Where Can I Live On $600 A Month Without Being A "Begpacker"?

BUZZWORD
“begpacker”
noun [uncountable]
-a western tourist who tries to fund their continuing travel plans by begging for money on the streets of countries that are much poorer than the country they come from.

Source: Macmillan Dictionary.

Contents

Where in the world can I live on $600 a month?

Perhaps you want to get away for 1 or 2 months looking to regroup and reassess your plans to conquer the world. Maybe you want to travel for a year, but your funds are really limited. You have a $600 per month budget and you ask yourself, “Where can I live for $600 a month, without living on the streets?” I’ve compiled a list of the places where you can live for $600 a month. These destinations are broken down by the basic costs of:

Accommodations/Rent

Food

Utilities

Phone/Internet

Travel (within the town or city)

Visas (for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to)

Please note I am not going to include costs of travel to and from your destination country. For that, you’re on your own. Another side note, if you are travelling alone you will more than likely be staying in Hostels. However, you may be able to upgrade your accommodation to a single room if you negotiate with the Hostel owner for a cheaper monthly rate. You may even get your room and board for free, if you agree to work at the hostel itself.

Furthermore, once you’re on the ground, you should begin asking around or check out the local rental market. You could possibly find a room to rent including a private bath for the price of a bunk bed in a hostel dorm.

One more tip, if you plan on being in the country for a while and meet like minded individuals at your hostel, you could all perhaps get a shared apartment rental as well. You can find these either on AirBnB or any one of the many downloadable Accommodation apps.

Here’s the list of 9 destinations where you can live on $600 a month:

1. Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Accommodations/Rent ($210-$300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $150 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $15-$20 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $83 avg. monthly scooter rental.

Visas: No Visa required on arrival. Free for 30 days to extend for an additional 30 days approx $63 or 1900 Thai Baht.(for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to).

2. Bangkok, Thailand

Accommodations/Rent ($250-$300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $150 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$20 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $80-$100 avg. monthly scooter rental.

Visas: No Visa required on arrival. Free for 30 days to extend for an additional 30 days approx. $63 or 1900 Thai Baht. (for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to).

3. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Accommodations/Rent ($150-$300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $150 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$15 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $50 avg. monthly scooter rental.

Visas: e-Visa required before arrival. $25 for a maximum 30 days. There are other Visa types for longer terms as well as possible extensions. You should first enquire at a Vietnamese Embassy, then to a reputable travel or immigration service for further details. (This information is for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to).

4. Hanoi, Vietnam

Accommodations/Rent ($150-$300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $150 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$15 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $50 avg. monthly scooter rental.

5. Jakarta, Indonesia

Accommodations/Rent (6$-$15 per month hostel bed)

Food= $200 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $17-$20 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $2-$5 per day avg. public transportation costs, a little more on an occasional taxi app.

Visas: 30 days visa free. You should first enquire at a Indonesian Embassy, then to a reputable travel or immigration service for further details. (This information is for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to).

6. Bali, Indonesia

Accommodations/Rent ($150 – $300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $150 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$15 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $2-$5 per day avg. public transportation costs, scooter rentals approx. $4 per day.

7. Tbilisi, Georgia

Accommodations/Rent ($150-$300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $150 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$10 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $2-$4 avg. taxi ride through a taxi app, $.10 per Metro trip.

Visas: 1 year visa free access. (This information is for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to).

8. Kyiv, Ukraine

Accommodations/Rent ($150-$300 per month hostel bed)

Food= $200 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$15 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) Monthly Metro pass $8. Taxis approx $4-$5 per trip.

Visas: Visa free for US citizens up to 90 days. You should first enquire at a Ukrainian Embassy, then a local Ukrainian Attorney specializing in Expat immigration issues. (This information is for US citizens, if you are a citizen of another country, please check the local embassy of the country you plan on travelling to).

9. Lviv, Ukraine

Accommodations/Rent ($150-$200 per month hostel bed)

Food= $200 per month.

Utilities (included in the hostel bed price.)

Phone/Internet $5-$15 per month cell phone packages. (usually free internet access in hostels, cafes etc.)

Travel (within the town or city) $4-$5 the occasional taxi. Lvi is very walkable, especially if your hostel is close to the city center.

Where can I live on $600 a month? Conclusions.

There are plenty more than the few I’ve listed above. However, the above is from my own personal experience of traveling abroad. I just wanted to give you an idea and that it is possible to live on $600 in many places throughout the globe without resorting to becoming a begpacker.

You may have traveled to a few other locations and have found similar results hopefully.

As a general rule of thumb, when looking for a place with a very low cost of living is to look in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia as well as Latin America. These tend to offer a decent quality of life for the lowest amount of money.

I’m sure in these three geographic locations you’ll be able to not only find places where you can live for $600 a month, but you may even be able to live for less. Also note that you may be able to find B&B’s as well as apartment rentals even short-term, for under $300 a month.

I have left out the continent of Africa as well as the Middle East simply because I am not familiar with those regions.

However, I have heard that North Africa, Morocco in particular, is not only a great place with exotic food, but is also quite affordable as well.

Morocco’s proximity across the Mediterranean to Europe also makes it an ideal location for those looking to spend a few winter months outside of the Schengen Zone, yet is just across the Mediterranean.

Usually the best deals are found once you’re on the ground asking around though. Good luck!