I can't exactly speak of low-cost high culture but, if you take out the 'high' part, I can say I've been living this way for the past several years. I enjoy sev

I can't exactly speak of low-cost high culture but, if you take out the 'high' part, I can say I've been living this way for the past several years. I enjoy several cultural outings per month, free or low cost (and usually w/in walking distance), simply by being "location independent" (ie, living outside the States). For years, I haven't had to spend more than $600/mo in living expenses, having lived tons of different experiences across different countries/cultures and, frankly, I wouldn't trade it. Standard of living hasn't always been the best but, in the foreign cities I've now lived the longest in, I've often found the standard way better than anything I found in the US (a period spanning most of my life). The main take-away for me has been that a higher/better standard of living in exchange for lesser pay is a game-changer. The kinds of things danjayh (currently the top comment) says make it totally worth it. Take the pay cut, make the change. You may surprise yourself.