Travel costs / Cheapest cities
The 15 cheapest cities for digital nomads in 2026
Ranked by what a comfortable month really costs: a furnished 1-bed, eating out twice a day, a coworking desk, getting around and a SIM. Every price links to its source.
1. Da Nang, Vietnam
$975 a comfortable month, $525 lean. Rent $310 to $580, coworking $80 to $135. Beachside flats near My Khe cost more than studios a few streets inland.
2. Hoi An, Vietnam
$1,030 a comfortable month, $628 lean. Rent $310 to $700, coworking $156. Rents are usually paid up front and drop 10 to 20 percent with negotiation or a longer stay.
3. Chiang Mai, Thailand
$1,150 a comfortable month, $625 lean. Rent $300 to $650, coworking $120 to $180. Nimman is the priciest and most popular nomad area, while Santitham and areas outside Nimman rent for noticeably less.
4. Hanoi, Vietnam
$1,200 a comfortable month, $661 lean. Rent $400 to $780, coworking $80 to $155. Tay Ho around West Lake is the main expat area and costs more than Cau Giay.
5. Siargao, Philippines
$1,220 a comfortable month, $752 lean. Rent $350 to $600, coworking $110 to $120. General Luna is the most expensive part of the island, and rents can nearly double in the surf high season around August to November.
6. George Town, Penang, Malaysia
$1,230 a comfortable month, $626 lean. Rent $370 to $865, coworking $74 to $123. Hawker food keeps daily costs very low, while cafe culture and condos around Gurney push budgets up.
7. Bangkok, Thailand
$1,250 a comfortable month, $552 lean. Rent $300 to $900, coworking $90 to $210. Rent depends mostly on how close you are to central Sukhumvit: On Nut is often half the price of Thong Lo, and monthly terms cost more than a yearly lease.
8. Buenos Aires, Argentina
$1,380 a comfortable month, $759 lean. Rent $450 to $900, coworking $38 to $125. Peso prices move fast with inflation and fares rise almost every month, so treat these as a snapshot.
9. Ubud, Indonesia
$1,430 a comfortable month, $829 lean. Rent $500 to $900, coworking $100 to $230. Ubud is usually a little cheaper than Canggu for housing, and coworking ranges from budget community spaces to pricier hubs like Outpost.
10. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
$1,440 a comfortable month, $862 lean. Rent $580 to $970, coworking $100 to $155. Rent is the big variable: District 1 and Thao Dien cost the most, and prices drop quickly further out.
11. Koh Phangan, Thailand
$1,560 a comfortable month, $780 lean. Rent $450 to $900, coworking $90 to $210. Short monthly bookings cost noticeably more than longer leases, and rates spike in July and August and around the full moon parties.
12. Tbilisi, Georgia
$1,620 a comfortable month, $918 lean. Rent $400 to $800, coworking $58 to $193. Tbilisi is one of the cheapest bases in Europe, and the 40 lari monthly pass covers the whole metro and bus network.
13. Canggu, Indonesia
$1,800 a comfortable month, $1,050 lean. Rent $700 to $1,200, coworking $100 to $200. Housing drives the budget: month-to-month villa prices climb in peak season, and electricity is usually billed on top of rent.
14. Marrakech, Morocco
$1,850 a comfortable month, $1,120 lean. Rent $615 to $871, coworking $82 to $185. Living in Gueliz or Hivernage gives modern flats and reliable internet, while the medina is cheaper for food but slower to get around.
15. Phuket, Thailand
$1,870 a comfortable month, $927 lean. Rent $540 to $1,045, coworking $90 to $210. Short-stay rents in high season (roughly November to April) run well above annual-lease prices, so negotiating a longer lease saves a lot.
