Everything You Need To Know About Living In Wales 2024

Want to live somewhere with friendly locals, amazing views and endless things to do? Maybe living in Wales is the next move for you!

Living In Wales really does offer you so much. With 7 cities, over 100 beaches and great links to the rest of Europe, this area of the UK is filled with everything you could want.

However, no matter if you move down the street or across the globe, living somewhere new can be hard. So if you are wondering if living in Wales is the right move for you, this guide will help you out.

This complete guide looks at everything you may want to know about living in Wales, so let’s take a look at what makes this part of the UK a good place to live!

Is Wales a good place to live?

Living in Wales has a lot of positives. There are great universities, growing job industries, and hundreds of great outdoor spaces to enjoy. 

Combine this with its Celtic traditions and a more balanced pace of lifestyle, and you have a very desirable place to live.

One thing that expats love about living in Wales is its community spirit. The warm welcome wherever you live has made it a lot easier for expats to integrate and become a part of the community. 

Wales is also a really dog and pet-friendly place so it will make moving here a lot easier with your fur babies. 

In some places in Europe, like the Netherlands, it’s nearly impossible to find rental places with a pet, but you won’t find this in Wales.

Aside from welcoming communities, Wales has a lot of other great reasons to live there. 

It’s a historic country, so wherever you turn you will find ancient castles or mountains where giants are rumoured to live. 

So no matter if you are planning on living in Wales alone or with your family, it promises to give you plenty to do.

Quality of life is really important to the people in Wales. 

So you will find things like health care, air quality, conservation, and drinking water are taken pretty seriously. 

You will be happy to know that you don’t need to filter your drinking water in Wales as well, it is perfectly safe to drink the tap water in Wales straight from the tap.

Wales is a great place to live for everyone and anyone. Even though the country is small, it offers so much to anyone looking to live here. 

There is also a lot of help from the government and local authorities to help you live in Wales and make your move a lot easier.

What is the weather like in Wales all year round?

The good thing about the Welsh weather is that you never know what to expect. So If you are moving for great weather all year round, living in Wales may not be the best option for you.

The weather in Wales does change with the seasons, so is not the same all year round. 

However, you will find that the weather in Wales is typically mild and wet. 

The best time of year for good weather in Wales is the summer season (June-early September). The temperatures are usually above 65°F(18°C) and there is usually a lot less rain. 

This weather makes it a lot easier to explore the amazing beaches and castles throughout the country.

Due to Wales’ landscape, many visitors expect it to snow during the winter. Even though it happens from time to time, it isn’t guaranteed every year. When it does snow, expect the roads and shops to shut.

Even though Wales has distinct seasons, you can never escape the rain, so wherever you go, make sure you take a coat with you!

Is it expensive to live in Wales?

This is a pretty important question to ask wherever you are planning to move. And you will be happy to know that living in Wales is fairly inexpensive. 

It is considered a lot cheaper than living in England and other parts of the UK.

However, you should note that like most destinations around the world, living in the main cities or close to them will be a lot more expensive than other places throughout the country.

If you are looking to work for a local Welsh company you will find that salaries in Wales do tend to be lower than the UK average. 

But you will find the cost of living, rental prices, and property prices do align with these. 

However, It is now becoming more and more popular for people living in Wales to work remotely. This means that you could be earning a London salary (which is a lot higher!) and still live in Wales.

Moving somewhere new for university can be pretty scary, but deciding the study and live in Wales can make this move a lot easier. 

Wales is a great option for anyone wanting to study in the UK. Not only will you get excellent support and a welcoming community, but the costs of transport, accommodation, and entertainment are a lot lower than in other areas in the UK.

What are the disadvantages of living in Wales?

There are a lot of positives to living in Wales, but nowhere is perfect and there are some disadvantages to consider.

In the cities, you will find many good transport links and places to eat, but the further you go out of them, the more you may struggle. 

There are lots of areas in Wales that still do not have access to services like Uber or Deliveroo. But that being said, services like that are becoming a lot more popular in the bigger towns now.

For food lovers wanting to live in Wales, you will want to do your research. 

Even though there are many pubs to eat at, some are not the best. Most of them offer some sort of deal which is good if you are on a budget, but the quality usually isn’t fantastic. 

There are also a lot of chain pubs and restaurants that have the same menu, but the level of service and quality of food can differ greatly between them. 

To make sure you are picking somewhere good to eat, check out the trip advisor reviews and when you visit check how busy it is (the busier it is, the better the food!).

And as you just read, the weather isn’t that fantastic. 

Just like many parts of the UK, it is mild and rainy for most of the year. However, this doesn’t put off Welsh day-to-day life and you do learn to just embrace it!

Where should I move to in Wales?

Like any location, Wales offers a lot of different places to live. 

The most popular places to live are in North and South Wales. Both of these areas offer great transport links, amazing things to do, and lots of housing options for all budgets.

The most popular places to live in South Wales are Cardiff, The Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend, Swansea, and Pembrokeshire. 

All of these areas are close to the sea, have houses for all budgets, and offer great transport links to the rest of Wales.

If you are looking to live in North Wales, the best places to live are Conwy, Llangollen, Rhyl, and Wrexham. 

North Wales is one of the most picturesque destinations in Europe so is a great place to live.

It takes about 4 to 5 hours to get from North to South Wales so make sure where you live in Wales is close to where you want to work. 

No matter where you decide to live in Wales, there are some amazing places to see throughout the Country. To make the most of it, I highly recommend doing a South and North Wales road trip.

Does Wales have free healthcare?

One of the positives to living in Wales is that it has free healthcare. Wales and the UK are so lucky to have a free public healthcare system, called the NHS.

This makes moving and living in Wales less stressful as no matter if you go to the doctor once or ten times, it is completely free. 

Just make sure when you move to Wales you register with your local doctor. You will find it very hard to get an appointment otherwise.

Many people consider the Welsh system even better than England’s health care as all prescriptions from your doctor are free. 

All you have to do is take your doctor’s prescription to a local pharmacy.

Do I need to learn the language?

Even though Wales has its own national language of Welsh, most of its population speaks English fluently. 

However, you will find North Wales and more remote areas of Wales will be a lot more welcoming if you do try and speak some Welsh. 

Speaking Welsh isn’t a crucial part of moving here, but knowing a few words will make living in Wales a lot easier.

Welsh isn’t the easier language to learn, so to help you out here are a few key phrases:

In many areas where you live in Wales, you don’t need to learn Welsh. However, making the effort to learn a few simple phrases will go a long way with any Welsh person.

Learning simple words like hello, goodbye, thank you, and cheers help a ton anywhere in the world!

Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.

Living in Wales: Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this guide has given you all the information about life in Wales and has helped you decide if this is a good place for you to live.

Living in Wales is a great option for anyone. 

No matter if you are single or have a family of 5, you will find a lot of joy in making Wales your new home. 

If like many people you are worried about integrating into Wales, you really don’t have to. There are so many nationalities living throughout Wales, and people are generally friendly, so this will make your move much easier.

However, If you are looking for a less green or warmer place to live, Wales may not be for you. 

But no matter, if you decide to live in Wales, or you just want to visit for a few days, it will always be waiting to offer you the warmest welcome!