Maybe some of you know good tips ?
Thank you for helping.
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| ⭐️ Overall Score | 255 reviews |
| 👍 Quality of life score | |
| 👶 Family score | |
| 💵 Cost | |
| 📡 Internet | |
| 😝 Fun | |
| ⛅️ Temperature (now) | |
| 💦 Humidity (now) | |
| 💨 Air quality (now) | |
| 💨 Air quality (annual) | |
| 👌 Safety | |
| 🎓 Education level | |
| 💰 Income level | |
| ❤️ Liked by members | |
| 🙊 English speaking | |
| 😤 People density | |
| 🚶 Walkability | |
| ✌️ Peace (no pol. conflict) | |
| 🚦 Traffic safety | |
| 🏥 Hospitals | |
| 😄 Happiness | |
| 🍸 Nightlife | |
| 📶 Free WiFi in city | |
| 🖥 Places to work from | |
| ❄️ A/C or heating | |
| 😁 Friendly to foreigners | |
| 🗯 Freedom of speech | |
| 🤚🏿🤚🏻 Racial tolerance | |
| 👩 Female friendly | |
| 🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly | |
| 🎅 Startup Score |
| 🌍 Region | Asia |
| 🚩 Country | South Korea |
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 14 days |
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 22 Mbps |
| ⛅️ Weather (now) | ☀️ 10°C 50°F + 😊 Comfy (56%) = feels 10°C 50°F |
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 😐 89 US AQI = 🚬 / day |
| 💨 Air quality (annual avg) | 😐 75 US AQI = 🚬🍃 good |
| 🔌 Power | 230V60Hz |
| 🧔 Best neighborhood to stay | Seongsu-dong |
| 🚀 Upcoming neighborhood | Sillim-dong |
| 🚕 Best taxi app (in country) | |
| 🚑 Travel medical insurance |  Safetywing |
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | KT Olleh |
| 💸 10,000 KRW in USD | USD 8.77 |
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: | KRW 100,000 = USD 88 |
| 💸 Tipping | No |
| 💳 Cashless society | 💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere |
| 💻 Best coworking space | Campus Seoul |
| 💻 Best alt. coworking space | Hive Arena |
| ☕️ Best coffee place | CowNDog |
| ☕️ Best alt. coffee place | Coffee Bean |
| 🏪 Best 24/7 coffee place | Tom N Toms @ Konkuk |
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 👌 Yes, drinkable |
| ♻️ Return rate | 15% of visitors return |
| 📸 Visitors per year | 7,659,100 visitors |
| 📸 Tourists now | 146,786 tourists |
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 9,800,000 people |
| 👨👩👧👦 GDP per Capita | $27,785 / year |
| 😤 Population density | 😤 crowded: 8x8m (64m²) per person |
| 🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed | Yes |
| 👫 Gender ratio (overall) | 👨 47% 👱♀️ 53% |
| 👫 Gender ratio (young adults) | 👨 56% 👱♀️ 44% |
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious |
| 💻 Online electronics shop | Gmarket |
| 🏠 Apartment listings | Craigslist Seoul |
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | Jeju Air |
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Korean Air |
| 🏥 Best hospital | Seoul National University Hospital |
| 💵 Cost of living for nomad | $2,296 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $1,693 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $4,421 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $1,263 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $964 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $88 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $1,045 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $49 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (1,001 listings) | $1,316 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $43 / night |
| 🍛 Dinner | $10 |
| 🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $1 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $4 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $4 |
Maybe some of you know good tips ?
Thank you for helping.
I’ve been in Seoul for almost 3 Months this year. From what I’ve seen there are quite many rooms being rented on Craigslist and many of the posts are serious and not some rip-offs like in other places. I’ve stayed in a room from Craigslist and it was great and I saw there were quite a few others too.
Personally I would not recommend Itaewon because it’s really a foreigner ghetto there. I’ve been in Songpa (one of the less central areas) and I was quite happy there. Obviously many people do not speak English, but I’ve had the impression they usually try their best to be able to communicate, and learning the Korean characters is super easy which also helps (took me about 4 hours).
One of the things I really enjoyed in Seoul is that there are tons of 24h cafes, which was great for me because I usually work at night.
