Scenic and accessible: 15 islands for low-cost living and remote work

International Living magazine has ranked the islands for downshifting and retirement, where monthly living costs are low. The most budgetary was the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, where a couple will need only $ 1 210 per month for a comfortable life, writes Forbes.

Ambergris Cay, Belize. Photo: Shutterstock

The concept of downshifting was first discussed in the world at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. Then in America and Europe, yesterday's "live to work" careerists began to slow down. Having achieved career heights, they left their prestigious positions in order to search for new opportunities and a change of scenery and settled on the islands: in Bali, Goa or Phuket. The financial cushion formed over the years of working in large corporations allowed the first generation downshifters to live comfortably on the islands, but today the situation has changed. Traveling to the islands has become more affordable, according to a recent study by International Living magazine. According to the estimates of the editorial office, a month of residence in Malta will cost a couple $ 2, and on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam - $ 600.

1. Ambergris Cay, Belize

Cost of living per month: $ 2

Ambergris Cay is an island in the State of Belize in the Caribbean Sea, Mecca for diving and ecotourism. The largest settlement on the island is the city of San Pedro, whose population is mostly Creoles, Mexicans and Mayan descendants who speak fluent English. One of the most popular places in Ambergris Cay is Secret Beach - a location on the western side of the island with hotels, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

2 Ireland

Cost of living per month: $ 2

Emerald Isle, a country of Celts and hundreds of thousands of greetings - Ireland does not have a year-round tropical climate, but instead offers landscapes with moorlands, rocky cliffs, medieval castles and lakes. The local population speaks English, and since 1999 the country has been using the euro as the main currency. Ireland is one of the world's IT capitals with the headquarters and campuses of Google, Microsoft, Amazon and other large corporations.

3 Malta

Cost of living per month: $ 2

Malta is one of the most cinematic island states in the world. In the Maltese Fort Ricasoli, scenes from "Gladiator" and "Troy" were filmed, and Fort Manoel, erected in the XNUMXth century, was remembered by the audience as the Great Septa Baylor from "Game of Thrones".

The territory of Malta is only 316 square kilometers. People come here for seafood, which the entire state provides for the Marsaxlokk community, the ancient architecture of Mdina and Valletta, diving on the island of Gozo and wines from local grape varieties: white Girgentina and red Gellewza. Since 2004 Malta has been a member of the European Union, and in 2008 the country officially adopted the euro as its currency. Locals speak Maltese and English.

Photo: Shutterstock

4. Mallorca, Spain

Cost of living per month: $ 2

Mallorca is the largest island in Spain, with an area of ​​3 square kilometers. The main language of the island is Catalan, but you can easily communicate with the locals in English. Mallorca has developed yachting, cycling (one of the popular routes is 640 km long) and the wellness industry - instead of a bar, they like to go on a mountain hike to the Serra de Tramuntana, do yoga in one of the many studios or go for dinner at healthy food restaurant.

5. Roatan, Honduras

Cost of living per month: $ 2

The Honduran island of Roatan (the largest in the Islas de la Bahia department) is inhabited by descendants of Europeans and islanders of Afro-Caribbean descent. The inhabitants of the island speak mainly English, and Spanish is the second most popular here. For a long time, Roatan was known and loved by diving fans, but in a few years it has become the largest tourist center in Honduras.

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6. Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

Cost of living per month: $ 2

Las Terrenas is a resort town on the Samana Peninsula in the Dominican Republic. The city's economy is based on fishing (back in the XNUMXth century Las Terrenas was a small fishing village), trade and tourism - every year new hotels, hotels, restaurants and clubs open here.

7. Mujeres, Mexico

Cost of living per month: $ 2

Mujeres Island (aka “The Island of Women”) is located in the Caribbean and is part of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Mujeres received its name "The Island of Women" from the Spanish discoverer Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. Sailing to the island for the first time in the XNUMXth century, the conquistador discovered many stone idols of the goddess of fertility Ish-Chel, who was worshiped by the Maya Indians. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, smugglers often stayed on the island, and today tourists.

