[jimukr104]

(01-03-2013 05:01 PM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 04:40 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

Numbers on Panama and Mexico are disappointing. Never expected them that high.

No doubt. I actually live cheaper in the U.S. than the figures listed for Panama and Mexico.

Remember the Western lifestyle is cheaper in the US than anywhere else. Its out lifestyle and export.People forget that.Me and the wife had thought about retiring to Ukraine back when it was cheap. Except for saving on rent everything is higher there. Food costs more than getting it on sale in NYC. In uKraine the best restaurant is worst food and more expensive than apple-bees ,lol/
A television that cost 400 in Best Buy is like 1k there.

[Gunner]

I live in Mexico and spend 2,100 USD monthly.

Going out 2 times a week.
Eating at restaurants 4 times a week.
Buying good food (beef, salmon)

Small apartment in a nice part of town.

I could live in a better place and go out a lot more but I would need 3.5k USD

This for Mexico City, other cities are substantialy cheaper.

[jimukr104]

(01-03-2013 05:16 PM)bars Wrote:  

I live in Mexico and spend 2,100 USD monthly.

Going out 2 times a week.
Eating at restaurants 4 times a week.
Buying good food (beef, salmon)

Small apartment in a nice part of town.

I could live in a better place and go out a lot more but I would need 3.5k USD

This for Mexico City, other cities are substantialy cheaper.

When I think about it expats tend to dine out more than a resident in ones own country thus blowing though more money eating.

[bacon]

(01-03-2013 04:40 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 03:17 PM)Rex Wrote:  

The Greatest Newspaper In The World, aka the Daily Mail, yesterday had an article on this exact issue.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...s-sun.html

Nicaragua: $995/ £609 per month
Malaysia: $1,000 / £612 per month
Ecuador: $1,415/ £867 per month
Panama: $1,865 / £1,142 per month
Mexico: $2,129/ £1,304 per month

Of the five, Malaysia looks the most tempting.

I just read the article. Those numbers are based on a (retired) couple so for for one person alone things will be even cheaper.
In Ecuador I spend about 30 dollars a day living on the cheap but still had my own room (7 dollars) ate out (about 3 meals=7 dollars) and spend the rest in the club and two taxi rides (combined about 15/16 dollar) Beer is a dollar in a club.

Malaysia is a Muslim country and alcohol is not cheap (excluded a few tax free zones) It is beautiful though and the people are friendly.

Numbers on Panama and Mexico are disappointing. Never expected them that high.

i cant speak to panama because ive never lived there but 2k a month in mexico is high. since mexico has a 100 million people like 20 times the size of panama there is a lot a variance in cost of living depending on where you live. for instance rents if you avoid mexico city, guadalajara, monterey and tourist beach cities are low. i.e. for 300 dollars you can get a comfortable 1bedroom near the center of the city in most large (500k plus) cities in the country. food is cheap and tasty here so unless you need to eat at western joints like dominos and tgi fridays or need imported food items that shouldnt be expensive. basic housing(cable/internet) and food shouldnt run you more than 550 a month for a single person. beer and taxis and good bus service are cheap, ie beer at nice clubs 2 dollars, 3 dollars for cab anywhere in town. also great tourist visa of 180 days a month every time you cross the border.

[jimukr104]

I have a friend from Sparta Greece. he says rent is 250 a month

[username]

Quote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...s-sun.html

Rent (two-bedroom home): $800/£490
Utilities (electricity, gas, water, phone, cable TV, Internet): $220/£134
Groceries: $300/$183
Entertainment: $250/£153
Health care (two people on IMSS insurance, plus $70 per month for incidentals): $112/£68
Maid: Three times a week: $210/£128
Gardener: Once a week: $87/£53
Incidentals: $150/£91

Mexico: $2,129/ £1,304 per month

Here is a little more data for Mexico...

I was in Mexico in a top 20 city by population in 2011 and again in 2012 and I stayed with a family with two teenagers and they live with about $2,000 a month, only the husband worked. The rent for their 3 bedroom 3 bathroom house in a safe gated community was $600 a month. Another house in the same neighborhood was available for $75,000 to buy. Utilities about the same. No gardener and no maid. They have two cars and use them everyday.

