{
  "schemaVersion": "1.0",
  "dataVersion": "2026.1",
  "publishedAt": "2026-08-25",
  "name": "Fixed-Reference Digital Nomad Cost Benchmark 2026",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://indepai.app/reports/digital-nomad-fire-index-2026",
  "methodology": {
    "version": "2026.1",
    "scope": "Deterministic, cost-only comparison of 24 curated digital nomad hubs for one fixed reference profile.",
    "limitations": [
      "Taxes and tax treaties are excluded.",
      "Visa eligibility and visa costs are excluded.",
      "Foreign-exchange changes, local inflation, and sequence-of-returns risk are excluded.",
      "The output is an educational screening estimate, not personalized financial, tax, legal, or immigration advice."
    ]
  },
  "assumptions": {
    "homeCountry": "US",
    "annualIncome": 90000,
    "annualExpenses": 45000,
    "currentSavings": 50000,
    "monthlyCoL": 3750,
    "homeMonthlyMedian": 2000
  },
  "items": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "slug": "da-nang-vietnam",
      "city": "Da Nang",
      "country": "Vietnam",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 950,
      "yearsSaved": 12.8,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 52.5,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "HARD",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 80
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "slug": "chiang-mai-thailand",
      "city": "Chiang Mai",
      "country": "Thailand",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1100,
      "yearsSaved": 12.2,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 45,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 90
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "slug": "ho-chi-minh-city-vietnam",
      "city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "country": "Vietnam",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1200,
      "yearsSaved": 11.8,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 40,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "HARD",
      "safety": 3,
      "internet": 85
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "slug": "tbilisi-georgia",
      "city": "Tbilisi",
      "country": "Georgia",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1400,
      "yearsSaved": 11.1,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 30,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "LOW",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 70
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "slug": "medellin-colombia",
      "city": "Medellín",
      "country": "Colombia",
      "region": "South America",
      "costNomadUsd": 1400,
      "yearsSaved": 11.1,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 30,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 3,
      "internet": 80
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "slug": "ubud-indonesia",
      "city": "Ubud",
      "country": "Indonesia",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1450,
      "yearsSaved": 10.9,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 27.5,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 65
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "slug": "denpasar-indonesia",
      "city": "Denpasar",
      "country": "Indonesia",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1500,
      "yearsSaved": 10.7,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 25,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 65
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "slug": "kuala-lumpur-malaysia",
      "city": "Kuala Lumpur",
      "country": "Malaysia",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1500,
      "yearsSaved": 10.7,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 25,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "LOW",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 100
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "slug": "buenos-aires-argentina",
      "city": "Buenos Aires",
      "country": "Argentina",
      "region": "South America",
      "costNomadUsd": 1500,
      "yearsSaved": 10.7,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 25,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "MODERATE",
      "safety": 3,
      "internet": 75
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "slug": "belgrade-serbia",
      "city": "Belgrade",
      "country": "Serbia",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 1600,
      "yearsSaved": 10.3,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 20,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "LOW",
      "visaFeasibility": "MODERATE",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 90
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "slug": "bucharest-romania",
      "city": "Bucharest",
      "country": "Romania",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 1700,
      "yearsSaved": 9.8,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 15,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 110
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "slug": "cape-town-south-africa",
      "city": "Cape Town",
      "country": "South Africa",
      "region": "Africa",
      "costNomadUsd": 1800,
      "yearsSaved": 9.4,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 10,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "MODERATE",
      "safety": 3,
      "internet": 65
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "slug": "bangkok-thailand",
      "city": "Bangkok",
      "country": "Thailand",
      "region": "Asia",
      "costNomadUsd": 1800,
      "yearsSaved": 9.4,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 10,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 120
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "slug": "krakow-poland",
      "city": "Kraków",
      "country": "Poland",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 1800,
      "yearsSaved": 9.4,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 10,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "MODERATE",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 100
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "slug": "budapest-hungary",
      "city": "Budapest",
      "country": "Hungary",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 1900,
      "yearsSaved": 9,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 5,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "MODERATE",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 100
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "slug": "playa-del-carmen-mexico",
      "city": "Playa del Carmen",
      "country": "Mexico",
      "region": "North America",
      "costNomadUsd": 1900,
      "yearsSaved": 9,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 5,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 3,
      "internet": 75
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "slug": "mexico-city-mexico",
      "city": "Mexico City",
      "country": "Mexico",
      "region": "North America",
      "costNomadUsd": 2000,
      "yearsSaved": 8.6,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 3,
      "internet": 80
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "slug": "funchal-portugal",
      "city": "Funchal",
      "country": "Portugal",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2100,
      "yearsSaved": 8.2,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 95
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "slug": "split-croatia",
      "city": "Split",
      "country": "Croatia",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2200,
      "yearsSaved": 7.7,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 90
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "slug": "las-palmas-de-gran-canaria-spain",
      "city": "Las Palmas de Gran Canaria",
      "country": "Spain",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2200,
      "yearsSaved": 7.7,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 90
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "slug": "porto-portugal",
      "city": "Porto",
      "country": "Portugal",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2200,
      "yearsSaved": 7.7,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 100
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "slug": "tallinn-estonia",
      "city": "Tallinn",
      "country": "Estonia",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2300,
      "yearsSaved": 7.3,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "LOW",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 5,
      "internet": 120
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "slug": "valencia-spain",
      "city": "Valencia",
      "country": "Spain",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2300,
      "yearsSaved": 7.3,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 100
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "slug": "lisbon-portugal",
      "city": "Lisbon",
      "country": "Portugal",
      "region": "Europe",
      "costNomadUsd": 2600,
      "yearsSaved": 5.9,
      "monthlyBurnReductionPct": 0,
      "taxResidencyRisk": "MEDIUM",
      "visaFeasibility": "EASY",
      "safety": 4,
      "internet": 110
    }
  ]
}