Living in Luxembourg as Expat: Things to Know

Are you planning to move to Luxembourg? What is it like to live in Luxembourg?

In this Expat Interview, Rebecca shares her experience and practical tips for newcomers. You’ll learn useful information to prepare for your new life in Luxembourg, such as the cost of living in Luxembourg, how to find apartments and jobs, and other practical tips

About Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a small landlocked European country situated between France, Germany, and Belgium.

Luxembourg is the second richest country in the world and is known for its finance industry.

Currently, Google tells me that 47.9% of the Luxembourg population is foreigners/expats. It is very believable.

Why did you choose to live in Luxembourg?

When we realized living in Luxembourg was real, it became a reality, not a joke. It was embraced!

As much as I loved London, I had “been there and done that.” Luxembourg was something different.

A new place.

Fate chose us to live in Luxembourg, and we didn’t choose it. However, I’m sure glad it worked out that way.

expat living in Luxembourg tips

How did you prepare to move to Luxembourg?

I am not the best planner. It wasn’t until I was standing in line at passport control that I realized I couldn’t legally work or live in Luxembourg. I’m Australian, not European.

But my planning did get us so far – To try and understand the city, I did a brief google. Until then, I knew nothing of Luxembourg. I didn’t know how expensive it was. Also, I didn’t know it was an expat country. I knew nothing!

I joined some Facebook groups to know what else to expect, Googled a lot about the city, and asked people questions. More-so. I believe in finding out for myself. So that’s what I did.

I had arranged a potential Airbnb for us when we got there, and a hotel until the Airbnb came through.

The most crucial plan to me was “What will we do for NYE” – This may sound silly, but we arrived two days before NYE, which happens to be my favorite day of the year.

It worked in our favor as the people we met on NYE set us up for a great time in Luxembourg in general.

Tips

  • Moving tips: Relocating abroad? Try Sirelo for free quotes from top international movers that fit your budget. Learn more here.
  • Money transfer: I use Wise for my international transfers. Quick, secure, and their fees? Way lower than most banks I’ve tried!
  • Expat insurance: Life abroad has its surprises; make sure you’re covered with expat insurance.

What is the cost of living in Luxembourg?

Luxembourg is an expensive city. It was a shock to me and a big disappointment as I started freelancing.

Some things were not too expensive, but overall – you need to be earning in this city! The good thing is that the minimum wage is very high.

Accommodation in Luxembourg

We were paying just under 900 euros a month for a one-bedroom, furnished apartment outside Luxembourg City (Esch Alzette). This was inconvenient as it was 30 minutes to the town.

However, it’s about the same price for a room in a shared house to live in the city. A one-bedroom apartment will set you back over 1400 euros a month.

best things to do in Luxembourg in one day

Transportation in Luxembourg

It’s nice and cheap. You will pay a max of 50 euros a month for the whole country.

If you live in the city, you barely need it. It’s 4 euros a day for the entire country – recently, the news has been talking about making all public transport free.

Food

Grocery bills are costly. Certain things like peppercorns and tea bags are outrageous. I believe this is all due to the high minimum wage. A lot of people travel to Germany or Belgium to avoid this.

Taxis

Taxi is one of the most expensive in the world. There is no Uber in Luxembourg. Speeding fines and so on are also quite costly.

Because it is a rich country, you don’t find many “crappy” or “cheap” cars like in other countries. So buying a used car was more expensive than in other countries.

Because it is a small country, I also found that the choices are limited. There are not as many cheap or “low quality” options.

How to overcome difficulties in Luxembourg?

When first arriving in Luxembourg, we struggled with money due to the London situation. However, we made it through that okay.

On top of this, because I am Australian, I could not legally work in this country either. Nor could I stay for much longer than three months.

We worked our way around this by applying for a “Pacs visa,” much like a de-facto visa.

There were some language difficulties and a small culture shock, but nothing massive.

expat living in Luxembourg tips

Did you experience any discrimination from the locals?

In general, Luxembourg is an expat-heavy country, so there isn’t too much discrimination.

Although you do hear from some people that the locals are not happy about their country being turned into a “long-term holiday” for expats, I never had anything from anyone to my face.

Did you have culture shock? How did you overcome that?

It wasn’t so much culture shock – Luxembourg is a conservative country, which doesn’t suit my personality as much as other countries. I overcame it with the friends and people I surrounded myself with.

