is rising here (i felt safer in cayman)
some racial poitics -sometimes a little against expats and white people
water is free, and collected from rain water on special roofs
good expat community

thats all i can think of right now


if any questions just ask

Caymanite

Sorry to barge in on this one, I live in Cayman with husband and 3 year old daughter & we would love to move to Bermuda. Can you please pm me so I can get some advice if you don't mind???

Bermudashorts

What kind of advice? About visa or what it is like to live there?

Caymanite

Good Morning

Sorry to be vague, I constantly expect people to read minds......advice on best places to look for work, generally how do we get in???? Would we find it difficult being that we are not in Accountancy or Law? How easy (or not) is it to get there with a child? I have been searching the net but not really getting anywhere. Hubby tried applying to Bermuda police a while back when they were advertising but he got told it was only recruitment within Bermuda so knocked back until next time they are recruiting within Caribbean.

Bermuda just looks so beautiful and after being here on and off since 1999 (had 3 years out) we would relish the chance to live somewhere that had seasons instead of just hot, hotter and damn hot......

Bermudashorts

Well there are ex-pats in all kinds of jobs, plenty working service industry such as in hotels as beauticians, hairdressers etc. Although I would agree that accountancy and underwriting / insurance are certainly big employers, never noticed that law was but I don't know everything

I am surprised to hear about the police force, I thought it was mainly made up of non-Bermudians. Perhaps that was just unlucky timing and I think maybe worth another shot. When I left, in July last year the job market was bouyant and in fact over employment was more of an issue in Bermuda than unemployment. That might have changed now.

By law companies always have to say they will only consider Bermudians. If there is a Bermudian who meets the job requirements then they must be given the job, even if there is a better overseas candidate. This isn't just lip service, immigration will want details of all applicants, the advertising process and what happened and will check everything out. Employers will be very careful about this, it is quite common for Bermudians to report a company and if you are the ex-pat doing the hiring you can be in a lot of trouble.

I don't see any issue with having a child. Although I hope you don't have three! I know somebody who spend 18 months trying to get his three children allowed in as there is a "limit" on two. (He succeeded in the end).

Bermuda is indeed a beautiful island, there are no undesirable places to live or anything like that. There can be strong anti ex-pat sentiments but it is easy enough to ignore that. It definitely has seasons, although I would not agree that it gets "VERY COLD" like another poster mentioned, I didn't wear a coat once in two years, 15c is about the minimum. I always thought it was a bit of a shame that the sea is only warm for a few months in the year though, the Atlantic not the Caribbean after all.

Caymanite

Thanks for your advice, maybe hubby should resend his application? I did see somewhere that they are recruiting again in September.

I work as a Personal Assistant in government currently, have 10 + years experience, do you think I would find work or is that the type of work that gets filled by Bermudians?

As for work permit applications, that sounds identical to here, they are very strict and I know what you mean about the locals kicking up a stink.

Just looking for a change, and I guess we have been spoiled here, Bermuda would be first choice, we want a beautiful place to live, low crime, safe streets, a good infrastructure (not asking much am I?!). I guess the only other place we would consider would be BVI but Bermuda has gotten a grip on us.

Yes we only have the one child, she is 3.

Like I said, thanks for your help.

Let me know if I can assist you in return!!

Bermudashorts

Well I definitely think your husband should try again with police force as I always understood that there were not enough Bermudians wanting to join the police force. I am not sure what to think in your line, my company did have an English executive assistant so it is certainly possible. But I think it might be one of those careers whereby a Bermudian can very easily claim that they can do the essentials of the role and then it does not matter if they can do it better than you or not.

I left Bermuda as I felt I could not settle there as you cannot buy a house and so to me it was never a "permanent home" which is what I was looking for. But it is undeniably stunningly beautiful, everywhere you go is immaculate, crime is low, public transport is reliable, shopping is only so-so compared to Uk, I really enjoyed the eating out and thought that compared very well to UK. I realise that I miss it and wish I had not left now.

Caymanite

Can't you go back?
We left Cayman in 2003 for a little thinking that sunny old England would be better, after about 6 months we thought otherwise and finally got back to Cayman. It was a good thing though because in the time we were gone the government here brought in the rollover policy so we would have been gone anyway.