Amazing Places Affordable With San Francisco Rent (opens in new tab)

Can I throw one into the list? The median cost of a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco gets you approximately two bedrooms in Tokyo... in a semi-luxury apartment, in the most desirable neighborhoods. (Though this comparison is complicated a bit by the non-comparability of Japanese and US real estate. For example, your costs on move-in day will be substantially higher in Tokyo, and the real price of apartments is a few percentage points higher than the sticker price due to being assessed 1 month's rent every time you renew the rental contract, which happens in 2 to 5 year intervals.)

Still though, given that I have had lifelong impressions of Tokyo as being the most expensive place to live anywhere, I was pretty gobsmacked when I started doing the math.

You don't even have to leave the country: http://www.trulia.com/rental/3162120184-Apt-Condo-Twnhm-Chic....

The decor is a little bit eclectic (though I love wall paper), and the lake view is indirect, but it's a quiet little corner just a few blocks from the magnificent mile: https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=E+Chestnut+St+%26+N+Dewit.... Only $2,000 per month for a 2BR and 1,000 square feet.

If you ever need a demonstration of that UI concept where "more choice makes things harder", try taking a long-term remote gig, then go buy a house.

Easy, right? Not so much.

You see, if you got an on-site job in Portland, you'd have a choice: Live out in the suburbs and commute in, or go Urban and pick up a loft in the Pearl District. You've got maybe a 20 mile radius to choose from. Head over to Zillow and you'll have things narrowed down in an hour or so.

Ok, instead, let's see what happens when your choice is limited by "Someplace on the planet."

I spent the better part of two years auditioning surf breaks in various 3rd world countries, after drawing from another 10 years of experience backpacking around the world and stopping for months at various climbing destinations, beaches, cities, etc. I knew enough to know that no place is perfect in all respects, and that each new place you visit will just add another tick box or two onto the list of "things my ideal location needs to have". You get to learn a lot about what your (and your family's) actual priorities are.

Granted, it's a bit of a first world problem to have. But it's definitely an issue, and not one that you immediately think about when you land a gig that lets you work from "anywhere".

It may sound like a great idea, but you should make sure it's suitable for your needs. The main reason I couldn't live in Cape Town is how limited the internet access is. Try finding a coffee shop with "free WiFi". They may exist, but they'll hand you a voucher for a 5MB bandwidth cap. There are cheaper markets in America, including the South or Midwest, where you can find lower cost of living and gigabit fiber.

Is it typical for a digital nomad to still be paid a competitive SF salary? I'm assuming companies don't provide cost of living adjustment for telecommuters so I'm guessing base salary would be much less than 100k

I recommend researching the legal requirements for living and working in each destination on the list, and including these in the article.

This would include visa requirements, and those related to the viability of renting an apartment annually, as a foreigner.

Otherwise, it's just (pleasant) daydreaming. :)

I'd like to see this list adjusted for "salary an entry-level {Google, Facebook, Twitter, ...} employee would make in ${LOCATION}". Does a ${COMPANY} employee in Greece actually make the same $100 000 USD as one in SF?

Let's move. Where should we go? - The last question is the bigger problem, than realising that we actually all should. So, where?