Everyone at one time or another has wanted to get away from it all and beach/ski/paraglide-bum it in some foreign land. Small problem: that’s very expensive. Or is it? (That’s our sweet rhetorical way of saying maybe not.) Check this list of 5 shockingly affordable paradises you can live in for peanuts… though you’ll probably be packed and out the door by number four.
1. Koh Tonsay, Cambodia
Where exactly is this place: It’s a small island (Koh Tonsay translates to “rabbit island”) in southern Cambodia, near the mainland city of Kep.
Why you should move here: It’s a rugged jungle paradise and you can stay in a beachfront bungalow for a cool six bones a day. No, they don’t operate on a femur-based currency — that’s just slang for “dollars.”
Other things you should know: This island is mostly uninhabited, save for a few fishermen and their families.
What you can do once you get there: You can relax on the beach or explore the cave-laden jungle. Or you can also check out the crab market where they’ll cook the live crustaceans of your choice right in front of you for five bucks.
So… what’s the catch: This isn’t some squeaky-clean island where you rent an umbrella in peachy sand. The untamed beach is occasionally graced by packs of feral dogs and lumbering wayward farm animals. Hey, free pets.
Why you should move here: It’s a rugged jungle paradise and you can stay in a beachfront bungalow for a cool six bones a day. No, they don’t operate on a femur-based currency — that’s just slang for “dollars.”
Other things you should know: This island is mostly uninhabited, save for a few fishermen and their families.
What you can do once you get there: You can relax on the beach or explore the cave-laden jungle. Or you can also check out the crab market where they’ll cook the live crustaceans of your choice right in front of you for five bucks.
So… what’s the catch: This isn’t some squeaky-clean island where you rent an umbrella in peachy sand. The untamed beach is occasionally graced by packs of feral dogs and lumbering wayward farm animals. Hey, free pets.
2. Guanajuato, Mexico
Where exactly is this place: In the middle of Mexico.
Why you should move here: It’s a cool, intellectual city. Some hack would probably call it the “Brooklyn” of Mexico. Plus, you can rent an apartment for around $6 a day, beer cost around a buck, and a movie ticket is a measly $3.
Other things you should know: There are lots of mummies. Seriously. There was a cholera outbreak in the mid-19th century and so many died that a tax was placed on buried bodies. As many couldn’t afford it, many corpses were disinterred and natural mummies resulted. Author of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury wrote a story called “The Next in Line” about his experience there.
What you can do once you get there: Go and see the mummies. There’s also a big, famous arts festival called Festival Internacional Cervantino, named after the author of Don Quixote, which is supposedly so wild that it makes Sundance look like a lame tea party.
So… what’s the catch: Mummies are scary.
Why you should move here: It’s a cool, intellectual city. Some hack would probably call it the “Brooklyn” of Mexico. Plus, you can rent an apartment for around $6 a day, beer cost around a buck, and a movie ticket is a measly $3.
Other things you should know: There are lots of mummies. Seriously. There was a cholera outbreak in the mid-19th century and so many died that a tax was placed on buried bodies. As many couldn’t afford it, many corpses were disinterred and natural mummies resulted. Author of Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury wrote a story called “The Next in Line” about his experience there.
What you can do once you get there: Go and see the mummies. There’s also a big, famous arts festival called Festival Internacional Cervantino, named after the author of Don Quixote, which is supposedly so wild that it makes Sundance look like a lame tea party.
So… what’s the catch: Mummies are scary.
3. Agonda Beach in Goa, India
Where exactly is this place: The southernmost coastline of Goa, a state on India’s west coast.
Why you should move here: You can ride an elephant on the beach, get a bottle of wine for $.44, a haircut for $.60, and an beach shack for $4 a day. Seriously, what else do you need? In fact, skip the haircut and get two bottles of wine without breaking a buck.
Other things you should know: It’s pretty unpopulated. Unlike the rest of Goa, which is India’s wealthiest state (thanks partially to tourism), Agonda beach is relatively free of tourists and the things they bring (e.g. plastic sunglasses, kitschy pre-fab resort communities and worrying cries of Woo!).
What you can do once you get there:Beyond the beach, there’s not much. Maybe get your hair cut? There’s also yoga, temples, and naan.
So… what’s the catch: There are a lot of soul-searching adrift hippies. They will ask if you can spare any cash or hash (or both).
