How Much Does it Cost to be a Digital Nomad?

This is a pretty detailed account of how much Jack and I spent the last several years as digital nomads – but keep in mind it will be different for everyone.

I have sifted through numerous spreadsheets, budget tracking apps, credit card statements, and years of personal experience to figure out the answer to this question: how much does it cost to be a digital nomad?

How Much Does it Cost: Common Expenses as a Digital Nomad

Although there are infinite ways we spend our money, I have categorized our expenses into six general buckets: rent, transportation, food, fun, miscellaneous, and bills.

Rent

Rent is by far the biggest expense, and can make or break your budget. It also varies the most based on destination and timing.

For the majority of our time traveling, we haven’t exactly adhered to a budget. At first, it was difficult knowing what type of place we could get in countries we’ve never been before. My ‘rule’ was, as long as it was less than I was paying in LA (where I lived for 5 years before traveling), that was fine with me.

Our go-to when it comes to accommodations is Airbnb. Staying in a furnished house or apartment just works the best for us for a number of reasons including having a kitchen, enough space for both of us to WFH, and space to hangout when we aren’t working.

Sometimes we find really cheap Airbnb’s, and sometimes we pay a lot more. With both of us working full time jobs most of the time, we also have certain requirements that can equate to a higher rent; as opposed to staying in some $9 hostel dorm.

From October 2020 through May 2023 (about 32 months), we spent an average of $1600 USD per month as a couple. Meaning each of us paid about $800 USD per month.

Like I mentioned above, this isn’t a fixed amount like you would expect when you pay your typical rent. Our lowest month was $750 USD total (Egypt), and our highest month was $3250 USD (Denver); our highest month outside the US was $2550 USD (Curaçao).

Month	USD, Total	Location
Lowest	$750	Dahab, Egypt
Highest	$3250	Denver, USA
Highest (Abroad)	$2550	Curaçao
Overall Average	$1600

Budgeting

For the last several months, we’ve been trying to stick to a budget. It’s been difficult getting into that mentality, but we’re trying our hardest! Ok – maybe not our hardest…

Our goal for ‘rent’ is < $1600 USD per month ($800 each), which is equivalent to about $50 a day. Since implementing our budget, we’ve been to Morocco, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Georgia as well as a month backpacking around Europe, and it seems to be a mostly realistic number. Morocco was much less and Greece was more, so it kind of balances out if you plan to digital nomad long-term.

If you are only working remote for the short-term, be sure to select locations that are definitely within your budget as you may not have the advantage of this buffer.

Read more about being a digital nomad in Morocco.

Hindsight is 20/20

Here are a few caveats to consider when looking at these numbers…

First of all, we probably could have spent less if we lowered our standards. But when both of us are working from home, being cramped and uncomfortable makes life more difficult. And coworking spaces aren’t always an option. Every time I’ve tried to save money by sacrificing something with out accommodation, it’s been contentious.

If I was traveling solo, I probably could be a little more scrappy with what I deem as an acceptable work from home set up.

With that being said – I will also mention that we do not necessarily plan ahead. So we’ve ended up taking places that weren’t as nice for more money than they were worth, because we chose spontaneity. If we had planned many months in advance we probably could pay less or have a nicer spot, but where’s the fun in that?

I love the quote, “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” — Lao Tzu

Looking back, I don’t think our average rent would fluctuate drastically based on these factors. And even if it would have, I wouldn’t change it!

Finally, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m traveling with my boyfriend, Jack. This means our rent gets divided by two which is very helpful. So getting a place that’s $1800 a month, means each of us is paying $900.

Travel couples for the win!

Transportation

After reading the section on rent, you’re probably thinking, wow I can save so much money living outside the US! And yes, that can be true. But if you plan to travel, and not just stay in one place, this is where things can really add up if you’re not strategic.

Being an ignorant American, I figured, once you get to one part of the world, it will be so easy to get around there – remembering my semester in Italy with Ryanair. But that is not always the case. For example, trying to get from Colombia to Ecuador was actually quite difficult despite being neighboring countries.

From October 2020 through May 2022 (about 20 months), we individually spent an average of $350 USD per month on transportation, usually flights plus occasional ground transportation. Since May, we’ve mostly been in Europe which has decreased this number quite a bit (but that money simply goes into other buckets).

Monthly	USD
Average	$350

Food

Writing this section scares me a little. I honestly have not kept track of how much we spend on food, but I know its a lot.

