Every year more and more people quit office jobs and go to live in countries where it is summer all year round. It’s nice to have the warm sun overhead, heavenly places around, the beach, and an abundance of fruits.
Many southern countries are famous for their low prices for housing, food and clothing. Of course, the concept of “living for pennies” is relative for everyone.
There are countries on planet Earth where a person with an average income can afford to live with dignity. Let's look at countries where you can live for pennies, enjoy life, fully develop and improve, work and raise children.
Thailand is a favorite holiday destination for Russian tourists. Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens and residents of different countries come here every year on vacation. After a luxurious, versatile holiday, many people decide to move to Thailand to live, because food and accommodation here are very cheap.
Often people rent out apartments in their own country and use the proceeds to live abroad without denying themselves anything.
$500 a month is enough to live carefree, without working, in Thailand.
The cost of housing for 1-2 rooms with a kitchen, bathroom and toilet, and sometimes even with a swimming pool costs $250 per month. Of course, simpler housing is cheaper, and renting a room will cost $80-100. Rent a hotel room will cost on average $5-8 depending on living conditions.
Food prices are even more pleasing. The main diet is fruits, vegetables and seafood. If you want barbecue or meat with a side dish, a large portion of roast will cost only $2-3. It will be even cheaper to cook yourself by buying food in supermarkets.
To rent a car or bike you will be charged $8-20 per day, and $100-200 per month.
India is a beautiful, religiously rich country with beautiful traditions, yoga and many temples. True, some places are dirty, but if you want to move here, you can find a clean place without any problems.
Housing rent and food costs are not much different from prices in Thailand. You can live in India in summer much cheaper than in winter. In Goa, renting a house near the sea in summer costs an average of $300. A little further from the sea, housing prices are about $250. A luxurious hotel room with all amenities will cost $20 per night.
You can eat quality food and inexpensively in small cafes along the sea; lunch will cost about $3, and you can have breakfast for $1. Indian cuisine costs $3, a cup of coffee $0.5, and freshly squeezed juice $1. Rent a bike or an inexpensive car will cost $5-10 per day.
In the Philippines you can live not only cheaply, but also comfortably. The country has developed infrastructure even in provincial towns, such as Cebu. The capital of the country is always full of visiting vacationers, so the city is too noisy and lively, and prices are much higher than in other places in the Philippines.
- On average, you can rent a house on the islands for $250-300 per month.
- Renting a room will cost $5-10 per day.
- You can rent a bed in an inexpensive hostel for $4 per night.
- A hotel room for two people costs approximately $15.
Food is also inexpensive. In a good cafe you can have a great lunch for $3 per person. In all places for tourists, prices are much higher, that’s why it’s a tourism business. Popular Philippine beer can be purchased for $0.5-1 per half liter.
The country is rich in exotic fruits; they can be purchased at low prices in local markets.
Indonesia is well known to us from the film “Eat. Pray. Love." Beautiful local landscapes, many temples and wise monks who can help you learn the truth and become more harmonious.
Renting a house in Indonesia will cost $100 per month, and a hotel room costs $5 per night. Even if you only have a couple of dollars left, you can have a great meal for as little as $1.
In Cambodia, you can often meet lovers of inexpensive travel, as well as nomads who travel around the world with their laptop. The country is prized for its variety of ancient ruins and temples.
Here you can go scuba diving cheaply and see with your own eyes the beauty of the underwater world of Cambodia. A luxurious dinner in a good restaurant costs only $5-7, and half a liter of beer will cost only $0.3.
Everyone who has traveled to Vietnam falls in love with this country at first sight. It has turquoise waters, limestone islands and inexpensive living. Here you can eat well and tasty, enjoy life and not pay much.
In a cafe, if a tourist correctly pronounces the name of a Vietnamese dish, the price for any delicacy will be set at $1. So learn the language! Renting a house will cost $150 per month, and renting a hotel room will cost $5 per day.
China is a huge country with a huge number of inhabitants. But this does not prevent you from living there and traveling calmly from one city to another. A taxi will cost only $1 around the city.
Although China has been in its prime in recent years, the average salary has reached $740, it is still much cheaper to live here than in many European countries.
In many European countries you can live even cheaper than in Asian countries. Bulgaria is an example of this. Tourist holidays in this country are significantly inexpensive.
