Cheapest Places to Live/(Almost) Free Accommodation/End of Mileage Runs

Nomadico issue #86

Jan 04, 2024

The Cheapest Places to Live in 2024

Each year I do an updated post on the cheapest places to live in the world and supplement my own research and interviews with crowdsourced data from Numbeo, Nomadlist, and WeNomad. Currency exchange rates impact changes the most, and this coming year you’ll find better prices than before in Egypt, Argentina, Turkey, and Brazil. I removed my own adopted country of Mexico after a peso value rise of 15% in 2023. See a quick list at the top of the article then scroll down for explanations on the top contenders.

Pros and Cons of Luggage Trackers

Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott is syndicated on a lot of news sites and publishes articles at his own Elliot.org, with a lot of the problems he solves involving travelers trying to get their owed refunds or compensation. I wrote back in August about using Airtags and Tile Mates as luggage trackers on checked bags, but apparently the thieves on the inside know how to remove them and the airlines often won’t use the tracking data you provide. Read the full story here.

Almost Free Places to Stay

Here’s a good New Year’s resolution to add: pay less for your travel accommodation in 2024. We’ve previously talked about Noad Exchange (a past advertiser) for places that are well set up for travelers who need to work. I also belong to the huge Homeexchange.com platform that I’m using this month in Airbnb-banned NYC. Many non-homeowner blogger friends belong to Trusted Housesitters, which arranges free stays in exchange for taking care of pets and maybe watering the plants. Think of these as a no-brainer investment decision for frequent travelers and nomads: pay an up-front fee to join the club, then benefit from stays where the costs range from zero to just a cleaning fee. It’s hard to find any investment with such a high potential return.

The Changing Face of Frequent Flier Points

Remember mileage runs? Apparently they’ve almost gone extinct as most airlines have transitioned from rewarding miles/kilometers flown to rewarding spending instead. Here’s a good overview of how policies have changed at the major carriers, with a branded credit card and lots of spending on it being the best shortcut to status now if you’re not a traveling salesperson. One interesting twist: Alaska Airlines may start rewarding passengers extra for spending on carbon offset programs. A noble incentive move for the most frequent fliers—and polluters. (via Kevin Kelly)

UNCLASSIFIEDS:

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Borderless is an editorial newsletter featuring the six best links about remote work, digital nomads, and global mobility each week, curated, written, and sent out to subscribers every Tuesday. Sign up here.

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