When I started working, I found working for a French company no fun. People were less friendly and often just spoke French around me, despite knowing English.

I overcame that by accepting it for what it is. I spent lunch breaks working on my She Roam Solo platform, so it worked in my favor.

expat living in Luxembourg tips

What are your favorite things to do in Luxembourg?

Picnics in the parks are lovely in the summer. Getting out and about into neighboring countries was always fun if you had a car.

Simply going on walks was always a good choice. The lake in Upper Sûre Lake was beautiful in the summer, as well as the hikes in Mullerthal.

Where do you recommend visiting in Luxembourg?

I always take guests for a stroll along the city walls, admiring the views. We generally end up in the Grund area, where a Kwak beer at the Scotts pub sitting by the river is key to relaxing.

The casemates are another cool thing to see. There is also the MOMA art museum, which is quite lovely.

best things to do in Luxembourg in one day

I suggest a day trip to Trier, Nancy, Metz, and others if you have enough time.

Luxembourg has some great things to see in the north, like the Mozelle (wine region) and the little Switzerland hiking areas as well as the lakes, but they are hard to get to without a car.

How to make new friends in Luxembourg?

I found it super easy to make friends in the city. I joined Facebook groups, attended some meetups, and tried to keep in touch with people. You’ll have friends in no time!

Do you hang out with locals or foreigners mostly?

The beauty of Luxembourg was that I knew no other Australians. There are few in Luxembourg, and all of my friends were foreigners/expats.

There was a time I held a football game/BBQ, and we had 30 people attend with 19 different nationalities.

Things to do in Christmas in Luxembourg

Where is your favorite place in Luxembourg to hang out?

I personally really loved the small Portuguese bars. The staff barely spoke English, and they could feel a bit intimidated at first, but the drinks were cheaper and typically came with peanuts, chips, or snacks.

Once you showed a smile and politeness, the English and intimidation weren’t an issue.

Did you change your perspective about Luxembourg after living here?

Eventually, we left. It got too cold in the winters, and as being a landlocked country, I missed having many swimming options.

I also started to miss home and felt like two years in Luxembourg was too much for me. I wanted to try different countries and new experiences.

What are your advice and tips for moving/ living in Luxembourg?

  • Try and obtain housing from Facebook groups or friends so you can find a way to not pay for “agency fees.”
  • If you are looking to save on the cost of groceries, think about shopping in Germany or Belgium. It would mean getting a car.
  • If you are a married couple, you pay less tax (perhaps think about getting married) ;)
  • If you are looking to make friends, join expat groups, Facebook groups, or meetups. People are friendly as they are all expats, but you have to make an effort.
  • Avoid Taxis at all costs – public transport is cheap
best things to do in Luxembourg in one day

While flying out of Luxembourg is not as cheap as other European countries, you can make the most of being in mainland Europe with some great road trips.

Consider France, Belgium, Germany, and even the Netherlands, but get to see some of their off-the-beaten-track places.

Would you recommend living in Luxembourg?

I would – but only if you have a good job opportunity first. There are much cheaper and more creative countries in Europe.

What have you learned from living abroad?

I learned a lot about European culture. Living in mainland Europe was a very different experience in Australia or London. I also realized how much I enjoyed expat living and meeting other expats.

Very importantly, I learned that living in a cold country affects you compared to a sunny country.

About Rebecca

Rebecca Luxembourg

Rebecca is a travel-loving Australian who left Australia to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle working on her social networking platform for women who travel – She Roams Solo.

She enjoys being immersed in different cultures and challenges and loves meeting locals while learning on the go.

Don’t forget to follow Rebecca on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more tips.

The opinions expressed here by Expatolife columnists are their own, not those of Expatolife.

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4 Comments

  1. Thank you Rebecca, k am planning to study there and this helped a lot!

  2. Bill Beard says:

    I enjoyed reading your report. I had visited Luxembourg once and enjoyed it. Thank you and stay well.

  3. Hi Rebbeca,

    Thank you for this article! You mentionned a PACS Visa – I can’t find any information about this online, would you have more details of what that was? Thank you!

  4. Madhu sharma says:

    Hey Rebbeca….

    Thank you…for this information it helps a lot because m planning to move in Luxembourg along with family…..stay safe

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