In the world, millions of people want to absorb the adventures of living in foreign countries. However, it is impossible to choose any random destination because of the high living expenses in foreign countries. Fortunately, there are some cheapest places to live in the world that can fit into your comfort. Let us discuss more such places in this post.
Generally, people think it is impossible to live and enjoy simultaneously in foreign countries after doing 9 to 5 jobs regularly. This statement is partially true because all the countries do not require high living expenses. This article will recommend some cheapest countries and cities to keep on your priority list for living.
These countries will offer you affordable living, and due to this reason, you can balance your work life effortlessly. From this article, you are going to know at least four extraordinarily cheap places where you can go to spend the rest of your life. Let’s dive deep into the topic.
Table of Contents
Top 15 Cheapest Places to Live in the World Right Now
1. Vietnam
Lots of people may not know much about Vietnam. It does not mean that this country is a bad choice for living. People who have gone to this country know how exotic Vietnam is. If you want to gain experience and knowledge about foreign countries cheaply, Vietnam should be your top priority.
Vietnam is situated in the South-east portion of the Asia Continent. Its neighbor countries are China, Laos, and Cambodia. This country is peaceful and opens you up to the excellent community of Vietnam for living.
One of the main cities of Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City which is situated in the south of the country. Its capital is Hanoi which you can find in the north portion of Vietnam. Other significant cities in Vietnam are Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hue, Haiphong, Can Tho, Dalat, and so on. You can find most jobs in these popular cities of Vietnam. These cities are considered the cheapest places to live in the world currently.
One of the popular jobs in this country is English Language teaching. People who have come to this country to live mainly teach English to Vietnamese. They earn approximately $1,000 to $1,500 per month through teaching only. The name of the currency of this country is Vietnamese Dong (VND). One USD is equal to 23,000 VND. So you may understand how cheap this country is.
- Popular jobs here– Artists, bankers, architects, marketing managers, teachers, actors, engineers, designers, nurses, and farmers are some popular jobs in Vietnam.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Vietnam is around 500-600 dollars a month.
- Recommended job– Teacher in English is one of the most recommended jobs apart from digital marketing.
2. Costa Rica
If you prefer a coastal area, then Costa Rica should be the first choice for you. It is one of the most popular countries in Central America.
It is an excellent place to live not just because of its cheap expenses; rather, you can find lush jungles, friendly local communities, and tropical beaches here. All of these elements help you to fall in love with Costa Rica for sure.
In the whole of America, you will never find a cheap country like Costa Rica. If you live here for some days, then you will merge easily with the “Pura Vida” vibe of Costa Rica.
People who live in this country mainly focus on English language teaching, learning scuba diving skills, and tourism to do work. These three are the most popular jobs in Costa Rica. You require approximately $3 – $6 per day to live comfortably in this country. You can keep $300 – $500 per month as per all expenses. It is very cheap compared to other countries in America.
- Popular jobs here– Desktop support, collection agent, cashier, housekeeper, golf maintenance, customer service, and human resources are some of the popular jobs here.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Costa Rica is around 1600-2000 dollars.
- Recommended job– Human resources and customer service are some of the most recommended jobs in Costa Rica.
3. Bulgaria
If you do not want to go to American or Asian countries, you can try European countries to find the cheapest places to live in the world.
Many people may argue that almost all European countries are expensive to live in and you need some proper skill sets to survive in those countries. However, it is partially true.
If you search then you can find cheap places on the European Continent. Bulgaria is such a European country that you can live like a king without prior skill sets.
This is a country situated in Eastern Europe. Its neighbor countries are Greece, Romania, Macedonia, Turkey, and Serbia.
If you choose this country to live in, you will get a chance to explore the historic moments of these places. You can be a witness to those moments, which happened 9000 years before.
Here you can start living in Bulgaria with a job in English language teaching. Tourism is another popular job in this country. So if you have a degree in the tourism industry, you must try at least once here.
The cost of public transport in Bulgaria is at most $2, which is cheaper than in other European countries. You can take accommodation facilities as rent initially within $250 per month. For the daily meal, you can expect at most $5 per day. Thus, these make it one of the cheapest places to live in the world.