I think like bacon said above, prices can vary a lot in Mexico.

[Gunner]

(01-03-2013 08:15 PM)username Wrote:  

Quote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...s-sun.html

Rent (two-bedroom home): $800/£490
Utilities (electricity, gas, water, phone, cable TV, Internet): $220/£134
Groceries: $300/$183
Entertainment: $250/£153
Health care (two people on IMSS insurance, plus $70 per month for incidentals): $112/£68
Maid: Three times a week: $210/£128
Gardener: Once a week: $87/£53
Incidentals: $150/£91

Mexico: $2,129/ £1,304 per month

Here is a little more data for Mexico...

I was in Mexico in a top 20 city by population in 2011 and again in 2012 and I stayed with a family with two teenagers and they live with about $2,000 a month, only the husband worked. The rent for their 3 bedroom 3 bathroom house in a safe gated community was $600 a month. Another house in the same neighborhood was available for $75,000 to buy. Utilities about the same. No gardener and no maid. They have two cars and use them everyday.

I think like bacon said above, prices can vary a lot in Mexico.

Top 20 city with those prices you lived in Mérida, Veracruz, Aguascalientes or San Luis Potosí.
Top 5 cities have a lot of variance inside the same city, just as every other place in the world.

You could live with 1,000 USD in Mexico City but you're going to have a not so good time.

[Duke Castile]

Sounds like a common theme is 2000 really get's you in a comfortable life that we'd all enjoy in quite a few places.


Freshcream, how about breaking down Nicaragua?

[hnsight_roo]

(01-03-2013 02:15 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 06:42 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Places I have been where I know for certain the $1000 a month is possible:

Belarus - Can be done in provincial towns like Gomel,difficult in Minsk.
Kyrgyzstan - If you were not out partying every night then highly possible.
Georgia - Can be done but limiting lifestyle
Abkhazia - Easy but women are hard to game.
Transdniester - Yeah you could pull it off. Good looking women.
India - Yup but you'd have to target foreigners as Indian women for the most part unavailable.
Pakistan - Fuck that shit. Stay home.
Cambodia - You'd bang a lot of women. Read Skywalker's book for an idea of what is possible.
Indonesia - Hit an island off the tourist trail and a grand is easy.

I would say though that $1000 whilst possible is very limiting in all these places. $1500 is a much better figure that would allow a much better lifestyle of partying and banging. If I had a $1000 budget I'd get a GF when I arrived in the location and save money by not going out partying so much to game. Defeats the object though.

Cambodia is not for beginners. Now that i'm reading Naughty Nomads book and i'm contemplating my own experiences there, I was lucky to make it out alive.

Ahhh yea, it's so dangerous! And living on a grand a month?!

Rent for two story, three bedroom, nice, new house in Phnom Penh: $100. Granted that was a steal, but $150 would be the normal going rate. If you know real locals - otherwise, multiply any figure by 5. If you're into experiencing a country from a local perspective (vs. the sore-thumb traveling weirdo types).

A weekend of serious partying, clubs, drinks: $70. If you hang with locals and don't get stupid on bottle service in the pointless nuveau riche we-sell-our-country-to-the-chinese government asshole's offspring.

Expats, who knows. Backpackers are dangerous in their idiocy, expats are incredibly lame. True just about anywhere, and prime reason I left Thailand. Culturally insensitive 'oh that's not how WE do things' fuck things up for everybody.

Spending $500 a month to live in the capital is a good 5x of what the local average family spends. If you go to Cambodia to replicate the 'at home' experience, sure ... there are the suckah friendly shops ready to take your money. Spend a grand, no doubt. More. I watch whiteys every day, pay $4 for a tuk tuk ride that's 50 cents for anyone else.

Also, having lived in over a dozen countries for a year or more, I'd put Cambodia towards the low end of dangerous. The locals are super friendly, nobody owns guns, and to really piss somebody off you need to be a Westerner with that typical entitled attitude. Cambodian dudes are tiny, and they strongly defer to status (white here = status). Shit, sedate Thailand is more dangerous. Compared to Eastern Europe (or parts of Berlin at 2AM), Cambodia is like a utopian kindergarden. Girls here walk by themselves at night, in any part of town. Unless you are protesting deforestation or hang in the tourist spots, crime against foreigners is ZERO.

