Alamogordo, NM vs New Glasgow

New Glasgow is a small town of 10 thousand where a one-bedroom outside the centre runs $877/mo and the local average net salary is $2,471/mo, so the math actually works in your favour. The safety index of 90/100 and crime index of 10/100 are genuinely excellent, and healthcare quality is rated Excellent, which matters more than any restaurant scene in a place this size. What you trade is scale: a digital nomad score of 71/100 and 50 Mbps internet tell you this is not a remote-work hub, and the continental climate means real winters. Come for the affordability and quiet, not for career momentum.

Canada taxes hard: expect 33% federal plus up to 21.8% provincial, a real drag on FIRE math. A retirement visa exists, so retirees do have a potential entry path, though it's not always straightforward. But remote workers and digital nomads should look past this, given a 9/10 expat friendliness score and 379.96 Mbps average internet. A 1BR apartment averaging $1,304.56/mo confirms the tax hit is the real cost center here, not rent.