[dualogy]

Having been in Malaysia on and off for the last few years: you can survive with $500 a month. But you don't wanna put a guy in his late 30s in the kind of accommodation you'd have to put up with for that budget.

Let me put it this way. A 1000$ rental gets you much more luxury than the same amount would get you in the west. But a 500$ monthly budget is pretty poor lifestyle in the long run even in South-East Asia, though I agree not quite as desolate and impoverished as you'd be in Europe or America :))

[richerd]

I had some super interesting housing arrangements the whole time I was there.

One of the more interesting ones...

http://richerd.com/2011/09/03/sleeping-on-the-streets-of-kua...

[dualogy]

Yeah I heard of your sleeping rough back in the day from bearwithclaws :D

So yeah we're definitely in agreement. You can survive for $500 easily -- if you find a 'bed' that costs $0 ;P