I spent seven months in Cambodia. I can live on $3k+ a month to be comfortable, no problem. But even not watching budgets, spending more than $500 a month in Cambodia didn't happen much at all. That's averaged out rent, buying nice imported big bore motorbike, dating, going out a lot, coffee shops every day, eat out 3+ times a day.

With some sense, hanging out on 51 / Pasteur with all the expats and backpackers, you figure out pretty quick why most people are better off staying in their home country.

All that said, I find Vietnam a much better option than Cambodia or Thailand. Cambodia is almost entirely either pros or girls who won't touch a foreigner with a ten foot pole. It's just that they know how to play the game, and dudes have no idea that the 'fun party girl' sells her body every other night. For five bucks. Instead, hooking her up with weed, dinner, a place to sleep = totally worth it to those girls. Guys just don't get the level of destitute happening behind the scenes. I can introduce you to a dozen of them, all super cute, all barely 20 years old, any time you want.

The majority of local chicks are virgins, watched by their families, who expect that $3,000+ from the dude who ends up marrying her (and wanting a virgin). You can game them, sure, but it's not like you show up Thursday and are in that shit Saturday.

Vietnam, same budget (I spent about $500 total living in nice hotels on the beach for a month, eating seafood every day, renting a motorbike, and dating a local - paying for everything). But unlike Cambodia, it's not a dusty shithole at the bottom of human civilization.

Though I'm just as happy that most foreigners can't sort it out and stay on Lonely Planet's path.

(nothing against Neal specifically here, just a different perspective - realize that we're talking different levels of localizing and exposure)

---
Jake Travels
http://www.Cedonulli.com

[Spike]

(01-04-2013 03:46 AM)hnsight_roo Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 02:15 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 06:42 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Places I have been where I know for certain the $1000 a month is possible:

Belarus - Can be done in provincial towns like Gomel,difficult in Minsk.
Kyrgyzstan - If you were not out partying every night then highly possible.
Georgia - Can be done but limiting lifestyle
Abkhazia - Easy but women are hard to game.
Transdniester - Yeah you could pull it off. Good looking women.
India - Yup but you'd have to target foreigners as Indian women for the most part unavailable.
Pakistan - Fuck that shit. Stay home.
Cambodia - You'd bang a lot of women. Read Skywalker's book for an idea of what is possible.
Indonesia - Hit an island off the tourist trail and a grand is easy.

I would say though that $1000 whilst possible is very limiting in all these places. $1500 is a much better figure that would allow a much better lifestyle of partying and banging. If I had a $1000 budget I'd get a GF when I arrived in the location and save money by not going out partying so much to game. Defeats the object though.

Cambodia is not for beginners. Now that i'm reading Naughty Nomads book and i'm contemplating my own experiences there, I was lucky to make it out alive.

Ahhh yea, it's so dangerous! And living on a grand a month?!

Rent for two story, three bedroom, nice, new house in Phnom Penh: $100. Granted that was a steal, but $150 would be the normal going rate. If you know real locals - otherwise, multiply any figure by 5. If you're into experiencing a country from a local perspective (vs. the sore-thumb traveling weirdo types).

A weekend of serious partying, clubs, drinks: $70. If you hang with locals and don't get stupid on bottle service in the pointless nuveau riche we-sell-our-country-to-the-chinese government asshole's offspring.

Expats, who knows. Backpackers are dangerous in their idiocy, expats are incredibly lame. True just about anywhere, and prime reason I left Thailand. Culturally insensitive 'oh that's not how WE do things' fuck things up for everybody.

Spending $500 a month to live in the capital is a good 5x of what the local average family spends. If you go to Cambodia to replicate the 'at home' experience, sure ... there are the suckah friendly shops ready to take your money. Spend a grand, no doubt. More. I watch whiteys every day, pay $4 for a tuk tuk ride that's 50 cents for anyone else.