Renting an apartment will cost only $200, and a hotel room will cost $8-10 per night. Bulgarian beer is especially prized, costing $1 per liter. Here, 70% of the population is Russian-speaking, and there are also many kindergartens and schools in Russian. The country is sunny and beautiful.
Many Russian citizens buy property here for vacations and permanent residence.
Nicaragua is a country of incredible beauty. There is no overpopulation or wild influx of tourists here. The country is harmonious and inexpensive to live in. A rich variety of exotic fruits and seafood. Amazing vegetation and friendly people.
To fly to live in this country, you will have to work hard. Otherwise, prices here are extremely low.
Rent an apartment for a month will cost on average $100, and a delicious lunch will cost $3. Water sports enthusiasts should first visit this country.
If you choose a country abroad to live in, then you should consider Honduras. Today, this place has begun to attract more and more tourists. Because here you can live inexpensively and have a good rest. You can have a delicious meal in a restaurant for just $3, and rent a hotel room for $5 per night.
In any case, choosing a country for permanent residence should be taken more than seriously. After all, it’s good where we are not! When moving abroad, you should take into account that you will not have close Russian-speaking friends nearby, and a foreign country has its own traditions and customs. Good luck!
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Pack your bags, guys! website I found 15 fabulous places where living is cheaper than we imagine. Of course, they all have their flaws, but the eternal sun and blue water outshine them.
Indonesia
In addition to the fact that you can eat, pray and love in Indonesia, you can also simply live here affordably. And live on a fairly low budget. Prices here are very affordable: you can eat for less than $1, live for $150 a month, but you can only work via the Internet, since there is a very high unemployment rate here.
Cambodia
What's the catch? This is not a clean beach island where you will lie under an umbrella for days on end. The wild local beach is sometimes “decorated” by packs of stray dogs or other forest inhabitants. Just right for those who want to live away from civilization.
Vietnam
The southeastern coast of Vietnam is famous for its 11 thousand hectares of tropical forest. And this is perhaps the best place in Asia for diving and spearfishing: there is a huge barrier reef. And even on weekends these places are free of tourists.
Laos
Laos is a country in Southeast Asia known for its beautiful mountains, Buddhist monasteries and rubber boat rafting with stops at cafes and bars.
Thailand
Even though this place is very popular among tourists and is a little more expensive than other Asian countries, prices in Thailand are still not that high compared to many European countries.
India
A densely populated country with the Taj Mahal, famous caves, forts and temples, and a holy cow. In addition, it is also a very good place to live from an economic point of view. Just $100-110 is enough to rent an apartment here for a month for two. A plate of hot rice with chicken here can cost only 40 rupees - that's about 60 cents; for a full meal you'll have to pay $1-2.
Nepal
Mystical Nepal is renowned as the center of spirituality in Asia, and path-seekers travel here from all over the world to meditate and soak up the unique atmosphere of the place. Those who do not crave enlightenment also go to admire the beautiful mountains, stunning temples and ancient pagodas. Nepal is a paradise for budget travelers. Food expenses here can be limited to $1 per day. Of course, if you go to restaurants, it will be more expensive, but the most expensive dishes here cost at most $8, and renting a one-room apartment (Kathmandu) costs $1-2 per day. Public transport here costs up to $0.2.
China
China is a land of contrasts, with picturesque rural landscapes and crowded urban metropolises, with natural beauty that spans the wild and untamed plains of the Gobi Desert and the northern peak of Everest.
Even though China is a huge country, it is quite easy to get from one place to another. Traveling around the country will not exhaust you as much as in other countries. And taxis in most cities are especially cheap - $1 for a short trip. And you can have a hearty lunch here for just $2.
Bulgaria
The most inexpensive countries to live in have nothing in common with this state - housing here is expensive, but in comparison, for example, with Switzerland, holidays in Bulgaria are very economical. It's just as beautiful as France, but a bottle of beer costs just $0.80 and you can rent an apartment here for just $200 a month.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a real budget paradise for those who like to save money. In this country, everything is cheap, from food to rent. However, the minimum cost of living does not mean that you will have to sacrifice the quality of life to which you are accustomed at home. $995 will be enough to rent a large apartment, pay bills and food for two, afford small entertainment (cinema, for example), and even invite a cleaning lady three times a week.
