Nomad List
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $1,243 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $782 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $1,967 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $562 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $426 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $213 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $602 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $28 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (667 listings) | $793 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $26 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $3.55 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $0.59 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $1.77 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $1.77 |
 | How to find a place to rent in Canggu for short-term? |
 | What vaccinations should I get traveling from US to Indonesia? |
 | Experience with "Adobe Connect" in Bali/Ubud or Canggu? |
 | How much is scooter hire in Ubud? |
 | Is Ubud Walkable? |
 | Other places like Ubud, Chiang Mai, Vienna, Prague...? |
 | Bali: Legian, Kuta, Seminyak - coffee shop to work from? |
 | Looking for mid-term accomodation in Canggu (±3 months) |
 | How is Medan, Indonesia for digital nomads? |
| Any tips on renting a place in Ubud with decent Internet? |
 | What's the difference between Ubud and Canggu in Bali? |
 | Is it fairly common and/or safe for a young single woman to rent a villa in Ubud, Bali? |
 | How do we find accommodation with decent internet in Canggu, Bali? |
 | Any fast internet spots in Canggu or Ubud, Bali? |
 | My wife and I are in Ubud – would anyone like to meet up? |
 | Which Indonesian visa is the most hassle-free for staying there for 6-12 months? |
 | Anyone in Ubud, Bali and San Francisco wants to swap houses with Zagreb? |
 | Do you know any gyms around Ubud, Bali? |
 | Where in Asia should I go? |
 | Do you have time zone issues working remotely in Asia? |
 | Do I need vaccinations for traveling in Asia? |
 | Bring external monitor to SE asia and avoid coworking cost? |
| Is a 4G sim device in addition to phone advisable in SE Asia? |
 | Best places for local, organic food and strong internet outside of South East Asia? |
 | Where to easily open a personal/business account in SE Asia? |
 | Worth waiting until getting to Asia to buy gadgets? |
 | 2 Weeks in Asia - Where to go? |
 | Is Flying Business Class to Asia Worth it? |
 | Do digital nomads of South East Asia work at night? |
 | What do you do to avoid plastic bottled water in Asia? |
 | What's good places in South East Asia to work with beaches? |
 | Best place to buy a laptop in Asia? |
| How do you travel Asia with customers in other timezones? |
 | What immunizations should I get for India and South East Asia? |
 | Why is South East Asia preferred by nomads over Latin America? |
 | Best place in South East Asia to get something shipped from USA? |
 | Is there any typical scams in Southeast Asia to be aware of? |
 | Anyone changed European passport in Asia? |
 | What does a DN pack in a first-aid kit for Central America or South Asia? |
| How common is purse snatching and backpack-slashing in South East Asia? |
| Travel with expensive camera in South East Asia? |
| What are your dream locations in Asia? |
| How is Central Asia for digital nomads? |
 | What's a great place for remote work and self-realization in SE Asia? |
 | How to insure my belongings when traveling in SE Asia & South America? |
 | What are the best meditation and yoga retreats in Asia? |
 | What is the best VPN for South East Asia? |
 | Quality of remote connections (RDP, TeamViewer etc.) from SE Asia to Europe? |
 | How is the weather in SE Asia from July to September (Q3)? |
 | Start an online business in Australia or Asia? |
 | Where should I start off my nomad trip to SE Asia? |
 | Where should I register my company when operating in multiple countries in SE Asia? |
Based on Jakarta's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
 | Product Designer @ Jilt |
 | User Research @ Over |
To be honest, as an English man with no use of Indo Bahasa, I've got no chance (like the last chance saloon) in finding an English speaking human..unless it Hiya, Hello, How are you, language is totally useless unless you know sign and body expressions! And that Works! Point to the food in the picture on the wall, have small cash in you pocket (and bigger cash stored away out of sight) You buy food in the picture and only get half of what you saw! Yer, It happens like Shx.all the time where ever you go! Locals are wise.. but expect it and order a double portion...Lol! I am Tim Love from the UK and I have married an Indonesian beauty! We do not live together because the UK law makes it a terrible ordeal to fix...(ongoing issues) But, as I said... If you are WHITE.. then you must expect to be RIPPED OFF !
