You are thinking of taking the leap, living overseas as a freelancer. It’s called a “digital nomad” these days. Let’s do a quick snapshot of a few popular options to see if it is actually less expensive to live in an exotic overseas destination than to live and work in the US.
Miami, Florida, USA
Rent
As of February 2019, the average rent for an apartment in Miami, FL is $2217 which is a 6.59% increase from last year when the average rent was $ 2071, and a 0.27% decrease from last month when the average rent was $2223.
Another real estate study shows that one-bedroom apartments in Miami rent for $1889 a month on average (a 4.24% increase from last year) and two bedroom apartment rents average $2437 (a 3.9% increase from last year).
The most expensive Miami neighborhoods to rent apartments in are North Coconut Grove, West Flagler, and Wynwood. The cheapest Miami neighborhoods to rent apartments in are Overtown, Little Havana, and Little Haiti. The mean price for a 1 bedroom in Miami according to all sources appears to be around $1,900.
Groceries
- A gallon of Milk: $3.85
- Loaf of bread: $2.73
- 1 Lb Rice: $2.24
- 1 Dozen Eggs: $3.13
- 1 Lb Cheese: $4.48
- 1 Lb Chicken Breasts: $4.22
- 1 Lb Apples: $2.49
- 1 Lb Bananas: $.70
- 1 Lb Oranges: $3.00
- 1 Lb Tomatoes: $1.73
- 1 Head Lettuce: $2.05
- Mid-Range bottle of wine: $15
- Domestic Beer (.5 liter) $1.66
- Imported Beer: $2.43
Transportation
- One-way Ticket (Local Transport) $2.25
- Monthly Pass (Regular Price) $112.50
- Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) $2.95
- Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) $30.00
- Gasoline (1 gallon) $2.75
- Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) $21,000.00
- Toyota Corolla 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) $20,906.15
Extras
- Movie: $11.55
- Dinner out:
- Basic: $30
- Beer: $6
- Cocktail: Local club: $16
- Cappuccino: $5.95
Expat Community and Living in Miam
The year-round warm weather, incredibly diverse community, lack of state taxes, proximity to world-class beaches, sailing and scuba diving, cultural events and easy proximity to many international destinations makes Miami a very attractive option for digital nomads. It is a very large international city. Those searching for a small town feel may want to look elsewhere. Those looking for culture, diversity and energy will love Miami. Opportunities abound here.
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Rent
A 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa with private pool, Wi-Fi, electricity, gas, cable TV, daily breakfast bought and prepared (fruit, toast or pancakes) plus daily cleaning. Costs around 18,000,000 rupiahs (AUD$1800, US$1400) per month.
There is quite a wide range of accommodation in Bali, as little as $100 per month for a single room up to $4000 for a large luxurious property including multiple staff.
A comfortable villa tends to cost between AUD$1200 – $2500 depending on location and facilities. A budget 2 bedroom house in Ubud costs around 5.500.000 rupiah ($390) per month. A nice place will run you around $800 per month. It is easy to live on a budget here.
Groceries
Around $220 USD per month.
Local Transportation
- $40 a month for a scooter
- $3.50 a ride for a local taxi
- Gasoline: $1.45 fill tax with local gasoline
Extras
- Laundry: $3 a week to wash and dry
- Wine: $15-$20 USD
- Local Beer: $1.50
- Imported Beer: $8 :
- Dinner out: Local
dinner : $1-$2. International spots. $15-$20. - Cocktail: $10 (Indonesia has very expensive import taxes making alcohol relatively expensive)
- Cappuccino: $4
Expat community and Living in Bali
Bali is a wonderful place to live as an expatriate. It is safe, has a vibrant expat and cultural scene, can be very affordable and has extensive international travel options due to its location. Self-starters, those into the island lifestyle, those for whom art, culture, yoga or a balanced lifestyle are important, or those looking for a peaceful home base will love this corner of the world.
El Nido, Palawan, Philippines:
Rent
$400-$500 USD per month for beachfront house
Local Transportation
- Taxi Start (Normal Tariff): 40.00 ₱
- Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff): 32.19 ₱
- Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff): 70.00
**(1 Philippine Peso= .019 USD)
Grocery
- Milk (regular), (1 gallon): 283.91 ₱
- Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb): 60.48 ₱
- Rice (white), (1 lb): 20.87 ₱
- Eggs (regular) (12): 81.50 ₱
- Local Cheese (1 lb): 566.99 ₱
- Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1 lb): 95.25 ₱
- Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat): 158.76 ₱
- Banana (1 lb): 19.28 ₱
- Tomato (1 lb): 18.14 ₱
- Potato (1 lb): 39.31 ₱
- Onion (1 lb): 35.53 ₱
- Lettuce (1 head): 40.00 ₱
- Water (1.5-liter bottle): 32.50 ₱
Extras
- Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range): 400.00 ₱
- Domestic Beer (0.5-liter bottle): 40.31 ₱
- Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle): 170.00 ₱
- Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro): 72.50 ₱
- Gasoline (1 gallon): 189.08 ₱
- Dinner out: 200-400 ₱ $3.79-$7.50 USD
- Cappuccino: 110.00 ₱
Expat Community and Living Here
El Nido is an absolutely gorgeous slice of the world, recently discovered and thus prices are starting to reflect that. The Philippines is an underrated Asian country in terms of travel popularity. The friendliness of Filipinos, widely spoken English and Spanish, unmatched diving opportunities, safety and love of all things Western, growing expatriate community and improving internet connectivity make this a wonderful option for a digital nomad. Keep in mind that compared to the other two options above you will hit more roadblocks with a slower, more relaxed day to day life.
Country to country is comparing apples to oranges and is very individual. A steady wireless connection must be a priority when living and working as a digital nomad. More developed Asian nations will prevail in this category. Safety, community, beauty, and quality of life vary
The questions to ask yourself is “What type of life do you want to craft?”
Thanks for reading!
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