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10 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Rangoon, Actually Just Don’t

@Marcus Thorne2/11/2026blog

well, you know how some cities have that vibe where you feel like you’ve found your tribe? rngoon just kinda feels like a toddler at a buffet table. let me tell you why. first off, rent here is a party. i checked the numbers on a tribal website last night (yes, that’s how i get my data) and a one-bedroom in zone 11 is like $480. that’s not hella cheap but it’s cheaper than sfo or something, right? but here’s the catch: landlords. some are legit, others are like… i saw one guy with a poster for ‘no refunds, no shaddup’ taped to his door. wouldn’t trust him with my sandwich.

then there’s safety. i’m not saying avoid it completely, but maybe don’t wander alone at midnight. i heard a rumor from a cab driver (he was real drunk, not gonna lie) that said backpackers in bogyoke market get robbed at a rate that would make a banker cry. i’m not one to believe rumors, but i also won’t risk my iphone.

weather? let’s just say it’s the south korean version of a sauna. sticky, sweaty, and the kind of heat that makes your phone overheat. i’ve had my camera melt three times. but here’s the upside: if you’re into humidity, you’re golden. it’s like, nature’s way of saying ‘you’re already here.’

neighbors? listen, the city’s dense. you’ll pass 100 people in 5 minutes. i met a street artist named htet yesterday who painted a motorcycle on a bus. he said he does it because ‘why buy a wall when you can just spray-paint it?’ vibes. another neighbor down the street is a guy who runs a blog about old typewriters. he’s 72, plays saxophone at 3 am, and claims the best coffee in the city is at a corner stall. i’m torn. i trust no one.

now, job market. shockingly, there’s work. i checked a freelance board ( образом наjuttinglocal.com - real site, just crate cleaned) and saw gigs for everything from english teaching to app dev. but here’s the thing: nobody hires expats unless you’re cute or have a specific skill. if you’re a blogger like me, you might rely on cafes or guest posts. which leads to… cafes. they’re everywhere. some are legit, others are just a table and a fan. i once sat in one for an hour while the owner tried to fix a router. he was very into it.

reviews? okay, so i read a tripadvisor page from a person who stayed in a hostel and left a one-star because ‘no hot water’ and also ‘the owner looked sad.’ take that with a grain of salt. another yelper swore by the street food but said to avoid the fried snails ‘unless you wanna regret your life choices.’ maybe don’t.

here’s what you should actually do: look at a subreddit ( Филиппинский or whatever it’s called, i’m bad at foreign subs). also, someone on yelp warned against driving in this city. they said traffic here is like a horror movie. i’m 90% sure they were right.

so in closing: rngoon is messy. it’s hot. it’s weird. but if you like chaos, maybe this is your spot. just don’t expect anything to make sense.

p.s. this map shows the city, but honestly, just follow the smell of fried bananas. that’s where the action is.

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About the author: Marcus Thorne

Sharing knowledge so you don't have to learn the hard way.

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