As an expat you may be interested to know my favourite apps for living abroad in different countries. These are the best apps for living abroad and I’ve split them into different categories: travel, money and banking, social, health and fitness.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Living Abroad
Google Translate
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsGoogle Translate has helped me during my travels more times than I can count!
I open this app whenever I’m having trouble communicating with locals. Simply type in the phrase or word you’re trying to convey and watch as it’s instantly translated into the language you need.
Cost: Free.
Viber Messenger
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsViber is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family near and far.
It has a messaging feature for chatting and allows you to make international phone calls free of charge as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi or have a data plan.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases available.
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Expat Apps for Traveling and Getting Around
There’s a plethora of travel apps out there, but there are some that are more user-friendly and reliable than others.
Here are the ones I use regularly and recommend:
Hopper
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsAre you trying to save money on your next flight to or from your chosen country of residence?
Hopper tracks and predicts the best times to buy tickets or book a hotel, helping you to save up to 40% on your purchase!
Cost: Free.
TripAdvisor
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsWhenever I’m planning a trip or looking for a new restaurant to try, I pull up my TripAdvisor app.
This app is useful for gathering information on local hotels, attractions, shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. You can find advice for different towns, and you’ll access reviews and recommendations for various establishments from both experts and amateur travelers.
Cost: Free.
Google Maps
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsWhen I first moved abroad, I often found myself turned around or lost in my own city. That’s when I downloaded Google Maps.
This is my go-to app whenever I’m exploring a new city. It has detailed maps of practically every place in the world. You can get both driving and walking directions.
Cost: Free.
TripIt
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsIf you have trouble keeping track of your flight bookings or rental car reservations, this is the app for you!
As soon as you make a reservation or book something for your trip, send the information to this app and it will create a master itinerary for you. You can keep all the important information pertaining to your travel arrangements in one convenient place.
Cost: Free.
Skyscanner
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsThe Skyscanner app lets you search for cheap flights, hotels and car rentals. Its many filters help you find the perfect flight, and you can easily compare different airlines and options.
My favorite feature is the “Everywhere” filter. If you aren’t sure where you want to go, you can set your end destination to “Everywhere” and see options based on their prices. One week it might be cheapest to fly to Milan, while the next week you could find good deals for Peru.
This is great if you need a quick vacation from your expat life!
Cost: Free.
Expat Apps for Money and Finances
Any type of trip abroad, be it temporary or more permanent, requires careful financial planning.
Here are some apps that can help you manage your finances:
Converter + for iOS / Unit Converter for Android
iOS | Android
expat appsThese apps are lifesavers. They quickly convert currencies and units, making your transition to expat life a breeze.
You don’t have to worry about memorizing the metric system or doing any complicated mental math to figure out exchange rates.
Cost: Free.
Mint
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsThe Mint app is a personal finance app that allows you to make a budget, as well as keep track of your bills, credit cards and bank accounts all in one secure place.
It’s particularly useful if you have bank accounts, bills or credits cards in your country of origin as well as your new expat home, because it can keep everything organized for you.
You can use the app to monitor your monthly spending and calculate your credit score!
Cost: Free.
Expat Apps for Culture and Friends
In my opinion, two of the most exciting things about living abroad are meeting new people and exploring new places.
From trying local food to visiting cultural venues and events, getting out into the community is always at the top of my list.
Here are some apps that can help you integrate into your new city:
OpenTable
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsUse the OpenTable app to find the best dining experiences in your area. It offers photos of the restaurants as well as menus, so you’ll definitely know what to expect.
You can search by location or type of cuisine. Make reservations for free through the app so you’re guaranteed a table.
Cost: Free.
Meetup
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsMeetup connects people with similar interests.
For example, if you’re interested in hiking in your area, you can search for a hiking meetup, or a group of people who meet to hike. If a hiking meetup doesn’t exist yet, start your own and open it up to the community!
Meetups exist in cities all over the world and cover a range of interests, including everything from running to writing.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases available.
Guides by Lonely Planet
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsGuides by Lonely Planet is the perfect app for expats, especially if you’re new to your location and are just getting to know your new home.