Also, having lived in over a dozen countries for a year or more, I'd put Cambodia towards the low end of dangerous. The locals are super friendly, nobody owns guns, and to really piss somebody off you need to be a Westerner with that typical entitled attitude. Cambodian dudes are tiny, and they strongly defer to status (white here = status). Shit, sedate Thailand is more dangerous. Compared to Eastern Europe (or parts of Berlin at 2AM), Cambodia is like a utopian kindergarden. Girls here walk by themselves at night, in any part of town. Unless you are protesting deforestation or hang in the tourist spots, crime against foreigners is ZERO.

I spent seven months in Cambodia. I can live on $3k+ a month to be comfortable, no problem. But even not watching budgets, spending more than $500 a month in Cambodia didn't happen much at all. That's averaged out rent, buying nice imported big bore motorbike, dating, going out a lot, coffee shops every day, eat out 3+ times a day.

With some sense, hanging out on 51 / Pasteur with all the expats and backpackers, you figure out pretty quick why most people are better off staying in their home country.

All that said, I find Vietnam a much better option than Cambodia or Thailand. Cambodia is almost entirely either pros or girls who won't touch a foreigner with a ten foot pole. It's just that they know how to play the game, and dudes have no idea that the 'fun party girl' sells her body every other night. For five bucks. Instead, hooking her up with weed, dinner, a place to sleep = totally worth it to those girls. Guys just don't get the level of destitute happening behind the scenes. I can introduce you to a dozen of them, all super cute, all barely 20 years old, any time you want.

The majority of local chicks are virgins, watched by their families, who expect that $3,000+ from the dude who ends up marrying her (and wanting a virgin). You can game them, sure, but it's not like you show up Thursday and are in that shit Saturday.

Vietnam, same budget (I spent about $500 total living in nice hotels on the beach for a month, eating seafood every day, renting a motorbike, and dating a local - paying for everything). But unlike Cambodia, it's not a dusty shithole at the bottom of human civilization.

Though I'm just as happy that most foreigners can't sort it out and stay on Lonely Planet's path.

(nothing against Neal specifically here, just a different perspective - realize that we're talking different levels of localizing and exposure)

---
Jake Travels
http://www.Cedonulli.com

Hey Jake,

I think you paint a too rosy picture here. I've been in Cambodia twice for a month. Mostly in PP and Sihanoukville but also in Battambang and of course Siem Reap for a few days.

Yes, if you go totally local it's possible to live very very cheap there since an average male factory worker makes about 100 dollars a month. But then also his wife and probably his kids have some sort of income because it would be very hard to survive for a family on lesson 100 dollars only.

One of the Cambodian girls I was dating paid 80 dollars a month for an big one room apartment with bathroom at Lake side (actually her french bf paid that for her). A wooden shack at lakeside above the water was about 30 a month. A concrete family room (2 by 6 meter incl. kitchen and bathroom)in a shady part of town probably the same. Most posters here have no clue what poverty looks like untill you visit places like that. And I did.

You say that a weekend of serious partying is about 70$ so how can you live on 500$ a month then? Let's say you spend half that every week. That's 140$ a month for a semi serious weekend party. Drinks in clubs are at least 2 dollars for a beer. (i paid this in 2010 in Heart of darkness and other places) So assuming your spending at least 50 more on drinks during the week, buying her a drink too. That's another 200 dollar a month at minimum since you say you go out a lot and buy girls drinks and food on dates.
Unless you eat 2000 Riel bean sprout meals on the street (0.5 dollar) 3 times a day, you have to spend at least 10 dollar a day on food and drinks like water/soda/coffee at a shop and we're talking simple chicken meals. That's about 300 a month for nutritious meals not to be skinny like local.

I always took moto rides so that set me back a dollar a ride minimum. take two rides a day and thats another 60$. You had a big motobike yourself but that costs money too.
plus lets say 50 $ on randoms costs that adds up to: 100+140+200+300+60+50= 850 dollar.

So somewhere things don't match up in your story. either you're not going out that much or you spend more.
I'm a cheap charlie myself when traveling and weary of all luxury but I spend at least 800 a month there too. The cheap room with fan (at 35 degrees) I stayed in was 4$ a night. That's 120$ so the rest was pretty much spend on food drinks and transport + randoms. I did go out a lot.

