How the list is made
For each country the calculator works out a month of living costs for one person at the lifestyle you choose, then checks whether your budget covers it. Countries are sorted from cheapest to most expensive, and the bars show how much of your budget would be left over each month.
On a moderate budget with your own one-bedroom, $1,000 a month only covers Bangalore. $1,500 adds Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Marrakech and Quito. At $2,000 most of Latin America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia open up, and $3,000 reaches most of Western Europe outside the very expensive capitals.
Stretching a small budget
If your budget is tight, the housing setting is the strongest lever. Renting a room in a shared flat lowers costs by several hundred dollars in most cities, and a lean lifestyle with home cooking lowers them again. On a lean budget with a shared room, $1,000 a month covers about a dozen countries across Asia, Latin America and North Africa.
Where the numbers come from
Rent is a typical asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the main city we list for each country, taken from 2026 listings and local market reports and converted to dollars at the exchange rate of October 28, 2026. Rent is the number that varies most from street to street, so the calculators let you change it whenever you have a better figure.
Everything else starts from a monthly budget for one person in the United States: about $450 for groceries, $250 for eating out, $200 for utilities, $90 for phone and internet, $300 for transport and $350 for clothes, personal care and fun. Each line is then scaled by the World Bank's International Comparison Program price levels for that type of spending, and brought forward from 2021 with the World Bank's latest price level data, so a country where restaurant meals cost a third of US prices gets a third of the eating-out budget.
These are planning estimates, not quotes. A lean budget uses 75% of the moderate one with cheaper rent, and a comfortable budget uses 150% with nicer rent. Visas, health insurance and flights are not included unless a calculator asks for them.
Common questions
Where can I live on $1,000 a month?
On a moderate budget with your own place, Bangalore. Choose lean or shared housing and Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and others come into range.
Where can I live on $2,000 a month?
Most of Southeast Asia, much of Latin America and Eastern Europe, and cities such as Tbilisi, Istanbul, Seoul and Budapest on a moderate budget.
Does the budget include health insurance?
No. Keep $100 to $300 a month aside for insurance depending on your age and cover.
Sources
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.