Free tool · 104 cities
Cost of Living Calculator for Digital Nomads
Pick a city, who's traveling, your style and how long you'll stay — every line item comes from that city's actual field prices, so you know exactly what a month (or a year) really costs.
Best cities for digital nomads, by Nomad Score
Real monthly costs, rents and internet speeds — click any city to build its budget.
| City | Solo / mo (incl. rent) | 1BR centre | Internet | Nomad Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang MaiThailand→ | $996 | $467 | 322 Mbps | 96/100 |
| Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates→ | $2,749 | $1,961 | 358 Mbps | 95/100 |
| TaipeiTaiwan→ | $1,649 | $851 | 258 Mbps | 95/100 |
| sharjahUnited Arab Emirates→ | $1,513 | $774 | 342 Mbps | 94/100 |
| FlorianopolisBrazil→ | $1,188 | $651 | 341 Mbps | 93/100 |
| chengduChina→ | $926 | $468 | 245 Mbps | 92/100 |
| Kuala LumpurMalaysia→ | $1,259 | $634 | 269 Mbps | 90/100 |
| LisbonPortugal→ | $2,510 | $1,628 | 345 Mbps | 90/100 |
| ShanghaiChina→ | $1,417 | $943 | 428 Mbps | 90/100 |
| wuhanChina→ | $877 | $344 | 387 Mbps | 90/100 |
What your budget actually covers
Every line is a real field price from the city itself — this is the breakdown for Chiang Mai, our current top-scored city.
1BR in the city centre, real rent
Weekly groceries + eating out
Monthly transit pass
Electricity, water + fiber
Prepaid / monthly data plan
Gym membership, comfortable style
Solo, couple or family — costs scale fast
A couple typically spends ~1.6× a solo budget, a family ~3.7×. See how it plays out with real numbers.
Solo 1×
1BR apartment, single grocery basket, one transit pass.
Couple ~1.6×
Housing 1.2×, food & transport scale with two adults.
Family ~3.7×
2BR home (1.5× rent), double transit, bigger groceries.
Multipliers are applied on top of real field prices in the calculator.
Cheapest cities by region
Where your money goes furthest in 2026, from current field data.
Cheapest cities in Asia
Cheapest cities in Europe
Cheapest cities in South America
Price extremes across the data
Field prices compared — the gap between the cheapest and priciest bases.
Cappuccino math
One cappuccino in Copenhagen costs $7 — the same buys 8 in Addis Ababa
A cheap meal out
$30 in Atlanta vs $2 in Chiang Mai — up to 14× cheaper street food.
Beer, anywhere
A local draft goes from $1 in Addis Ababa to $12 in Abu Dhabi
Rent reality
A 1BR in the centre runs $3,401 in Boston — about 19× the $176 you'd pay in thiruvananthapuram
Popular city calculators
Jump straight into a budget for the most-scored nomad cities.
$996/mo solo · Nomad Score 96
$2,749/mo solo · Nomad Score 95
$1,649/mo solo · Nomad Score 95
$1,513/mo solo · Nomad Score 94
$1,188/mo solo · Nomad Score 93
$926/mo solo · Nomad Score 92
$1,259/mo solo · Nomad Score 90
$2,510/mo solo · Nomad Score 90
$1,417/mo solo · Nomad Score 90
$877/mo solo · Nomad Score 90
$1,715/mo solo · Nomad Score 89
$1,666/mo solo · Nomad Score 89
Cheapest cities to live in
How the cost of living calculator works
1. Pick a city
Search any city in our dataset of 104 bases — every line item uses that city's real field prices.
2. Choose your group
Solo, couple or family — housing, food, transport and utilities scale automatically to household size.
3. Set duration & style
From a 1-week visit to a full year, and from minimal hostels to a central pad with fine dining.
4. See your net
Enter your monthly income and see exactly how much you'd keep — or how much more you'd need.
Cost of living calculator — FAQ
+How does the cost of living calculator work?
Pick a city and the calculator builds a month-by-month budget from real field prices: rent, groceries, restaurants, transport, utilities, internet, mobile plan and fitness. Choose who's traveling (solo, couple or family), your travel style and trip duration, enter your income, and see your exact monthly and total cost plus net savings.
+Does the monthly cost include rent?
Yes. Housing is the biggest line item and uses the city's real 1BR rent in the centre or outside it, scaled up for couples (1.2x) and families (1.5x for a 2BR). You can also enter a manual rent override if you already have a lead on a specific place.
+How much does it cost to live as a digital nomad?
Solo nomads typically spend between $800 and $3,500 per month depending on the city and lifestyle. Use the calculator for any of 104 cities, or browse the cheapest cities listed on this page for budget-friendly options.
+How accurate are the prices?
Every line item uses real field prices collected for each city, cross-checked against its real-world monthly estimate. Adjust the lifestyle multiplier (minimal, moderate or comfortable) to match your own spending habits.
+Can I calculate a budget for a couple or family?
Yes. Select Couple or Family in the calculator and all costs scale automatically: housing grows to a 2BR, food and transport multiply by group size, and utilities and mobile plans adjust to household size.
+How much do I need per month in Southeast Asia?
In the cheapest Southeast Asian cities — like Ho Chi Minh City, Chiang Mai or Da Nang — a solo nomad can live well on $800–$1,500 per month including rent. The region guides on this page show the current cheapest cities in Asia with real field prices.
+Is Europe or Asia cheaper for digital nomads?
Asia is generally cheaper: the cheapest Asian cities run $800–$1,500/mo solo, while Eastern European cities like Sofia or Tbilisi run $1,200–$1,800/mo and Western Europe $2,500+. Use the region guides and the top-cities table to compare real numbers, then build a full budget in the calculator.
+What's included in a nomad monthly budget?
Six line items, all from real field prices: housing (1BR rent), food & dining (weekly groceries plus eating out), transport (monthly transit pass), utilities & internet, mobile plan, and fitness. The calculator shows each one itemized, then totals your month.
Keep planning your move
Explore every city
Browse all 104 cities with filters for cost, internet, climate and safety.
Discover cities →
Compare cities side by side
Found two candidates? Put their field data head-to-head.
Open the compare tool →
Check visa freedom
See exactly where your passport lets you stay — and for how long.
Check your passport →