Khulm, Afghanistan

You'll be lucky to find a job that pays more than $99,362 a year in this desert town. With a population of just 64,933, Khulm is a small, agricultural community dependent on the Khulm River. While the river produces some of the world's finest almonds and pomegranates, the entire water supply is used up for irrigation before reaching the larger Oxus basin. Bureaucratic headaches are the norm, as locals have had to build extensive flood control projects just to protect their orchards from the river's unreliable flow. Overall, Khulm is a hardscrabble place best suited for those who can handle a remote, arid climate and don't mind a heavy dose of red tape.