If you dream of traveling, but never dare to go somewhere, arguing that you need a tidy sum, then you are losing a lot because of your misconceptions. From my own experience, I can firmly say that it is not at all necessary to save for six months or a year in order to go somewhere. You can easily spend 150-250 euros for a week's holiday abroad. And no, by “abroad” I don’t mean nearby countries. I'm talking about holidays in Italy, Greece, Spain, etc.
How I came to travel on my own
A young specialist with incomplete higher education... The salary is small, and you also need to pay for your studies. It was not possible to save much for travel. I spent all my holidays in sessions. As a result, it reached the point where a person “burns out.” It became simply necessary to go somewhere. Having not come up with anything better, I took a week at my own expense, dug into my savings for next year’s studies and started looking for a tour. I visited several agencies, but with the money I had, I could only go to Crimea. I wanted something on a larger scale. Gradually, my searches moved to the Internet, where I began to look through all the last-minute offers from travel agencies. Somehow, by chance, I ended up on aggregator sites where tours from many companies were posted, and I could choose the most inexpensive and optimal option.
Voila, I managed to buy a tour to Turkey for $530 for two people with my sister. It was 2 times cheaper than offers from most travel agencies. It seems like we could be happy, if not for one BUT. I bought the tour 2 days before departure. They didn’t give me a voucher, but they said that they would give it to me directly at the airport at the tour operator’s counter.
It was my first time at the airport. This was my first flight. No one showed up at the counter of my tour operator, although we spent about 6 hours there. My feelings cannot be conveyed. Later, the woman from the next counter said not to worry and to go sit down, since the tickets had been purchased and we would be seated using our passport. I walked to check-in for the flight on shaky legs, because I thought that we would be turned away. Thank God they flew away.
Alas, the misadventures did not end there. I expected that they would meet us at the airport. In my imagination I pictured a man with a sign. Not knowing where to go or what to do, we ran around the airport several times until they told us that we needed to go to the parking lot - buses were waiting for tourists there. We arrived at the beginning of twelve o'clock at night... You can imagine the panic of a person who does not have a tourist voucher in his hands, he does not know what to do, no one is meeting him, night is approaching, the country is foreign, the city is far away, there is not much money, and nearby is also 9- year old child is terrified?
At the parking lot we finally found our bus, which was leaving for Alanya. The girl found us on the list of tourists. We were picked up and taken to the hotel. We must pay tribute to the agent, as she completely resolved the issue with check-in, since we still did not have a voucher in hand. We received all documents and medical insurance only on the 4th day of arrival (the trip was 7 days). And then after they contacted the agency from which they bought the tour package, and they, in turn, contacted the tour operator who organized this tour.
Since that trip, I swore off using the services of travel agencies anymore and decided to start organizing trips myself in order to avoid such situations. Still, when you organize everything yourself, you can definitely control everything, you know what to do, and vouchers and tickets are immediately available.
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Independent travel experience
As it turns out, traveling independently means not only peace of mind and control over everything, but also huge budget savings. When you plan your trip yourself, the cost is 2 times cheaper than from travel agencies, or even more.
I found out how it is possible buy air tickets for only 10 euros, how to live in a hotel for pennies, how to take cool excursions on the cheap and much more. Don’t believe that you can fly to another country for just 10 euros? And I will prove it to you! Here is a screenshot from my personal account of how I managed to buy round-trip tickets to Athens for only 78 zlotys, which is only 18 euros at the exchange rate. 18 euros for 2 tickets! To Greece! But tickets there can usually be bought for only 200-300 dollars round trip. How's that for a tenfold difference? A week in Greece cost only 170 euros.
An 11-day trip from Malta to Rome cost only 300 euros per person. And this takes into account the fact that there were 3 flights! The most expensive ticket cost 25 euros. And we managed to rent hotels 30% cheaper than their standard cost. For example, for a double room in Sliema (Malta) we paid 7958 rubles, while on booking its cost was about 11 thousand rubles.
Believe me, now you don’t have to deny yourself everything and save for a long time for the trip of your dreams. Many companies have sales, and there are ways to buy cheap tickets or book a hotel at half the price. You can easily travel on a small budget, rather than saving at least a thousand dollars to go somewhere. Why give crazy money to a travel agency when for the same amount you can visit 2-3 countries, and not just one?
I hope I have convinced you by my own example that you can travel quite inexpensively. The main thing is to know how to properly organize a budget trip.
I wrote about all my subtleties, secrets, useful services in my cheap manual “How to travel cheaply or plan a budget trip at a price 1.5-3 times cheaper than that of a travel agency.”
From it you will learn how to buy plane tickets for 10-50 euros in total, how to book a hotel 30-50% cheaper than its standard cost, how to eat in a cafe in Europe for half the price and much more... and you can not only save on organizing your own trips, but also start making money on it by organizing inexpensive tours for other people for a certain percentage, I also talked about this... and what nuances you may encounter when organizing tours for others, and gave an example from my own practice.
We find out which countries in the world you can live indecently cheaply - for mere pennies, even taking into account the current exchange rate of the ruble. We give examples of prices for food and housing.
Where is it cheap to live, if not in Southeast Asia and Hindustan? We recommend countries where you can live for pennies - of course, with reasonable savings and without special ambitions, especially given the unstable ruble exchange rate. If you are ready to eat local cuisine in roadside cafes, travel on public transport with locals and live in cheap hotels or rent a house/apartment, then you can live on a budget in the following countries.
The peculiarity of these countries is not only that life in them costs very little money, their advantage is also that they are very comfortable to live in due to the excellent climate, the presence of the sea, the abundance and availability of fresh fruits and other pleasant things that make life happier.
The figure of $500 in the headline is a kind of guideline from which you can start when thinking about how much it costs to live in Asian countries. A month of living for one person in all the countries discussed will cost about the same or even less depending on the country and your lifestyle. One way or another, it’s quite easy to meet $500 a month without denying yourself much.
Vietnam
Vietnam is a country where you can live cheaply if you do not have ambitious needs and are ready to eat what the locals eat and live among them not like a tourist. By the way, visas are issued to Russians free of charge (for a period of 1 or 3 months), which already saves us from unnecessary costs.
Exchange Rates: 1,000 Vietnamese dong ≈ 2.5 rubles, or 1 $ ≈ 22,400 dong.
Food in Vietnam
(photo © majax1 / flickr.com / cc by 2.0 license)
Housing in Thailand
A no-frills room can be found from 300 baht per night in Bangkok, but it will be located a little far from the center. For 400-600 baht you can find very nice rooms in the center of Bangkok. In Pattaya you can rent a room for about 600 baht in a decent hotel. Of course, there are cheap hostels for backpackers (150-200 baht) and luxurious suites. Renting a house in Pattaya costs approximately 10-15 thousand baht. You can find it cheaper if you try. The closer the property is to the sea, the more expensive it is.
Read our helpful tips for traveling to Thailand on your own.
To make housing as cheap as possible, you need to: rent for a long term (from six months), search on your own, choose options not near the sea. For example, even in Bangkok you can find rooms (condos) from only 4,500 baht per month (separate meters: Internet, water, electricity - and this plus about 1,000 baht). Somewhere in the outback (read, in the middle of nowhere) people sometimes manage to find modest rooms even for 2-3 thousand baht a month.
Food in Thailand
You can eat quite cheaply by buying food in small stores like 7/11. It is even cheaper to shop in large supermarkets.
A developed public catering network will also not allow you to starve: prices in street cafes for locals are very low, and sometimes it is more profitable to eat on the street than to cook at home - for 30-50 baht you can eat well.
In addition, you can look into canteens and food courts - for 100 baht you can eat. If you want to visit a decent cafe, then prepare to pay 150-250 baht.
India
Another country where you can live very cheaply is India.
Exchange Rates: 1 Indian rupee ≈ 0.8 rubles.
India (photo © lecercle / flickr.com / cc by 2.0 license)
Housing in India
You can live extremely cheaply in India - for 200-300 rupees per day, if you try hard (shower on the floor). For 500-700 rupees you can find quite decent rooms with all the conditions for a comfortable stay. Of course, the closer the property is to the sea, the more expensive it is; prices also depend on the season, state and city.
Contrary to popular belief that holidays abroad are always very expensive, we hasten to inform you that on our unique planet there are countries where holidays will cost you just a few pennies. This applies to both food and the cost of rent. The most important thing is to find and select cheap air tickets, and then your vacation will truly be unforgettable, comfortable and, most importantly, budget-friendly!
Some of the countries from the list below are probably known to many, since they have long been famous for the possibility of budget holidays in them. And some will probably become a real discovery for you. We tried to select for you as many different interesting and original countries as possible from various parts of our planet.