According to my 2021 credit card statement, I spent $3350 at restaurants and $1200 on groceries, but that doesn’t include the countless times I paid cash (or paid with Jack’s card). My estimated guess is as a couple we spent $800-900 USD a month on food (about $600-700 of that eating out); individually about $300-400 at restaurants, $100-200 on groceries.

Location can really drive food prices. For example, in Morocco we spent less than $100 on groceries and about $550 eating out. On the other hand, in Greece, we easily spent double that in a month.

In 2021 (the year of my above mentioned credit card statement) we spent the majority of the year in South America and the Caribbean. South America had very reasonable prices for food, while the Caribbean was hit or miss (often it was surprisingly expensive). However, we also spent about 2.5 months in the US where restaurants and groceries cost a lot more.

Budgeting

Since we’ve been budgeting, and tracking our spending for the first time, it is truly shocking how much we spend eating out at restaurants. And it is a struggle to hold back.

We enjoy eating out, catching a vibe, trying new restaurants and new cuisines, and exploring the cities we visit, so we’re trying to find a balance. I don’t want to eat at home all the time and miss out on this cultural discovery. Usually my strategy is eat at home breakfast, lunch, and occasional dinners – depending on the location.

My made up budget envelopes for this category is $200 for groceries, and $575 for eating out. But we are all over the map when it comes to sticking to it.

The chart below shows the places where I’ve tried to track our spending more diligently. I’ll update as I get better with tracking, so take it with a grain of salt.

Location	Restaurants*	Groceries*
Marrakech, Morocco	$550	$100
Kotor, Montenegro	$450	$275
Greece (Athens, Crete, Milos)	$800	$150
2021 Average	$600	$200

Fun

So far it seems like we’re saving a ton of money traveling – I mean we’re spending less than $1500 USD each on paper. Well oops, here’s where the fun comes in.

The traveler’s motto is: spend money on experiences. But sometimes that can get us into trouble.

Things like going scuba diving, learning to kitesurf, tours and excursions, surfing lessons, museums and historic sights, all add up. But you’re not going to Peru and skipping Rainbow Mountain and Machu Picchu!

Budgeting

We ‘try’ to remain strict and budget ourselves in other areas like rent and transportation, so we don’t have to budget ourselves as much in this area. However, if things are getting out of hand, we triage what’s actually worth it.

In our new budget era, we have $550 as our made up fun number. But it is so dependent on where we’re living as to how realistic it is.

For example, our month in Kotor, Montenegro, we spent only $250 as a couple on fun activities; whereas the previous year in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, we easily spent $1000+ on kitesurfing lessons alone.

If we spend a lot one month, and very little another month, it eventually evens itself out. So I try not to stress too much when we splurge, but take advantage of free activities when they are presented.

Bills

What I mean here when I say “bills”, are basically the fixed expenses I still have at home. I may be a nomad, but I cant run from paying my bills. This also includes any money I invest into crypto, stocks, etc.

For me these include:

• Storage unit
• Car storage
• Online personal trainer
• Phone bill
• Nomad insurance
• Investments

I’ve cut out as many of these monthly expenses as I can, no matter how small they seem (looking at you Prime membership). One of the many blessings of being a digital nomad, is the opportunity to embrace minimalism. I’ve written a very detailed post about ways you can save money in this category.

My personal bills are about $550 a month.

Read more about how you can cut your fixed expenses.

Miscellaneous

Things that do not necessarily fit into other categories, can sometimes be forgotten about. But they can add up as well and should be included as a digital nomad cost. Some of these might include:

• Coworking space
• Gym pass
• Hair cuts
• Laundry
• SIM card

I give ourselves about $100 a month for these types of expenses. As I’ve mentioned several times already, some places are pricier than others. A gym membership might be $100 a month in Jordan, and $15 in Egypt. If you are in it for the long haul, you can make up for the more expensive places by also staying in cheaper places.

Summary: Digital Nomad Costs

I use a combination of Google sheets, budget apps, and the notes app on my iPhone to track our spending.

Here are NerdWallet’s top budget tracking apps.

Below is the full summary of monthly expenses I mentioned above. Of course each month fluctuates based on local cost of living and the amount of available activities, but you get the idea.

If you are a nomad on a strict budget, I do believe these numbers could easily come down with some frugality. But that is not one of Jack or I’s strengths.

Monthly Expenses	Average Individual	Average Couple
Rent	$800	$1600
Transportation	$350	$700
Food (Restaurants+Groceries)	$400	$800
Fun	$300	$550
Misc	$100	$200
Bills	$550	$1000
Approx. Total	$2500	$4850

What strategies have you found to save money as a digital nomad? Are there any categories I’ve left out? Comment below!