Nomad List| 🏆 Nomad Score™ | 162 reviews |
| 💵 Cost | |
| 📡 Internet | |
| 😝 Fun | |
| ⛅️ Temperature (now) | |
| 💦 Humidity (now) | |
| 💨 Air quality (now) | |
| 👌 Safety | |
| 👍 Quality of life | |
| 🚶 Walkability | |
| ✌️ Peace | |
| 🚦 Traffic safety | |
| 🏥 Healthcare | |
| 😄 Happiness | |
| 🍸 Nightlife | |
| 📶 Free WiFi in city | |
| 🖥 Places to work from | |
| ❄️ A/C or heating | |
| 😁 Friendly to foreigners | |
| 🙊 English speaking | |
| 🗯 Freedom of speech | |
| 🤚🏿🤚🏻 Racial tolerance | |
| 👩 Female friendly | |
| 🌈 LGBT friendly | |
| 🎅 Startup Score |
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| 🌍 Region | Asia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚩 Country | Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 27 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 8 Mbps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛅️ Weather | 🌥 32°C 90°F + 💦 Humid (82%) + 💨 8km/h = Feels like 45°C 113°F | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 👍 25 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🔌 Power | 230V50Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚕 Best taxi app | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | Dialog | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 1,000 LKR in USD | USD 5.55 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: LKR 100,000 | USD 555 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💳 Cashless society | 💵 No, cash only (esp. for foreigners) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ☕️ Best coffee place | Barista | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ☕️ Best alt. coffee place | Solis Hotel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏪 Best 24/7 coffee place | Nomad Trails Thalpe Station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 🚫 No, not drinkable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♻️ Return rate | 0% of visitors return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 810,000 people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏠 Apartment listings | Airbnb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | Sri Lankan Airlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Sri Lankan Airlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏥 Best hospital | Sahana Medical Center | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| islandno-beachwarm nowwarmhotclean airgood air qualityslow internetcheap cost of livinghigh humiditymany womenfriendly people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $602 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $410 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $398 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $114 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $83 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $21 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $413 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $19 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (834 listings) | $1,110 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $36 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $1 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $0 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $0 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $0 |
Based on Matara's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
 | Managing Editor @ komoot |
 | Customer Advocate @ Baremetrics |
 | SaaS Customer Success @ Skedda |
 | Are You an AMAZING Sales Pro? @ Pahoda Image Products |
 | Administrative Assistant in Sales @ Open Source Careers |
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🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 45° 113° 32° 90°🥵AQI 25🚕0min$601 / mo8MbpsReally quite hectic and not a very nice city. I wouldn't spend more than a day or two here, not much to see, and there aren't many places to work/eat/see. You're better off heading down to the beaches for some sunshine and beach as well as much faster WIFI.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 40° 104° 30° 87°🥵AQI 39✈️12min$1,048 / mo7MbpsUbud is great for older nomads over 35 who are over the party scene. It has great amenities like coworking spaces (HUBUD and Outpost), a dope-ass gym (Titi Batu) and some of the best yoga studios in the world (Yoga Barn and Radiantly Alive). And that's not even mentioning the food, which is incredible. Cons: no Uber or metered taxis so getting around is a total pain and the wild dogs at night can be treacherous. Overall, I don't understand why it's slipped in the rankings bc it really is awesome.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 56° 133° 36° 97°🥵AQI 20✈️6h$1,925 / mo16MbpsSamui is Thailand's second most popular island for tourists, after Phuket. The main areas are Chaweng and Lamai. Chaweng used to be more backpacker and trashy (like Bali's Kuta) but is now rapidly developing into a real clean town. Since 2014, it now has a giant air-conditioned Central World mall, an increasing number of coffee places, good restaurants and more upscale hotels and resorts. Lamai Beach used to be the more clean and laidback area but is now deteriorating. The beaches are still okay but the streets are now filled with sex bars and bad restaurants. Worse, prices in Lamai are often higher than in Chaweng due to less competition. The preferrable spot to stay in Ko Samui now is the more mellow South Chaweng.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 38° 100° 29° 85°🥵AQI 21✈️3h$1,768 / mo🌇 Also went here1 peopleDon't believe the prices on here for an apartment. 686 usd/month refers to an apartment in a high class condo, right in the city centre and seconds away from the BTS(train station). Just remember this, people working at supermarkets make 2 usd/per hour. If you want to live like a local, then you can save a lot of money. If you don't mind a 5-10 minute walk from the BTS, then you can easily get a one bedroom apartment for 300 USD per month, in a high class condo, plus with free golf cart service to the BTS station. I have literally gone to a restaurant to pay 8 USD for a meal, when the exact dish was available on the street for only 1 USD and tastes much better. I ate out everyday and went partying a couple of times a week, and my total monthly expenses was still under 1000 usd. TIPS -Gyms are fucking expensive in Thailand. Expect to pay at least 60 USD/month for the gym, which is crazy when you consider the average wage in Thailand is 15 usd/per day. -Vitamins and supplements cost double the price than what you would get at home. Thais do not take supplements. Maybe only foreigners and really rich Thais. People spending 1500 USD per month must be eating steak daily and hanging out at places meant for foreigners.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 39° 102° 33° 91°🥵AQI 73😷✈️3h$1,522 / mo🌇 Also went here1 peopleI think KL will be the next hub for nomads. It's affordable, safe, convenient, has decent Internet and has decent weather. (Yes it's hot during the summer but it gives you a good reason to be inside and get your work done) Mostly it's quite chill, not as hectic and messy as other major SEA cities like Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta. There's not that much to do, but Malaysia has wonderful nature and getaway places, accessible with cheap AirAsia tickets from KL.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 53° 127° 34° 93°🥵✈️3h$1,308 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peopleEverything just works. The food by Singaporean Hawkers are world-class for a good price too. 👌
