Beaufort, SC vs Galliano, LA

Beaufort is a pricey little slice of Lowcountry charm, and you'll pay for it: a one-bedroom in the center runs $1,540/mo, which is steep for a town of 14,000, though the $93/mo utility bill is a pleasant shock. The expat scene is large and active, and the safety index of 80/100 makes it feel like a gated community without the gates, but the FIRE score of 55/100 tells you this isn't a cheap retirement spot. You'll need a car, the nearest airport is a mere 5 km away, and the humid subtropical climate means summers are a swampy slog. If you're a digital nomad with a remote salary, the 120 Mbps internet and a 75/100 nomad score make it workable, but don't come here to stretch a budget.

Galliano is a tiny bayou town of 7 thousand where a $4,500/mo net salary stretches further than in most American cities, though $1,669/mo for a one-bedroom downtown still bites. The trade-off is real: a safety index of 53/100 and a crime index of 47/100 mean you keep your wits about you, and hurricane season from June through November is a genuine annual threat. On the plus side, MSY sits just 5 km away, English is widely spoken, and 60 Mbps internet keeps remote work viable for a digital nomad score of 57/100. Come for the low cost and the wetlands, not for big-city polish.