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Cheapest Countries to Live in Asia (2026)

Every Asian country in our catalog ranked by cost-of-living scores for 2026. Higher score means more affordable day-to-day living.

Last updated

"Affordable Asia" is not one rent bill. Kathmandu costs are not Singapore costs. This list ranks every Asian country in our catalog, using our Cost of Living score where a higher number means more affordable relative to the rest of our database.

Pair this table with Compare when you are down to two finalists, and read each country's residence pathway before you book flights.

Cost of Living Score on the map

Higher score = stronger cost of living

Tap a country to see its score.

Cost of Living Score world map
8.5+
7.0–8.4
5.5–6.9
Below 5.5
RankCountryCost of Living Score
#1Nepal9.2
#2Vietnam9.0
#3India9.0
#4Bangladesh9.0
#5Indonesia8.8
#6Pakistan8.8
#7Myanmar8.8
#8Cambodia8.8
#9Laos8.8
#10Kyrgyzstan8.8
#11Tajikistan8.8
#12Thailand8.5
#13Philippines8.5
#14Sri Lanka8.5
#15Mongolia8.5
#16Georgia8.5
#17Malaysia8.2
#18Uzbekistan8.0
#19Turkmenistan7.8
#20Kazakhstan7.5
#21Azerbaijan7.5
#22Turkiye7.1
#23Taiwan7.1
#24Japan6.8
#25China6.5
#26South Korea6.2
#27Singapore4.5
#28Hong Kong4.3

Why the leaders rank here for cost of living

South and Southeast Asian bases dominate affordability here because rent, groceries, and local services still land far below wealthy city-state peers.

  1. #1
    Nepal9.2

    Kathmandu and Pokhara keep housing and dining among the lowest in the region while still offering clinics, cafes, and mountain access.

  2. #2
    Vietnam9.0

    Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi pair strong street-food culture with rents that undercut most East Asian capitals.

  3. #3
    India9.0

    Tier-two cities and many coastal towns still score well on national affordability, though megacity rents need a separate check.

  4. #4
    Bangladesh9.0

    Dhaka-scale living costs stay low for basics, though congestion and climate planning matter for long stays.

  5. #5
    Indonesia8.8

    Bali and Yogyakarta hubs attract remote workers with monthly costs closer to regional peers than to Singapore or Japan.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We filter to Asian countries in our geographic model (South, Southeast, East, and Central Asia buckets, plus cross-listed peers such as Turkey), then sort by Cost of Living score descending. New Asian countries added to the catalog appear here automatically.

What higher affordability does not guarantee: Easy visas, high local salaries, or English-friendly admin. A cheap country can still be the wrong fit if your income is tied elsewhere.

Updates: Rankings refresh automatically when underlying country scores change in our database and we redeploy.

Explore these countries

Open any country profile for full cost of living context, visas, and scores. Use compare when you are weighing a shortlist.

Showing top 8 of 28 ranked countries. Scroll the table above for the full list.

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