Top 10 · By budget
Top 10 cheapest-rent cities for digital nomads
Cairo, Chiang Mai, Penang (George Town) have the cheapest one-bedroom rents, at $311–$450 a month. Rent is only available for 105 cities, so cheap cities without a rent figure are missing here but present in the cheapest-cities list.
Cities with a city-level one-bedroom rent figure, sorted from cheapest. 105 cities qualify; the ten best are shown. Dataset 2026.09.4. How the scores work.
- 1CairoEgypt
- Rent (1BR)
- $311
- Monthly cost
- $833
- Score
- 38
- 2Chiang MaiThailand
- Rent (1BR)
- $417
- Monthly cost
- $984
- Score
- 54
- 3Penang (George Town)Malaysia
- Rent (1BR)
- $450
- Monthly cost
- $974
- Score
- 62
Torn between the top two? Compare Cairo and Chiang Mai side by side →
The full Top 10
| # | City | Rent (1BR) | Monthly cost | Score | Internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairo Egypt | $311 | $833 | 38 | 32 |
| 2 | Chiang Mai Thailand | $417 | $984 | 54 | 59 |
| 3 | Penang (George Town) Malaysia | $450 | $974 | 62 | 86 |
| 4 | Amman Jordan | $467 | $1,615 | 46 | 51 |
| 5 | Marrakech Morocco | $483 | $1,354 | 43 | 28 |
| 6 | Batumi Georgia | $485 | $833 | 58 | 53 |
| 7 | Johor Bahru Malaysia | $491 | $1,055 | 59 | 84 |
| 8 | Da Nang Vietnam | $517 | $469 | 52 | 57 |
| 9 | Valparaíso Chile | $527 | $1,204 | 61 | 76 |
| 10 | Guadalajara Mexico | $527 | $1,009 | 57 | 57 |
* country-level cost estimate. Scores are 0–100 under balanced weights; open a city for every number and its source.
Frequently asked
- Where is rent cheapest for digital nomads?
- Cairo, at about $311 a month for a one-bedroom, followed by Chiang Mai, Penang (George Town).
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