Ten cities · two languages · edition 9 September 2026
Half of it is reasons not to go
Ten Southeast Asian cities, costed to the month and dated to the day. A comfortable month runs from $1,584 in Chiang Mai to $4,910 in Singapore. Every figure carries the date it was true and the source it came from. Where the sources disagreed, we say so instead of quietly picking one.
The ten, side by side
September 2026. Monthly totals for one person, all in, including rent. Converted at the rates of 8 September 2026 and held constant across the series, so the cities stay comparable.
| City | Basic | Comfortable | Long-stay visa | Transit | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | $568–741 | $1,111–1,605 | DE Rantau, MM2H | Partial | Haze Jun–Sep |
| Chiang Mai | $778 | $1,584 | DTV, 5 yrs | None | Worst here, Feb–Apr |
| Ho Chi Minh City | $708 | $1,750 | None | One line | Bad Dec–Feb |
| Hua Hin | $941 | $1,812 | Retirement, DTV | None | Clean |
| Pattaya | $924 | $1,888 | Retirement, DTV | None | Clean |
| Bangkok | $970 | $2,180 | DTV, 5 yrs | Excellent | Bad Dec–Apr |
| Bali | $867 | $2,323 | E33G KITAS | None | Clean |
| Koh Samui | $866 | $2,359 | DTV, 5 yrs | None | Clean |
| Phuket | $1,045 | $2,470 | DTV, 5 yrs | None | Clean |
| Singapore | $1,990 | $4,910 | Employer only | Excellent | Clean |
Read it sideways and the shape appears. Singapore's basic column costs more than the comfortable column in six of these cities. The two places with real transit are the two most expensive, and seven of the ten put you on a scooter.
Every city gets its own guide
The accent is a rail, never a fill. Ten background colours on one page is chaos; ten four-pixel rails is a system.
Every figure carries its date
Around two hundred claims across the series are marked CHECK, because sources disagreed or a rule was mid-change at the edition date. Competitors resolve that silently. We show it — it is the trust signal, not a caveat.
A residence certificate costs THB 200 and takes one to two weeks.
Pattaya resales go 5–15% below off-plan cost, and take 8 to 18 months.
The cheapest city is not the cheapest life
Chiang Mai is the best value in this series and it is unbreathable for three months a year. Singapore has no meter scams and no paperwork and costs three times as much. Bali gives you a private pool and no way to own the ground under it.
Every city here charges you in a currency other than money. The whole point of these books is to tell you which currency before you sign anything.
The guides
Twenty-four finished PDFs, twelve documents in two languages. Each city guide runs to about twenty-two pages. Each ends with a section called So, honestly? It names who the city is for. It names who should pick somewhere else. And it commits to an answer.
Which city, honestly
Free
The closing verdict from all ten guides in one document. Eleven pages. No email required.
Available at launch
Any one city
$29
One city, done properly. The neighborhoods with real rents. The housing bands with named buildings. The visa that fits you, and what a month actually costs.
Available at launch
Complete library
$119
All ten city guides plus Living in Southeast Asia 101, which covers sixteen cities across the region. The whole series, one price.
Available at launch