- Popular jobs here– Sales Manager, Project Manager, Machine Learning Engineer, and Marketing Executive are some of the popular jobs in Bulgaria.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Bulgaria is around 2000 dollars a month.
- Recommended job– Project Manager and marketing executive are considered one of the most recommended jobs in Bulgaria.
4. South Africa
If you do not prefer all of these Continents, then you can research the African countries. Many African countries are considered the cheapest places to live in the world right now.
South Africa is such a country where you can live easily if you know English well. It is because the South Africans speak English with each other.
The most popular jobs in South Africa are teaching English, photography, tourism, and so on. If you know other African languages well, then you can pursue your career in it also.
For the daily eating purpose, you have to keep at least $8 in hand to spend in local restaurants. You can find accommodation facilities here within a range of $300-500 easily. The cost per day of living in South Africa will become less than $10 if you know how to cook, which is very cheap.
- Popular jobs here– Translator, computing and software, engineering, nursing, customer service, and agriculture engineering are some of the popular jobs in South Africa.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in South Africa can be estimated at around 500-1000 dollars depending on personal expenses.
- Recommended job– Sales and financing can fall under one of the most recommended jobs in South Africa.
5. Vienna
Vienna is the capital of Austria. This city is considered the best city to live in, in the world, according to Mercer’s living quality. The main specialty of this city is the low crime rate. It is a cheap city too for daily living. However, there are also some other reasons why you should choose Vienna for living.
You can find an affordable accommodation facility in Vienna easily. The houses of Vienna are fully decorative, and these have spacious rooms. Among all cities globally, Vienna is considered one of the cheapest and safest places to live in the world.
If you want a hassle-free transportation system, then Vienna is the perfect city for you to live in. This peaceful transportation system helps you to be productive all the time. This will save some precious time for you by reaching a certain place within time.
- Popular jobs here– Accountants, doctors, engineers, and programmers are some of the most popular jobs in Vienna
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Vienna stands around 3000 dollars a month.
- Recommended job– Service agents and health professionals can be considered as one of the most recommended jobs in Vienna
6. Vancouver
Vancouver is the third healthiest city for living after Vienna and Zurich. This article is not recommending Zurich for living because of its very high daily expenses. Though Vancouver is an expensive city to live in, it is still comparatively good for you.
According to a survey by Mercer, Vancouver is the third best place to live because of its low pollution rate in recent times. Not only that, but you can find here political stability, leisure, lower crime rate, health facilities, and so on.
The organizational culture of Vancouver is the best compared to other cities in the world. This factor will help you to live a stress-free life.
If you have a little bit of money for spending, then you should shift to Vancouver for sure. However, for survival purposes, you are required to have some specific skills. These skill-sets will help you to get high-paying jobs here.
Though all the people keep guns with them, this city’s crime rate is lower than American cities. So you can feel Vancouver is a safe place to live also.
- Popular jobs here– Health care support, engineer, cashier, cleaner, caretaker, and operator are some of the most popular jobs in Vancouver.
- Cost of living– the cost of living in Vancouver is around 1000-1500 dollars.
- Recommended job– Cashier or health care support is one of the most recommended jobs in Vancouver.
7. Auckland
Auckland will be an excellent city to live the rest of your life. If you want to explore the hilly regions, then Auckland will be the perfect city for you. Flexible work environments and the culture of work help to create a healthy lifestyle for workers. So if you want to make plans to shift to other cities in New Zealand, then Auckland will be the perfect city for you.
The population strength of New Zealand is not so strong, and that’s why the companies of Auckland offer good and healthy jobs for foreigners. These jobs are stable, reliable, and flexible.
The internal stability of Auckland is excellent, according to Mercer’s survey. This survey has stated that Auckland has a low crime rate too that is good for living.
Auckland is ahead of all other cities of New Zealand in terms of personal safety and security. Hence, you must choose Auckland for living if you prefer this beautiful country to reside.
