Where You Can Live on $2,000 a Month (2026)
246 cities across 87 countries where one person can cover rent, bills, and food for under $2,000 a month — ranked cheapest first. The cheapest start near $250/month all-in.
Cheapest (one per country)
- 1.Patna, India$250/mo
- 2.Alexandria, Egypt$300/mo
- 3.Chittagong, Bangladesh$300/mo
- 4.Karachi, Pakistan$350/mo
- 5.Kathmandu, Nepal$350/mo
- 6.Algiers, Algeria$450/mo
- 7.Bandung, Indonesia$450/mo
- 8.Changsha, China$500/mo
- 9.Da Nang, Vietnam$550/mo
- 10.Sousse, Tunisia$550/mo
- 11.Cuenca, Ecuador$650/mo
- 12.Davao, Philippines$650/mo
See what your budget actually buys
The Money Map takes your real income and home city and shows where you can live comfortably — and how much you would have left over each month.
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How this works
The monthly figure is a transparent single-person estimate: a one-bedroom in the city centre + utilities + a transit pass + groceries + a few meals out. It assumes a modest local lifestyle and excludes one-off costs like flights, visas, and insurance.
Every number is built from a specific city's own price data — never a country average. Cities without genuine local price coverage are excluded, and countries under active-conflict travel advisories are left out.
Your real number depends on how you live and where you're coming from. See the full cost of living index or read our methodology.