Which Cities Offer the Best Value for Digital Nomads?

The October 2026 report on budget-friendly cities for digital nomads found Penang is the best place for a remote worker to make a paycheck go further. As more people work from anywhere, a new study by Click Intelligence https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk shows which cities keep monthly costs low without giving up solid internet and an official nomad visa.

• Penang is the most budget-friendly city for digital nomads, with the lowest all-in monthly cost for one person of any city compared.
• Safety is where Fukuoka stands out, with a lower homicide rate than any other city among the leading five.
• Kuala Lumpur lets a remote worker live on €1,100 a month with an official nomad pass in hand.

The research examined 26 cities in 15 countries that digital nomads already rate highly to find which ones stretch a remote worker's budget the furthest. It measured the all-in monthly cost of living for one person, rent included, along with how widespread home broadband and everyday internet use are in each country. The final two measures were each country's homicide rate and whether it offers an official nomad or remote-worker visa. Those figures were combined into a single score, revealing the cities where living cheaply comes with wide internet access, low crime, and a visa to stay.

Here's a look at the 10 most budget-friendly cities for digital nomads:

| City | Overall score | All-in monthly living cost for one person | Official nomad or remote-worker visa | Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (national) | Internet users, % of population (national) | Intentional homicides per 100,000 people | Fine-particle air pollution, micrograms per cubic metre | Health coverage index | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Penang | 0.78 | €850 | Yes | 14 | 98.02% | 0.73 | 15.30 | 80 | | Busan | 0.72 | €1,380 | Yes | 48 | 97.90% | 0.48 | 21.00 | 88 | | Kuala Lumpur | 0.59 | €1,100 | Yes | 14 | 98.02% | 0.73 | 15.30 | 80 | | Fukuoka | 0.51 | €1,250 | Yes | 39 | 85.54% | 0.23 | 10.50 | 86 | | Seoul | 0.43 | €1,764 | Yes | 48 | 97.90% | 0.48 | 21.00 | 88 | | Tartu | 0.36 | €1,383 | Yes | 35 | 92.24% | 1.54 | 6.70 | 79 | | Chiang Mai | 0.36 | €858 | Yes | 15 | 90.87% | 4.79 | 23.30 | 82 | | Valencia | 0.33 | €1,700 | Yes | 39 | 95.76% | 0.69 | 10.00 | 84 | | Osaka | 0.32 | €1,500 | Yes | 39 | 85.54% | 0.23 | 10.50 | 86 | | Brno | 0.29 | €1,500 | Yes | 39 | 87.69% | 0.77 | 12.10 | 83 |

You can access the complete research findings here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTMztElTC4CVCRwum1E3KAUyw3lkP6d2sXRXbKfGtxolcY-pY5YKT5pMxMdC_p8d0lW4op2NJkyMaLa/pubhtml

1. Penang

• All-in monthly living cost: €850
• Central one-bedroom rent: €393
• Internet users: 98.02%
• Fixed broadband subscriptions: 14 per 100 people
• Official nomad/remote-worker visa: Yes
• Homicide rate: 0.73 per 100K
• Health coverage index: 80

Penang ranks first among the budget-friendly cities for digital nomads. Living on the island, just off Malaysia's northwest coast, costs €850 a month all in, rent included, and a one-bedroom near the centre goes for €393, which leaves €457 for everything else. Malaysia, where 98% of people use the internet, runs the DE Rantau Nomad Pass, an official visa for remote workers. English proficiency in Penang is rated high, and the national homicide rate stays low, giving a remote worker a modest monthly bill and a legal base to work from.

2. Busan

Busan ranks second among the cities that stretch a digital nomad's budget, and connectivity is its strongest card. South Korea has more than three times as many fixed broadband subscriptions per resident as Penang's Malaysia, and nearly everyone goes online. A month costs €1,380 all in for one person, with a central one-bedroom renting for €621, less than half of the total, which leaves €759 for everything beyond rent. The Workation visa, a dedicated F-1-D category, offers remote workers a formal route to stay in the country, and English proficiency is rated moderate.

3. Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur ranks third among cities where digital nomads can live on a modest monthly budget, offering a capital-city setting at €1,100 a month, €250 above Penang's. A one-bedroom in the centre rents for €580, so rent takes just over half of the total and the other €520 covers the rest of a month in the city. Malaysia's nomad pass, the DE Rantau, covers remote workers here too, and internet use reaches 98% of the population. English proficiency is rated high, so a newcomer can handle daily life in a language they already speak.

4. Fukuoka

Fukuoka, on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, ranks fourth among the best-value cities for remote workers on the move, and safety sets it apart. Japan's homicide rate is about half of South Korea's, home to Busan. A month for one person costs €1,250 all in, with a downtown one-bedroom at €610, just under half of that figure, so about €640 goes to everyday spending. Japan's Designated Activities visa is open to digital nomads, and fixed broadband is widespread across the country, so a stay pairs a calm day-to-day setting with a dependable connection for remote work.

5. Seoul

Seoul ranks fifth among budget-friendly cities for digital nomads. A month in South Korea's capital runs €1,764 all in, and a downtown one-bedroom rents for €858, about 49% of the bill. Nearly all residents use the internet, home broadband is among the most widespread in any country compared, and South Korea's Workation visa lets remote workers settle in on an official footing. Seoul's monthly bill runs €384 above Busan's, the one gap between two cities that share the same internet access and visa, and English is spoken at a moderate level.

James Owen, Co-founder and Director at Click Intelligence, commented on the study:

"A cheap rent figure only tells a remote worker half the story. What decides whether a place works is the full month: how much of an income goes on day-to-day costs, whether the internet holds up through a long video call, and whether a person can stay legally without hopping borders every few weeks. The cities that do well tend to get all three at once. Nomads who plan around a single number often end up moving again within a season, and the ones who weigh the whole picture tend to settle in and stay productive."

ENDS

When using the data, please credit: https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk