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In this article, we will share the five best affordable countries for digital nomads. Working out your next country as a digital nomad is not as simple as working out where to take a holiday. As a digital nomad, you have a very unique set of needs and requirements.
A good digital nomad country needs to have a good long-term visa option, hubs where you can find community, and reliable and fast internet. Many digital nomads also look for affordable countries. The freedom and flexibility of the digital nomad lifestyle means that you can pick countries with a high quality of life and a low cost of living.
We have been a full-time digital nomad family for 3 years (and traveled many years prior to this). We love to share information, advice, and tips to equip and inspire other digital nomads. So we really hope that this article is useful to you. For each of the countries that we share, we will give you an idea of the cost of accommodation, food, and transportation. We will also give you some insights into what it is like to live and work in the country as a digital nomad.
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1 Thailand
Thailand is our top pick for an affordable country for digital nomads. Although prices around the world have risen in recent years, Thailand has remained relatively cheap (especially the north of the country). You can easily find accommodation starting for as little as £10 per night (or $12). For a budget of £20 – £30 ($25 – $35), you can find relatively spacious and luxurious accommodation. The best option is to book your first month on a platform like Booking.com or Agoda and then make a deal with them directly if you want to extend your stay.
Thailand is also an impressively cheap country for food. Affordable street food is fresh, tasty, healthy, and widely available. If you’re willing to eat street food, you can eat for as little as 40 baht (in the north of Thailand) or 80 baht (in the south of Thailand). Transportation is also very cheap and convenient in Thailand. You can use the Grab taxi app (or Bolt) to arrange a taxi ride with prices starting around 60 baht for a few kilometers. For longer journeys, you can also use long-distance buses and trains. The night trains are particularly comfortable and very affordable, generally costing around £25 – £35. Thailand also has affordable high-speed internet and plenty of coffee shops and co-working spaces. Free Wi-Fi is widely available and fast. Thailand has also recently started to offer long-term visas and digital nomad visas.
BEST BUDGET COUNTRIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA – What is the cheapest country to travel in SE Asia?
FULL GUIDE – Why Thailand is one of the BEST countries in the world for digital nomads
2 Bali
Bali is a fantastic destination for digital nomads, so much so that it has achieved a somewhat iconic status in the digital nomad community. Bali has a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty and activities. You can enjoy beaches, volcanoes, lakes, and rice terraces. It is also a fantastically affordable country for digital nomads, with prices similar to that of Thailand and Malaysia. At the low-budget end, accommodation in Bali is slightly more expensive than Thailand.
However, if you can find a place where you can get a long-term deal, you can get very cheap accommodation. Street food in Bali is affordable and very tasty. You can also find plenty of high-quality international food around Bali (although this is not as cheap as local street food, it will probably be impressively cheap compared to your home country). You can use the Grab taxi app to arrange cheap taxi journeys around Bali. In fact, this is one of the cheapest ways to get around and it can be even cheaper than the private buses that operate on the island. Bali has a pretty simple and affordable tourist visa which allows you to stay in the country for up to 60 days. You can also arrange longer-term visas.
3 Malaysia
Find out more – Is Malaysia a good country for digital nomads?
Malaysia is a fantastic affordable country for digital nomads. Accommodation generally starts at around £15 – £20 per night. At the low-budget end, you don’t get a lot for your money in Malaysia compared to Bali and Thailand. However, you can find plenty of very affordable and tasty street food in Malaysia. The fusion of Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures creates a very fun and varied street food scene. In most places, you can find street food for around RM5 – 10 (which is approximately £1 – £2 or $1.20 – $2.40). There is also an excellent range of international food in Malaysia, including Western, Japanese, and Korean cuisine.
Transport is delightfully cheap in Malaysia. For short local journeys, you can take a Grab taxi for a few ringgits. For longer journeys, you can take long-distance buses, which generally cost around RM40 (around £8 or $10) to travel between cities. The internet in Malaysia is generally slower and less reliable than the internet in Thailand. We recommend getting a 30-day prepaid Digi SIM card for around RM50 or £10 or $12 (in our experience, this is the fastest and best-value option).
Top tip: You may think that Penang is a good destination for digital nomads. However, Penang has a local rule that prevents medium-term apartment rentals. So you can stay for a week or two, but if you’re looking to stay for several months, you will find it difficult to get a place. Generally speaking, you need to commit to a minimum of 12 months to secure a contract in Penang.
4 Croatia
Croatia is one of the best affordable countries for digital nomads in Europe. It has beautiful beaches, national parks, and plenty of great hubs for digital nomads. You can find plenty of cafes and coffee shops around, and prices are generally very affordable. Apartment rentals start at around £20 per night, although if you shop around, you can find even cheaper deals, especially if you are staying long term. Croatia is also great for affordable food. It is possible to find tasty, filling meals starting at around £3 or $3.50. If you’re looking for cheaper options, there are also plenty of small convenience stores and supermarkets around.
5 Bolivia
Bolivia is one of our wild cards. This is certainly not the first country that comes to mind when most people think of digital nomads. However, Bolivia offers some of the cheapest prices in South America. It is also packed with stunning scenery, natural beauty, and adventure. Bolivia is neither an easy place to travel nor an easy place to work. It is intrepid, wild, and gritty. However, if you are able to adapt and be flexible with your work, Bolivia is a fantastic affordable country for digital nomads.
You can find plenty of accommodation under £10 or $12 per night. Food is also very affordable in Bolivia. It is easy to eat out for as little as £2 or $2.50. You can also find plenty of cheap transport in Bolivia. Short local bus journeys generally cost less than $1, and you can also do longer bus journeys around the country for £10 to £20 (or $12 to $24). Although Bolivia is not one of those classic digital nomad destinations, it is surprisingly affordable and packs a lot of adventure and beauty.
LEARN MORE – What are the main advantages and disadvantages of becoming a digital nomad family?
