Here are the Top Highlands for Cheap Living in the World
Do you love living at higher elevations where the air is cooler with beautiful greenery and mountains? Maybe you like the beach too. But you really only spend a week or two at the beach per year and prefer living in the cool mountains?
If you decide to live at a higher elevation, you are likely to watch your air conditioning bill drop in half or be completely eliminated. You will probably also have more hiking trails, streams, and waterfalls.
There is also more different kinds of wildlife to photograph in the mountains. More lakes for fishing and you can often get more land around you for cheaper because rural areas around mountains are often less developed and cheaper.
Many people just feel more comfortable living in highland areas.
So, Today, I am going to share my top 10 Top Highlands for Cheap Living in the World. But you don’t need to write anything down. I will tell you how to get this information in writing in the last 30 seconds of this video.
I am going to share the top 10 with you in reverse order so you have to wait until the end to hear my favorites. Here we go.
Ten. Cameron Highlands How to Tour Malaysia (5200 Feet/1603 meters) With a population of only about 35,000 people, Cameron Highlands is a magical place in rolling hills with farmlands, nurseries, orchards, tea gardens, high jungles with soft moss floors, rivers, lakes, and mountains. It was surveyed in the 19th century when the British colonists ran off to stay in the highlands for cool weather. In about 1925, much of the land was developed for tea plantations and those same tea plantations are a big tourist draw even today. Cameron Highlands is about 3 hours north of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Nine. Patzcuaro Mexico Retire Cheap Report (7020 feet/2140 meters) This is a charming colonial-era village of about 80,000 people. If you go 10 minutes by car in almost any direction, you are in the forest. In town, there are restaurants, gift shops, bookstores, and coffee shops. There are surrounding villages with arts and crafts. There are ancient archeological sites to explore. If you speak Spanish, there are typical groups and clubs for a town this size. But there is also an expat community for you to network through. The is the Internationally known and attended Day of the Dead Festival every year on November 1st and 2nd. You are only a few hours drive from Mexico City.
Eight. Otavalo Ecuador Retire Cheap Report (8441 feet/2532 meters) I really loved Otavalo. The beautiful green rolling hills and warm-hearted people really won me over. People always laugh at me because I say that I love everywhere. It is true that I love this amazing planet, but very few places have such a great combination of people and nature. I suppose I am more of a city person, but when you experience such a beautiful place out in the middle of nowhere, and the people have such a great attitude, the country life becomes very tempting.
These are just summaries of why I ranked these top 10 Top Highlands for Cheap Living in the World. There is much more detail about each of these places and forty more places in the retire cheap reports published at VagabondBuddha.com
Seven. Medellin Colombia Retire Cheap Report (4900 feet/1500 meters) I had heard from digital nomad friends that Colombia was a beautiful spot to visit. I agree 100%. Medellin is a gorgeous place surrounded by green luscious hills, beautiful people and things to see, a rich and interesting history, workable Internet speeds, and a reasonable cost of living. The people of Medellin are proud and they should be. It is a lovely place. Like many parts of the world, the people shine even while their government and other influential citizens pay far too little attention to creating an environment that fosters a middle class. Make sure to get a copy of our retire cheap report for Medellin and follow our directions on safety.
Six. San Cristobal Mexico Retire Cheap Report (7217 feet/2200 meters) There is live music everywhere in the old town. We really felt safe walking around old town, day and night. If you are into outdoor sports there are many options for you here like hiking and exploring the beautiful mountains around Chiapas. There are also rivers for other outdoor activities. There is an active nightlife here with foreigners from all over the world, permanent and tourists. Arts and crafts are a big deal here. In the evenings you see not only local indigenous people but also foreign hippie-ish people selling their handmade jewelry, arts, and crafts. This is a hippies heaven. Everyone sings, plays instruments, and dresses creatively. It is a lovely place. The foreign influence on daily life is as strong here as I have seen anywhere in Mexico, but less American and more European.
Five. Cuenca Ecuador Retie Cheap Report (8300 feet/2560 meters) Cuenca was our favorite place in Ecuador. The old town area is small enough to walk everywhere and we have never had that feeling of danger, even when we walk around at night. There is also a very active Expat community here if you are looking for a place to retire and want to hang out with Expats. There are amazing hiking trails and even camping opportunities in La Cajas National Park if you are a nature lover. You are also only about 3 hours by bus from the beach. We spent so little money, and enjoyed everything so much, we didn’t want to leave.
Four. Dalat Vietnam Retire Cheap Report (4928 feet/1502 meters) To get a sense of how beautiful and green this hill station built by the former governor during French colonial-era rule, make sure to watch our Dalat Tea Plantation and Temple Tour Video (link provided). The city of Dalat is snuggled into rolling hills and has a beautiful man-made lake at the center. Make sure to also see the Hang Nga (or Crazy House) and the former summer residence of Emperor Bao Dai. We walked everywhere in this charming hill station. There is a huge underground mall next to the lake if you want to enjoy modern amenities.
Three. Pai Thailand Retire Cheap Report (1627 feet/496 meters) Think small town surrounded by lush green mountains, hiking trails, and rivers. There is a burgeoning nightlife, but not much in the way of culture. You are going to have to be a nature lover, a gardener, a writer, a hiker, a fisherman, an ATV rider, or anything people do in small towns to stay out of trouble. You can totally live in the central Pai without needing a car. But you will need a scooter to get up into the surrounding mountains so you can hike to your heart’s content. I consider myself more of a city person, but the quaint village of Pai made me imagine myself hiding in a mountain cabin with a view, growing my own organic vegetables, and writing the great American novel. You will need a small car or truck if that is how you imagine enjoying Pai. So you can go to the “city” once a week and get supplies.
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Two. Arequipa Peru Retire Cheap Report (7661feet/2335 meters) Arequipa is the intellectual capital of Peru. It is a university atmosphere and the Internet is available both in your home, internet cafes, and a few public spaces. Anywhere within a 10 block radius of Plaza de Armas is highly walkable and an attractive place to live. If you can afford to live there and you don’t need to commute to work that would be ideal. There are restaurants, museums, movie theatres, parks, and a river walk all within Old town Arequipa. The international food choices in Arequipa within the Old Town Area are unmatched in diversity and density of choices. Lima Peru has more choices overall, but you will need to get in your car to get to them. Arequipa even has a vegan sushi house. All of the details are in the Arequipa retire cheap report.
One. Oaxaca Mexico Retire Cheap Report (5102 feet/1555 meters) Everywhere you turned there were colorful indigenous arts and clothing and foods to try out. There seemed to be a real pride in the local origins of the clothing, foods, and crafts. That makes sense because Oaxaca is where the indigenous people of Mexico gather once a year for the largest indigenous cultural festival in the world. Oaxaca is also home to some of the most preserved archeological sites in Mexico such as nearby Mitla and Monte Alban. See the tour links in the retire cheap report. Whether because of just laziness or the relative remoteness of the cultural sites, the Spanish were not as ambitious at destroying indigenous cultural treasures as they were in other parts of Mexico. Oaxaca is totally walkable. I would not need to buy a car if I lived here. Normally I go to the supermarket once a week to get fresh vegetables, but the local markets are so clean and fresh here, I would shop there instead.
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My name is Dan. Thanks for listening to my ideas on the Top Highlands for Cheap Living in the World. Click the “Comparing Retire Cheap Places” playlist that appears top right of your screen about now for more comparisons.
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