I was wondering if anyone found out anything more since the last post in April '15.
The habang.co.kr link above isn’t working anymore.
I’m planning to stay in Seoul for a few weeks this spring. Last time I was there I tried the Goshiwon and wouldn’t want to do that again. I also stayed in some ridiculously expensive AirBnBs, two of the three I tried having been of pretty low quality, so I’d be curious how to find a better option. Anything besides Craigslist?
I lived in Seoul for 4 years.
Its a tough housing market because of the key money concept. Basically, the landlord asks for 6-8 months rent up front as a security deposit.
You could look for goshiwon/goshitels. They are one room places that cater to students. I just found this site http://www.habang.co.kr/b_go_se_en?ckattempt=1
The other thing you could do is look into Itaewon/Haebangchon, the foreign ghetto. It can suck, but the language barrier won’t be so bad.
Good luck.
Aha, Japan is pretty much the same but it’s not a deposit, it’s a non-returnable gift. Are guesthouses for foreigners popular in Seoul? They are common in Tokyo and not as pricey, also available for one month or more.
I only spent a few nights in Seoul but all the Koreans I met complained about the price of housing there.
Hi @kathrynoh, I am also planning to visit South Korea for 3 months from July to October this year. Have been looking through AirBnb and Couch Surfing but yet to find any good deals. Most of the Couch Surfers are looking at a few days while longer term would be AirBnb and hostels. Do you think house sitting is available in Seoul or something?
I’ve been thinking about going to Seoul for a while this year and would be interested in knowing too.
I have had a look through Airbnb listings and some are by companies that you can google and book with direct, possibly making it a bit cheaper.
Out of the 3 Areas which would be most beneficial for a foreigner moving to SK?
(If you have experience with areas specifically I’d love to discuss the specific schools that are offering her a position - Not posting that here for obvious reasons.)
My Girlfriend has received 3 contract offers in Seoul/Surrounding area:
i) Dobonggu
ii) Songpa-gu
iii) Bundang, Gyenggido
Background knowledge:
We love being physically active through sport and weight-lifting, love exploring food culture, need good Coffee and live very modestly in terms of going out/expenditure.
I lived in Jamsil, Song-pa for a year and it was quite oppressive. I would recommend Bundang for sure.
Hello, James.
I’m from Seoul, South Korea, so I might be of help to help you understand those areas to some extent.
Dobonggu is a less fancy district compared to other two areas. There is a mountain called ‘Bukhansan’ known for a beautiful hiking trail. But shops/restaurants/gyms and other facilities could be less various. Rents in Dobonggu are one of the cheapest in Seoul.
Songpagu is one of the four infamous districts in Gangnam (which literally means the southern area of Han River but it is more conceived of as the area in which rich and wealthy people live) where rents are the highest and the fervor for education is just frantic. The education level in these areas is top-notch in the whole country and parents can be very demanding. But it could be good in terms of living as there are so many entertaining/leisure/cultural facilities around you.
Bundang is outside of Seoul and it takes about 40-50 minutes to enter Seoul area with public transport. Bundang is a very well-established new town and people who choose to live there are more likely to have preference to a laid-back lifestyle within urban surroundings. Although it’s less crowded than Seoul, the so-called ‘education fever’ is as high as the districts in Gangnam.
I haven’t lived in these areas in person so I can’t give you more detailed information. But hopefully this will help you guys decide where to live. And don’t worry about finding gyms, restaurants, or cafes wherever you choose to live. They are everywhere. Cheers.
@hyobii - You are a treat! this information is very valuable especially from someone who is from South Korea as most of our conversations up to this point has been from Expats/Foreigners.
We are leaning towards Bundang at this point and your words about this location are very affirming.
If you don’t mind - I wouldn’t mind widening this conversation a bit, we already ran into a small issue in cultural difference when we announced that we were coming together as "Girlfriend/Boyfriend"
So bad to the point that my partner lost her first contract in Gangam because of it… (Super frustrating) The interviews after she started referring to me as her Finance/Husband and this drastically changed the perspective/critical view/assumptions.
Do you mind speaking on this a bit and maybe other cultural differences Westerners should be mindful of when relocating to SK?