- Popular jobs here– Gym manager, accountant, legal assistant, receptionist, warehouse team members, dentist, technologist can be considered as one of the most popular jobs in Auckland
- Cost of living– The cost of in Auckland is around 1000-1500 dollars a month.
- Recommended job– Carpenter, manager, and engineering can be considered as one of the most recommended jobs in Auckland.
8. Kolkata
Kolkata is one of the cheapest places to live in the world. It is situated in the Indian subcontinent. If you do not have much money to spend on living, then you can choose this city. Here you can get accommodation facilities at a much cheaper cost. Not only that, but you can become a witness to the cultural heritage and literature of this city.
- Popular jobs here– Bike rider, customer care, tuition teacher, cashier, human resources, engineer, and project manager are some of the popular jobs in Kolkata.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Kolkata per month stands at 300-500 dollars a month.
- Recommended job– Sales executive and customer are some of the most recommended jobs in Kolkata.
9. Minsk
Minsk is another city where you can live comfortably. However, it is not very cheap to live in compared to Kolkata.
One person requires approximately $600-$700 per month to live healthily. But this city is worth living in because of the transportation, political stability, and low unemployment rate.
So if you want to find jobs, then you may find them quickly here. The government of Minsk runs different types of work programs. You can participate here to learn various skills.
- Popular jobs here– Research scientist, civil engineer, designer, and administrative assistant are some of the popular jobs in Minsk.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Minsk stands at 500-600 dollars per month.
- Recommended job– Architect and Analyst are some of the recommended jobs in Minsk.
10. Johannesburg
Johannesburg is another inexpensive city to live in. It is situated in South Africa. It will be suitable for you because this city is gradually becoming the business center of South Africa.
More business is equal to more chances of job opportunities. So if you want to earn more money, then Johannesburg may be the suitable option for you to stay. However, one of the main drawbacks is its high crime rate. Thus, to maintain safety, you should be a little bit cautious while living there.
- Popular jobs here– Customer care, sales manager, engineer, key accountant, and marketing assistant are some of the popular jobs in Johannesburg.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Johannesburg is around 600-700 dollars a month.
- Recommended job– Lawyer, Data scientist, and accountant are the recommended jobs in Johannesburg.
11. Windhoek
Windhoek is considered one of the cheapest places to live in the world currently. This city is situated in Namibia and is also the capital city.
Despite being the largest city in Namibia, it has only 322,500 people. Due to this reason, you can shift to this city for comfortable living.
The competition in daily life is very low here. So you can get available jobs here. Windhoek city prefers foreigners, and they welcome foreigners very well. Thus it would help if you considered this city at least once for living.
- Popular jobs here– Administrator, sales assistant, agent, and accountant are some of the popular jobs in Windhoek.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Windhoek is around 500-600 dollars.
- Recommended job– Site agent and administrator are one of the recommended jobs in Windhoek.
12. Mexico
If you are a foodie, then you should go to Mexico. It is a beautiful place with beautiful monuments. And the best thing about Mexico is that it has incredible food and yummy chocolates. Mexico is a country that is situated in the southern portion of North America.
Where American countries are known to be costly, Mexico is not at all costly. It is around 45% cheaper than in America. Furthermore, you will be able to find beautiful beaches and ancient ruins in Mexico.
The neighboring countries of Mexico include Central America, the United States, Belize, and Guatemala. Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Cancun, and Mexico City are some of the cities situated in Mexico that are extremely cheap to reside in. So, if you prefer to move to Mexico, then you can go to these beautiful cities.
The cost of living in Mexico is around $700-$1000 a month, including groceries and rent. This means, with proper savings, you can live a really good cheap life in Mexico
- Popular jobs here– Civil engineering, nursing, accountant, digital marketing, and taxi driver are some of the most popular jobs in Mexico.
- Cost of living– the cost of living in Mexico is around 700-1000 dollars per month.
- Recommended jobs– Software engineer, web developer, and marketing manager are some of the recommended jobs in Mexico.
