Expats have it worse than Brits at home, survey reveals Confidence levels were lower among European respondents in general - 82 per cent said their lifestyle had been affected by price rises. In addition to increased living costs, more than half of expat property owners reported that their homes dropped in value over the past 12 months. Over a quarter said their property went down by ten per cent or more, while more than one in ten reported falls in excess of 20 per cent. Willcock said: "It is scarcely surprising that confidence levels are low among the expat community abroad. While house prices are reportedly on the rise in the UK, property values are still falling overseas, particularly in the Eurozone. Rising prices for basic household essentials are leaving little money for extras like eating out, and this year's index reveals that many more people are planning cut backs in order to keep their heads above water. A total of 703 respondents took part in the survey, which was conducted among members of ExpatForum.com. Just over half were living in Europe. The full report is due to be published today at www.postoffice.co.uk/news. The news came a week after a separate survey, conducted by Global Visas, showed the majority of Britons who leave the country are middle-income workers. Research by the deVere Group, published last month, showed that more than three-quarters of British expats would never return home out of choice.