Korean people can be conservative when it comes cohabitation. Of course there are numerous unmarried couples who live together, but it’s hard for most of them to make it public. Especially to their parents and at work.
The underlying notion of this dates back to Joseon Dynasty where the ruling principle was Confucianism. One of the ethical ideas of Confucianism is a strict segregation of men and women. More specifically speaking “A boy and a girl should not sit together after they have reached the age of seven”. The Joseon Dynasty perished about a century ago and sadly we are not free from these out-of-date ideas up until now.
So in Korea, living with your girlfriend/boyfriend could be seen as an indecent behavior by the majority of people. Teachers are required even higher behavioral standards as kids will learn from them. I understand your frustration, and I’m totally against these ridiculous social norms in Korea, but unfortunately it’s something your girlfriend should’ve kept from the school.
As well as cohabitation, Koreans are not very open-minded towards gay marriage, single moms, Africans or immigrants from developing countries.
And If I can point out one thing out of many other cultural differences you might face in Korea, it’s age. Koreans are very sensitive to age. It’s like if they are older than others, they act like the younger are at their disposal. On the contrary, if they are younger then they will use honorifics and be courteous and respectful of the older. It’s different from respecting ‘the elder’. It happens in all age groups. Another side effect of Confucianism I guess.
One last practical tip. Download KakaoTalk. WhatsApp, Line, or FB messenger will be useless in Korea. If you have more questions, find ‘hyoba’ on KakaoTalk.
What are some of the places in Seoul, South Korea where I can meet people who work in tech/startups?
Which events, cafes, free workspaces, etc should I look at?
Hi @gonchs,
I can thoroughly recommend the co-working space Hive Arena (http://en.hivearena.com/) in Seoul. I’ve only managed to make it there a couple of times as I’m not living in Seoul, however every time the people there have been super friendly. You can just turn up and pay for a day at at time if you don’t want to get a membership.
They also have a Slack team, which is a nice way of keeping in touch with people.
Hope that helps!
Simon
Maybe some of you know good tips ?
Thank you for helping.
I’ve been in Seoul for almost 3 Months this year. From what I’ve seen there are quite many rooms being rented on Craigslist and many of the posts are serious and not some rip-offs like in other places. I’ve stayed in a room from Craigslist and it was great and I saw there were quite a few others too.
Personally I would not recommend Itaewon because it’s really a foreigner ghetto there. I’ve been in Songpa (one of the less central areas) and I was quite happy there. Obviously many people do not speak English, but I’ve had the impression they usually try their best to be able to communicate, and learning the Korean characters is super easy which also helps (took me about 4 hours).
One of the things I really enjoyed in Seoul is that there are tons of 24h cafes, which was great for me because I usually work at night.
I was wondering if anyone found out anything more since the last post in April '15.
The habang.co.kr link above isn’t working anymore.
I’m planning to stay in Seoul for a few weeks this spring. Last time I was there I tried the Goshiwon and wouldn’t want to do that again. I also stayed in some ridiculously expensive AirBnBs, two of the three I tried having been of pretty low quality, so I’d be curious how to find a better option. Anything besides Craigslist?
I lived in Seoul for 4 years.
Its a tough housing market because of the key money concept. Basically, the landlord asks for 6-8 months rent up front as a security deposit.
You could look for goshiwon/goshitels. They are one room places that cater to students. I just found this site http://www.habang.co.kr/b_go_se_en?ckattempt=1
The other thing you could do is look into Itaewon/Haebangchon, the foreign ghetto. It can suck, but the language barrier won’t be so bad.
Good luck.
Aha, Japan is pretty much the same but it’s not a deposit, it’s a non-returnable gift. Are guesthouses for foreigners popular in Seoul? They are common in Tokyo and not as pricey, also available for one month or more.
I only spent a few nights in Seoul but all the Koreans I met complained about the price of housing there.
Hi @kathrynoh, I am also planning to visit South Korea for 3 months from July to October this year. Have been looking through AirBnb and Couch Surfing but yet to find any good deals. Most of the Couch Surfers are looking at a few days while longer term would be AirBnb and hostels. Do you think house sitting is available in Seoul or something?
I’ve been thinking about going to Seoul for a while this year and would be interested in knowing too.