I've been living in Semarang for about 6 months at this point. Living at the "Candiland Apartment" which is reasonably priced 2.5 million - 3.5 million rupiah per month. Great view of the city. It's hot here. Usually like 35+ degrees. The beach is all industrial. Usually a lot of traffic. In the southern part of the city there are some small hills which are cool but to go anywhere with nice air, cool temperatures and big mountains it's at least an hour south. Sometimes the locals will give you a dirty look but if you smile at them they perk right up and smile back usually. There's not too much going on here in my opinion. But there are tons of nice restaurants with good views and the Tinder game here is strong. It has nice malls - I bought a new apple laptop here - quality is fine. Prices are good. If you like vegetables and non-fried food it can be both expensive and hard to find. All in all it's a pretty cool city. I could stay here but I've decided to move to Bandung instead with hopes of more green space, less expensive rent and a cooler climate.
Jogja is good for me, all the air quality and religious stuff is true. It is also very 'dirty' and chaotic, which most westerners probably wouldn't like.
Nomad-ed here for a month. A totally ok place if you have the budget for it. Coworking spaces are good, 4g everywhere, transportation is effective. Lots of things to do. I was able to find friends. Lots of international people, very few digital nomads. If you're there, consider not renting in the center (as it gets expensive fast) and being creative with places to eat to find cheap options. Be prepared to use cash unless you live in a luxury.
Oppressively hot. Actually hard to find Balinesian food. There is a lot of overpriced, average, western, hipster food. People are incredibly kind and the Balinesian food is great when you can find it. The roads are ridiculously crowded while a lot of the restaurants, bars, and clubs were less than 30% full. Kind of sad for local business owners. Surrounding area is beautiful and relatively accessible. Aside from western food & beverage lodging, food and beverage can be very cost effective. Other parts of the island are better for experiencing the Balinesian life, but it is more of a challenge to mix socially with local people here than other places as most people work in service industries or agriculture. It is what it is. In the end, if you like oppressive heat & humidity, western millennial cuisine, crowded roads, and a small beach, this may be your place.
Kuching is a great place to base yourself, it's a vibrant yet quiet little city with access to all sorts of outdoor activities. I stayed at the Borneo Seahare Guesthouse for about 5 months. It is run by a western guy called Ben and his wife Syeda, they really helped me out with everything I needed and gave me a very reasonable rate on a private room. The internet was good and the place had everything I needed including a full kitchen for me to cook. Based right in the city center with loads of shops, restaurants and bars close by. I can highly recommended Kuching its a wonderful city and I will be returning next year for sure!
Oppressively hot. Actually hard to find Balinesian food. There is a lot of overpriced, average, western, hipster food. People are incredibly kind and the Balinesian food is great when you can find it. The roads are ridiculously crowded while a lot of the restaurants, bars, and clubs were less than 30% full. Kind of sad for local business owners. Surrounding area is beautiful and relatively accessible. Aside from western food & beverage lodging, food and beverage can be very cost effective. Other parts of the island are better for experiencing the Balinesian life, but it is more of a challenge to mix socially with local people here than other places as most people work in service industries or agriculture. It is what it is. In the end, if you like oppressive heat & humidity, western millennial cuisine, crowded roads, and a small beach, this may be your place.
I like it here better than Canggu. It's more walkable, more cheap warungs, more convenient. You could find all kinds of shop catering to different type of visitor, from cheap to luxurious. Not a party place if you're looking for it, which made it even more perfect. More female than male, great for dating.
Nomad-ed here for a month. A totally ok place if you have the budget for it. Coworking spaces are good, 4g everywhere, transportation is effective. Lots of things to do. I was able to find friends. Lots of international people, very few digital nomads. If you're there, consider not renting in the center (as it gets expensive fast) and being creative with places to eat to find cheap options. Be prepared to use cash unless you live in a luxury.
Bangkok has some of the best private hospitals in the world. Which is interesting if you're in Asia a lot and you want medical care better than you can get in your home country. Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok is ranked #7 in the world. I did an executive health checkup there and it was great. Prices range from $250 to $750 depending on how many checks you want. You can get blood count, X Ray, ultrasound, hormone check, etc. They also have most other medical disciplines. I also got vaccinations renewed. The hospital is private so it's so much better than the overloaded public healthcare systems of Europe, Canada and UK where everyone tries to avoid helping you, is overworked and angry. In Bangkok they're super nice and helpful and you can make appointments straight with a specialist. Not blocked by a GP like in your home country.