Assuming you're white, you always pay inflated prices for everything. Sure you can bargain it down a lot if you know your prices but you're not paying the same as a poor local unless that local does the bargaining for you with you out of sight.

The girls I met who were pro's asked at least 20 to 50$ for a bang/few hours, even for young backpacker guys. I boned them for free but that were the going rates. 5 dollar would be the bottom of an ugly barrel price for an old crack ho not for a fresh 20 year old. Maybe in a small village for a local.

About the dangers. I've been in quite a lot of trouble there. Granted it was mostly the girls who got in trouble with each other and I was part of it but it's still a lawless country where the almighty dollar can bribe you out of nearly everything.
My warning was aimed at inexperienced travelers btw.

Khmer guys are indeed very small and short but that doesn't matter much when they gang up on you like they do all over Asia. Foreigners never fight one on one with local. It's always one VS many or one VS a machette. That said, if you're not a drunken English hooligan or a American flashing cash in the wrong neighborhood is hard to get in trouble there.

Vietnam is really not as cheap as Cambodia so again I don't see 500$ happening if you date and go out a lot.

So in conclusion. I'm not saying you're lying since you obviously know your stuff but I think you're painting a too rosy picture.

All my prices are based on my stay in Cambodia in January and March 2010. That's a full 3 years ago. I can't imagine things are getting cheaper there.
You and I can probably live like semi locals but the majority on this forum is described as sore thumb tourist with a craving for western luxury. They should not be advised anything on a 1000 bucks.

EDIT - I see you changed your website. I've read it before and I'd say it's a 100% upgrade. Before I didn't really like it but it looks awesome now. Bookmarked it.

PS- personally i would delete that comment column in the middle. It's looks distracting and unnecessary since its obvious you have lots of comments already. I'd use that space to make the site look even better.

[freshcream]

(01-03-2013 10:55 PM)Fisto Wrote:  

Sounds like a common theme is 2000 really get's you in a comfortable life that we'd all enjoy in quite a few places.


Freshcream, how about breaking down Nicaragua?

Don't have much to break down. Stayed in Leon for 3 months. Small town. Focused on doing my online classes so I'd get my money. Practised my spanish. Only had 1 girl there. She was the prettiest girl in town though. And she had money.

Leon isn't filled with 8's, 9's and 10's. But the women are easy. I could write up a sheet on public demand. But I wouldn't trust a sheet from a guy that settled for the one girl for 3 months.

Was travelling with some friends though, and they tore the place apart.

[Dr. C]

From 2008-2010 I lived in Berlin on 600-700 Euros a month (at the time about 900-950 Dollars).
From 2010-2012 I lived in Padova, Italy with 700-800 Euros a month (about 1000-1100 USD)
An American ex-girlfriend of mine that lived in Trieste, Italy lived on 600 Euros a month and was still able to put something away.

It's possible to live with 1000 USD a month anywhere in the world I think, with the possible exception of London and from what I've heard but haven't experienced Tokyo. You could probably live in these places with 1000USD a month too but it would be hard.

Have had guests from China stay with me that pinched pennies like crazy and wouldn't go out and have fun because they wanted to save save save. This is not the Lifestyle that I am living or was living. A friend of mine has been travelling around for two years on less than 1000 USD a month. That trip also includes a few months in very expensive Scandinavian Countries.

During my time in Berlin, other than a few months in the beginning, I always had my own (small) independant flat. The one I had for most of the time was located on Museums Island (in the middle of town, close to Alexanderplatz). In Padova I also had my own flat close to the Hospital and ironically paid more for it than the one I was renting in the middle of Berlin. One on my friends in Berlin at the time was living on 400 Euros.

