I’m thinking of trying the digital nomad life in 2024 and was wondering what are some safe countries for women with a cost of living of around 1,000 USD or 1,500 USD?
The countries on my list for now are: Taiwan, Malaysia, Bali, and Thailand. However, I am open to other countries.
Thank you all!
I was a Singaporean who migrated to Australia.
If I would ever move back to Asia, it would definitely be to Malaysia. There are so much opportunities, LCOL, good infrastructure, good food, lots of places to go to during your downtime. And if you are a foreigner, you won’t really stick out as there is a huge expat community there.
Vietnam for sure. Very cheap lifestyle and secure. But weak infrastuctures.
like too weak to dn there?
Vietnam, possibly has the lowest cost of living of all the countries you listed. Very safe as well. However the Infrastructures in Vietnam are just not not as good as far as public transportation goes.
$1000 is above water overhead for india. Your can easily choose any location whichever you are suitable to in india. Like south goa , Pune , Uttarakhand , Himachal Pradesh where you will get stunning natural beauty & people are also nice. If you want more English speaking audience try south goa best place.Rent is cheap, food is cheap & best , travel is nothing compared to your budget you can easily get bike in less than $500 doller.
India isn’t safe for women. Some of the places you mentioned are, but only relatively.
Vietnam
Malaysia is wonderful. I have lived here for most of the last decade (made a mistake and moved to Georgia for two years but am back in MY now). I can go anywhere, anytime without any chance of being harassed or bothered in any way because of my gender or, frankly, any other reason. I love it and have no desire to ever leave!
Also, so cheap. In Tbilisi, I could only afford a one bedroom creaky apartment with drug dealers downstairs. For the same cost, I have a huge four bedroom gorgeous well-appointed house in Malaysia with a substantial tropical garden just 5 minutes from a breathtaking beach. Yeah. I love Malaysia.
How was Georgia? I’ve been looking into moving.
I’m not a fan. It was a bad two years for me. Expensive, aggressive, people are largely miserable (justifiably) and wildly conservative. Hard life there.
I met many amazing Georgians who I miss very much (I taught at a secondary school there and the youth are great) but I was overjoyed to get out of there.
Also, the dogs are great and the landscape is stunning. Fascinating culture and history but being back in a peaceful place is great.
Honestly the only downside of a place like Malaysia is its heat and humidity. I’ve never been there but I guess it’s similar to most countries in SEA region. Very hot and humid. Some people love that but others like myself, couldn’t stand it. That’s the only negative I can think of Malaysia.
I hate the heat and humidity so would never move to any SEA country.
Me too! That’s the only reason I don’t move there, despite loving many things about the regions and its cultures.
You get used to it after a few years. Still hot as fuck but somehow you stop noticing it.
I see! I’d still miss the crisp air of winter, the winter clothes and…but it’s good yo know the body adaps to most temperatures!
Don’t forget the rain. Miri, Sarawak averages 100 inches (2500 mm) of rain per year, with no dry season.
Yes! The rain too. I honestly love places that offer four seasons.
Yeah, my hair is frizzled out daily but it mostly rains here at night and the rains are short. It is a relief to have rain as every day is bright and sunny. The heat can be handled if you learn to do outside stuff in the morning and evening. Afternoons are for naps and aircon!
what is the English level in Malaysia
In Sarawak, English is the lingua franca. Most of Malaysia speaks English.
How is internet access and logistical setup for people? I am a livestreamer so I need good upload speed and the ability to set up my home office, how hard would this be? Any advice? I’m deciding between ML, Thailand, and PH right now and can’t decide.
Fast and reasonable cost. I use maxis or hotlink for phone, unifi at home and have had no trouble live streaming except far back in the mountains and jungle.
I second this. Sarawak is really an unexplored gem. i was in Miri 2 weeks ago and had a great time it is a quiet city. Currently in Kuching and its wonderful so far, gonna stay for another week here. Food is cheap and quality is good cheaper than my country Philippines! Internet is really fast. Currently it rains a lot now
You mean Indonesia, not Bali. Bali is only one island in an archipelago of thousands of islands including Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Lokbok, Borneo Sumba, etc. But as in the comment about Vietnam, public transport and other infrastrure is not the best.
Or maybe she meant Bali and not some random island 🤷🏻♂️
Most people are attracted to Bali, not Indonesia in general
She writes “countries: …Bali.”
The person you replied to is correct, Bali is not a country.
She’s not going to be able to live in Bali on 1000 a month. It is not at all comparable price-wise to the rest of SEA due to its popularity
She’s not going to be able to live in Bali on 1000 a month
Yes she can. Can get a guest house for $300-400, a motorbike rental for $80, eat at cheap warungs for $1-2 a dish. This doable even in Canggu.
Ha! She named a specific place, and you say, “Oh, what you really mean is not the exact specific place you said, but the less specific, more vague and general area that includes not only the actual place you meant, but also lots of other places that you didn’t want to indicate at all.” Just so you can flex that you know something. That’s like if you went into a bakery, and asked for a croissant, and pointed at it in the display case, and the baker says, “Oh, you mean that you want a baked good! A croissant is just one specific type of baked good. I have lots of different baked goods. There are …” as the baker starts listing them off individually. “Yes! But I want a croissant! That’s why I said croissant, and my finger is literally pointing at the exact one that I want!”
It’s like someone going to a grocery store to buy fruits and choosing apples, oranges, grapes and then a cake. They are all foods but one is not the same (one island) than the others (a country) Sad that some people don’t see the difference. The OP stated they are choosing a country to visit. Bali is not a country.
Bali is not a country.
Bahrain
Slovenia, although not Ljubljana and the coast
Indonesia as a whole is extremely safe, as is Laos and Thailand. I’ve also lived in El Salavador and Mexico and whilst they have their dangers, I don’t think female travelers are at higher risk of harm. (In my experience, anyway.)
I don’t think I’ve been anywhere that I really felt unsafe as a female - Sri Lanka was the worst in terms of being constantly hassled, but even there, I didn’t feel unsafe.
my friend was almost sex trafficked in mexico, it’s one of those places that varies wildly in safety depending on what city you’re in. would not consider it 100% safe.
Thailand has had issues with tourist deaths, although small in terms of raw numbers compared to the very large number of visitors. Also some of the dangers could also be from the other tourists themselves!
Are the only things that matter to you safety and cost? Is there anything in particular you enjoy more like exploring nature, beaches, cities, etc? Is there anything that you need like strong infrastructure, reliable wifi, little risk of extreme weather patterns? This list can be extensive without some fine tuning. However, if the only things that matter are safety and cost, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is probably your best bet. It’s likely one of the cheapest options as far as marrying COL with a relatively modern city. It def has its issues but it’s safe and extremely affordable.
Don’t forger Sri Lanka! 🙂
I felt super safe in Albania
The Balkans are perfect in that regard, very safe for women. Cheap (Cheaper compared to W Europe, its still somewhat on the pricey side especially in the capitals) and but the standards of living are lower and much of the public institutional suck.
You must be white
Thailand within your budget with good infrastructure