The full ranking
| # | City | Lean month | Comfortable month | Rent, 1-bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Da NangVietnam | $525 | $975 | $310 to $580 |
| 2 | Hoi AnVietnam | $628 | $1,030 | $310 to $700 |
| 3 | Florianópolis *Brazil | $904 | $1,140 | $426 to $532 |
| 4 | Chiang MaiThailand | $625 | $1,150 | $300 to $650 |
| 5 | HanoiVietnam | $661 | $1,200 | $400 to $780 |
| 6 | SiargaoPhilippines | $752 | $1,220 | $350 to $600 |
| 7 | Kuala Lumpur *Malaysia | $667 | $1,220 | $500 to $990 |
| 8 | George Town, PenangMalaysia | $626 | $1,230 | $370 to $865 |
| 9 | BangkokThailand | $552 | $1,250 | $300 to $900 |
| 10 | Puerto Escondido *Mexico | $796 | $1,340 | $600 to $800 |
| 11 | Oaxaca *Mexico | $939 | $1,360 | $540 to $980 |
| 12 | Buenos AiresArgentina | $759 | $1,380 | $450 to $900 |
| 13 | UbudIndonesia | $829 | $1,430 | $500 to $900 |
| 14 | Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam | $862 | $1,440 | $580 to $970 |
| 15 | Taipei *Taiwan | $1,050 | $1,460 | $760 to $1,210 |
| 16 | Koh PhanganThailand | $780 | $1,560 | $450 to $900 |
| 17 | TbilisiGeorgia | $918 | $1,620 | $400 to $800 |
| 18 | CangguIndonesia | $1,050 | $1,800 | $700 to $1,200 |
| 19 | MarrakechMorocco | $1,120 | $1,850 | $615 to $871 |
| 20 | PhuketThailand | $927 | $1,870 | $540 to $1,045 |
| 21 | Rio de JaneiroBrazil | $1,280 | $1,970 | $640 to $1,390 |
| 22 | MedellínColombia | $924 | $1,980 | $450 to $1,200 |
| 23 | Playa del Carmen *Mexico | $1,250 | $2,030 | $800 to $1,000 |
| 24 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife *Spain | $1,650 | $2,140 | $893 to $1,340 |
| 25 | Cape TownSouth Africa | $1,560 | $2,190 | $1,094 to $1,520 |
| 26 | Mexico CityMexico | $1,340 | $2,210 | $800 to $1,500 |
| 27 | IstanbulTurkey | $1,370 | $2,210 | $700 to $1,400 |
| 28 | Athens *Greece | $1,600 | $2,400 | $837 to $1,172 |
| 29 | TulumMexico | $1,190 | $2,440 | $600 to $1,800 |
| 30 | BudapestHungary | $1,720 | $2,570 | $844 to $1,197 |
| 31 | TokyoJapan | $1,380 | $2,610 | $760 to $1,584 |
| 32 | SeoulSouth Korea | $1,700 | $2,730 | $1,039 to $2,174 |
| 33 | PragueCzechia | $1,950 | $2,770 | $1,146 to $1,834 |
| 34 | SplitCroatia | $1,660 | $2,830 | $786 to $1,348 |
| 35 | PortoPortugal | $1,790 | $2,830 | $949 to $1,675 |
| 36 | ValenciaSpain | $2,090 | $2,870 | $1,172 to $1,675 |
| 37 | Funchal (Madeira) *Portugal | $1,820 | $2,970 | $1,061 to $1,898 |
| 38 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria *Spain | $1,900 | $3,120 | $1,061 to $1,954 |
| 39 | DubaiUnited Arab Emirates | $1,720 | $3,280 | $1,280 to $2,451 |
| 40 | MálagaSpain | $2,350 | $3,320 | $1,340 to $2,099 |
| 41 | LisbonPortugal | $2,290 | $3,420 | $1,451 to $2,345 |
| 42 | BerlinGermany | $2,680 | $3,790 | $1,675 to $2,345 |
| 43 | BarcelonaSpain | $2,820 | $4,010 | $1,675 to $2,512 |
| 44 | MadridSpain | $2,650 | $4,020 | $1,507 to $2,680 |
| 45 | SingaporeSingapore | $2,880 | $4,320 | $2,192 to $3,522 |
* A price is still missing for this city, so its total reads low. Its page says which.
Know anyone in the place you pick?
Orbit shows you which friends, and friends of friends, live there or are heading there too. The friend you share makes the introduction, so you land knowing someone. No strangers.
Questions
What is the cheapest city for digital nomads?
Of the 45 cities we price, Da Nang, Vietnam is cheapest, at about $975 for a comfortable month.
Can you live as a digital nomad on $1,500 a month?
Yes, in 15 of the 45 cities we price, living comfortably, and in 27 on a lean budget.
How we price a month
Every number on these pages comes from a source we opened and link to: rental platforms and market reports for rent, coworking spaces' own price pages, transport fare pages, carriers' prepaid plans, and real menus. Prices are converted to US dollars on the date checked. We don't copy other cost of living sites.
A month is a furnished 1-bed rental, two meals out a day and one coffee, a monthly transport pass or typical ride spend, a local SIM, and a coworking desk. Lean uses the low end of each range, comfortable the middle, upscale the top. Stays under 28 nights are priced by the night. Groceries, flights, insurance and visas aren't included.
Prices last checked November 2026. Spot something out of date? Email brad@neworbit.app.