Inexpensive Countries Where $2k/Month Buys the Good Life | Hacker News Reader

Inexpensive Countries Where $2k/Month Buys the Good Life

moneycrashers.com

50 pointsgamechangr24 comments

Was scrolling through this hoping to see a mention of Spain or Portugal.

I've lived in quite a few countries. Here are my rents, always furnished, always in a reasonably good location, with the exception of Alexandria Egypt:

- Chiang Mai, 2012, Nice studio apartment, $250 USD/m

- Alexandria, Egypt, 2012, Simple shared apartment in bad location, $100 USD/m

- Berlin, 2013, Shared apartment, 330 Euros/m

- Barcelona, 2013, Very simple Shared Apartment: 270 Euros/m.

- Medellin, 2014, Simple shared house, $250 USD/m

- Lisbon, 2014, Reasonably nice Shared Apartment, 330 Euros/m

- San Pedro La Laguna Guatemala, 2014, basic 1br Apartment, $180 USD/m

- Santiago, 2015-2017, A few nice 1br apartments, about $700-$780 USD/m

I'm now back in Australia and paying $1350 AUD/m (about $1050 USD give or take) for an unfurnished one bedroom in South Yarra, which is one of the best neighbourhoods in Melbourne to live.

Adding data points from India.

- Mumbai 2017, really bad location (almost a slum). Shared room in a 2BHK costed me 190 USD/m

- Hyderabad 2018, really really good location. One room in a 3BHK costed me 200 USD/m

- Pune 2019, one of the best locations I have lived in. One room in 2bhk costed around 180 USD/m

- Bangalore 2020, outskirts in a poor underdeveloped and cramped location. One room in a 3BHK costed 200 USD/m

> - Hyderabad 2018, really really good location. One room in a 3BHK costed me 200 USD/m

Looking at the price, I want to ask which Hyderabad? That's very cheap.

To be clear: the whole house costed 600USD. The house was near Kondapur.

Morocco is pretty cheap too, and is very close to europe. Tons of (even poor) French pensioners move there to retire and get a lot more for their money. Now if you are well off by western standards you can have an absolutely amazing quality of life, beyond what you can realistically achieve in a lot of western countries. The country is amazing and has lots to offer as long as you know how to, let's say... get around and not be overly naive.

- Dubai...

Fanciest life for the money, and the rental prices are at rock, rock bottom now.

While Dubai is a "city of millionaires," in comparison to posh places in the West, it's very cheap.

Downside, you will have to reconcile with your conscience about living in a kingdom of a man who raises hand on his own family.

- Colombo

Sri Lanka is the most developed South Asian country, by far. My surprise was though... very few speaks English, much less than in India. So, learning Sinhala.

- Istanbul

Istanbul is a quite fancy, de-facto European, city without a doubt, and Erdogan's financial wizardry ensures rock bottom lira whole year long.

I’m kind of surprised to not find Ghana on that list. It has all of the benefits of most of those countries but best of all it’s an English speaking country in the British commonwealth. Familiar goods and a familiar language.

Sure you can move to Costa Rica but outside of the tourist zone you’re going to have to learn Spanish.

$2k a month in India is not just Good life, its way more. Not sure why India is not mentioned.

Because for many people it would probably be too much of a culture shock. (Not saying I personally agree with that).

Because the list has 10 countries and 2000 USD a month is enough for a good life in over 150 countries.

Yeah lol you can live pretty nicely even in half of Europe with this

With the exception of super huge cities like Paris, London and Hamburg 2000 USD is enough for a very good life even in western Europe. I lived in a couple of places in Germany, smaller to mid size cities, with an average of around 800 EUR per month in a single room apartment alone plus food and other costs.

Sure 2k will buy you much more in the east than in west but one really must have the aptitude to live in a place that is very corrupt, psychically and morally dirty, depressing and everyone is super unhappy and always complaining. Wouldn't call that the good life.

Thats 160000 rubees :D

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