45+ Cities Ranked

Hustle-Free Index

Find cities that balance affordability, safety, and happiness. For freelancers who value sustainable life over grind culture.

45 cities • Updated December 2025

45

Cities Ranked

30

With DN Visas

$850

Lowest Budget

8.6

Top HFI Score

Top 10 Hustle-Free Cities

Ranked by our proprietary Hustle-Free Index

Ljubljana

Europe's greenest capital where Alpine meets Adriatic

8.6

HFI Score

$1,670

/month

Tartu

Estonia DN Visa

Estonia's intellectual heart where startups meet saunas

8.5

HFI Score

$1,250

/month

Tbilisi

Georgia DN Visa

Europe's hidden gem with 1% taxes and 1-year visa-free

8.5

HFI Score

$1,380

/month

Timișoara

Romania DN Visa

Romania's little Vienna with Bucharest's internet at half the price

8.5

HFI Score

$1,020

/month

Chișinău

Moldova DN Visa

Europe's cheapest capital with free DN visa and world-class wine

8.4

HFI Score

$850

/month

Montevideo

Uruguay DN Visa

South America's quiet achiever with stability and steak

8.4

HFI Score

$1,550

/month

Oaxaca

Mexico's cultural soul with mezcal, mole, and artistic magic

8.4

HFI Score

$1,340

/month

Porto

Portugal DN Visa

Lisbon's cooler, cheaper sibling with better wine

8.4

HFI Score

$1,800

/month

Sofia

Bulgaria DN Visa

EU's lowest taxes meet mountain views and hot springs

8.4

HFI Score

$1,200

/month

Taipei

Asia's most underrated gem where tech meets tradition

8.4

HFI Score

$1,710

/month

All Cities by Region

Browse 45 cities across 10 regions

Africa Middle East 4

Cape Town

South Africa

7.9

$1,850/mo

Zanzibar

Tanzania

7.8

$1,200/mo

Nairobi

Kenya

7.6

$1,450/mo

Cairo

Egypt

7.4

$950/mo

East Asia 2

Taipei

Taiwan

8.4

$1,710/mo

Seoul

South Korea

7.6

$2,050/mo

Europe Central 2

Ljubljana

Slovenia

8.6

$1,670/mo

Zagreb

Croatia

8.1

$1,460/mo

Europe Eastern 11

Tartu

Estonia

8.5

$1,250/mo

Tbilisi

Georgia

8.5

$1,380/mo

Timișoara

Romania

8.5

$1,020/mo

Chișinău

Moldova

8.4

$850/mo

Sofia

Bulgaria

8.4

$1,200/mo

Batumi

Georgia

8.3

$1,020/mo

Bucharest

Romania

8.3

$1,340/mo

Tallinn

Estonia

8.3

$1,600/mo

Kotor

Montenegro

8.2

$1,430/mo

Riga

Latvia

8.2

$1,370/mo

Warsaw

Poland

7.9

$1,640/mo

Europe Iberia 4

Porto

Portugal

8.4

$1,800/mo

Valencia

Spain

8.3

$1,850/mo

Lisbon

Portugal

8.2

$2,200/mo

Barcelona

Spain

7.6

$2,560/mo

Europe South 2

Valletta

Malta

8

$2,000/mo

Athens

Greece

7.8

$1,770/mo

Europe Western 1

Berlin

Germany

7.4

$2,400/mo

Latin America 10

Montevideo

Uruguay

8.4

$1,550/mo

Oaxaca

Mexico

8.4

$1,340/mo

Asunción

Paraguay

8.2

$1,080/mo

Medellín

Colombia

8

$1,750/mo

Santa Marta

Colombia

7.9

$1,200/mo

Mexico City

Mexico

7.8

$2,000/mo

San José

Costa Rica

7.8

$1,900/mo

Buenos Aires

Argentina

7.7

$1,500/mo

Lima

Peru

7.7

$1,500/mo

Playa del Carmen

Mexico

7.5

$1,910/mo

Oceania 1

Auckland

New Zealand

8.2

$2,650/mo

Southeast Asia 8

Chiang Mai

Thailand

8.3

$1,150/mo

Da Nang

Vietnam

8.1

$980/mo

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

8

$1,450/mo

Siargao

Philippines

8

$1,200/mo

Canggu

Indonesia

7.8

$1,610/mo

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

7.8

$1,030/mo

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

7.6

$1,200/mo

Bangkok

Thailand

7.5

$1,550/mo

Cities by Budget

Find your affordable sustainable base

$ Under $1,000/month

$$ $1,000 - $1,500/month

$$$ $1,500+/month

How We Calculate the Index

Our proprietary Hustle-Free Index combines safety scores, happiness metrics, and cost of living data to help freelancers find cities where they can thrive without the grind.

HFI = (Safety Score × Happiness Score) / Cost of Living Index

Safety Score

Numbeo Safety Index

Happiness Score

World Happiness Report

Cost of Living

Numbeo Cost Index