Nomad List
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $1,306 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $829 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $1,913 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $547 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $419 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $256 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $672 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $31 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (1,001 listings) | $1,190 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $39 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $2.37 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $0.35 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $2.10 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $1.75 |
Based on Ubud's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
 | Part Time User Experience Designer @ Better. |
 | UI UX Designer, No Coding Required @ Soflyy |
The review that begins "Canggu is great. Here's some pointers you need to know before going:" is exactly 100% spot-on except... its not great. Motorbikes are dangerous and there are so many incredibly dangerous tourists on motorbikes either showing off on overpowered bikes or not knowing what they're doing and crashing. I've been crashes and near-misses almost every day. Had someone crash into me just yesterday. Walking is impossible and incredibly dangerous. Its not worth your life to be in a place with filthy beaches, filthy streets and incredible noise pollution from clubs and made-to-be-loud motorbikes. There are some incredibly, incredibly hot Western women but I don't like living like a colonialist. I've never seen an Indonesian in the same restaurant or pool or anything as me. That's creepy. If you miss The Raj, then its probably great for you but I like living among the local people. Not them being only servants with nothing about the place left to enjoy themselves.
Gili Air is a wonderful tropical island with good enough internet, amazing beaches and affordable accommodation and food. The locals are super friendly and it's super safe. There is a party and live music every night for those that feel like socialising(with the exception of Thursday nights). There's a well equipped gym, Salsa dancing Night every Monday at the schick-kitsch mexican restaurant, stand up paddle, lots of wonderful yoga shalas, kite surfing, snorkelling, diving and lots of food options. It's actually becoming a vegetarian and vegan paradise lately. There's also a co-working space as part of a Yoga Center. Several music and traditional festivals are held every year and it's wonderful to watch local weddings. Land prices are also still reasonable given that the island will be developing at a faster pace now. The quality of people that seem to crowd Gili Air are very different to those that go to Gili Trawangan. Gili Air attracts a 30+ couples, families and friends groups who don't mind splashing out on nice accommodation, spa treatments and great culinary experiences. All in all, my favorite place so far with an average of 322 days of sunshine! The climate doesn't get any better than this anywhere in the world(and given most other exotic islands are prone to hurricanes... there's never been a hurricane or tornado in the Gilis).
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.
The review that begins "Canggu is great. Here's some pointers you need to know before going:" is exactly 100% spot-on except... its not great. Motorbikes are dangerous and there are so many incredibly dangerous tourists on motorbikes either showing off on overpowered bikes or not knowing what they're doing and crashing. I've been crashes and near-misses almost every day. Had someone crash into me just yesterday. Walking is impossible and incredibly dangerous. Its not worth your life to be in a place with filthy beaches, filthy streets and incredible noise pollution from clubs and made-to-be-loud motorbikes. There are some incredibly, incredibly hot Western women but I don't like living like a colonialist. I've never seen an Indonesian in the same restaurant or pool or anything as me. That's creepy. If you miss The Raj, then its probably great for you but I like living among the local people. Not them being only servants with nothing about the place left to enjoy themselves.
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.
An Islamic consumerist utopia. Boring, dangerous, and overall average. Alright for a week or two if you're a couple or male. Hell on earth if you're female (DO NOT GO OUTSIDE ALONE AFTER 8PM IF YOU'RE MORE THAN 2KMs FROM THE CBD).
Great place. Very easy to live here. Every self confessed "Digital Nomad" in Chiang Mai is borderline psychotic/delusional. Luckily, they're easy to avoid. Stick with the expats, locals, and tourists and you'll meet some great people. My second digital nomad pick after Saigon.
Gili Air is a wonderful tropical island with good enough internet, amazing beaches and affordable accommodation and food. The locals are super friendly and it's super safe. There is a party and live music every night for those that feel like socialising(with the exception of Thursday nights). There's a well equipped gym, Salsa dancing Night every Monday at the schick-kitsch mexican restaurant, stand up paddle, lots of wonderful yoga shalas, kite surfing, snorkelling, diving and lots of food options. It's actually becoming a vegetarian and vegan paradise lately. There's also a co-working space as part of a Yoga Center. Several music and traditional festivals are held every year and it's wonderful to watch local weddings. Land prices are also still reasonable given that the island will be developing at a faster pace now. The quality of people that seem to crowd Gili Air are very different to those that go to Gili Trawangan. Gili Air attracts a 30+ couples, families and friends groups who don't mind splashing out on nice accommodation, spa treatments and great culinary experiences. All in all, my favorite place so far with an average of 322 days of sunshine! The climate doesn't get any better than this anywhere in the world(and given most other exotic islands are prone to hurricanes... there's never been a hurricane or tornado in the Gilis).
