Cheapest cities in East Asia for remote workers

The shortlist below filters our full guide to 34 East Asia cities down to the 18 that most clearly meet the budget pick criterion. Each entry links to a full Nomad Desk city guide with cafe recommendations, coworking notes, neighborhood structure, and a realistic monthly budget breakdown.

Cheapest picks

1. 1

   Chongqing, China

   $1,300/mo · 130 Mbps
2. 2

   Tainan, Taiwan

   $1,300/mo · 120 Mbps
3. 3

   Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

   $1,300/mo · 55 Mbps
4. 4

   Hualien, Taiwan

   $1,300/mo · 120 Mbps
5. 5

   Daegu, South Korea

   $1,500/mo · 250 Mbps
6. 6

   Kaohsiung, Taiwan

   $1,500/mo · 150 Mbps
7. 7

   Taichung, Taiwan

   $1,500/mo · 130 Mbps
8. 8

   Chengdu, China

   $1,500/mo · 130 Mbps
9. 9

   Xiamen, China

   $1,500/mo · 130 Mbps
10. 10

    Suzhou, China

    $1,500/mo · 130 Mbps
11. 11

    Tianjin, China

    $1,500/mo · 130 Mbps
12. 12

    Hsinchu, Taiwan

    $1,500/mo · 140 Mbps
13. 13

    Hakodate, Japan

    $1,700/mo · 150 Mbps
14. 14

    Hangzhou, China

    $1,700/mo · 130 Mbps
15. 15

    Guangzhou, China

    $1,700/mo · 140 Mbps
16. 16

    Busan, South Korea

    $1,900/mo · 250 Mbps
17. 17

    Fukuoka, Japan

    $1,900/mo · 180 Mbps
18. 18

    Naha (Okinawa), Japan

    $1,900/mo · 150 Mbps

Why East Asia for remote work

East Asia consistently shows up in long-stay nomad rotations because of a combination of factors that other regions struggle to replicate: the specific combination of cost, infrastructure, and lifestyle that makes the region a credible base for remote workers in 2026. Use this filter to narrow further by your specific priority — cost or speed — and then read the city guides for the practical realities.

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