I have had a look through Airbnb listings and some are by companies that you can google and book with direct, possibly making it a bit cheaper.
Out of the 3 Areas which would be most beneficial for a foreigner moving to SK?
(If you have experience with areas specifically I’d love to discuss the specific schools that are offering her a position - Not posting that here for obvious reasons.)
My Girlfriend has received 3 contract offers in Seoul/Surrounding area:
i) Dobonggu
ii) Songpa-gu
iii) Bundang, Gyenggido
Background knowledge:
We love being physically active through sport and weight-lifting, love exploring food culture, need good Coffee and live very modestly in terms of going out/expenditure.
I lived in Jamsil, Song-pa for a year and it was quite oppressive. I would recommend Bundang for sure.
Hello, James.
I’m from Seoul, South Korea, so I might be of help to help you understand those areas to some extent.
Dobonggu is a less fancy district compared to other two areas. There is a mountain called ‘Bukhansan’ known for a beautiful hiking trail. But shops/restaurants/gyms and other facilities could be less various. Rents in Dobonggu are one of the cheapest in Seoul.
Songpagu is one of the four infamous districts in Gangnam (which literally means the southern area of Han River but it is more conceived of as the area in which rich and wealthy people live) where rents are the highest and the fervor for education is just frantic. The education level in these areas is top-notch in the whole country and parents can be very demanding. But it could be good in terms of living as there are so many entertaining/leisure/cultural facilities around you.
Bundang is outside of Seoul and it takes about 40-50 minutes to enter Seoul area with public transport. Bundang is a very well-established new town and people who choose to live there are more likely to have preference to a laid-back lifestyle within urban surroundings. Although it’s less crowded than Seoul, the so-called ‘education fever’ is as high as the districts in Gangnam.
I haven’t lived in these areas in person so I can’t give you more detailed information. But hopefully this will help you guys decide where to live. And don’t worry about finding gyms, restaurants, or cafes wherever you choose to live. They are everywhere. Cheers.
@hyobii - You are a treat! this information is very valuable especially from someone who is from South Korea as most of our conversations up to this point has been from Expats/Foreigners.
We are leaning towards Bundang at this point and your words about this location are very affirming.
If you don’t mind - I wouldn’t mind widening this conversation a bit, we already ran into a small issue in cultural difference when we announced that we were coming together as "Girlfriend/Boyfriend"
So bad to the point that my partner lost her first contract in Gangam because of it… (Super frustrating) The interviews after she started referring to me as her Finance/Husband and this drastically changed the perspective/critical view/assumptions.
Do you mind speaking on this a bit and maybe other cultural differences Westerners should be mindful of when relocating to SK?
Korean people can be conservative when it comes cohabitation. Of course there are numerous unmarried couples who live together, but it’s hard for most of them to make it public. Especially to their parents and at work.
The underlying notion of this dates back to Joseon Dynasty where the ruling principle was Confucianism. One of the ethical ideas of Confucianism is a strict segregation of men and women. More specifically speaking “A boy and a girl should not sit together after they have reached the age of seven”. The Joseon Dynasty perished about a century ago and sadly we are not free from these out-of-date ideas up until now.
So in Korea, living with your girlfriend/boyfriend could be seen as an indecent behavior by the majority of people. Teachers are required even higher behavioral standards as kids will learn from them. I understand your frustration, and I’m totally against these ridiculous social norms in Korea, but unfortunately it’s something your girlfriend should’ve kept from the school.
As well as cohabitation, Koreans are not very open-minded towards gay marriage, single moms, Africans or immigrants from developing countries.
And If I can point out one thing out of many other cultural differences you might face in Korea, it’s age. Koreans are very sensitive to age. It’s like if they are older than others, they act like the younger are at their disposal. On the contrary, if they are younger then they will use honorifics and be courteous and respectful of the older. It’s different from respecting ‘the elder’. It happens in all age groups. Another side effect of Confucianism I guess.
One last practical tip. Download KakaoTalk. WhatsApp, Line, or FB messenger will be useless in Korea. If you have more questions, find ‘hyoba’ on KakaoTalk.
What are some of the places in Seoul, South Korea where I can meet people who work in tech/startups?