Please note that some countries on this list also do not require a visa for Russians to enter them. And this is another significant plus in their favor! More details 10 countries you can visit without a visa
1. Cambodia
Our list should start with a small country in Southeast Asia - Cambodia. This country regularly tops the rankings of the cheapest holiday destinations. It may seem like a joke, but you can easily find rooms or apartments here for just a few dollars a day. Food in Cambodia will also cost pennies. For this money you will get a unique exotic nature of the tropics, a lot of different historical attractions, Buddhist temples, etc.
2. Vietnam
Another popular country for a budget holiday in Southeast Asia is Vietnam. As in the case of Cambodia, accommodation and food here can cost you a couple of hundred rubles per day. The only thing you have to work on is finding an inexpensive flight. Therefore, in order to fully enjoy a budget holiday in Vietnam and not regret spending money on a long flight, it is better to relax here for at least two weeks, or better yet, a month. This basically applies to all distant Asian countries.
3. India
India is a great state with a rich history and culture. Of course, you can’t find very cheap holidays here in all cities, since some of them are large tourist centers, where, as you know, they love to scam tourists out of money. However, if you seriously plan your vacation, you can also stay within a relatively small amount. The Indian resort of Goa is very popular, precisely because of its opportunity to relax comfortably and cheaply on the coast of the Indian Ocean. If you are more interested in cultural and historical tourism, the opportunity to touch real Indian culture and Hinduism,to get into her life, then Varanasi is more suitable. As with all Asian countries, the main problem is finding cheap tickets.
4. Hungary
Don’t think that cheap holidays can only be found in distant exotic Asian countries. Cheap countries can also be found in Europe. One of these countries is Hungary. And here the problem of cheap air travel no longer exists, since thanks to WizzAir, which operates direct flights from Moscow to Budapest, you can fly to Hungary even cheaper than to the nearest Russian cities! The cost of accommodation and food here, by European standards, will also seem quite cheap. Meanwhile, the capital of Hungary - Budapest - is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. So don't miss this chance!
5. Bulgaria
Among European countries, it is also worth highlighting Bulgaria, so beloved among Russians. And although today Bulgaria is actively “infiltrating” Europe, joining its values, and now you need a Schengen visa (or national) to visit it, you can still relax comfortably and cheaply on the seaside. But hurry up, it is possible that “European” Bulgaria will not be engaged in such charity for very long.
6. Argentina
We should not forget about such a part of the world as Latin America. The states of this region have recently embarked on the path of accelerated development, which means prices here can also pleasantly surprise. Argentina is especially worth highlighting. This colorful country can delight tourists with a wide variety of recreation and entertainment in Buenos Aires and the most beautiful and breathtaking nature: from the high Andes mountains to the endless steppe plains - the pampas. The flight alone will be quite expensive, due to Argentina’s extreme distance from our country.
7. Sri Lanka
From distant South America we return again to no less close South Asia, or rather, to its very outskirts - an island in the Indian Ocean - Sri Lanka, also known as Ceylon. Here you can touch the real wild tropics, walk through the jungle side by side with real monkeys, elephants and other representatives of the animal world. In addition, there is the warm Indian Ocean and kilometer-long sandy beaches. We should also not forget that Sri Lanka is one of the world centers of Buddhism. So here you will find many different historical attractions associated with this ancient religion.
8. Cuba
Cuba is the "island of freedom" in the Caribbean. Here you can enjoy a truly unique and inimitable atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else. Havana is one of the most beautiful capitals in the world with unique architecture. Varadero is one of the most popular resorts on the entire American continent. Cuba is a rather poor country, so food and accommodation for tourists here will cost a pittance.
9. Türkiye
There is probably no need to introduce Russians to this country - everyone already knows very well about it, many have been there or, at least, have heard well about holidays in it. The famous Turkish “all inclusive” for mere pennies and the warm Mediterranean Sea annually attracts Russian tourists to Turkish resorts: Antalya, Alanya, Kemer, etc. Don’t forget about Istanbul - an important cultural and historical center of Europe that will not leave anyone indifferent.
10. Thailand
Our list ends with another most popular country among Russians, about which it is also difficult to say anything new. This is Thailand. Together with Egypt and Turkey, it is annually one of the three most popular holiday destinations among Russians. And no matter how much I would like to talk about stereotypes and patterns, Thailand really has everything that everyone loves it for: warm blue sea, tropical nature, unique culture, and most importantly - all this is available to almost every average tourist. The most popular resorts: Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, etc.
