Cheapest Place To Live In Southeast Asia 2024

Cheapest place to live in Southeast Asia: Have you ever wondered what is the cheapest place to live in southeast Asia? As you may be aware, South East Asia, in general, is a cheap continent, and this is one of its appeals to many international travelers, but out of all of the countries which country is the cheapest in South East Asia and on average how much does it cost to live in South East Asia?

In total, South East Asia is made up of 11 countries. In today’s article, we will be exploring eight of the 11 countries that make up South East Asia. This is because some areas have very little/ inaccurate data, and in addition, some countries are not as popular in tourism compared to others.

The estimates below are based on a single traveler living in a popular city in the country (excluding capital cities). The below prices are based on South East Asia’s most significant living expenses: rental, food, and transportation costs.

Additionally, the data from today’s article excludes any living expenses that are not mandatory but does include everyday living expenses such as visa expenses and health insurance.

We focused on these subcategories to ensure data information is as fair and accurate as possible. Nonetheless, depending on your lifestyle, you may find prices to be slightly cheaper or more expensive.

To summarise, today’s article is based on the most significant expenses you will need to pay when living in South East Asia. Every consideration has been taken into account to ensure as accurate information as possible, but lifestyles may alter personal living expenses.

Table of Contents

Cheapest Place To Live In Southeast Asia

1: Burma

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $270 – $330
Average Food Costs Per Month = $175 – $240

Average Transportation Per Month = $75
Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $115

When looking at the cheapest places to live in South East Asia, Burma (Myanmar) is the first option. What’s interesting about Myanmar is that there are some cheap and inexpensive options, but it’s straightforward to spend a lot of cash traveling or living in Myanmar.

One of the most significant differences we found is that there were fewer high-quality accommodations at a reasonable price. This is not to say that there weren’t high-quality, affordable units, but they were rare compared to other cheap South East Asian countries.

Food costs and transportation costs are overall low in Burma, especially if you decide to take public transportation and eat local street food. We will see if Burma is the cheapest place to live in South East Asia towards the end of the article.

2: Cambodia

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $250 – $310
Average Food Costs Per Month = $150 – £205
Average Transportation Per Month = $50

Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $80

Cambodia has been one of the cheapest countries in South East Asia for many years. From speaking to international residents living in Cambodia, Cambodia remains a low-cost place in South East Asia; however, some expenses have increased.

One example that was reported several times is the overall cost of food. This may be natural due to inflation. Over the last few years, the economy has grown, and Cambodia is now one of South East Asia’s most robust and fastest-growing economies. This is also one of the reasons why many investors are turning their attention to Cambodia.

But on the topic of low cost living in South East Asia – many of those we spoke to who have been living and traveling around Cambodia for many years reported that the food costs in restaurants, grocery stores, and street food had risen compared to when they first arrived.

Visas and other miscellaneous expenses are relatively cheap, and $80.00 is on the higher end of the spectrum. But as mentioned, when looking at the cheapest places in South East Asia to live, it’s essential to consider your lifestyle to tailor the expected cost of living to your individual needs.

3: Indonesia

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $340 – $ 420
Average Food Costs Per Month = $180 – $240

Average Transportation Per Month = $60 – $75
Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $125

Indonesia is a very popular country, especially with digital nomads. Indonesia is a country that has seen growth in its economy. Some experts believe this is one of the reasons why costs have risen over the last few years.

Bail is another popular area for many travelers, and there are indeed a significant number of local budget-friendly options to be had. Still, the area is rising in price, and we found the average rental costs to be much higher across Indonesia than in other cheaper South East Asian countries.

In general, food and transportation costs are meager. Like many South East Asian countries on our list today, if you tend to use or purchase western products, they often include a premium price tag due to import tax.

4: Laos

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $290 – £350
Average Food Costs Per Month = $150 – $190
Average Transportation Per Month = $50 – $85

Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $100

Laos is a well-known country commonly visited by international travelers but is often a popular area for visa runs for those living in Thailand. Laos has a mixture of different types of accommodations that range in price, but, for the most part, rental prices are on the lower end of the spectrum.

When looking at how much it costs to live in South East Asia, it is important to look at the overall experience, including leisure and attractions. So with this in mind, we investigated. There was a host of budget-friendly and cheap options available for those visiting and living in Laos.

We discovered that some areas had a much higher than average price for western products during the research. In general, imported products have a premium price tag that we mentioned earlier; however, we found the prices slightly more premium than other countries. Still, Laos remains one of the cheapest South East Asian countries.

5: Malaysia

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $300 – $390

Average Food Costs Per Month = $ 185 – $235
Average Transportation Per Month = $130
Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $135

Malaysia is a fascinating country to talk about on a list of cheapest countries in South East Asia as it is most definitely not the most expensive option. Still, some areas can increase your living expenses while living in Malaysia.

