Service charges are easy to underestimate. An apartment in a complex with a swimming pool, landscaping and round-the-clock security carries regular fees that continue whether you are there or not.
Getting a mortgage changes the picture significantly. Overseas purchasers frequently meet higher down payments and shorter terms than domestic buyers.
Renting keeps mobility. A change of plans, personal circumstances or a new visa rule can be absorbed with a lease termination, rather than a property sale in a slow market.