15 Cheapest Cities to Live in the World (2026)
Ranked by total monthly cost for a single person — rent, food, transport, utilities, and coworking — using real data from 300+ cities worldwide.
Key findings
- Hue is the cheapest city in our 2026 ranking at $309/month total — including rent, food, transport, and coworking.
- The average monthly cost across our top 15 is $399 — roughly 60–75% less than a comparable lifestyle in Western Europe or North America.
- 12 in Asia, 2 in Africa — Southeast Asia and South America dominate, but Europe has affordable surprises too.
- Cheap doesn't mean unsafe: 8 of the 15 cheapest cities score 60/100 or higher on our safety index.
The 15 cheapest cities at a glance
- 1.Hue, Vietnam$309/mo
- 2.Amritsar, India$325/mo
- 3.Varanasi, India$335/mo
- 4.Ha Long, Vietnam$345/mo
- 5.Kathmandu, Nepal$346/mo
- 6.Yogyakarta, Indonesia$406/mo
- 7.Kolkata, India$423/mo
- 8.Jodhpur, India$427/mo
- 9.Bandung, Indonesia$429/mo
- 10.Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka$432/mo
- 11.Kandy, Sri Lanka$436/mo
- 12.Koh Lanta, Thailand$441/mo
- 13.Dhaka, Bangladesh$442/mo
- 14.Alexandria, Egypt$442/mo
- 15.Kairouan, Tunisia$445/mo
Source: Novad analysis of Numbeo, government statistics, and expat surveys (Feb 2026). Costs are USD, single person, moderate lifestyle.
How We Ranked These Cities
Each city's ranking is determined by total monthly cost of living for a single person, calculated from six categories: rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center, groceries and dining (a 60/40 mix of cooking and eating out), local transport (monthly pass or ride-hailing equivalent), basic utilities (electricity, water, heating, garbage), internet connection, and a coworking space membership. We sum these into a single monthly figure so you can compare cities on equal footing.
Data is sourced from Numbeo cost-of-living indices, national statistics offices, and first-hand reports from remote workers and expats verified through our editorial review. Each data point is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication. Where data conflicts, we use the median of available sources.
Inclusion criteria: a city must have cost data across all six categories and a published city guide on Novad. Of the 300+ cities in our database, 20 met these thresholds for this ranking. All figures are in USD at February 2026 exchange rates.
Limitations: cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and season. Our figures represent a moderate lifestyle (not backpacker-budget, not luxury). Visa costs, health insurance, and flights are excluded. For our full data collection and scoring process, see the methodology page.
Practical Considerations for 2026
Cost-of-living rankings look clean on paper, but several real-world factors can shift what you actually pay. Here's what to keep in mind before booking a one-way ticket.
Currency swings matter more than inflation. A 10% shift in the USD/THB or USD/VND exchange rate can wipe out (or amplify) a city's cost advantage overnight. If you earn in dollars or euros, consider hedging with a multi-currency account like Wise or Revolut. The cities on this list were priced at February 2026 exchange rates.
Cheap doesn't always mean easy. Visa requirements, language barriers, healthcare quality, and internet reliability vary enormously between a $700/month city and an $1,100/month one. Some of the cheapest cities require visa runs every 30–90 days; others offer straightforward digital nomad visas. We link to each city's full guide where you'll find visa details and practical tips from people who actually live there.
Your lifestyle changes the math. Our figures assume a moderate lifestyle: a private one-bedroom, eating a mix of home-cooked and restaurant meals, using coworking spaces, and taking local transport. If you share an apartment, cook most meals, or skip coworking, you can slash these numbers by 20–40%. If you want a two-bedroom, eat out daily, or need a gym membership, budget 30–50% more.
Hue, Vietnam
Monthly cost
$309
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
233 Mbps
Safety
88/100
Here's what $309 a month gets you in Hue: a one-bedroom apartment, daily meals out, local transport, utilities, internet, and a coworking desk. That's the full package — not a backpacker budget, but a real, comfortable lifestyle.
