Ask HN: Where can I move cheaply to work by myself for a year?

I am a US citizen and want to quit my job and move to a place where I can work on a project for maximum one year, but I could settle for 6 months. I've traveled a lot and am willing to eat the cost of a round-trip ticket. Language won't be an issue; I speak many languages and would be thrilled to learn another.

I'd need to find a location that has high speed internet, is reasonably safe, amenable to a US citizen legally staying without an income for six to twelve months, and whose cost of living is far less than the bay area. I know places in the US where I could do this, but I'd like to take the opportunity to live somewhere else.

I welcome all suggestions. Thank you!