It is customary to travel around the island of Mujeres by mopeds and golf carts. The locals speak Spanish and are fluent in English. The Mexican peso is used as the main currency on the island, but dollars are accepted in restaurants and bars.

Photo: Shutterstock

8. Bali, Indonesia

Cost of living per month: $ 1

Bali has long been a place of attraction for bloggers, freelancers and healthy lifestyle enthusiasts from all over the world. The indigenous population of the island - the Balinese - speaks Indonesian and Balinese, but due to the large number of foreigners, it is easy to communicate here in English. Bali has developed ecological tourism, diving and surfing - the island has many beaches, tested by surfers, and special schools for those who are just learning to stand on the board.

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9. Cozumel, Mexico

Cost of living per month: $ 1

This island in the Caribbean Ocean was mentioned by Truman Capote in "Murder in cold blood" - this is where the criminal Perry Smith sought to get, because "Cozumel is free from all social, economic and political pressure." Today, the island, surrounded by one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, has become a favorite spot for divers and snorkelling aficionados. Restaurants, bars and hotels are concentrated in San Miguel, the largest settlement of Cozumel, and in the south in El Sedral, the Santa Cruz fair and festival of the same name is held annually at the end of April.

10. Crete, Greece

Cost of living per month: $ 1

The largest Greek island, Crete, has preserved many ancient cultural monuments: the sunken city of Olus, the Palace of Knossos, the fortress of Fortezza. The local population speaks Greek, but due to the large number of tourists, many understand English. The capital of Crete, the city of Heraklion, has an airport and port, and the most interesting places are scattered around the island - Vai Beach, where the ad was filmed for Bounty sweets, and the Cretan Venice of Chania, with cobbled streets and harbor.

Photo: Shutterstock

11. Koh Samui, Thailand

Cost of living per month: $ 1

Koh Samui in Surat Thani province is the ideal destination for those who have dreamed of living in the tropics and white sand beaches surrounded by coconut trees. The picture is overshadowed only by the rainy season, which falls here from November to January. During the rest of the year, the island is dry and sunny. Due to the fact that Koh Samui is the second most popular island in Thailand (after Phuket), there are many tourists here.

12. Kay Kolker, Belize

Cost of living per month: $ 1

Cay Kolker Island is much cheaper to live in than its neighbor Ambergris Cay, which took first place in the ranking. In the 1970s, when Kay-Kolker was still of little interest to tourists, the so-called "Gringo Trail" ran here - a network of cheap tourist routes for residents of the USA, Europe and Canada. Today the island seeks to become more expensive, but still attracts visitors with low prices for housing and entertainment: diving, fishing and ecological tourism.

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13. Penang, Malaysia

Cost of living per month: $ 1

Over the past few years, the Malaysian island of Penang, where street food was prevalent, has become an important point on the gastronomic map of the world. The restaurants in Georgetown, the island's capital, serve complex dishes of seafood, flowers, local vegetables and fruits. In addition, the island was voted one of the best retirement destinations in the world by CNN in 2016.

Photo: Shutterstock

14. Colon, Panama

Cost of living per month: $ 1

The Panama island of Colon is named after Christopher Columbus - in Spanish, the name of the navigator sounds like Cristobal Colon. You can get to the island by water or by plane from Panama and Costa Rica, and stay in the city of Bocas del Toro - the capital of Colon, where the National Marine Park, beaches, diving and surfing spots are located.

15. Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Cost of living per month: $ 1

For a long time, the economy of Fukuoka, a former fishing village, was based on fishing and agriculture. It produces anchovy fish sauce, which is sold all over the world, pearls and black pepper are grown. Tourism has been developing on the island over the past few years. The main points of attraction are numerous beaches, the main of which is Long Beach (from which the tourist infrastructure of the island once began to develop). The best way to get around Fukuoka is on a moped - most of the island is occupied by a national park where gibbons and island wolves live.

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