The app provides guides for hundreds of cities throughout the world. Each guide offers recommendations for must-see sights, helpful offline maps and general tips for the destination.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases available.
Practical Apps for When You’re in a Bind
Living abroad can have its challenges. Fortunately, there’s an app for just about every practical situation out there!
Here are a few apps that can help when you’re in a particularly tough situation:
Flush
iOS | Android
expat appsSometimes finding the nearest public restroom is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Luckily, there’s an app that can tell you exactly where the closest public bathroom is located.
The app has over 190,000 toilets around the world marked on its map, and you don’t even need internet access to use it!
Cost: Free.
WiFi Finder +Map
iOS | Android
expat appsWhen living abroad, being able to access Wi-Fi is absolutely necessary. But sometimes it can be tricky to locate.
This app shows you where you can find Wi-Fi in your city with an offline map.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases available.
Doctoralia
Website | iOS | Android
expat appsAt some point during your expat experience, you may find yourself in need of a doctor or other health care provider.
Doctoralia works in about 20 countries and helps you locate health professionals near you. You can read reviews and easily access doctors’ contact.
Expat app
Doctoralia
Getting ill in a foreign country can be tough, especially if you haven’t got your bearings yet and are unsure where the local doctor or pharmacy is located.
This is where Doctoalia comes in. The app will give you a map of all nearby health facilities, provide you will information like opening times and give you a rundown of what doctors are available, including what languages they speak.
The app can also be used to book appointments, helping you to avoid the hassle of going into the doctors’ surgery twice, a boon when you’re struggling to get out of bed!
Doctoralia is currently available in 21 countries, with efforts being made to expand the service to even more, so keep an eye out for it!
Skype
For the uninitiated, Skype is a free app that allows users to send instant messages and make video calls over the internet.
This is of course an incredibly useful way of staying in contact with friends and family back home, and so long as both sides are making use of the app it’s completely free, saving you from making costly international calls.
Skype is also useful as a networking tool as it allows you to set up conference calls and transfer digital documents, allowing you to stay connected with work even when half way around the world.
MeetUp
When you first move to a new country it can be very difficult to meet new people, especially if you work awkward hours or don’t enjoy going to bars or pubs.
Thankfully the MeetUp app takes on a lot of the leg work when it comes to finding new social circles by offering you the ability to search for local groups of people who enjoy a certain subject or hobby, helping you reach out to individuals that share common interests with you.
The app also allows you to easily find other expats or English speakers, meaning you can avoid the linguistic difficulties that can be so problematic when you first relocate abroad.
MeetUp is a great tool for making connections in a new city and is both recommended for anyone struggling to find local people to hang with or for those just looking to fill their social calendar.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a free app available on the App Store, Google Play and Windows Store that helps expats learn the local language through easily digestible 5-10 minute lessons and games. This fun approach to learning can be great when you’re getting to grips with a new language.
The app is designed to keep you engaged, rewarding you with points for correct answers while slowly reinforcing your vocabulary and improving your grammar over time. The short lessons also allow you to practice your skills while on the move.
The app currently has courses for Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish and Turkish, and there are plans to add more.
However you may need to graduate to another app once you have mastered the basics as Duolingo lacks material for more advanced levels of study.
Currencies Direct App
Once living abroad you may find that you need to make regular or sporadic currency transfers (to cover living costs, move your pension or meet foreign mortgage payments, for example). Using a bank isn’t all that cost effective, as they tend to charge fees and offer poorer exchange rates than other providers, and can be time consuming.
Leading currency broker Currencies Direct developed its app to help people in this situation save time and money when sending funds overseas.
With the Currencies Direct app you can send money abroad on the go, 24/7, at the touch of a button.
You can also use the app to keep an eye on live exchange rates and even set up a rate alert so you get notified when the exchange rate you’re interested in hits a certain level.
You need to open a free account with Currencies Direct in order to use the app, but as soon as you’re registered you’ll be able to make fast, free transfers on both Apple and Android devices.
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