Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
26submissions
Finished
26 People Who Left Third-World Countries Share What Surprised Them The Most About First-World Countries
Article created by: Indrė Lukošiūtė
There are 195 countries on the planet, and they’re all unique. That’s why when a person makes a drastic move from one nation to another, they’re guaranteed to experience some culture shock. Finding your favorite products at the grocery store can turn into a monstrous task, and learning how to communicate with the locals can make you feel like an alien. But these culture shocks can be even more prominent when a person's home country is halfway across the globe or has a vastly different GDP.A couple of curious Reddit users reached out asking people who have relocated from developing nations to more industrialized nations what came as a shock to them, and readers were very honest about the surprises they encountered. Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most fascinating responses, as well as interviews we were lucky enough to receive from Malaysian writer U-Ming Lee and travel blogger and founder of The Roving Heart, Raksha Rao.
Be sure to upvote the responses that you agree with, or that introduced a new perspective to you, and let us know in the comments if you too have experienced moving from a lower income nation to a more affluent country. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing the culture shock one person experienced after moving from India to the United States, you can find that right here!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
No community in the 1st world. I live in southern california, so I do hear its different in other places in America. Growing up I knew all my neighbors people would just walk into my house, show up for a quick bite to eat or coffee just because they were near by. I currently live in a series of town homes with most of my neighbors my age, and I know one of their names only because my roommate was was hitting on her and freaked her out.
RELATED:
#2
Moved from Brazil to England.
Good thing - How clean and organised things are, places just look complete, streets are well kept and safe. Public transport very reliable. Even the worst gov. scandals aren’t that bad. Things just work and you can trust people. When people get murdered it makes huge news.
Bad thing - People born here not realising their privilege. Fast fashion? What is that, buying stuff to wear once? Being afraid to reheat food or eat something 1 day out of date, leading to so much food waste. Not looking after the items they have because it’s cheap and easy to buy again, it drives me insane the way people treat their belongings, they get ruined so quickly (consumerist thinking I guess).
#3
Let me tell you a story. For the first few years of my life I lived in a rainforest in a little leaf hut with my grandmother. No electricity, no running water, no cars. It was literally a rainforest and I had no idea what the outside world was like. My father who lived in Australia (he was deported from my country because my family didn't like him) then decided that at 7 I would have to come to Australia for my education. The whole experience was surreal to me. I remember flying on the plane and been so confused at how such a heavy thing could fly. Even the lights were amazing to me. Turning them on and off was like magic to my mind. When I landed in Australia my father asked me if I wanted a drink of water and my reply was, 'there doesn't seem to be a river anywhere near by, so how are we going to get it?'. My dad then showed me a tap and my mind was blown. Where was the river where this water was coming from? The refrigerator also blew my mind. In the village if we had meat we would eat it immediately otherwise and here was this magic machine that preserved it. He later asked if I wanted to go to the grocery store to get food for dinner. I replied with 'You don't have to grow your own food?'. My dad chuckled and we went to the grocery store. I was amazed. Most of these foods I had never seen in my life and there was so much of it! Also, I could eat any meat I wanted! I could keep going on with things that amazed me, but really there were so many.
#5
The people. There is an obsession with identity and people thinking they have it so bad. I have seen people murdered and left in streets. I come to the states and aunt Jemima hurts peoples feelings. I don’t understand why people aren’t happy to live such a privileged life
#6
How much of life is centered around working.
In Latin America, family comes first. People work to live, they don't live to work. In the US, people will literally uproot themselves from their community and move across the country because their employer told them to.
#7
My mother was most shocked at the sheer number of privileged people who shun grade school education and are proud of it, eventually morphing into anti vaxxers and flat earthers.
Meanwhile in her day she often had to choose between eating and paying for the bus ticket to school. In many cases, food won, so she'd blister her feet walking to school in worn out shoes. Yet in the West people get K-12 education guaranteed for free with free school buses and free meals for the lower income students, and they're total ingrates about it.
#8
Being able to use a cellphone/laptop in public and not getting mugged for it.
Walking alone and not getting mugged.
Just.. not getting mugged in general.
Edit: To the 1st world country ppl saying “well, that’s cause you haven’t been to ‘x’ place!”. I realize that some places in your country are shady/dangerous. But they are shady/dangerous compared to your understanding of reality. A “dangerous” 1st world peace is the equivalent of a safe 3rd world place.
Like... why do you feel the need to try and compete?
Im not being cute when I say “being mugged”. If I sat down my entire extended family (cousins etc) and asked “who’s been mugged”, almost every single person (out of 50ish) would raise their hand. Some of which have been mugged multiple times. Many of which we’re mugged at gun point.
It’s not an “occurrence”, it’s the *rule*.
You’ll never understand what a 3rd world country is like. Be happy you won’t.
#9
Actual addresses. I can just use Google maps to find a location and have INSTRUCTIONS on how to get there. I can even receive mail! Mind-blowing.
The amount of food that goes to waste and also how much plastic there is in supermarkets. Everything comes wrapped and only the "perfect" produce is displayed. Going to a supermarket in general is a whole experience: so many brands, so much variety. Incredible.
The most important for me: feeling safe. I can have my phone in my hand by walking down the street. I can walk on my own, at night. I can trust a cop if something happens. People actually stop and help you if you need help. Just feeling like I'm not going to get killed, robbed or raped is great.
#10
I’m from Asia and living in the uk. Was surprised about the social responsibility towards the environment, rivers were generally clean and well maintained. That and people didn’t have bowler hats and no one traveled via horse carriage like the tv said
#11
10yrs ago I arrived in Australia. The first thing I notice is the smell. It's so fresh, it's nothing like I ever smelt in the first 18years of my life. It smells like freshly showered - baked - bloomed flowers. I can't even describe it. It smells earthy good. I'm from the Philippines.
