In recent years U.S. residents have found numerous reasons to dislike their surroundings. I’m one of those people. My mind cannot comprehend why someone would think the United States is one of the best countries to live in voluntarily.
Some people can’t afford the cost of living, others see the decline of quality education for their kids, and most are sick of the lack of universal health care.
But what choice do you have?
Skip To the Best Places to Live in July 2024:
I left the United States nearly four years ago as a mom and a wife, looking for the best places to raise a family. Over the past four years we have spent at least a month on four continents.
We Wanted:
- High Standard of Living
- Low Crime Rates
- Gender Equality
- Laid-Back Lifestyle
- Excellent Healthcare
- Political Stability
Start Your Digital Nomad Life
It occurred to me that many remote workers are ready to find a new country and don’t know where to start. If I have learned anything from living abroad, it’s that no matter how much research you do, your reality will be different than countless hours of reading.
Instead of spending years weighing various factors, I am going to give you the best low cost destinations for next month.
Why next month? To stop your indecisiveness.
My family went from a lightbulb moment to living on the beautiful beaches of the Dominican Republic in under 2 months back in 2020. Our overall quality of life has been leaps and bounds above our life in America. Ten countries and nearly four years later and I’m more certain than ever that we made the right choice.
Best Place to Live in the World as a Digital Nomad
You deserve a high quality of life. Most Americans are in a state of denial that a foreign country could be the answer.
If you are under 30 years old, the United States only ranks 62nd on the World Happiness Report. For Americans over 60 years old, the United States is ranked #10 in top countries for happiness. That's a big disconnect.
Old people are happy in their status quo life of America. Young people are miserable.
As of the latest data there are no African countries ranking above the United States in happiness. I fully believe there are too many wonderful places in Africa to simply omit the entire continent. Instead, I decided to include countries with high marks on the human development index in my analysis.
A Word of Warning
There are countless lists of best places to live as a digital nomad. To this day, there are lists who use wi-fi speed as a ranking factor on their overall score. Antiquated. All Marriott's have wi-fi, so unless. you're doing something far beyond conference calls, the internet speed should be fine.
You will also find numerous considerations on that won't apply to you. For example, a high quality education system won't be important if you don't have children.
Don't be overly swayed by lists that prioritize the cheapest accommodations. While it is true that there are cheaper places than my list below, those places often have problems. Many lists focus on hostels with shared accommodations, local hotels with safety or hygiene concerns, or even couch surfing. I don't travel like that and my list reflects only hotels I would stay at with my family.
My Method for Choosing the Best Countries to Live in
For most people, the most important consideration for your first digital nomad destination is cost. The lower cost will give you confidence to actually make the change and go try various countries.
Additionally, I factor in access to beautiful scenery or tourist hot spots. None of my recommendations are airport hotels. One of my underlying assumptions is that if there is a Marriott property you will generally be safe and have internet connection.
Without further ado, here are the best places to go for affordable housing as a digital nomad in July 2024.
North America
Only 46% of Americans have a valid U.S. passport. Many digital nomad are technically location independent without ever leaving the land of opportunity. I am breaking down the North American category into two sections.
People without a passport can consider options within the United States while those with a valid passport can look at the best countries to live in worldwide.
United States
My overall recommendation for best digital nomad destination in July 2024 within the United States is Chicago.
While U.S. News might have you thinking Chicago is a scary place, crime is actually down from the previous year. My family has loved our trips to Chicago and have been numerous times.
All year round Chicago is a busy city with constant entertainment and world class food. Famous artwork lines museum walls and nightlife is on par with any big city. There are green spaces for kids to run around and day camps available for parents that need to work during the day.
You can stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Chicago Lombard for $79 per night.
For the absolute cheapest place to stay within the United States in July 2024, head to Wichita Kansas.
I decided to include an even cheaper option for those that are looking to just put their head down and work this summer. Kansas is not what you'd consider a digital nomad dream destination, but it is cheap.
You can stay at the TownPlace Suites Wichita East for the low price of $54 per night.
Top Country in North America for Digital Nomads
This month the top spot in North America goes to Mexico! You will find Mexico ranked number 22 on the World Happiness Report for people under 30.
A lot of remote workers and solopreneurs prefer to stay in the same time zone as the United States. Mexico is one of the best countries to live in long term for nomads or expats.
One of my great friends moved to Mexico four years ago with her family and she loves it! With enough paperwork entrepreneurs can even become permanent residents and stay on the white sandy beaches indefinitely.
Stay at the Residence Inn Merida for only $67 per night.
South America
I was excited to put Brazil as the best country for digital nomads in South America this month.
One fun fact about Brazil, it has the largest population of Japanese people living outside of Japan. The vast majority of Japanese people who come back to Japan on decedent visas are coming from Brazil. Brazil also happens to be one of the few other place with Portuguese as the official language. I am moving to Portugal next month and 10% of my kids school are from Brazil.
So, while I have never been to Brazil, I can't wait to visit!
You sleep at the Residence Inn Rio De Janeiro Barr Da Tijuca for only $47 per night!
Best European Countries to Live in for Digital Nomads
A huge advantage of going to Europe is the ease of which you can get around the entire continent for cheap. You can head to Spain first and then slowly move to other countries as the price of accommodations drops in different places.
European countries are known for their inexpensive travel options. You can hop on a train or plane to anywhere within European Nations for less than you might spend on dinner in New York.
Your first stop in July 2024 can be Spain at the AC Hotel Cordoba for around $65 nightly.
Africa
One of the most popular destinations in Africa for digital nomads is South Africa.
A company I contract for used to have offices in South Africa and employees would always fight over who got to go visit that location. From what I hear it's paradise.
Luckily, in July 2024 you can stay at the majestic Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray and only pay about $58 per a night.
Best Countries to Live in Asia
If you can handle extreme heat then head to United Arab Emirates next month. The UAE ranks a solid 35 on the World Happiness Report for the under 30 crowd.
Sometimes, when hotels in a particular area are very cheap, there is a good reason. I have made this exact mistake before. My husband and I booked a trip to Arizona in July and were almost cooked alive.
However, if you prefer inside activities like museums or shopping, you can benefit from the cost savings.
Prices reflect the lower than average tourism expected in the hot summer months. Enjoy the pool at the Courtyard Al Barsha Dubai for just $41 per night.
Oceania
On the highest end of the budget you can head to Australia. This is our highest ranking country from the under 30-year-old world happiness report, coming in at number 19.
There's no smoking deals in the land down under for July. But, a long-term stay discount can reduce your costs dramatically.
Directly the heart of Melbourne you can stay at the Element Melbourne Richmond for $93 per night.
Book Your Ticket and Go
What are you waiting for? Between the average price of rent in the United States and cost of living increases you can save a lot of money living abroad.
Save On:
- Accommodations
- Healthcare
- Food
- Transportation
- Entertainment
- Stuff Accumulation
For us, the most crucial factor is the excellent work-life balance we have as nomads. We work, then we go see a shrine or eat at a Michelin starred restaurant. The kids go to school and on the weekends we go to a popular destination that people wait their whole lives to see.
Maybe Next Month
If you read this list and found an excuse for why you don't want to go to any of these places, that's unfortunate. But, where you want to live and work all comes down to personal preference and budget.
Be sure to subscribe to my account so you can get my updated list every month. I'm sure you will find a great place on a future digital nomad destination report.
There is no universal answer. Finding the best countries to live in is subjective.
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