RevenueLab Abroad

Don't read 20 expat blogs. Compare 15 cities + 10 countries on real cost, visa, tax, healthcare,

Find your city — type your monthly budget

All figures USD/month · 2026 data

#CityCost/moSurplusCushion
1Chiang MaiThailand$1,097+$1,903273%
2TbilisiGeorgia$1,296+$1,704231%
3BogotáColombia$1,308+$1,692229%
4Buenos AiresArgentina$1,388+$1,612216%
5MedellínColombia$1,493+$1,507201%
6BangkokThailand$1,503+$1,497200%
7GuadalajaraMexico$1,544+$1,456194%
8Bali (Canggu/Ubud)Indonesia$1,690+$1,310178%
9PortoPortugal$2,082+$918144%
10Mexico CityMexico$2,088+$912144%
11Playa del CarmenMexico$2,137+$863140%
12Panama CityPanama$2,153+$847139%
13ValenciaSpain$2,255+$745133%
14LisbonPortugal$2,620+$380115%
15MadridSpain$2,742+$258109%

Green = budget covers tier cost with surplus to save/invest. Red = you'd need to drop a tier or cut rent. Couple multiplier ≈ 1.55× (shared rent), family ≈ 2.05×. Estimates only — not financial advice.

Build your own country / city comparison table

4 selected · click column to sort · winners highlighted

Pick cities to compare (4/15)

Argentina

Colombia

Georgia

Indonesia

Mexico

Panama

Portugal

Spain

Thailand

City
MedellínColombia$720$1,493$1,683$2201055.5/108/107/107/105/108%
BangkokThailand$680$1,503$1,723$2202207/108.5/106/107/106/1022%
Mexico CityMexico$1,080$2,088$2,333$280865.5/107.5/107/107/106/1012%
LisbonPortugal$1,480$2,620$2,908$3101848.5/108/108/106/105/1038%

Green cell = best in the currently selected set for that metric. Cost columns: lower wins. Score columns: higher wins. Data reviewed 2026-05-25 (Numbeo, Nomad List, Speedtest, government portals).

Calculators

By budget

By country

  • Mexico — comfortable $2,400/mo, tax 6/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Portugal — comfortable $2,900/mo, tax 5/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Spain — comfortable $3,100/mo, tax 6/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Colombia — comfortable $2,100/mo, tax 5/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Thailand — comfortable $2,000/mo, tax 6/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Argentina — comfortable $1,900/mo, tax 7/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Costa Rica — comfortable $2,900/mo, tax 9/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Panama — comfortable $3,100/mo, tax 9/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Georgia — comfortable $1,800/mo, tax 9/10, 3 visa programs.
  • Indonesia — comfortable $2,200/mo, tax 7/10, 3 visa programs.

By city

  • Mexico City, Mexico — 1br $1,080, baseline $2,088/mo.
  • Guadalajara, Mexico — 1br $720, baseline $1,544/mo.
  • Playa del Carmen, Mexico — 1br $980, baseline $2,137/mo.
  • Lisbon, Portugal — 1br $1,480, baseline $2,620/mo.
  • Porto, Portugal — 1br $1,080, baseline $2,082/mo.
  • Valencia, Spain — 1br $1,180, baseline $2,255/mo.
  • Madrid, Spain — 1br $1,480, baseline $2,742/mo.
  • Medellín, Colombia — 1br $720, baseline $1,493/mo.
  • Bogotá, Colombia — 1br $580, baseline $1,308/mo.
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina — 1br $580, baseline $1,388/mo.
  • Bangkok, Thailand — 1br $680, baseline $1,503/mo.
  • Chiang Mai, Thailand — 1br $420, baseline $1,097/mo.
  • Bali (Canggu/Ubud), Indonesia — 1br $720, baseline $1,690/mo.
  • Tbilisi, Georgia — 1br $580, baseline $1,296/mo.
  • Panama City, Panama — 1br $980, baseline $2,153/mo.

Head-to-head comparisons

Best-of guides

How we score

Every city is scored on 9 factors weighted: Affordability 25% · Visa ease 15% · Tax friendliness 10% · Safety 10% · Healthcare 10% · Internet 10% · Lifestyle (weather + walkability + social) 10% · Time-zone fit 5% · English-spoken 5%. Numbers come from Numbeo, Nomad List, Speedtest Global Index, and government visa/tax portals. We don't take ads from cities, governments, or visa consultants.