Mostly great weather year round and some of the best food in the world at cheap prices. Probably the best standard of living for the cost in an international city. Good but not excellent public transport. Some questionable reviews being left here by people who possibly never visited,
Jogja is good for me, all the air quality and religious stuff is true. It is also very 'dirty' and chaotic, which most westerners probably wouldn't like.
"omagad they like totally stole my iphone", "it's like the worst, everybody is like so aggressive" welcome to the Real World, maybe you now learn to appreciate your cosy first world country and stop bitching about your oppression and your rights. Ho Chi Minh is an awesome upcoming city. It has an original and still traditional look and vibe to it, interesting colors (check out japanese district) not swamped with brand shops (the local coffee shops dominate starbucks in terms of quality and design and some are open 24h !). The nightlife also has plenty of options and be sure to enjoy the view from a the many rooftop bars in the city. You get to see a city full of energetic, young people growing their country after a devastating war and under an authoritarian regime. You get a choice between older buildings in D1 or totally new apartment buildings in D2 all at great value prices. There are a lot of people coming here to work remotely and also to start businesses. Decent sports facilities readily available (check out mach's gym, UFC center). If you don't want to spend money on the gym you can always do a workout on one of the many parks that have bars for chalistenics available. However, beware the pollution and always wear a mask, especially in D1. This is the biggest con here in my opinion.
Getting a place to stay is a challenge, and renting an apartment might be a challenge unless you can show proof on stable income job. most leases are 6-12mths minium
I would urge anyone considering Phnom Penh to reconsider. I've been jumping around South-East Asia for the past year and Phnom Penh has been by far the worst location for a remote worker I've encountered. The internet here is very unreliable. My house has a Fibre connection, but I'm dropping back to a 4G phone hotspot 5+ times per day. This city is not geared for long-term remote workers. It's a paradise for sexpats and short term backpackers. With a few exception, the activities available here are: Drinking, smoking/eating weed, and talking shit to forigners at a bar. YMMV. I cannot wait to leave this place.
Really bad city to live and to visit unless you have money to live in BGC.
Nomad-ed here for a month. A totally ok place if you have the budget for it. Coworking spaces are good, 4g everywhere, transportation is effective. Lots of things to do. I was able to find friends. Lots of international people, very few digital nomads. If you're there, consider not renting in the center (as it gets expensive fast) and being creative with places to eat to find cheap options. Be prepared to use cash unless you live in a luxury.
Oppressively hot. Actually hard to find Balinesian food. There is a lot of overpriced, average, western, hipster food. People are incredibly kind and the Balinesian food is great when you can find it. The roads are ridiculously crowded while a lot of the restaurants, bars, and clubs were less than 30% full. Kind of sad for local business owners. Surrounding area is beautiful and relatively accessible. Aside from western food & beverage lodging, food and beverage can be very cost effective. Other parts of the island are better for experiencing the Balinesian life, but it is more of a challenge to mix socially with local people here than other places as most people work in service industries or agriculture. It is what it is. In the end, if you like oppressive heat & humidity, western millennial cuisine, crowded roads, and a small beach, this may be your place.
I like it here better than Canggu. It's more walkable, more cheap warungs, more convenient. You could find all kinds of shop catering to different type of visitor, from cheap to luxurious. Not a party place if you're looking for it, which made it even more perfect. More female than male, great for dating.
