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Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

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Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#51

Post by reillyse »

So I like this idea and I’ve spent a little time in other countries doing something similar. The one caveat I’d say is that although it’s cheaper to avoid major cities it can be quite isolating. Depending on the level of english in the country you go to (I assume you are an English only speaker) you might end up not having a meaningful conversation in the flesh for weeks. I spent about 2 months in Portugal doing something similar and even though I sought out English speakers my conversational ability decreased dramatically, it was very strange. By the end I was literally stumbling over words and unable to make small talk with people. I regained it after a couple of weeks, but I was definitely more in my own head than usual.

In a small secondary city you have a much lower chance of meeting ex pats to talk to (depending of course on the country)

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#52

Post by glitchc »

Leftium wrote: post #11

I live in Korea. Some months my total expenses are as low as $400 while living comfortably. If I spent $1000 in a month, I spent a lot of money. I'd say my average monthly living expenses are $600-$800. My main expenses are food/entertainment, and I eat out a lot (50% of meals). Housing is probably the biggest living expense. I take advantage of Korea's interesting rental system called Cheonsae: Basically, if you put…

If I'm putting 90% of the value, why don't I just add another 10% and buy the property outright? Are there restrictions on who can buy a house/apartment in Korea?

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#53

Post by ssijak »

You can do it pretty much anywere. But yeah, Eastern Europe or SE Asia would be easier then Western Europe.

If you wan't similar culture, go for Eastern Europe capital cities. In Belgrade where I am from you can get 10gbps internet at home where there is fiber, if no fiber then 200-300mbps cable.

In Thailand and Bali I also experienced very good 4g internet and good fiber optic cable net.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#54

Post by aix1 »

topicseed wrote: post #38

Vietnam... Ho Chi Minh mainly, as it has great internet (except the couple of "shark attacks on submarine cables" each year).

> "shark attacks on submarine cables"

I thought this was a euphemism for something but, no, an actual thing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2020/07/...

Who'd have thought...

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#55

Post by jonshariat »

spdebbarma wrote: post #2

You can use Nomad List[0] to get an idea of possible options. Eastern Europe, South America, South East Asia are all viable options with vibrant communities with people like you. [0] https://nomadlist.com/

+1 for nomadlist, a great community has already done all the hard work on this subject.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#57

Post by devops000 »

Southern Italy. You can live in a small but beautiful village in the south (e.g Sicily) or any seaside village during autumn/winter. If you like mountains you have to go north (Dolomites) but it’s harder to find a small village for 1k/month in winter.

Obviously living in big city like Milan or Rome costs around 1500-2000€/month for living.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#58

Post by Leftium »

csomar wrote: post #42
Leftium wrote: post #11

I live in Korea. Some months my total expenses are as low as $400 while living comfortably. If I spent $1000 in a month, I spent a lot of money. I'd say my average monthly living expenses are $600-$800. My main expenses are food/entertainment, and I eat out a lot (50% of meals). Housing is probably the biggest living expense. I take advantage of Korea's interesting rental system called Cheonsae: Basically, if you put…

12% is pretty high yield for the modern/western world. South Korea central rate is %0.75 according to Google. Where does the 11.25% come from?

That is exactly my point. There is an opportunity cost in keeping a large deposit (lost interest/investment opportunities). However that opportunity earn a certain APY in order to be a better "investment" than the housing deposit (a penny saved is a penny earned):

- $10,000 additional deposit reduces monthly rent by $50.

- 50 * 12 = 600

- 600/10,000 = 6%

The monthly rent reduction used to be $100 per $10,000. So it used to be 12%. I guess the break-even point is 6%, now...

Concrete example: I could reduce the deposit from $90,000 to $10,000. But then my rent would go from $0/month to $400/month. So by keeping a large deposit, I save $4800/year in rent.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#59

Post by rich_sasha »

burntoutfire wrote: post #19

Poland is doable if you stay out of major cities. You can rent a studio for $300 (incl. all utilities). Food, if you cook, will cost you $200-$250 ($300-$400 if you don't cook and want to eat out only). Wired Internet and cell phone will be around $20. State-provided health insurance is about $120 per month (this is "socialized medicine", so it provides everything with no deducible, up to treating cancer etc.), but c…

As a Pole myself, I’d add two things: it is generally a lovely country, lots of beautiful countryside etc. Less “spectacular”, more “cozy” etc. People are a bit uncertain of new things (eg foreigners in a new town) but generally warm and helpful eventually.

That said, I’d you’re not white and straight, small towns could be very unwelcoming, from people staring, to telling you to go, to physical violence. Rare but true.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I live off 1k USD per month?

#60

Post by paxys »

Rather than looking at entire countries as a whole you should consider the urban vs rural split. Major cities in Eastern Europe or Korea or even third world countries are still going to be a lot more expensive than, say, some random town 200 miles outside of San Francisco or New York. First decide what kind of lifestyle you are looking for.
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