Escape Canada Winter: 25 Countries You Can Live for Under $2,000/month

My parents live in Edmonton and sent me a text last winter about an extreme cold weather warning. The temperature there hit a low of -38 degrees Celsius!

I shivered and remembered how it felt to go through those freezing Canadian winters.

I even felt a little guilty about working in a beach city in Vietnam, with a perfect temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. Just a little bit guilty, but mostly really, really happy!

If you want to escape the brutal Canadian winters and work and live remotely, I made this list of 25 countries you can live in for under $2,000 a month.

The data below was taken from Numbeo, a site that crowdsources the cost of living data. Figures are rounded estimates.

Asia

Vietnam

• The average cost of living in Ho Chi Minh without rent: $560/month
• Apartment in Ho Chi Minh city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Ho Chi Minh city center: $400/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $2-$3

Vietnam has been a fantastic place to live for over a month. There is everything from the hustle and bustle city of Hanoi or Saigon (known as Ho Chi Minh today), to the beautiful beaches of Da Nang and Nha Trang; the country has it all.

Read about how I spent under $2,000 and lived it up in Saigon here.

Thailand

• The average cost of living in Bangkok without rent: $880/month
• Apartment in Bangkok city center: $800/month
• Apartment outside Bangkok city center: $400/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $2-$3

Thailand is a classic example of where people go to live long term. Bangkok is the most visited city in the world, with over 22 million visitors per year. Beautiful beaches of Krabi and Koh Phi Phi, and the peaceful and spiritual mountain setting of Chiang Mai

Indonesia

• The average cost of living in Bali without rent: $760/month
• Apartment in Bali city center: $440/month
• Apartment outside Bali city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $2-$4

When people think of Indonesia, they usually think of the world-class surfing destination of Bali. Ubud is a spiritual and peaceful place that must be seen at least once. But the country has so much more to offer.

There are the mountains and cities in the Java region, and the best scuba diving I’ve ever done in Labuan Bajo, with 15-foot manta rays circling me at every turn. Komodo island is one of the only places in the world that you can see Komodo dragons.

Read about how I spent about $2,000 and lived it up in Bali here.

Cambodia

• The average cost of living in Phnom Penh without rent: $715/month
• Apartment in Phnom Penh city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Phnom Penh city center: $400/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $4-$6

Philippines

• The average cost of living in Manila without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Manila city center: $800/month
• Apartment outside Manila city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $4-$6

Malaysia

• The average cost of living in Kuala Lumpur without rent: $650/month
• Apartment in Kuala Lumpur city center: $700/month
• Apartment outside Kuala Lumpur city center: $400/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $4-$6

South America

Colombia

• The average cost of living in Bogota without rent: $500/month
• Apartment in Bogota city center: $400/month
• Apartment outside Bogota city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $4-$7

Brazil

• The average cost of living in Rio de Janeiro without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Rio de Janeiro city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Rio de Janeiro city center: $400/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$11

Uruguay

• The average cost of living in Montevideo without rent: $800/month
• Apartment in Montevideo city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Montevideo city center: $500/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $10-$15

Bolivia

• The average cost of living in La Paz without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in La Paz city center: $400/month
• Apartment outside La Paz city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $2-$5

Argentina

• The average cost of living in Buenos Aires without rent: $600/month
• Apartment in Buenos Aires city center: $400/month
• Apartment outside Buenos Aires city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$10

Peru

• The average cost of living in Lima without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Lima city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Lima city center: $400/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $3-$7

Europe

Georgia

• The average cost of living in Batumi without rent: $500/month
• Apartment in Batumi city center: $300/month
• Apartment outside Batumi city center: $200/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$9

Morocco

• The average cost of living in Tbilisi without rent: $600/month
• Apartment in Tbilisi city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Tbilisi city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $4-$8

Ukraine

• The average cost of living in Kiev without rent: $600/month
• Apartment in Kiev city center: $900/month
• Apartment outside Kiev city center: $500/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$10

Portugal

• The average cost of living in Lisbon without rent: $800/month
• Apartment in Lisbon city center: $1300/month
• Apartment outside Lisbon city center: $900/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $10-$14

Poland

• The average cost of living in Poznan without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Poznan city center: $600/month
• Apartment outside Poznan city center: $500/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $5-$10

Africa

Tunisia

• The average cost of living in Tunis without rent: $450/month
• Apartment in Tunis city center: $250/month
• Apartment outside Tunis city center: $200/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $2-$4

South Africa

• The average cost of living in Cape Town without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Cape Town city center: $1000/month
• Apartment outside Cape Town city center: $700/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $9-$15

Kenya

• The average cost of living in Nairobi without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Nairobi city center: $500/month
• Apartment outside Nairobi city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $3-$7

Senegal

• The average cost of living in Dakar without rent: $500/month
• Apartment in Dakar city center: $450/month
• Apartment outside Dakar city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$9

North America

Mexico

• The average cost of living in Mexico City without rent: $600/month
• Apartment in Mexico City city center: $800/month
• Apartment outside Mexico City city center: $500/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $5-$8

Guatemala

• The average cost of living in Guatemala City without rent: $750/month
• Apartment in Guatemala City city center: $700/month
• Apartment outside Guatemala City city center: $450/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$8

Cuba

• The average cost of living in Havana without rent: $600/month
• Apartment in Havana city center: $250/month
• Apartment outside Havana city center: $100/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $6-$8

Dominic Republic

• The average cost of living in Santo Domingo without rent: $700/month
• Apartment in Santo Domingo city center: $550/month
• Apartment outside Santo Domingo city center: $300/month
• Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $5-$8