The concept of a 'home base' within a longer trip changes the economics significantly and not enough travelers use it intentionally.

A home base is a city or region where you settle for 2-4 weeks, from which you do day trips or short overnight excursions to surrounding areas, then return. The economics work as follows:

Accommodation: you can negotiate weekly or monthly rates that are 30-50% below the nightly rate. A $15/night hostel dorm might be available at $10/night for a monthly rate in a private room. Your accommodation cost drops while your space improves.

Food: you learn the best cheap options, find the grocery store, cook occasionally. The food learning curve pays dividends after about 5-7 days.

Transport: you stop paying for taxis and start using local transport you've figured out. In cities with good metro systems, you get 10-day or monthly transport passes that reduce per-ride cost significantly.

The specific destinations that work well as bases: Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Kraków, Tbilisi, Medellín, Oaxaca, Porto. Each has excellent day-trip access to surrounding regions, enough to do locally for 2-4 weeks, and accommodation/food infrastructure that rewards staying longer.

The intangible value: the feeling of being somewhere rather than passing through it. The barista who recognizes you, the food vendor who knows your order. These things sound small and they matter a lot to travel satisfaction.