My goal when writing the Webworktravel Guide was to make it as easy as possible for everyone to start working online and travel the world. For that reason I only included destinations that offer exceptional value for money.

To be able to stay on a budget and spend less than $1000 a month, there are a few rules you need to follow:

Visit countries that offer exceptional value for money

Renting a room in a student apartment in New York City can easily cost you $1000 a month. Working online and spending more time in countries like Thailand, Panama or parts of Spain with a significantly lower cost of living can allow you to cover all your living expenses for the same amount.  Of course, even in those destinations you can spend a lot more money if you want to live in complete luxury ;-).

Stay in hostels or inexpensive guesthouses

Staying in shared dorm rooms is not to everyone’s liking, especially if you have to get some work done in the morning. What most people forget though, is that many hostels also offer inexpensive single rooms that will allow you to have privacy but also get in touch with other travelers with whom you can experience your new destination of choice. Another advantage of most hostels is that they usually offer free wifi, while you usually have to pay separately for this service if you stay in expensive hotels. You can usually find the best deals for hostels and inexpensive guesthouses on sites like Hostelbookers.com and Hostelworld.com. If you prefer to stay in hotels booking.com is a good source for finding cheap hotel deals.

Travel slow

Transport costs such as flights and buses can be amongst the biggest items of expenditure when you work and travel. Travel smart and remember that changing your destination every few days won’t keep you productive. If you choose to rent apartments long term and really want to experience a beautiful destination by also connecting to local life you will be much more likely to live like a local and reduce your costs to a minimum.

Use local apartment sites

Most of you will already know of airbnb – an amazing website for finding cool apartments in cities all over the world. While indeed it is probably the best website to find a funky place to stay for a week or two in any destination, or for renting out your own apartment to save some money when you work and travel, it is not the place to look for inexpensive apartments if you want to stay long term (unless you ask owners for massive discounts of course).

If you want to stay for a minimum of a month in one destination it is much better to use the websites that locals at your destination use as well. If you want to visit Cape Town for example, you’re best off using the listings you will find on Gumtree as this is the site that all locals, interns and international students use to find their long-term accommodation in Cape Town. Remember though that you should only use those sites when you’re already at your preferred destination. No-one will rent out their apartment to someone who doesn’t stop by personally. Many scams also operate on local sites, so keep your wits about you and don’t pay any deposits before you have actually visited the apartment in first place.

Be flexible when booking transport

If you urgently need to book a flight or a bus ticket for a set day, the chances are that your deals will be expensive. However if you have time to do a stopover and really use the flexible options when looking for flight, on Skyscanner for example you can save a lot of money on your transport tickets. When it comes to booking railway and bus tickets it usually also pays out book your ticket at least one week in advance, so you you can sometimes save more than 50% on your fare.

Don’t party too much

No matter where you go in the world, apart from transport cost of nightlife can be one of the highest expenditures when travelling. Living on $1000 a month will be impossible wherever you are, if you go out too much. Rather spend your time doing something else.

Use the Webworktravel Guide to find destinations that suit your budget

All destinations in the Webworktravel Guide include a break down of cost-of-living expenditures. In fact some destinations are included where you will be able to eat out every day, share an apartment and enjoy a good quality of life starting from even $450 a month – that is if you don’t spent your money on alcohol and do day trips everyday. If you don’t feel like living on a budget , you will be able to live in complete luxury in most destinations mentioned.