Flat Berlin - 284 Euros a month warm after all condo fees. Another 10 or 15 Euros for Electricity and Internet I got from the University and eventually from another apartment upstairs. Here is a link to the layout of the place. My place was in the same apartment block. Now these places cost 450 Euros a month, which still isn't bad at all.

http://www.wbm.de/wbm/cms/de/wohnen/moeb...liert.html

With the exception of one of the years in Padova (where I lived with my head in books), I always went out. In Berlin I would go out about 3 to 4 times a week. I would Budget 10 Euros a day (3-4 Lunch at the University Mensa, 3-5 Dinner, 2 Euros Beer). Some days I would be way over and some days I would be way under. In the beginning for a while I lived at this sort of Couchsurfing comune we had established. Dumpster dived for food with friends and often we would go back home with girls and all cook up this food we had found. Also lived in a very nice 180 mq apartment in Neukolln with two roomates (not the best part of the city at the time, now it's becomming gentrified) that was an old factory and was super cool (Tango nights went over like a charm). I had a better quality of life in Berlin while dumpster diving than I do now while living in a large independant house in a rural area.

From this money I was often able to put 100-200 Euros a month away, which I've used in the meantime for investment capital on some of my projects. Some months I wouldn't put anything away but would travel.

Wanted to put some things in perspective regarding the 1000 Dollars a month from someone that lives in Western Europe.

[Scarecr0w]

(01-01-2013 05:55 PM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

You can apply for residency in Uruguay with proof of $500.00 income per month.

Hehe

That's true but its a joke. Uruguay is the third most expensive country in south america after chile and brazil. Even if you own a place, living with 500 dollars a month will make your life miserable...

[Praetor]

At the risk of sounding too cliched, don't think Thailand or Malaysia would be bad at all for a comfortable lifestyle on a budget. There are villas in Thailand for $500 USD/month and food is not expensive either.

[Big Nilla]

(01-04-2013 10:10 AM)freshcream Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 10:55 PM)Fisto Wrote:  

Freshcream, how about breaking down Nicaragua?

Don't have much to break down. Stayed in Leon for 3 months. Small town. Focused on doing my online classes so I'd get my money. Practised my spanish. Only had 1 girl there. She was the prettiest girl in town though. And she had money.

Leon isn't filled with 8's, 9's and 10's. But the women are easy. I could write up a sheet on public demand. But I wouldn't trust a sheet from a guy that settled for the one girl for 3 months.

Was travelling with some friends though, and they tore the place apart.

Freshcream, I'd like to hear your thoughts and experiences in Leon, Nicaragua. Who cares if it isn't a proper data sheet... just need to get a better sense of the place, and it sounds like you can contribute to that. Not much info on the country.

Edit: How would you compare the women to DR women?

[jimukr104]

"Unless you eat 2000 Riel bean sprout meals on the street (0.5 dollar) 3 times a day, you have to spend at least 10 dollar a day on food and drinks like water/soda/coffee at a shop and we're talking simple chicken meals. That's about 300 a month for nutritious meals not to be skinny like local."

Wow..food is expensive. In NYC me and my wife total food bill is like 300 a month and that includes lots of meat.I think that might include my Whey also.

[RASER]

Here is a bit of a curve ball, what about Detroit MI.?

U can buy one of them older run down joints for $5k, then u dont need to worry anymore about rent every month and spend all of your monthly rent income of booze, food from markets, walmart etc

U will be $1500 better off as you dont need to buy a airline ticket for a start, AND you can move your current junk their, no need any new furniture etc

Its not a 3rd world country, and they speak English.

Just a thought....

"Lifes about, shooting your load"

[Jaydublin]

Paraguay!! or West Virginia lol

[Big Nilla]

Bump. Freshcream, got any information on Nicaragua that you can share with us?

[Greek kamaki]

For Europe western Ukraine is a non brainer.I would choose a city like Lutsk (the cheapest one) and hit Lvov, Rovno and Ivanofrankovsk frequently.

[jdreise]

F*ck, I had a long response that got lost during submission...

You can live pretty well on less than a $1000 in some of the non-tourist cities of Thailand. I was living pretty nicely in Phitsanulok for around $500 per month. I wasn't going all out every night but I had everything I needed and more. I had colleagues who were renting 2-story, 2 bedroom 2 bath row houses with a living room, kitchen, and small front garden for 3500 baht/month (about $120).

Those 30 baht meals RioNomad mentioned earlier in the thread are only 20 baht in that part of Thailand and Isaan just as reference.

