Asia-Pacific — Financial & Living Guide for Expats (2026)
Asia-Pacific covers everything from low-cost Southeast Asian nomad hubs to high-cost financial centres like Singapore and Tokyo.
Updated March 2026 • 10 countries
Lowest rent
India$250/mo
Best savings
India6.80%
Cheapest mortgage
Japan1.40%
Lowest cost of living
India25.8
| Country | Mortgage Rate | Savings Rate | Credit Card APR | Rent (1BR) | Price /m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1.40% | 0.30% | 14.5% | $920/mo | $9,100/m² |
 Singapore | 4.00% | 3.20% | 26.9% | $2,900/mo | $17,200/m² |
 Thailand | 6.30% | 1.50% | 16.0% | $460/mo | $3,400/m² |
 Malaysia | 4.30% | 2.85% | 18.0% | $420/mo | $2,300/m² |
 Indonesia | 8.80% | 3.50% | 26.0% | $340/mo | $2,600/m² |
 Vietnam | 10.50% | 5.20% | 25.0% | $470/mo | $3,800/m² |
 Philippines | 7.50% | 3.50% | 28.0% | $410/mo | $3,200/m² |
| India | 8.70% | 6.80% | 42.0% | $250/mo | $2,100/m² |
 Australia | 6.20% | 4.60% | 19.9% | $1,700/mo | $7,800/m² |
 New Zealand | 6.80% | 5.10% | 19.5% | $1,450/mo | $5,300/m² |
Countries in Asia-Pacific
Japan
Rent $920 • Mortgage 1.40%
Singapore
Rent $2,900 • Mortgage 4.00%
Thailand
Rent $460 • Mortgage 6.30%
Malaysia
Rent $420 • Mortgage 4.30%
Indonesia
Rent $340 • Mortgage 8.80%
Vietnam
Rent $470 • Mortgage 10.50%
Philippines
Rent $410 • Mortgage 7.50%
India
Rent $250 • Mortgage 8.70%
Australia
Rent $1,700 • Mortgage 6.20%
New Zealand
Rent $1,450 • Mortgage 6.80%
Compare countries in Asia-Pacific
Pick any two and see a full side-by-side breakdown.
See Asia-Pacific on the world map
Visual heatmap of every metric.
Frequently asked
Which Asia-Pacific country has the lowest mortgage rate?
Japan offers the lowest mortgage rates in the region, often below 2%.