I've had some kind of "financial independence" for over a year now living on savings from my grad school time. I'm currently staying in an Indian monastery. They charge me 120$/month for a room and food.
It's the most satisfying lifestyle I've had by far. I wake up every morning and I just do what I feel like doing. Lots of hacking, learning and walks in the mountains. The biggest downside is the absence of a library.
That sounds like a great way to live cheaply in a peaceful/quiet environment. How did you find and approach the monastery? Did you already know someone there?
In the plane, I met a woman who'd been there before.
The monastery is "not open for business", as one of the monks reminded me. Normally only practitioners can stay. But I also had the goal of teaching science and computers to whoever was interested, and there are 500 children and teenagers here.
I'm sure you could find a monastery to stay in. For all the rigidity of the core monastic rules, I have found them to be remarkably flexible and pragmatic about daily life. If you're interested, email me. There are some wonderful places in the Himalayas.
120 usd/month is about 200 Rupees a day - you do not need to look that hard to find accommodation&food in India for that amount.
I was in Northern India about 4 years ago for 2 months, and traveling (which is several times more expansive than just staying in one place, especially since I ate at restaurants and did all kinds of touristy things) cost me about 300-400 usd/month.
Well, I haven't heard of any other accommodation that cheap, but you're right, there are options in the same ballpark. Don't forget that prices have gone up substantially since the last 4 years.
It's the most satisfying lifestyle I've had by far. I wake up every morning and I just do what I feel like doing. Lots of hacking, learning and walks in the mountains. The biggest downside is the absence of a library.