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Which country has a low cost but a high standard of living?
Originally Answered: Which country has low cost but high standard of living?
In fact, any low cost of living country can offer a high standard of living if you make a western wage. Judging by the other answers in this question I feel this is your situation. A westerner looking to relocate somewhere with a lower cost of living.

And I applaud you . It’s exciting, and financially responsible!

From my experience, I would suggest Ukraine 🇺🇦.

If you have seen Ukraine in the news recently it has been for all the wrong reasons. Whether it’s regarding political intrigue (with Trump) or the active war in the east (more on that later), it likely isn’t a positive impression.

But hear me out. The on going conflict with Russia is isolated in the farthest eastern regions. Nearly 1000 miles from Kyiv, the largest city and capital. In fact, aside from Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk, the rest of Ukraine is issued a Level 2 travel advisory. As a comparison, Italy and France also maintain a level 2 travel advisory.

Note In the time since this question was originally answered, I have a more detailed answer on the topic of safety as a foreigner in Kyiv.

The benefits to choosing Ukraine over similar South East Asian countries is that it is possible to stay indefinitely. I have been here, in Kyiv for 18 months, and have temporary residency which allows me to stay for 3 years and renew it indefinitely every three years after.

This is accomplished by founding an LLC and naming yourself director. At which point, you qualify for a work permit that will allow you to obtain temporary residency. This can be accomplished for as little as $1200, but it is highly recommended to use a verified lawyer to assist with the process.

I know it’s not really directly part of the question, but it is important. I have a blog post covering the costs associated with this process titled ‘Moving to Ukraine: How much does it cost?’.

If you are curious as to the actual process of founding an LLC, I also have a blog post titled LLC Registration in Ukraine that will detail the entire process.

As for the speaking to actual cost, and quality of life in Ukraine, I will focus on Kyiv as it is where most expats end up, and where I live. I will say that with a western wage, you will live better here than in your home country.

You will be able to afford house keepers, cooks, drivers, the works. This is because the average salary in Kyiv is $500 per month.

The level of expenses you can expect to pay in Kyiv depends on your personal tastes, but here is a good basis point:

One bedroom city center apartment: $300-400
Local transportation: $0.27 per ride (new monthly passes are $32 per month)
Taxi: Uber costs $2–10 to get anywhere in Kyiv
Dining out: $6-8 with drinks
Cappuccino: $1
Potatoes: $0.16/lb
Eggs: $1.50/dozen
Regional wine costs about: $3.00
Cellphone 100 minutes, 100 sms, 2gb of data – $3
Internet (100Mbps+): $7
To live comfortably here I suggest $800–1000 per month minimum. Within this range you can get a normal apartment, have access to the private health clinics, dine out with drinks multiple times per week, have new electronics, etc.

Keep in mind, even though you are able to live on $800–1000 per month, you will not be living a life of luxury. Here is an example of a flat that costs $415 per month. It is a one room flat – meaning it is a studio which accounts for most of the flats in this price range. They also typically include a sofa bed rather than a normal bed

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