You could rent a beautiful, traditional Thai house out in the rice paddies, get some chickens and a couple good dogs for companionship and protection, shake coconuts and mangoes out of your own (rented) trees, see the stars at night, find a good local girl (or 2 or 3), count your blessings. It's a pretty good life. Hopefully SEA doesn't lose it's charm by the time I'm ready to settle down.

Get a motorcycle and ride anywhere you want within a 2-hour radius. Go high up into the mountains along the Lao border. Maybe buy a solid car or pick up for longer road trips to Chiang Mai, Isaan, or points beyond.

In Thailand, you could even buy up some condos and landlord. Here's one guys experience with that:

http://www.escapefromamerica.com/2010/04...-thailand/

Might be an option if you're looking to live in one of the larger Thai cities. I'm thinking of saving up some capital and doing it.

[Beyond Borders]

(02-27-2013 11:51 PM)jdreise Wrote:  

F*ck, I had a long response that got lost during submission...

You can live pretty well on less than a $1000 in some of the non-tourist cities of Thailand. I was living pretty nicely in Phitsanulok for around $500 per month. I wasn't going all out every night but I had everything I needed and more. I had colleagues who were renting 2-story, 2 bedroom 2 bath row houses with a living room, kitchen, and small front garden for 3500 baht/month (about $120).

Those 30 baht meals RioNomad mentioned earlier in the thread are only 20 baht in that part of Thailand and Isaan just as reference.

You could rent a beautiful, traditional Thai house out in the rice paddies, get some chickens and a couple good dogs for companionship and protection, shake coconuts and mangoes out of your own (rented) trees, see the stars at night, find a good local girl (or 2 or 3), count your blessings. It's a pretty good life. Hopefully SEA doesn't lose it's charm by the time I'm ready to settle down.

Get a motorcycle and ride anywhere you want within a 2-hour radius. Go high up into the mountains along the Lao border. Maybe buy a solid car or pick up for longer road trips to Chiang Mai, Isaan, or points beyond.

In Thailand, you could even buy up some condos and landlord. Here's one guys experience with that:

http://www.escapefromamerica.com/2010/04...-thailand/

Might be an option if you're looking to live in one of the larger Thai cities. I'm thinking of saving up some capital and doing it.

Great post.

Always blows my mind when people say you can't live in these cheap countries for $1K per month just because you can't do so and go out 7 days a week. I understand the desire to get the rock-star lifestyle for cheap abroad, but you're exactly right - Thailand is a great solution for someone who wants to save money by living a simple® but comfortable life and pace themselves.

Think of how much cash you could tuck away with some self-control and a first-world income over there...

[Marvin]

In Europe, Slovakia is one of the cheapest countries to live in. It is possible to live under 1000 dollars almost in any city outside of Bratislava. Especially, in small cities like Presov or Poprad. For example, look at this 2-bedroom apartment in Spišská Nová Ves for 200 Eur/month: http://living.spectator.sme.sk/offer_1840348_2-room
Besides, if you live in the eastern part of Slovakia, you have close connection to Lviv, Ukraine and Krakow, Poland, or you can travel to Hungary for a weekend.

[aphelion]

Goddamn. What am I doing killing myself over here.

[Alexander]

(03-01-2013 12:57 AM)Marvin Wrote:  

In Europe, Slovakia is one of the cheapest countries to live in. It is possible to live under 1000 dollars almost in any city outside of Bratislava. Especially, in small cities like Presov or Poprad. For example, look at this 2-bedroom apartment in Spišská Nová Ves for 200 Eur/month: http://living.spectator.sme.sk/offer_1840348_2-room
Besides, if you live in the eastern part of Slovakia, you have close connection to Lviv, Ukraine and Krakow, Poland, or you can travel to Hungary for a weekend.

Nice, you can live for almost free in many places in Eastern Europe as long as you are prepared to make sacrifices.

I would personally need to be in a sizeable city with an expat population or I would go crazy. Yes Lviv would be easily doable, and many other cities in Ukraine, Dnipro, Kharkiv etc.

Also Bosnia, some cities in Hungary, Serbia, Romania, the list goes on and on