Which events, cafes, free workspaces, etc should I look at?
Hi @gonchs,
I can thoroughly recommend the co-working space Hive Arena (http://en.hivearena.com/) in Seoul. I’ve only managed to make it there a couple of times as I’m not living in Seoul, however every time the people there have been super friendly. You can just turn up and pay for a day at at time if you don’t want to get a membership.
They also have a Slack team, which is a nice way of keeping in touch with people.
Hope that helps!
Simon
✅ Pretty safe
✅ Fast internet
✅ Lots of fun stuff to do
✅ Perfect humidity now
✅ Good air quality usually
✅ Nomad List members liked going here
✅ Many Nomad List members here all year round
✅ Very easy to do business
✅ High quality of education
✅ Great hospitals
✅ Roads are pretty safe
✅ Freedom of speech
✅ Democratic
✅ Very safe for women
✅ Family friendly
✅ LGBTQ+ friendly
❌ Cold now
❌ Gets cold in the winter
❌ Feels crowded
❌ Very difficult to make friends
❌ People don't speak English well
❌ People smoking tobacco a lot
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Feels | 341° cold | 362° cold | 489° cold | 5915° cool | 7323° mild | 7524° warm | 8630° warm | 9032° hot | 8127° warm | 6619° mild | 5211° cool | 394° cold |
| Real | 341° very cold | 362° very cold | 489° cold | 5915° cool | 7323° mild | 7524° warm | 8127° warm | 8429° very warm | 7926° warm | 6619° mild | 5111° cool | 394° very cold |
| Humidity | too dry 29% | nice 35% | nice 46% | nice 49% | nice 50% | nice 61% | sweaty 74% | nice 68% | nice 61% | nice 56% | nice 54% | nice 56% |
| Rain | dry 1mm | dry 10mm | dry 21mm | dry 26mm | dry 21mm | dry 41mm | rainy 80mm | rainy 53mm | rainy 96mm | dry 42mm | rainy 50mm | dry 25mm |
| Cloud | pockets 28% | cloudy 51% | pockets 48% | cloudy 59% | pockets 35% | cloudy 54% | cloudy 65% | cloudy 55% | cloudy 85% | pockets 37% | pockets 50% | cloudy 55% |
| Air quality | okay 90 US AQI | bad 100 US AQI | bad 115 US AQI | okay 87 US AQI | okay 93 US AQI | okay 86 US AQI | okay 65 US AQI | okay 56 US AQI | clean 44 US AQI | okay 59 US AQI | okay 82 US AQI | okay 90 US AQI |
| Sun | safe 2 UVI | safe 3 UVI | sunscreen 4 UVI | sunscreen 5 UVI | sunscreen 6 UVI | sunscreen 6 UVI | sunscreen 6 UVI | sunburn 7 UVI | sunscreen 5 UVI | sunscreen 4 UVI | safe 3 UVI | safe 2 UVI |
| Nomad List members | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 5 people | 6 people | 6 people | 3 people | 6 people | 6 people | 5 people | 6 people | 5 people |
Based on Seoul's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
From visiting I see: No freedom of speech Very uncomfortable people Strict regulations Slow internet And it’s just plain scary
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⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 8° 46° 8° 47°AQI 87😷✈️16min$3,527 / moGreat place if you like Korean cuisine and fresh fish in general. Haedong Yonggungsa seaside temple is the absolute highlight. Locals are helpful, too bad 8/10 won't speak english. Young people included! Remember: Uber, Grab, Google Maps won't work in Korea, in favour of Kakao app which is pure garbage and all in Korean. And by the way pornography is illegal.