Mostly great weather year round and some of the best food in the world at cheap prices. Probably the best standard of living for the cost in an international city. Good but not excellent public transport. Some questionable reviews being left here by people who possibly never visited,
"omagad they like totally stole my iphone", "it's like the worst, everybody is like so aggressive" welcome to the Real World, maybe you now learn to appreciate your cosy first world country and stop bitching about your oppression and your rights. Ho Chi Minh is an awesome upcoming city. It has an original and still traditional look and vibe to it, interesting colors (check out japanese district) not swamped with brand shops (the local coffee shops dominate starbucks in terms of quality and design and some are open 24h !). The nightlife also has plenty of options and be sure to enjoy the view from a the many rooftop bars in the city. You get to see a city full of energetic, young people growing their country after a devastating war and under an authoritarian regime. You get a choice between older buildings in D1 or totally new apartment buildings in D2 all at great value prices. There are a lot of people coming here to work remotely and also to start businesses. Decent sports facilities readily available (check out mach's gym, UFC center). If you don't want to spend money on the gym you can always do a workout on one of the many parks that have bars for chalistenics available. However, beware the pollution and always wear a mask, especially in D1. This is the biggest con here in my opinion.
Bangkok has some of the best private hospitals in the world. Which is interesting if you're in Asia a lot and you want medical care better than you can get in your home country. Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok is ranked #7 in the world. I did an executive health checkup there and it was great. Prices range from $250 to $750 depending on how many checks you want. You can get blood count, X Ray, ultrasound, hormone check, etc. They also have most other medical disciplines. I also got vaccinations renewed. The hospital is private so it's so much better than the overloaded public healthcare systems of Europe, Canada and UK where everyone tries to avoid helping you, is overworked and angry. In Bangkok they're super nice and helpful and you can make appointments straight with a specialist. Not blocked by a GP like in your home country.
Great place. You can avoid the dropshipper, FBA and MLM webinar course people who have infested the coworkings here for years, by, well, just not visiting the coworking spaces here.
My wife and I have been living in Hanoi now for over five months. After having lived in Japan for nine years, KOREA for four months, Kunming, China for four months and Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia for two months each we’ve decided that Hanoi is our favorite city of all (when factoring in cost of living—and probably regardless of cost-of-living). I don’t agree with the current traffic safety assessment. I walk everyday all Over the city—on average, 10 miles a day and in every direction. I’ve personally witnessed six or seven motorcycle accidents and been hit from behind by a motorcycle while walking, sustaining painful injuries requiring months to heal. I have had direct contact with three other people involved in motorcycle accidents. Love the city and still walk every day, but safe...NO. Meanwhile, I do agree with most of the cost factors I see listed. What amazes me is the assessment that there is “bad nightlife” here???! What?? If all you’re looking for is a place to get drunk and pick up women, maybe. But what I love most about the city is that nightlife is evident in every neighborhood, coffee shop, cafe and on every sidewalk every evening. People are out relaxing, eating, drinking and socializing everywhere I go every night, and in every neighborhood—not just in the “entertainment districts”—which almost always bore me, anyway. So I guess it depends on what kind of traveler you are. Further, this city is resplendent with interesting architecture, historical buildings and monuments, temples, lakes and the rivers, and has a fantastic international community. I’m Caucasian but have interacted frequently with people of all races, and most frequently with the local Vietnamese community. While unfortunately it does seem that Hanoi is not freer of racism than New York, London, Tokyo, Sao Palo, or any other major city in the world I certainly feel that is less racist than many places—just my personal perception. I’ve only spoken with one person in five months (a beautiful Indian woman) who talked about feeling discriminated against, and that was in reference to getting an English teaching job. Yes, it does seem that a white face, even with non-native English, can get hired as an English teacher far more easily than an Asian or person of other racial heritage, even if that person speaks English almost like a native—as this woman did. Ultimately I can only go by my own experience. People have been kind, mostly extremely honest, helpful and friendly and it is the Hanoians themselves who have been mostly responsible for my love affair with this city. The delicious coffee and food and interesting places to walk with no fear of being attacked, accosted or robbed have only helped. Now, if they’d just do something about the air pollution—second worst in Asia by many accounts.
It's possible to live in Hong Kong on the cheap. You've got to live far out in the New Territories, or on an outlying island. I spent a summer living happily on Lamma Island for ~$500USD/month in rent for one bedroom in a shared flat. Rent is really the only tricky part--everything else is relatively cheap.
