Which countries cost least to live in?
Myanmar leads on monthly cost at $234/mo; Iran is last of the 15 shown at $503/mo.
Most cost-of-living rankings give you an index number against a city you have never lived in. This gives a figure in dollars: what a month costs for one person, adding rent, an ordinary week's spending and the healthcare you pay for yourself.
Tax is included at a $60,000 remote income so the comparison is like-for-like — a country with no income tax genuinely costs less to live in on the same salary, and hiding that would flatter high-tax countries.
| # | Country | Monthly cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | $234/mo | 5% of income |
| 2 | 🇸🇾 Syria | $260/mo | 5% of income |
| 3 | 🇱🇦 Laos | $378/mo | 8% of income |
| 4 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $380/mo | 8% of income |
| 5 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | $412/mo | 8% of income |
| 6 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | $422/mo | 8% of income |
| 7 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | $430/mo | 9% of income |
| 8 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | $437/mo | 9% of income |
| 9 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | $444/mo | 9% of income |
| 10 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | $479/mo | 10% of income |
| 11 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | $480/mo | 10% of income |
| 12 | 🇬🇲 Gambia | $483/mo | 10% of income |
| 13 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | $488/mo | 10% of income |
| 14 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | $488/mo | 10% of income |
| 15 | 🇮🇷 Iran | $503/mo | 10% of income |
How this is worked out: Rent + everyday basket (excluding rent) + out-of-pocket healthcare + income tax on $60,000, per month, for a single person. Estimates for comparison, not advice.
Check your own numbers
A ranking is a starting point, not an answer — your income, household and destination change the order. The Total cost evaluator runs the same engine against your own figures, and every country above links to its own page.