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⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 10° 50° 11° 52°AQI 52✈️26min$2,164 / mo30MbpsDon'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 ser
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⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 9° 48° 10° 50°AQI 10✈️1h$2,321 / mo29MbpsI've been living in SF since 2014 and I have to say Cost of Living is misrepresented. It's a lot more expensive now (2020) than posted. 1-bdr in center is $3,500-$4,000 + $200-$300 for parking + $100-$200 for utilities. Almost impossible to find month-to-month rent, so this is for 1-year lease. Coffee for two + a pastry is easily $20. Dinner for two never less than $50, unless it's fast food (+20% tips are expected) and if you want actually something good it's at least $100 for two. Airbnb is $1
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 10° 50° 11° 52°AQI 34✈️12h$5,687 / mo67MbpsDefinitely check out The Key (on near Zhong Xiao Dun Hua station) if living here for more than a month. Cafe + Gym + Bar all in one, monthly membership about $50 USD. English-friendly, no contracts. Made my 3 month stay here immensely better with fast wifi in the cafe and it's a great feeling to be able to work out immediately after working.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 20° 68° 19° 66°AQI 70✈️2h$1,949 / mo20MbpsShanghai is a giant city and your experience really depends on a few factors like: 1) where you live in the city 2) do you speak basic Mandarin 3) do you make nice money 4) do you have to use the internet If you can afford to live in Jing'an or the French Concession, you can live a fashionable metropolitan lifestyle like you would in New York City. There's amazing food (Asian, Western and fusion). You'll be surrounded by entrepreneurs, artists, fashion designers and models. Many of whom d
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 13° 55° 13° 55°AQI 51✈️1h$2,064 / mo2MbpsLondon is a SO beautiful city. The historical center is cute, but also majestic and luxurious. You feel the culture at every step. British people are really kind and welcoming! Plus, more than just one, you can enjoy TWO skylines 😍 so many skyscrapers, nothing beats its collection in Europe.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 9° 48° 9° 48°AQI 87😷✈️12h$4,247 / mo23MbpsI lived in Amsterdam for three years in three different apartments in the center. The place is very noisy and during the lockdown it became painfully obvious that the dutch in general don't really care about whether they bother their neighbors or not. After reading expat Facebook groups, it seems I'm not alone with this opinion. The city is gorgeous, but to be frank, I'm not eager to live there again.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 6° 43° 7° 45°AQI 75✈️11h$4,488 / mo23MbpsTokyo has so much to offer and so much to do. It is easily overwhelming. Whereas I usually take my first week to explore a place Tokyo’s sights just kept on going. I remember ending up in a hidden cocktail bar, a mexican rooftop party with 1 meter margaritas, spending a whole day going only to French places(?), visiting a store that only imported 2nd hand hiphop apparel, and throughout it all the best michelin star ramen. It just seemed endless, completely unrelated and incredibly fun. Six wee
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 8° 46° 9° 48°AQI 9✈️2h$3,300 / mo🌇 Also went here384 peopleDefinitely check out The Key (on near Zhong Xiao Dun Hua station) if living here for more than a month. Cafe + Gym + Bar all in one, monthly membership about $50 USD. English-friendly, no contracts. Made my 3 month stay here immensely better with fast wifi in the cafe and it's a great feeling to be able to work out immediately after working.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 20° 68° 19° 66°AQI 70✈️2h$1,949 / mo🌇 Also went here234 peopleHong Kong is a fabulous city - from big city living, to isolated beaches, outlying islands and hikes through mountainous terrain. The big downside is it's EXPENSIVE. You need to have a decent salary to live here - otherwise, it would be tough. Hong Kong island is the most expensive, but more affordable places are possible, the further you are willing to travel. It's quite a transient city, so probably pretty easy to make connections!