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 38° 100° 30° 86°🥵AQI 45✈️4h$2,907 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peoplePersonally I hated it. Being somewhat of a SEA vet, I found it crowded, over touristed, expensive and with too many annoying hipsters. You can't walk ten feet without a scooter blocking your path and a red eyed local going "Taxi?" Literally every ten feet in Semniyak. Canggu maybe isn't so bad, but still the traffic is annoying. The roads are super small and traffic is horrible. If you're into walking places, Canngu isn't for you. You'll get run over. So either drive a scooter or get used to dealing with the taxi mafia. There's a war between them and ride hailing apps at the moment. So when you call a grab, after he drops you off there's a chance he'll be beaten to death. But this is normal around the world at the moment, for less affluent countries anyway. Pros? It's beautiful. Lots of stuff to see and do. Unfortunately you'll be charged money for literally everything, including walking through rice paddies. The landscapes, the architecture. I know Bali is a big island with a lot to do. You can rent a villa for $1200 usd a month and live like a drug dealer with your own indoor swimming pool. So gather four nomads and have your own gated compound. Lots of nightlife, clubs, if you're into that stuff. I'm not. For parties I'd rather go to a beach place with hippies in Thailand. The local food is good, the tourist food is amazing if you're willing to pay western prices. But the quality is very high. Overall it's not an expensive place, but it can be. I know Bali is a huge island but I'm just referring to Canggu. It's just to westernized for me. Too crowded with westerners. But if you want to go meet nomads and do western priced fitness, meditation and yoga classes it's the place to be. Plus the beaches are super polluted. Argh. I couldn't wait to leave. I doubt I'll be back soon. But if I do I'm definitely renting a villa and learning to surf. Cool place to do business. But not a place I'd want to live for long. Maybe I'll give it another chance one day.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 49° 120° 34° 94°🥵AQI 28✈️6h$1,391 / mo🌇 Also went here3 peopleUbud is great for older nomads over 35 who are over the party scene. It has great amenities like coworking spaces (HUBUD and Outpost), a dope-ass gym (Titi Batu) and some of the best yoga studios in the world (Yoga Barn and Radiantly Alive). And that's not even mentioning the food, which is incredible. Cons: no Uber or metered taxis so getting around is a total pain and the wild dogs at night can be treacherous. Overall, I don't understand why it's slipped in the rankings bc it really is awesome.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 56° 133° 36° 97°🥵AQI 20✈️6h$1,925 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peopleAs any other city, there are its pros and cons. Of course, it is not a village where everyone will be nice and smile at you if you expect this. Large cities are usually cold and people are quite disconnected. However, the beauty of the culture compliments everything. I suggest having a right intention when coming to Istanbul. If you're looking to make new friends, this is probably not your place to pick (as people are pretty cold), but if you want to enjoy your life, live in your own pace - go to islands to swim, see historical places, walk on your feet a lot, go to cool restaurants and very vivid coffee shops (the variety, is wow!!). As you enter your routine, people will follow and you will connect with some as well that it is not going to be lonely.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 21° 70° 20° 68°🥵AQI 65😷✈️9h$1,357 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peopleBeen living in Berlin for a couple of months. Not worth it anymore. Cold, gray, sad, more expensive than Cologne, terrible internet access (especially mobile), impossible to find decent mid-term apartments, everything getting 25% more expensive per quarter.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 7° 45° 8° 47°AQI 35✈️11h$2,866 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peopleOne giant tourist trap. Giant hordes of rich Europeans vacationing with their parents credit cards.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 6° 43° 8° 47°AQI 16✈️11h$4,927 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peopleI would disagree on the safety level of this city. Living there for 8 months now I'd say from my experience that Barcelona streets aren't safe at all. Many robberies, physical and sexual agressions are frequently occurring mostly due to drug issues in some central neighborhoods. I agree on the perfect weather great food and tech scene too on the positive side.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 16° 61° 16° 60°AQI 20✈️11h$2,851 / mo🌇 Also went here2 peopleAmazing place! Definitely one of the most underrated countries in western Europe.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 12° 54° 13° 56°AQI 51😷✈️13h$2,027 / mo🌇 Also went here3 peopleWell. Stayed 3 days close to the beach. Last day on the toilet and 2 days in the bed at home (Czech Rep.). Cought the famous disease from water probably. So my review is probably not objective :-). My nomadic experience about Morroco however is quite poor. Dirty, uncertain, you can't believe anyone, not feeling safe at all ... I am maybe too old for this kind of adventure :-)
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 25° 77° 22° 71°🥵AQI 27✈️13h$1,160 / mo🌇 Also went here1 peopleAmazing place! cheap and beautigul. Stay in the south!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 25° 77° 23° 73°AQI 5✈️14h$2,612 / mo🌇 Also went here1 people✅ Very cheap to live
✅ Pretty safe
✅ Lots of fun stuff to do
✅ Warm all year round
✅ Good air quality on average
✅ Spacious and not crowded
✅ High quality of education
✅ Roads are pretty safe
✅ Democratic
✅ People can speak basic English
✅ Not many people smoke tobacco
❌ Pretty slow internet
❌ Very humid now
❌ Not many nomads go here
❌ Very difficult to make friends
❌ Difficult to do business
❌ Hospitals are pretty bad
❌ Freedom of speech is weak
❌ Not safe for women
❌ Hostile towards LGBT
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