13. China
China is the second most populated country in the world after India. This fact itself makes it one of the cheapest cities one can be at. It has good job offers and it is present in East Asia. China is also known as the third largest country in the world and its capital is Beijing city.
China can be said a city of culture, with amazing architects and amazing designs. It has wonderful traditions and beautiful places one can visit. It has beautiful mountains and wonderful tourist destinations as well.
The neighboring countries of China are Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an, Shenzhen, and Nanjing are some of the cheapest cities in China. One can live in China with a budget of $2000.
- popular jobs here– Marketing, Teacher, lawyer, hospitality, and manufacturing are some of the popular jobs in China.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in China is around $2000 per month.
- Recommended jobs– Community manager, Language trainer, and finance are some of the recommended jobs in China.
14. South Korea
South Korea is one of the most famous countries around the world. South Korea takes pride in its amazing natural beauty that most of the countries these days lack. This country is very modernized and has a good number of technological and industrial sectors. Even after such amenities, the country is known to be cheap for living.
South Korea is present in the part of East Asia and is known to share borders with North Korea. Apart from North Korea, South Korea is surrounded by the Sea of Japan in the east and it has the famous Yellow Sea to its west. This proves that the city has amazing beaches where one can go and have a good time. Furthermore, it has famous tourist destinations that include beautiful villages, malls, etc.
South Korean locals are known to be helpful and one can get to try various dishes when they are in South Korea. Busan, Incheon, Seoul, Ulsan, Daengu, and Jeju City are some of the cheapest cities in the entire of South Korea. One can live in South Korea easily with a budget of $1500-$2000 a month.
- Popular jobs here– English content development, stockbrokers, public relations, sales, and marketing are some of the popular jobs in South Korea.
- Cost of living– The basic cost of living in South Korea stands around 1500-2000 dollars.
- Recommended jobs– Surgeons, IT sectors, management, and English teachers are some of the recommended jobs for South Korea.
15. Peru
Peru is a country which is situated in South America. It is known to have a beautiful coastal region and attracts a lot of tourists throughout the year. Peru is also famous for the famous tourist destination that goes by the name Machu Picchu. If you are looking for a place which is surrounded by beautiful mountains and is cheap as well, then you should consider Peru as your option.
Peru shares the border with Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. Lima, Iquitos, Huaraz, Chimbote, Puno, and some other cities in Peru are cheap and cost-friendly. One can easily live in Peru if the budget of $1600-$2000.
- Popular jobs here– Agriculture, Mining, Marketing, Construction, and Architecture are some of the popular jobs in Peru.
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Peru is around 1600-2000 dollars.
- Recommended job– Health assistants, analysts, software programmers, and food scientists are some of the recommended jobs in Peru.
16. Poland
Poland is a country in Central Europe. Whereas most of the European countries are costly, this country is quite cheap. It is a beautiful country with beautiful cities and architects. And people in Poland are good at speaking in English making it good for a foreigner visiting.
The neighbors of this country are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany. The cities that are less costly and cheap in Poland are Krakow, Lublin, Torun, Gdansk, and Warsaw. One can find good locals here along with good food. The living expenses in Poland range around $2000-$2500.
- Popular jobs here– Machine building, shipbuilding, food processing, and mining, are some of the popular jobs
- Cost of living– The cost of living in Poland is around 2000-2500 dollars.
- Recommended job– Customer service, nurses, and psychologists are some of the jobs recommended.
Conclusion
The cheapest places to live in the world differ from one to another and they change as their economy changes. The list above shares examples of places that remained relatively affordable over a period of time as they are still developing. But there is research required in terms of economic growth prediction to best assess which one suits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which country has the lowest cost of living?
Ans. World of Statistics marked Pakistan as the cheapest country to live in 2023.
Q2. Why is India the cheapest country?
Ans. India is not the cheapest country to live in 2023 but it ranks among the top 50.
Q3. Which country is cheaper than India?
Ans. Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Ukraine, have a cheaper cost of living compared to India in 2023.
Q4. What is the cheapest country to live in Asia?
Ans. Pakistan is the cheapest country to live in Asia, followed by Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
