As the cost of living crisis intensifies and all our usual digital nomad hotspots become a tad too pricey to live in––Croatia, Georgia, we’re looking at you––it’s easy to feel as if options for middle-income country-hoppers are, well, scarce to say the least.
Look up any mainstream media-curated list of top digital nomad destinations, and Barcelona, London, Dubai, and the like will rank the highest.
As fascinating as these may be, we wouldn’t be the ones getting on the first flight out unless we’re financially comfortable.
Not every digital nomad is ‘just getting by’ on between $2,000 and $3,000 a month––certainly not the Dubai kind––but a significant number of them are, and if that resonates with you, we’re sure you’ve been looking for the perfect home base to lie low for a while.
Somewhere that not only boasts a rich cultural offer but, most importantly, that won’t break the bank.
In that case, we’ve rounded up 4 incredible digital nomad hotspots out there that are still affordable in 2024:
Cusco, Peru
Located at the foot of the Peruvian Andes, Cusco has the distinction of being one of the oldest cities ever settled in South America.
Its History precedes the arrival of the Spaniards, and it serves as the gateway to the World Wonder that is Machu Picchu.
That’s what tourists are coming here for, but what about nomads? Well, as it turns out, they love Cusco for its slower-paced lifestyle and decent safety levels––according to Numbeo, it’s not one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America––and on top of that, it’s remarkably cheap.
When it comes to food, if they’re feeling peckish, nomads can find chicharron sandwiches for under $3 in local markets, while more elaborate, three-course dinners in mid-range restaurants cost an acceptable $26.51 on average.
Accommodation-wise, renting an Airbnb loft in central Cusco will set you back by as little as $235 a month, and if you really wanna flex, a fully-equipped, beautifully-decorated apartment in the residential San Blas, within walking distance to all the sights, starts from $642.
Penang, Malaysia
The trendiest island in Malaysia, Penang is best known for its lush, tropical nature, langur monkey-inhabited parks, unspoiled sandy beaches, and a colorful, British colonial-era George Town, the textbook definition of a multicultural hub:
From oriental mosques to a stall-lined Chinatown to Georgian monuments––hey, it’s in the city’s name, even!––you’ll find it all here, and the best part is, your savings account won’t be wiped clean if you’re staying in George Town for a month or two.
The capital of Penang has ‘super fast’ internet averaging 119 Mbps, year-round warm weather, it’s very safe for both short-term and long-term visitors alike, and according to Nomad List, it costs an affordable $1,058 a month to call home.
At any local restaurant within George Town’s Heritage Zone, ordering a otak-otak, their signature fish mousse wrapped in banana leaves, is unlikely to cost you more than five bucks, and for month-long guests, there’s a plethora of sublets for under $400 on Airbnb.
Cordoba, Argentina
Forget Buenos Aires and its fluctuating prices and jam-packed streets: if Argentina holds the key to your heart, perhaps it’s time you consider relocating to Cordoba, a much smaller, comparatively less chaotic city with the same breadth of architectural wealth.
It was settled at around the same time as Buenos Aires, and it’s essentially the capital’s smaller sister, with the same wide, Haussmann-inspired boulevards, stately European-style palaces, and vast urban parks that provide respite from the busy city life.
Price-wise, Cordoba is also much cheaper, and it’s less internationalized, and less of a dollarized city than Buenos Aires has become: an asado lunch in a local restaurant in Bohemian Güemes will set you back by $9, while beers cost under $2.
Living in the city long-term, you’ll be paying on average $22.36 for gym membership, roughly $200 on monthly groceries, and when it comes to rent, the median price for a one-bedroom apartment in the Historic Center is $371.30 a month, as seen on Numbeo.
Antalya, Türkiye
Europe is not exactly known for being the most budget-friendly of options for digital nomads looking for a better quality of life while spending less, but Antalya in Türkiye, a thriving Mediterranean port with a History spanning several long millennia, is one of those rare examples.
Other than being absurdly beautiful, with ancient Old Town (Kaleiçi) concentrating a high number of Roman ruins and perfectly-preserved Ottoman houses, and a modern palm-lined beachfront straddling a turquoise sea, it ticks all the boxes for the perfect nomad experience.
There are numerous laptop-friendly cafes around, no-frills restaurants where you can gorge on delicious meze menus for under $10, internet in most places is a decent 19 Mbps on average, and crime levels are low compared to other resort cities.
Fully-furnished Airbnbs in Antalya can cost as inexpensive as $485 a month––it doesn’t get cheaper than this with this great an infrastructure and year-round warmer weather––while monthly expenses total $1,372, as verified by Nomad List.
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