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).
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.
The review that begins "Canggu is great. Here's some pointers you need to know before going:" is exactly 100% spot-on except... its not great. Motorbikes are dangerous and there are so many incredibly dangerous tourists on motorbikes either showing off on overpowered bikes or not knowing what they're doing and crashing. I've been crashes and near-misses almost every day. Had someone crash into me just yesterday. Walking is impossible and incredibly dangerous. Its not worth your life to be in a place with filthy beaches, filthy streets and incredible noise pollution from clubs and made-to-be-loud motorbikes. There are some incredibly, incredibly hot Western women but I don't like living like a colonialist. I've never seen an Indonesian in the same restaurant or pool or anything as me. That's creepy. If you miss The Raj, then its probably great for you but I like living among the local people. Not them being only servants with nothing about the place left to enjoy themselves.
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.
An Islamic consumerist utopia. Boring, dangerous, and overall average. Alright for a week or two if you're a couple or male. Hell on earth if you're female (DO NOT GO OUTSIDE ALONE AFTER 8PM IF YOU'RE MORE THAN 2KMs FROM THE CBD).
"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.
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.
Great place. Very easy to live here. Every self confessed "Digital Nomad" in Chiang Mai is borderline psychotic/delusional. Luckily, they're easy to avoid. Stick with the expats, locals, and tourists and you'll meet some great people. My second digital nomad pick after Saigon.
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).
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)
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
Not a very "freelance/artist" friendly city. The look of someone working inside a coffeeshop is still unusual and unappreciated. Extremely not accessible and not disable friendly (Metro, bus, building, coffeeshops and restaurants...)
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.
The other two reviews are spot-on. I've been living here for 6 years and it's terrible. Nothing but nerds with no social skills, and trust me even the people working at top tech companies are struggling financially. You have legit homeless towns in some parts of the city, where you see 50-100 tents with homeless people. Some of them even have desks and BBQ grills. This is not a good place anymore and hasn't been for some time. Don't believe the hype.
One of the most well known cities, few will be surprised by what they see and experience. Very high cost of living can make it tough for many nomads. A lot of things to see and do but most of that costs money. Can feel overwhelming and oppressively business oriented (ie, full of very serious yuppies and places catering to them), especially in Manhattan south of Harlem. Ton of single people, which is good on paper but means everyone you date will get distracted by another person, or multiple, unless you are extremely exceptional, before you have a chance to meet again, never ends. Weather sucks hard from July to August and January to March/April. It's an okay city if you're a biker and varies a lot. Some areas are quite protected, others have no bike lanes. In general, it can be dangerous if you want to commute by bike, it's not Amsterdam. Friendliness of the people varies a lot. I think income/wealth, where they grew up, where they live within NYC, their job, etc. can often give you an idea of what to expect. Service at stores is usually pretty unhelpful and unfriendly but, again, it varies, even within the same store. Internet is fast for the most part. Great selection of food, just a bit pricey besides some of the cheaper pizza slices. Transportation system is good, no need for a car. However, the subway lines are notorious for having issues during rush hour and are usually jam packed. Also, the stations look decrepit and are way out of date. It's pretty safe. Street scams are more prevalent in tourist areas, pick-pocketing and random phone snatching isn't really anything most people worry about. Can be very noisy depending on where you live. You may wake up to extremely loud construction every morning.
Nomad List Nomad ListOne-Time-Purchase
$199 once: never pay again
Billed in one payment of $199
12 Months Membership
$12.42/month
Billed in one payment of $149
1 Month Membership
$1.63/day
Billed in one payment of $49
Nomad List💖 Thank you so much for supporting Nomad List! I really appreciate it!
📬 First, please go to your email and click the confirm link first to verify your email address.
💌 After you confirm your email I'll send you an email with more info.
👩💻 You can then start using all the Nomad List member-only features!
💭 If you have any feedback, please tweet us!
by levelsio
