Ask HN: South America or SE Asia for living a few years?

by boolean on 6/13/2011, 7:55 PM with 9 comments

I know many HNers are living in South America or South East Asia, working on their projects while being location independent.

Currently I live in Vancouver but I want to go somewhere (preferably tropic where I can dive, surf etc.) and work online. I'm having hard time deciding where to go.

The main advantage of South America for me is that I can learn Spanish, which is more useful than languages in SE Asia. On the other hand, SE Asia seems more secure and cheaper.

In South America I'm considering Medellin, Colombia and Buenos Aires, Argentina (Which are a little far from ocean). In SE Asia I'm considering Philippines and Thailand.

I'd like my expenses to be around 1000$/month (I live frugally).

So, South America or SE Asia? Please share your experiences. Thanks in advance!

  • by toumhi on 6/14/2011, 2:51 AM

    A few years, I don't know :-) Why don't you start with 3 months first? I've been traveling/living/working in Asia for 4 months now, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. I'm currently in Hanoi, Vietnam where cost of living is very low (you can totally live under $1000/month here with a good apartment).

    Considering your additional requirements: dive, surf I would make sure to check out Bali/Philippines. I've heard Cebu in Philippines is quite a dynamic city with beautiful beaches nearby. I wouldn't recommend Manila or Jakarta or even Bangkok if you are not into the giant sprawling metropolis kind of city.

    I've also been in South America/Mexico, Brazil/Mexico/few countries in Central America are great for surfing. I haven't been in Colombia so can't tell you about it. Buenos Aires is my preferred city in Latin America: a very European feel, big without being a mess like Sao Paulo or Mexico City, quite cheap, great food (their meat is fantastic), lots of music, culture, bookstores everywhere, friendly people who like to party, etc. The north of the country is gorgeous (Salta, Humahuaca). But yeah, it's a bit far from the ocean :-)

  • by random3366 on 6/14/2011, 2:20 AM

    Bali is a great place to be for a 1000$ dollars a month or less. Though that is in Indonesia and not the two countries you mention. I haven't been to either of those countries, but I guess they would have the same set of advantages too.

    I have also lived in Colombia, and well my expenses were a little higher because I was living a little lavishly, I stayed in Cali / Bogota and Medellin for two months each, and Colombia is great too for what you want. I semi-rented/bought a motorbike, and it was a great convenience to have, if you want to look into that.

    I would recommend SE Asia the first time around just from personal experience.

  • by on 6/13/2011, 9:17 PM

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  • by vitomd on 6/22/2011, 5:57 PM

    I am from south america. Consider Uruguay (punta del este on summer for surf) and Chile ,if you are worry about security, they are near ocean and are the safest places to live.

  • by fezzl on 6/16/2011, 7:02 AM

    Malaysia -- English-speaking, good internet connectivity, growing startup scene, and very comfortable for below $1,000 a month.

  • by petervandijck on 6/22/2011, 6:57 PM

    SE Asia is about half as cheap (depending). So that helps.

  • by on 6/13/2011, 9:17 PM

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