Malaysia is not known for its scooters and motorbikes, unlike other countries such as Thailand or Vietnam; thus, average transport costs have been slightly increased as transport will most often be forms of private transportation, but there are public options available.

Aside from this, many reports state Malaysia remains a low-cost living country that is highly accessible to many areas and attractions and makes it a uniquely cheap place to live in South East Asia.

6: Philippines

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $335 – $410
Average Food Costs Per Month = $165 – £250

Average Transportation Per Month = $110 – £140
Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $125

The Philippines is a very distinctive and beautiful part of South East Asia. The question of the hour is, is it the cheapest country in South East Asia?

One thing to note about the Philippines is that rental costs are often much higher than similar type apartments in other Southeast Asian countries. This slightly pushes the living expenses higher.

In the Philippines, motorcycles and cars are available but not as popular as other South East Asian countries, and in some areas, traffic can be pretty challenging, so many of those living in South East Asia cheaply choose to use public or private transportation. Public transportation is extremely accessible in the Philippines and is often very cheap (10 pesos per 1.5 KM – Jeepney).

7: Thailand

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $280 – £370
Average Food Costs Per Month = $150 – $185
Average Transportation Per Month = $40

Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $125

We recently spoke about the cost of living in Thailand, which I’ve included as a reference. To summarise the article, Thailand is a budget-friendly option when living in South East Asia.

One of the perks of living in Thailand is that transportation costs are lowered. Many international residents have access to motorcycles that can be rented for a very low cost. Gasoline prices are also considerably low across the country.

One area of concern is that some parts of Thailand, especially towards the South near the islands, are more expensive than those in the north. Chiang Mai remains one of the cheapest areas in Thailand.

8: Vietnam

Average Rental Costs Per Month = $250 – $345

Average Food Costs Per Month = $150 – £225
Average Transportation Per Month = $40
Miscellaneous Expenses Per Month = $115

In terms of cost of living, Vietnam is very similar to a few other Southeast Asian countries on our list today, but one of the clearest is the likeness between Vietnam and Thailand.

In Vietnam, through research and personal experience, we found that the cost of rental prices can be slightly lower than in Thailand. Still, other significant categories such as food costs, transportation costs, and other expenses are nearly identical.

In other words, some of the categories we focused on today were slightly higher in Thailand than in Vietnam. Still, in other subcategories, Vietnam was slightly higher than Thailand, and thus through averaging, the prices became similar.

Now we have looked at our list of the cheapest places to live in South East Asia. The question remains. Which country in today’s list is the cheapest country to live in for digital nomads, retirees, international travelers, and most importantly… you.

Which is the cheapest country to live in southeast Asia?

From examining the data, speaking to ex-pats living across Southeast Asia, and through personal experience, Cambodia shows to be the cheapest country in South East Asia on average. This is closely followed by Vietnam and Thailand, which come in a close second and third respectively.

Burma: Average Costs Per Month $635 – $760
Cambodia: Average Costs Per Month $530 – $645
Indonesia: Average Costs Per Month $705 – $860

Laos: Average Costs Per Month $590 – $725
Malaysia: Average Costs Per Month $750 – $890
Philippines: Average Costs Per Month $735 – $925

Thailand: Average Costs Per Month $595 – $720
Vietnam: Average Costs Per Month $555 – $725

Please Note: The cost above is based on several factors used to assess the overall cost of living in South East Asia. This information can be found at the start of this article. The average costs of living in South East Asia, shown above, are based on basic living expenses (food, rent, transport, etc) but do not include additional expenses.

What you need to know about the cheapest places in southeast Asia

So from the investigation, speaking to those who have lived in these South East Asian countries for many years and my personal experience living across Asia, a big question appears…. What does this information tell us about the cheapest countries in South East Asia?

Interestingly, we found a diverse range of costs for living expenses in South East Asia. In other words, it was possible to find a low cost of living in every country we assessed. It’s not so much the country that is important when looking at the cheapest places in South East Asia, but it is the city and/or province you will be living in that is the most significant factor.

When you are looking to live in South East Asia on a budget, the most important area to focus on is the area. Each city or place will have its pros and cons. Still, the good news is that it is highly likely that you will find an area that is a low cost of living but offers you all the amenities and facilities you need to enjoy life.

Nonetheless, here are some simple but effective tips for living cheaper in South East Asia

Tips For Living Cheaper In South East Asia

In this section, we will be covering tips for living cheaper in South East Asia. For your convenience, we have broken down each part into simple, easily readable bullet points.- cheapest place to live in southeast asia.

Long term commitments are a great way to save money in South East Asia

Public transport is often available and is the cheapest form of transportation

Local foods are always the cheapest option

Street foods are the cheapest forms of food in South East Asia

The high tourist areas are often the most expensive

Most South East Asian country has a high and low season, so purchase essential items and make agreements during low season

Shop via Lazada

More South East Asia Guides

6 Best Places To Live In Asia For English Speakers