Digital nomadism was perceived by the Russian-speaking community as something ultra-refined until February 24, 2022. Like an extremely highly paid family constantly living in hotel rooms to avoid any domestic chores.
The mass exodus of professions capable of earning a living “by doing something over the internet” has contributed to the discovery of new horizons of digital nomadism. For them, the overall cost of living has become almost decisive in choosing the optimal “temporary base”. Therefore, feeds and guides are now filled with indicators of “cost per month” in various locations available to a Russian-speaking nomad. Price tags range from $800-900 to $2000 in the respective locations. Istanbul, Prague, Lisbon.
$400 a month!
After testing out a two-week stay in Karakol, the most resort-like regional center in Kyrgyzstan, I was able to live comfortably within a budget of $400 a month for everything – food, including the delicious local kefir and sausages, accommodation in a reasonable hostel room with a modern shower and bathroom, and a mountain view from the window shared with a colleague. Every other day, I enjoyed the healing hot springs, and every day I went hiking in the surrounding areas, fully immersed in nature. I also had a couple of incredibly abundant meals at a local restaurant. Unlimited mobile internet, which allows access to all sites without a VPN, all currently not broadcasted TV channels of global broadcasting companies, and a day ski pass from morning until night on the diverse slopes of Karakol ski resort were also included. As the ski season comes to an end in April, I will be enjoying high-altitude hiking and swimming on the shores of Issyk-Kul, the Central Asian water pearl.
In other words, if you decide to spend as much as other digital nomads in other parts of the world, you can literally “not deny yourself anything” here. But in another situation – if there are problems with orders, here, by switching to a survivor mode, you can survive for a very long time “on minimums”.
