Travel StylesWorld Travel
Six months, a year, or longer.
Long-Term World Travelers
Continuous travel measured in seasons: round-the-world routes, slow overland journeys and the logistics of a life in motion.
Where a long stay works
What a month and a year cost, how long you can stay without a visa, and the longer-stay visas each country offers.
| Destination | A month | A year | Visa-free stay | Longer stays | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu Nepal |
$1,718 | $20,616 | 90 days Visa on arrival |
none summarised | Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr |
| Siem Reap Cambodia |
$1,923 | $23,076 | 30 days Visa on arrival / e-Visa (T class) |
none summarised | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb |
| Luang Prabang Laos |
$1,950 | $23,400 | 30 days Visa on arrival / e-Visa |
none summarised | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb |
| Hanoi Vietnam |
$2,050 | $24,600 | 90 days e-Visa |
none summarised | Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr |
| Antigua Guatemala Guatemala |
$2,561 | $30,732 | 90 days Visa-free (CA-4) |
none summarised | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Cusco Peru |
$2,598 | $31,176 | 90 days Visa-free |
none summarised | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep |
| Bangkok Thailand |
$2,656 | $31,872 | 60 days Visa exemption |
Thailand Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) · 60 months | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb |
| Tbilisi Georgia |
$2,679 | $32,148 | 365 days Visa-free |
Georgia one-year visa-free stay · 12 months | May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Buenos Aires Argentina |
$3,094 | $37,128 | 90 days Visa-free |
none summarised | Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov |
| Istanbul Türkiye (Turkey) |
$3,468 | $41,616 | 90 days Visa-free |
none summarised | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Mexico City Mexico |
$3,476 | $41,712 | 180 days Visa-free (FMM) |
Mexico Temporary Resident visa · 48 months | Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Pai Thailand |
$1,695 | $20,340 | 60 days Visa exemption |
Thailand Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) · 60 months | Nov, Dec, Jan |
| Chiang Mai Thailand |
$2,023 | $24,276 | 60 days Visa exemption |
Thailand Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) · 60 months | Nov, Dec, Jan |
| Hoi An Vietnam |
$2,092 | $25,104 | 90 days e-Visa |
none summarised | Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam |
$2,310 | $27,720 | 90 days e-Visa |
none summarised | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Kuala Lumpur Malaysia |
$2,424 | $29,088 | 90 days Visa-free (social visit pass) |
Malaysia DE Rantau Nomad Pass · 12 months | Jun, Jul, Aug |
| Marrakech Morocco |
$2,675 | $32,100 | 90 days Visa-free |
none summarised | Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov |
| Tirana Albania |
$2,716 | $32,592 | 365 days Visa-free |
Albania one-year visa-free stay for US citizens · 12 months | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Oaxaca Mexico |
$2,862 | $34,344 | 180 days Visa-free (FMM) |
Mexico Temporary Resident visa · 48 months | Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Medellín Colombia |
$2,916 | $34,992 | 90 days Visa-free |
Colombia Visa V Nomada Digital · 24 months | Dec, Jan, Feb, Jun, Jul, Aug |
| Lima Peru |
$2,980 | $35,760 | 90 days Visa-free |
none summarised | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Bali Indonesia |
$3,012 | $36,144 | 30 days Visa on Arrival (B1) / e-VOA |
Indonesia Remote Worker Visa (E33G) · 12 months | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep |
| Zanzibar Tanzania |
$3,276 | $39,312 | 90 days Multiple-entry visa (12 months) |
none summarised | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct |
| Cartagena Colombia |
$3,445 | $41,340 | 90 days Visa-free |
Colombia Visa V Nomada Digital · 24 months | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Rio de Janeiro Brazil |
$3,468 | $41,616 | 90 days e-Visa |
Brazil VITEM XIV Digital Nomad visa · 12 months | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov |
| Cape Town South Africa |
$3,659 | $43,908 | 90 days Visa-free |
none summarised | Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Budapest Hungary |
$3,718 | $44,616 | 90 days Visa-free (Schengen short stay) |
Hungary White Card · 12 months | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Prague Czechia |
$3,978 | $47,736 | 90 days Visa-free (Schengen short stay) |
none summarised | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Athens Greece |
$4,229 | $50,748 | 90 days Visa-free (Schengen short stay) |
Greece Digital Nomad visa · 12 months | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
| Kyoto Japan |
$4,594 | $55,128 | 90 days Visa-free (temporary visitor) |
Japan Digital Nomad status (Designated Activities) · 6 months | Apr, May, Oct, Nov |
| Tokyo Japan |
$5,030 | $60,360 | 90 days Visa-free (temporary visitor) |
Japan Digital Nomad status (Designated Activities) · 6 months | Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov |
| Lisbon Portugal |
$5,071 | $60,852 | 90 days Visa-free (Schengen short stay) |
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad visa · 12 months | Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct |
A month = our mid-range one-bedroom rent estimate plus three-quarters of the mid-range daily estimate for 30.4 days; a year = twelve of those, before flights and insurance. Editorial estimates, dated on each destination page (October 2026). *No rent estimate held, so the figure is the daily estimate only. Visa-free stays and longer-stay visas are research summaries for the selected passport; Schengen countries share one 90-days-in-180 allowance. Check the official source in the Visa & Work Finder before you plan around them. Listed: destinations our editors rate 4 or 5 out of 5 for long-term travel, cheapest first within each score.