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 21° 70° 21° 69°AQI 58✈️3h$2,338 / mo🌇 Also went here267 peopleChiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life. It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) and restaurants (2-3$ for a main). Wouldn't recommend staying there during the burning season. The best area is Nimman, but it's also the most expensive. You can stay in the old city that's very nice but that gets noisy during the weekend for the night markets. Last but not least, very safe city. All in all would go back in a heartbeat.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 31° 88° 33° 91°🥵AQI 199😷✈️5h$1,084 / mo🌇 Also went here271 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 ser
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 42° 108° 33° 91°🥵AQI 68✈️5h$1,450 / mo🌇 Also went here356 peopleFirst time I was in KL was in 2015 as a backpacking student. I stayed for 2 weeks at an airbnb in Bangsar South and I loved it. Met up with Uni friends, made new friends and I really like the relaxed atmosphere, despite being in a huge city. Fast forward, 3 years later, I went by myself to KL for a 3 days stay on a visa run from Chiang Mai. I stayed in a hotel near Bukit Bintang. I actually really didn't like it - I think because I was by myself, in a fairly wild part of the city and got so us
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 40° 104° 31° 88°🥵AQI 79😷✈️6h$1,287 / mo🌇 Also went here249 peopleThey say you get what you pay for. After having traveled the previous 4 months in India, Cambodia, VietNam, Myanmar and Thailand, Singapore was so easy! The subway system is a marvel, streets signs were easy to read, everyone speaks English (that just makes it easy for me as an English speaker) it is safe, clean, and parks are gorgeous. I was there as COVID 19 was breaking out fairly fast and that put a damper on my time but I was so happy to be there anyway and plan to go back. For digital
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 36° 97° 29° 85°🥵AQI 60✈️6h$2,760 / mo🌇 Also went here292 peopleBerlin is overall a great city to be. Food is cheap and everywhere, easy to go out and have fun/meet for business. Rent has crept up but still far better value than where I came from. Internet: 36 EUR/month get me 450/40 mbps (cable -> DOCSIS 3.0) Public transport is 2.70 EUR/ticket. No woman I know has said they felt unsafe. Some really odd, xenophobic sounding comments on here. Biggest downsides IMO: service quality at restaurants - not that people are rude, but they don't seem to particular
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 4° 39° 5° 41°AQI 70✈️11h$2,988 / mo🌇 Also went here272 peopleI lived in Amsterdam for three years in three different apartments in the center. The place is very noisy and during the lockdown it became painfully obvious that the dutch in general don't really care about whether they bother their neighbors or not. After reading expat Facebook groups, it seems I'm not alone with this opinion. The city is gorgeous, but to be frank, I'm not eager to live there again.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 6° 43° 7° 45°AQI 75✈️11h$4,488 / mo🌇 Also went here278 peopleLondon is a SO beautiful city. The historical center is cute, but also majestic and luxurious. You feel the culture at every step. British people are really kind and welcoming! Plus, more than just one, you can enjoy TWO skylines 😍 so many skyscrapers, nothing beats its collection in Europe.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 9° 48° 9° 48°AQI 87😷✈️12h$4,247 / mo🌇 Also went here307 peopleSuper fun and beautiful city. I find Parisians are actually very patient and warm if you at least attempt to speak French; in my experience, most people who complain that they're rude are the ones making zero effort to speak the language. Expensive though and not very easy to meet other nomads.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 9° 48° 9° 48°AQI 96😷✈️12h$3,998 / mo🌇 Also went here281 peopleI've been living in SF since 2014 and I have to say Cost of Living is misrepresented. It's a lot more expensive now (2020) than posted. 1-bdr in center is $3,500-$4,000 + $200-$300 for parking + $100-$200 for utilities. Almost impossible to find month-to-month rent, so this is for 1-year lease. Coffee for two + a pastry is easily $20. Dinner for two never less than $50, unless it's fast food (+20% tips are expected) and if you want actually something good it's at least $100 for two. Airbnb is $1
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 10° 50° 11° 52°AQI 34✈️12h$5,687 / mo🌇 Also went here250 peopleNothing does a better job of explaining LA’s beautiful diversity and different neighborhoods than the documentary about the late Jonathan Gold, our city’s greatest amabassador and the only food critic to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. It is called, “City of Gold” and if you want to know LA, just watch this film. Trailer link: https://youtu.be/DmKTRDfz1zM
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 18° 64° 17° 62°AQI 34✈️13h$4,325 / mo🌇 Also went here215 peopleDuring winter is quite safe plus much cheaper. Some nightclubs are free and yet there is still a lot of people. Great por lgbtq+ community.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 13° 55° 13° 56°AQI 55✈️13h$2,915 / mo🌇 Also went here261 peopleHaving spent a total of two weeks in London on two separate occasions and having lived in NYC for two years, both are among my favorite cities in the world. Londoners are quite internationally and ethnically diverse, and seemingly better educated and more intellectual than New Yorkers in aggregate. The city very clean with a stunning mix of modern and historic architecture, and arguably has Europe's best public transit in terms of signage, availability, cleanliness and general efficiency. Meanw
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 5° 41° 6° 42°AQI 35✈️15h$4,755 / mo🌇 Also went here298 people
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