Why you should move here: You can ride an elephant on the beach, get a bottle of wine for $.44, a haircut for $.60, and an beach shack for $4 a day. Seriously, what else do you need? In fact, skip the haircut and get two bottles of wine without breaking a buck.
Other things you should know: It’s pretty unpopulated. Unlike the rest of Goa, which is India’s wealthiest state (thanks partially to tourism), Agonda beach is relatively free of tourists and the things they bring (e.g. plastic sunglasses, kitschy pre-fab resort communities and worrying cries of Woo!).
What you can do once you get there:Beyond the beach, there’s not much. Maybe get your hair cut? There’s also yoga, temples, and naan.
So… what’s the catch: There are a lot of soul-searching adrift hippies. They will ask if you can spare any cash or hash (or both).
4. Ksamil Beach, Albania
Where exactly is this place: The southern tip of Albania on the Adriatic Sea.
Why you should move here: Ksamil is a small town and part of the Butrint National Park. Its got a quintessential Mediterranean climate, which is to say your new job could be making olive oil or growing tangerines. And, unlike Greece or Italy (or more recently, Croatia), the land is unspoiled and things are cheap. How cheap? Well, it’s not Bulgaria (beer here costs an average of 90 cents), but to rent a one-bedroom apartment would cost about $4 a day.
Other things you should know: Only about 2,000 (very lucky) Albanians live here.
What you can do once you get there: Eat seafood at a café (a meal is about six bucks at a mid-range restaurant and there’s 30 varieties of tasty fish in the Adriatic), drink cheap wine (about six bucks a bottle), hire a paddleboat and make out on an island with no other people.
So… what’s the catch: Whatever the catch of the day is.
Why you should move here: Ksamil is a small town and part of the Butrint National Park. Its got a quintessential Mediterranean climate, which is to say your new job could be making olive oil or growing tangerines. And, unlike Greece or Italy (or more recently, Croatia), the land is unspoiled and things are cheap. How cheap? Well, it’s not Bulgaria (beer here costs an average of 90 cents), but to rent a one-bedroom apartment would cost about $4 a day.
Other things you should know: Only about 2,000 (very lucky) Albanians live here.
What you can do once you get there: Eat seafood at a café (a meal is about six bucks at a mid-range restaurant and there’s 30 varieties of tasty fish in the Adriatic), drink cheap wine (about six bucks a bottle), hire a paddleboat and make out on an island with no other people.
So… what’s the catch: Whatever the catch of the day is.
5. Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Where exactly is this place: In north Bulgaria in the Veliko Tarnovo river valley.
Why you should move here: The former Bulgarian capital is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with evidence of settlement from 3000 BC. And its Riviera on the Black Sea coast is as naturally beautiful as France’s famed own, but in Bulgaria a beer only costs $.80.
Other things you should know: The population is about 200,000 Bulgarians who probably don’t appreciate how cheap their beer is.
What you can do once you get there: Often called the “City of Tsars,” this town is all about its history. Whether you’d rather see corbelled vaulting from the Middle Ages or cave painting, Veliko Tarnavo has got it. Its got the laid-back vibe of a place that’s seen the rise and fall of a half-dozen world empires. And you can get an apartment here for $6 a day.
So… what’s the catch: The city’s many ruins and old churches don’t have the same safety standards as the States. That means no handrails, and if you see a rickety stairway that looks as if it might break, it might actually break. And, unlike in the States, there’s probably no one for you to sue.
Why you should move here: The former Bulgarian capital is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with evidence of settlement from 3000 BC. And its Riviera on the Black Sea coast is as naturally beautiful as France’s famed own, but in Bulgaria a beer only costs $.80.
Other things you should know: The population is about 200,000 Bulgarians who probably don’t appreciate how cheap their beer is.
What you can do once you get there: Often called the “City of Tsars,” this town is all about its history. Whether you’d rather see corbelled vaulting from the Middle Ages or cave painting, Veliko Tarnavo has got it. Its got the laid-back vibe of a place that’s seen the rise and fall of a half-dozen world empires. And you can get an apartment here for $6 a day.
So… what’s the catch: The city’s many ruins and old churches don’t have the same safety standards as the States. That means no handrails, and if you see a rickety stairway that looks as if it might break, it might actually break. And, unlike in the States, there’s probably no one for you to sue.
Via: thrillist.com
