The Expat Affordability Index 2026
The finding: the cheapest countries to live in are often the hardest to qualify for. We ranked 9 popular destinations by our Affordability Index — the visa's monthly income requirement divided by the actual monthly cost of living. Colombia is the most proportionate (you must prove almost exactly what you'll spend), while Bali is the steepest, demanding about six times its own cost of living.
What is the Expat Affordability Index?
It's a single number: the monthly income a visa requires ÷ the monthly cost of living for one person, including a central one-bedroom rent. An index of 1.0 means the visa asks for exactly what you'd spend locally; 2.0 means it asks for double. The lower the index, the more accessible the move is relative to its real cost. Income figures are each country's official digital-nomad or residence-by-income visa; living costs are from Numbeo (June 2026). All amounts shown in USD.
The 2026 ranking (most to least accessible)
| # | Country | Visa | Income req /mo | Cost of living /mo | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇴 Colombia (Medellín) | Visitante (V) Nomad | $1,465 | $1,460 | 1.00 |
| 2 | 🇮🇹 Italy (Rome) | Digital Nomad Visa | $2,690 | $2,230 | 1.20 |
| 3 | 🇪🇸 Spain (Madrid) | Digital Nomad Visa | $3,280 | $2,520 | 1.30 |
| 4 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica (San José) | Digital Nomad (Rentista $2,500 alt.) | $3,000 | $1,960 | 1.53 |
| 5 | 🇵🇹 Portugal (Lisbon) | D8 Digital Nomad | $4,240 | $2,480 | 1.71 |
| 6 | 🇭🇷 Croatia (Split) | Digital Nomad Stay | $4,170 | $1,980 | 2.11 |
| 7 | 🇲🇽 Mexico (Mexico City) | Temporary Resident | $4,400 | $1,940 | 2.27 |
| 8 | 🇬🇷 Greece (Athens) | Digital Nomad Visa | $4,030 | $1,680 | 2.40 |
| 9 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia / Bali (Denpasar) | E33G Remote Worker | $5,000 | $830 | 5.99 |
Thailand is in a category of its own. Its DTV visa is based on savings, not monthly income — a bank balance of 500,000 THB (≈ $15,180), not a recurring salary — so it can't be ranked on the same income-to-cost ratio. Living cost in Bangkok is about $1,370/month.
Which visa is most accessible relative to cost?
Colombia. Its digital-nomad visa requires about $1,465/month (3× the Colombian minimum wage, 2026 figure) — almost exactly Medellín's $1,460 all-in cost of living, for an index of 1.00. In practice, if you can afford to live there, you can qualify. Italy (1.20) and Spain (1.30) are next, making them the most proportionate options in Europe.
Is the cheapest country the easiest to move to?
No — usually the opposite. Bali is the cheapest place on this list to live (about $830/month), yet its E33G visa demands $5,000/month ($60,000/year, Fragomen) — roughly six times the local cost (index 5.99). Greece (2.40) and Mexico (2.27) show the same pattern: cheap to live in, but a high income bar relative to that. Cost of living and visa accessibility simply aren't correlated.
Where in Europe is the bar lowest?
Italy, somewhat quietly. Its Digital Nomad Visa asks about $2,690/month (2026 guidance) against roughly $2,230 to live in Rome (index 1.20) — a lower bar relative to cost than Spain, Portugal, Greece or Croatia. Note that Croatia raised its threshold sharply in March 2026 (to about $4,170/month), making it one of Europe's steepest, not cheapest, options.
📊 Cite this study
The Expat Affordability Index is original research by Expat Cove, free to cite with a link. Suggested citation:
Expat Cove (2026). The Expat Affordability Index 2026. expatcove.com/expat-affordability-index-2026/
Journalists and writers: for the underlying data, country breakdowns or a custom comparison, email [email protected].
Methodology & limitations
- Index = official monthly visa income requirement ÷ Numbeo monthly cost of living (single person, including a city-centre one-bedroom rent), per country's main expat city.
- Income uses the country's digital-nomad visa where one exists, otherwise its main residence-by-income visa. Thresholds are official 2026 figures; some (e.g. Italy) vary by consulate, and we used the central published value.
- Currency: euro and local figures converted to USD at June 2026 rates (1 EUR ≈ $1.15).
- Limitations: Numbeo pages updated on different dates (mid-May to early June 2026); Bali's Denpasar sample likely understates real costs in nomad hubs like Canggu (so Bali's true index is a touch lower but still the highest). Thailand is excluded from the ratio because its visa is savings-based.
Go deeper
Sources
- Visa thresholds: official consulates & government portals — Costa Rica (visitcostarica.com), Thailand (MFA), Spain (BOE), Portugal (MNE), plus Italy, Greece, Croatia, Indonesia and Colombia government/consular guidance (2026).
- Cost of living: Numbeo, May–June 2026.