What we cover
Round-the-world itinerariesOne and two-year plansSlow travelOverland routesLong-term budgetsVisa planningExtended insuranceHealthcare abroadBanking and residencyComing home
Routes
Routes of three months or more, longest first. Each can be extended or stitched together in the Route Builder.
One-Year World Trip
Twelve months, five continents, a season in each.
Six-Month Asia Nomad Circuit
Month-long bases from Seoul to Bali, timed to follow the dry, mild seasons.
Six-Month Latin America Nomad Circuit
A month each in six Latin American cities, from Mexico's highlands to Rio.
Six Months Around the World
Westbound with the seasons: Europe, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.
European Summer Nomad Circuit
Five bases from May to September for people who work on the way.
Three-Month Career Break in Asia and the Pacific
Japan and Korea in autumn, Southeast Asia in the dry season, New Zealand in summer.
Three Months in South America
Colombia to Patagonia down the Andean spine.
Three Months Around the World
An eastbound loop across five continents in about 90 days.
Three Months in Southeast Asia
The banana pancake trail, done with time to stop.
Three-Month Caucasus and Balkans Summer
Georgia's mountains, Istanbul and the Balkans, mostly outside the Schengen Area.
Twelve-month circuits
A full year in six two-month stays, following the weather. Open one in the circuit builder to change the stops, budget and visas.
Adventure Circuit
- Jan–Feb Cape Town South Africa
- Mar–Apr Medellín Colombia
- May–Jun Cusco Peru
- Jul–Aug Tbilisi Georgia
- Sep–Oct Kathmandu Nepal
- Nov–Dec Bali Indonesia
Budget Circuit
- Jan–Feb Chiang Mai Thailand
- Mar–Apr Hanoi Vietnam
- May–Jun Tbilisi Georgia
- Jul–Aug Tirana Albania
- Sep–Oct Kathmandu Nepal
- Nov–Dec Siem Reap Cambodia
European Summer Circuit
- Jan–Feb Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain
- Mar–Apr Lisbon Portugal
- May–Jun Barcelona Spain
- Jul–Aug Tbilisi Georgia
- Sep–Oct Split Croatia
- Nov–Dec Tirana Albania
Luxury Nomad Circuit
- Jan–Feb Cape Town South Africa
- Mar–Apr Kyoto Japan
- May–Jun Barcelona Spain
- Jul–Aug Funchal Portugal
- Sep–Oct Istanbul Türkiye (Turkey)
- Nov–Dec Bangkok Thailand
Social Nomad Circuit
- Jan–Feb Medellín Colombia
- Mar–Apr Mexico City Mexico
- May–Jun Lisbon Portugal
- Jul–Aug Budapest Hungary
- Sep–Oct Bali Indonesia
- Nov–Dec Chiang Mai Thailand
Warm Weather Circuit
- Jan–Feb Playa del Carmen Mexico
- Mar–Apr Da Nang Vietnam
- May–Jun Bali Indonesia
- Jul–Aug Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain
- Sep–Oct Zanzibar Tanzania
- Nov–Dec Chiang Mai Thailand
Illustrative circuits, not universal recommendations: the builder personalises stops to your weather, budget, visas and working hours, and the monthly figures it shows carry their date and method.
Guides
The Ultimate Three-Month South America Route
How to Plan a One-Year World Trip
How Much Money Do You Need to Travel the World?
What a Year of Slow Travel Actually Teaches You
Planning Multi-Country Routes
One-Year Travel Budget Guide
Slow Travel vs Fast Travel