#12
How many things are free.
Like cups, plastic utensils, condiments, matches, napkins. You can go to a gas station and ask for matches and they will give them to you...for free. Community dinners. Random donuts brought into the office. Pizza. Random lunches. People offering you free rides. etc etc. Foodbanks. So many things are just given to you if you know how to look. Perfectly good couches left on the street. Desks. etc Go to the free section on craigslist to see what I mean.
The whole "pick a penny, leave a penny" thing blows my mind til today. Free money...can you imagine that? People are literally leaving money for other people just because of the "inconvenience of change". It's mind boggling.
#13
First time I traveled to the UK, I prepared for everything...vaccinations, local contact numbers, things to do in case of emergencies, back up money in plastic so that I don't get mugged, some home food/spices which I assumed won't get in the UK, an electric rice cooker.. thought I had it covered.
Landed in Heathrow and went to the washroom. That's when I realised I didn't teach myself how to use toilet paper.
#14
I lived in a first world country for a short while, and the differences were both subtle and striking. I went as a kid, and the most shocking thing to me was how beautiful everyone was. Back then, their pale skin, light hair and eyes were my beauty standard, which I obviously couldn’t fit lol. There were so many foods I would never be able to have in india except if I had gone a little far away to a high class restauran. One big thing that stood out to me in terms of food differences were all the salads there... I had never had a salad before, as where I live in india, there is no lettuce available and most vegetables have to be cooked to be safe to eat. I had never tasted fresh vegetables. the cleanliness and sanitation too, was extremely noteworthy. Outside my campus, the roads are strewn with garbage and rubbish, and the roads and filled with people and they are very loud. We don’t have too many traffic lights either. In Australia, the roads were abnormally clean to me, and everything just looked so *bright.* Also the prevalence of makeup and short clothes... in india, even now I get scared to wear any bottoms that arent full pants. I now wear more “western” clothes (shirt and pants/jeans) and am sometimes told how inappropriate they are. I don’t wear skirts or shorts outside, and me and all my friends agree that going outside on the streets is terrifying, and we have never been there except with our parents/family. The closest thing I see to makeup here is lipstick and extremely thick and poorly drawn eyeliner lol, as well as white white powder to make their faces ”fair”. To see people in Australia wear short and even skimpy clothes was both shocking, and comforting at the same time... im still young, so these differences aren’t super political or well put together. Just what I noticed through the eyes of a child.
#16
A lot of my family are blown away by supermarkets. Where they're from, you have to wait in lines for hours to get to the grocery store and there's no guarantee they'll actually be food once you get to the front of the line.
On a lighter note, they're also really surprised by how common lawns and yards are and hate them with a passion. According to them, they're useless, take up valuable space, and are far inferior to courtyards.
#17
South Africa to Ireland. People don't have barred windows or security gates. I found it quite uneasy to sleep the first few months considering I have been tied up and robbed at gunpoint in Joburg which of course was not my first robbery but my 13th but my first time being tied up at gunpoint... I probably have a higher chance of winning the lotto than getting tied up in Ireland. Whereas in South Africa I have a far higher chance of being tied up at gunpoint than winning the lotto.
#18
My uncle joined the Peace Corps and lived in Tonga (tiny island in the Pacific) for two years. One of his friends from his time there went on a trip to the US and my uncle met her in LA. Anyhow, they got into a cab at the airport and my uncle said that his friend had this terrible look of anxiety on her face and just kept looking around; her head was just darting around every which way. He asked if everything was alright and she said she was waiting for the high-speed chases, gunfire, and explosions. My uncle had to explain that those sort of things typically only happen in the movies. For her the only window into the world outside Tonga was movies she had seen. It's interesting how media, or the lack thereof, can shape someone's perceived reality of the world.
#19
Running water 24/7. Electricity - almost no power cuts. I've been here 7 years, maybe one power cut for 5mins. Back home, it was 2-3hours of power cut on a regular basis. Traffic, so organized and easy to follow. AC/heat - atleast where I live. For people who are saying the locals are finding problems to occupy themselves, it's true. I call it 'privilege drunk', you can never truly appreciate things you have if you are born in it, you have to see the dark side to appreciate the nice things. This leads to locals being entitled because privilege is the normal for them.
#20
The toothpaste aisle. There is an aisle for toothpaste. It's been almost 25 years, and that still boggles my mind
#21
I remember being pulled over for speeding and my uncle who just got here was like just give him $5 bucks and I told him that's not how it works here, lol
#23
The fact houses came complete.
I come from Brazil, there the houses come all empty when you buy them, no kitchen, laundry, anything. You have to buy everything. I’m not sure if this is changed or not since I’ve moved to America a long time ago.
Another thing, safety. I almost died twice in Brazil and my mother couldn’t use her cellphone or calmly walk out of a bank or even drive with her purse out in the next seat, everything had to be hidden or you could be robbed or even killed. Whenever I go to Brazil to visit I always get tense and I get panic attacks because of the violence, also didn’t help the fact that I lived in one of the most, if not the most violent state
#25
Social safety nets (Canada), not a huge difference in the services available in a small town vs a big city, how well pets are treated here.
#26
I was really surprised that the people don't eat as healthy as I did back home. Almost instantly I put on 5 kg because my body wasn't used to it.
You May Like Nanny To The Ultra-Wealthy Answers People's Burning Questions About Life Behind Closed Doors 51 Petty Business Boycotts People Have Kept Going Out Of Pure Principle And Spite 100 Facts That Linger In Your Head For Days
Justinas Keturka
Ilona Baliūnaitė
Jonas Žvilius
Related on Bored Panda