Wi-Fi averages 233 Mbps, which is faster than many mid-tier European cities. The safety index sits at 88/100 — a reassuring number for a city this affordable.
Amritsar, India
Monthly cost
$325
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
97 Mbps
Safety
64/100
Amritsar is only $16 more expensive than Hue, but it's a completely different experience. Both are in Asia, but the vibe, food, and culture couldn't be more different.
Internet clocks in at 97 Mbps — in the same ballpark as #1.
Varanasi, India
Monthly cost
$335
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
97 Mbps
Safety
63/100
The case for Varanasi isn't just the price tag — though $335/month is hard to argue with. It's the internet that seals the deal for remote workers: 97 Mbps average, which puts it ahead of cities costing twice as much.
Ha Long, Vietnam
Monthly cost
$345
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
233 Mbps
Safety
N/A
At $345/month,Ha Long is the kind of place where the budget math just works. That margin matters — it's the difference between surviving and actually enjoying where you live.
Internet: 233 Mbps.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Monthly cost
$346
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
51 Mbps
Safety
64/100
Rounding out the top five, Kathmandu might be the most underrated pick on this list. At $346/month, it's below the average of our top 15 — but it punches above its weight on livability.
Internet: 51 Mbps. Safety: 64/100.
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Monthly cost
$406
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
49 Mbps
Safety
62/100
At $406/month, Yogyakarta is in the same bracket as Kathmandu. Internet clocks 49 Mbps.
Kolkata, India
Monthly cost
$423
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
97 Mbps
Safety
53/100
Kolkata delivers a full month for $423, just $17 more than #6 Yogyakarta. Internet: 97 Mbps.
Jodhpur, India
Monthly cost
$427
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
97 Mbps
Safety
67/100
Jodhpur has been climbing expat radar for good reason. The total cost sits at $427/month. Safety: 67/100.
Bandung, Indonesia
Monthly cost
$429
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
49 Mbps
Safety
60/100
At $429/month, Bandung is in the same bracket as Jodhpur. Internet clocks 49 Mbps.
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Monthly cost
$432
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
36 Mbps
Safety
82/100
Nuwara Eliya delivers a full month for $432, just $4 more than #9 Bandung. Internet: 36 Mbps.
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Monthly cost
$436
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
36 Mbps
Safety
58/100
Kandy has been climbing expat radar for good reason. The total cost sits at $436/month. Safety: 58/100.
Koh Lanta, Thailand
Monthly cost
$441
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
206 Mbps
Safety
N/A
At $441/month, Koh Lanta is in the same bracket as Kandy. Internet clocks 206 Mbps — surprisingly fast.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Monthly cost
$442
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
52 Mbps
Safety
38/100
Dhaka delivers a full month for $442, just $1 more than #12 Koh Lanta. Internet: 52 Mbps.
Alexandria, Egypt
Monthly cost
$442
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
68 Mbps
Safety
55/100
Alexandria has been climbing expat radar for good reason. The total cost sits at $442/month. Safety: 55/100.
Kairouan, Tunisia
Monthly cost
$445
Rent 1BR
N/A
Internet
38 Mbps
Safety
17/100
At $445/month, Kairouan is in the same bracket as Alexandria. Internet clocks 38 Mbps.
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Why trust this data
This ranking is produced by the Novad data team, which maintains a continuously updated database of 300+ cities across six continents. Every data point — from rent to restaurant prices — is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources (Numbeo cost indices, national statistics offices, and verified expat reports) before publication.
Rankings are updated when underlying data changes significantly (typically monthly). We have no commercial relationship with any city, tourism board, or relocation agency — rankings are determined purely by data. If you spot an error, email hello@novad.app and we'll investigate within 48 hours.
Read our full data collection and scoring methodology for technical details on sources, normalization, and update cadence.