Really fun city. I think the easiest big city in Asia for westerners to feel comfortable in. People are generally pretty friendly on a superficial level, quick to smile, laugh, and help. Unfortunately, becoming real friends with Japanese is much more difficult and most cannot speak English. Store staff are mechanically polite like robots, which is better than rude, but also a bit weird. A bit pricey and gets more expensive after a year of residence (after you get taxed based on previous year's salary, same for health insurance fees). You can drink in public at any time, though it's not really a drinker city like some European cities are known for. Clubs and music events are expensive unfortunately, though quite a few options. Great public transport system, can just be a bit confusing with all of the different names. The street layout is completely chaotic, which can be fun but also disorienting. You will often have no idea which direction you are facing, like you are in a giant maze. You can find most major international food options but not in great numbers. Obviously, Japanese food is everywhere though. It's technically on the water, though odds are you will live more inland. Still, you can reach the bay within an hour or so and an actual beach further south in Kanagawa within 90min. Japan itself has a lot of cool things to check out as well. Best time of year are spring (cherry blossoms) and fall (cooler, leaves changing cooler), though there are a series of summer festivals that start in August that are incredible (people dress in traditional clothes, food vendors all over, tons of fireworks, etc.) and they have a lot of Christmas lights and displays in December. Dating for men is not bad, just don't come expecting every woman wants you. As mentioned before, most cannot speak English and they're somewhat conservative overall, not big on casual sex. You may have an advantage in the dating pool if you're not an English teacher, since most western foreign guys there are and that job is known for not paying that well, and definitely do if you can speak Japanese near fluently. Some negatives besides those already mentioned: it's really humid and mold develops quickly, there are A LOT of crows that creeped me out and cicadas that are VERY noisy in the summer, finding the right specialist doctor that also speaks English can be tricky, the friends you make from other countries come and go constantly, a lot of guys with issues come here (socially awkward, major womanizers, right wing nuts, escaping something from their home country, stereotypical anime fanatics, etc.), Japanese men are not anywhere near as friendly as the women are and are more likely to be xenophobic (pretty much like every other country), living space is really small for the price, vegetable selection is pretty limited and expensive, a lot of food products contain soy, subways get really overcrowded during rush hour, popular areas get really overcrowded on weekends, it's not that English friendly especially dealing with contracts and anything government related (there is a free foreigner help service that can help you via phone and usually whatever government stuff you're dealing with will have at least one person on hand who understands English and can help you).
The figures in this review are wrong. The exchange rate to the USD is 3.67, not 272. Walkability is also terrible! Whoever wrote this must have done a lap of Downtown and not gone anywhere else.
Have spent over 4 years living in Budapest and also extended periods in many other places usually towards the top of the rankings on nomadlist. Nothing compares to Budapest. It is by far the best place in the world to live for people of all ages, but especially young people. It has everything and anything you could possibly want and it's centrally located in the best continent on the planet. I moved away for a few specific reasons but really hate that I had to. The only city I think is even close in comparison to how great Budapest is, is Barcelona.
Been living in 3 different centrally located airbnb in Berlin (2018), each between 800 and 900€ per month for 40-45 sqm (we're two, so 400-450€ each). Each time a full flat and not a shared airbnb, legal now since some months (though it was always possible to get a full flat before as well). Internet was always between 15 and 50 mbps. I spend 100€ per week on food, including restaurants (pretty cheap here), check for Turkish market on Maybachufer and Turkish stores in Neukölln (I spend less on food here than in Chiang Mai!). Berlin is such an awesome place to live, very multicultural, very tolerant, many different neighborhoods, quite relaxed feeling, many parks, lakes all around. No need to speak German at all. Come over here, probably one one of the best place on earth ;) (written in Sept 2018)
great city - perfect weather , great food, great tech scene
Expensive and crowded. Low quality of services. Customer service is a joke. Great internet connectivity. Mediocre food, unless you like Indian, which is everywhere. Crappy weather. Not safe at night (depends on the area of course). I lived in Docklands, didn't feel safe outside of my apartment. Difficult to get anything done without proof of address, so make sure to get a place as soon as possible. Opening a business account in a "traditional" bank can take weeks. Banking is very backward - unless you enjoy browsing PDF statements... I honestly don't understand why London is so popular. I was deeply disappointed and left after a few months. The only real upside is the job market, but as a nomad, you can provide services to London-based businesses from somewhere else.
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