Top 3 Beach Destinations Where Digital Nomads Can Live On Less Than $2,000 A Month

There are only 3 things digital nomads are typically looking for when choosing a new place to call home, whether temporarily or permanently: sunshine, affordability, and easy-to-get visas.

Narrowing down the options isn’t exactly easy, especially now that numerous countries have Digital Nomad Visas (DNVs) and are actively beckoning nomads to come.

If you’re in the middle of making that choice, it can feel, well… a tad overwhelming.

That’s why we created the Travel Off Path Digital Nomad Visa Finder, so you can discover your next home as a remote worker based on your personal preferences.

We know most nomads aren’t tech moguls or ultra-successful, multi-millionaire niche entrepreneurs living in the Bahamas, so we decided to help you find the cheapest beach destinations where you can live on less than $2,000 a month.

According to the Digital Nomad Visa Finder, there are three destinations in this category where you may be eligible for a DNV:

Thailand

A digital nomad darling, sun-drenched Thailand is the first result you get.

The Southeast Asian country doesn’t exactly require proof of monthly earnings over a certain financial threshold, like most countries do, but in order to apply for their Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), you must show proof of savings of at least $13,600.

You can check the detailed list of requirements on the official website here, but when it comes to the cost of living in Thailand itself, you could live off of your savings alone for an entire year, or longer if you’re being frugal and really stretching it.

Take Phuket, for instance: a tropical island boasting white-sand beaches, a lively social scene, and a growing expat population, it’s the priciest destination for digital nomads in Thailand, yet your average monthly expenses will still total only $1,875, according to Nomads.com.

Cheaper alternatives to Phuket include Ko Lanta, a quieter, laid-back island yet to be saturated by tourism ($1,438 / mo) and Krabi, a mainland city a short ferry ride away to the world-famous Ko Phi Phi ($1,496 / mo).

Brazil

Brazil is also riding the wave of digital nomadism, having made History back in 2022 as the first South American country to found a digital nomad village, and raced ahead of its neighbors in launching a low-bureaucracy, inexpensive DNV.

In essence, as long as you can prove you’re of good character, and you earn over $1,500 a month, you could apply for Brazil’s Temporary Visa XIV (the official name of their Digital Nomad Visa), which allows you to stay in the country for up to one year.

Alternatively, you may also present $18,000 in savings, according to Travel Off Path’s Digital Nomad Visa Finder.

When it comes to living costs in Brazil, average monthly expenses range from $757 in smaller cities with cheaper rent to $1,498 in major urban centers.

Rio de Janeiro is probably the first destination that pops to mind, with its upscale Copacabana beach strip and colorful cultural landscape, but in reality, digital nomads spend slightly over $2,000-a-month when based in Rio: as per Nomads.com estimates, you need at least $2,109.

Luckily, Rio is not representative of Brazil as a whole: over in Vitoria, a mid-size coastal hub we’ve covered previously on Travel Off Path, monthly expenditure averages $1,798. Natal, a colonial-era city in the Brazilian North near golden-sand beaches, is even cheaper ($1,420 / mo).

Malaysia

The third and final country that comes up on the Travel Off Path Digital Nomad Visa Finder when you add in filters such as ‘Monthly Income Under $2,000′ and ‘Beach & Sunshine’ is Malaysia.

Interestingly, their Digital Nomad Visa is open to foreigners earning $2,000 monthly (read further here), though in reality, life in Malaysia is a lot cheaper.

In Penang, Malaysia’s most popular island getaway, remote workers are expected to budget around $1,106 to cover their expenses:

Rent in George Town, Penang’s charming capital city, is particularly affordable, with Numbeo estimates showing that a 1-bedroom apartment in the downtown area will set you back $458.61-a-month. Meanwhile, meals in inexpensive restaurants can cost as little as $3.34.

Kuala Lumpur, the sprawling Malaysian capital, is not exactly on the coast, but it is within short driving distance of beautiful beach towns, like Port Dickson (1.5 hours away) and Bagan Lalang (1–1.5 hours), and monthly expenses usually round out at $1,454.

Nasi lemak, balmy temps and cheap living… again, what’s not to like?