World travel is restarting. Countries around the world are beginning to ease border restrictions and welcome travelers back. Travel is an enormous export for a lot of countries and governments will be desperate to rekindle these industries for their economy's sake.
All travelers should expect to see major reductions in the price of travel. Airplane companies will need to fill seats and hotels need guests back in their rooms. Flights and accommodation prices are going to be slashed until the industry picks up again.
This is the perfect time for digital nomads to take advantage of cheap travel, explore the world, and maximize their online earnings. But where should you go? We have compiled a list of the best cities for digital nomads around the world to help you make your decision.
The Factors Accounted for in this Digital Nomad Location List are:
1 Months Rent in a 1 Bedroom Apartment
Cost of a 3 Month Visa, a Cup of Coffee, a Glass of Beer
The Weather and Best Months to Visit
Internet Speed
Quality of Life Score
These numbers are based on our own travel experiences to these locations, or data gathered from Nomadlist. All prices listed in this article are in US Dollars.
Our Top 6 Digital Nomad Locations
Vietnam
Bali
Thailand
Hungary
Portugal
Mexico
Hoi An, Vietnam: The Cheapest Digital Nomad City
One Month Rent: $215
Three Month Visa: $110
Glass of Beer: $0.65
Cup of Coffee: $0.43
Internet Speed: 11 Mbps
Weather: 70-90°F or 21-32°C
Best Months to Visit: February-August
Quality of Life: 3.5/5
Vietnam is rapidly developing into one of the world’s next tourist Meccas. It is one of the cheapest countries in the world to travel, the cuisine here is incredible and the people are friendly.
Vietnam has some amazing sites seeing spots for tourists. Halong Bay is one of the most popular destinations on travelers’ bucket lists, and rightfully so. The place is breathtaking. Islands jut out of the ocean like something out of the movie Avatar. The Marble Mountains and Ban Gioc Waterfall are two more must-see attractions in Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are the two major cities in Vietnam that Digital Nomads flock too. But in this article, we will be discussing my favorite Vietnamese city as a Digital Nomad base. Hoi An. A beautiful old city where the French influence is clearly evident. It truly is a spectacle to see Hoi An by night. Her paved streets, canals, and historic buildings are lit up by thousands of lanterns.
The emerging tourism industry in Vietnam has put it on many Digital Nomads radar. It is far less crowded than Thailand and Bali and gives a more authentic Southeast Asian experience. Vietnam living is cheap and fun, a glass of beer in Hoi An is only 65 cents and delicious Vietnamese drip coffee goes for under 50 cents a cup.
The internet connection here is not as strong as other digital nomad cities on the list. We found it to be reliable and fast enough to work on. To ensure you have a good connection try the newly opened co-working space in Hoi An, HUB Hoi An. It is the first building of its kind in Hoi An and a great place for Digital Nomads to work and interact.
Coworking spaces opening in the area is a true sign of the potential Hoi An has for digital nomads in the future. Move to Hoi An before it becomes more expensive due to overcrowding.
Canggu, Bali: The Most Popular Digital Nomad Location
One Month Rent: $348
Three Month Visa: $35
Glass of Beer: $1.77
Cup of Coffee: $1.74
Internet Speed: 19 Mbps
Weather: 80-100°F or 26-37°C
Best Months to Visit: July-November
Quality of Life: 4/5
Bali is the most densely populated spot for digital nomads in the world. Travelers from all over the world come to experience perfect weather, cheap living, great surf, and the party atmosphere of the Indonesian Islands. This is what makes it one of the best places for digital nomads in the world. There are lots of hotspots for Digital Nomads to live in Bali. Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, Seminyak, and Jimbaran are the top 5. For this article, we researched Canggu as we plan on spending early 2021 working as Digital Nomads here.
Rent and other living expenses are super cheap in Bali and you get to live luxuriously. Magnificent Villas with pools and cleaning services are anywhere between $300-$500USD a month. Food all over Bali is cheap and delicious, restaurants really cater to the tourists, you can easily find 2-3 course meals for under $10.
Canggu is usually number one on the Nomad List as the best place to live and work as a digital nomad. The weather here is warm year-round, just be sure to avoid the rainy season.
To stay in Bali for 3 months, you need to get a 2-month visa for $35USD. Then you have to leave Bali for a few days before returning on a free 1-month tourist visa.
Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Original Digital Nomad City
One Month Rent: $324
Three Month Visa: $180
Glass of Beer: $1.94
Cup of Coffee: $2.40
Internet Speed: 23 Mbps
Weather: 80-100°F or 26-37°C
Best Months to Visit: February-June
Quality of Life: 4/5
One of the original hubs for digital nomads. Some say the lifestyle started here, thanks to a boom of start-up businesses, cheap living, and a mass influx of laptop working tourists to Chiang Mai.
Thailand is a beautiful destination. A paradise of islands covered in jungles and Buddhist temples and surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters and white beaches. Thailand is warm year-round, almost always above 25°C. The best time to visit is February to June as humidity is low and there is little rain.
The country has super cheap living costs and a 1 bedroom apartment in downtown Chiang Mai will only set you back $324 a month. There is a large crowd of digital nomads which is great for socializing and networking. Great food, cheap beer, friendly locals, fast internet, and fun nightlife make Chiang Mai, Thailand the ultimate destination for a Digital Nomad.
Budapest, Hungary: The Cheapest Digital Nomad City in Europe
One Month Rent: $462
Three Month Visa: FREE
Glass of Beer: $1.26
Cup of Coffee: $1.11
Internet Speed: 41 Mbps
Weather: 30-80°F or 0-30°C
Best Months to Visit: April-August
Quality of Life: 4/5
Budapest is a city with astounding architecture and a rich history that truly takes you back in time. Recently, Budapest has become one of the most popular digital nomad locations in Europe. Thanks mainly to the cheap cost of living compared to other major European cities.
A one-bedroom apartment in downtown Budapest will cost $462 USD on average. While this is a lot more expensive than the South East Asia Digital Nomad Locations, it is cheaper than most locations in Europe.
It is an exciting city to explore and had been gaining a lot of popularity with tourists. Before the lockdown, prices had been steadily increasing in the city, so it will be interesting to see if this trend continues. Budapest has great public transport and almost everything in the city is within walking distance, perfect for a nomad with no car.
Beer, Coffee, and food are cheap here. Budapest is great for socializing, the city has plenty of cafes, co-working spaces, and nightlife. Visas are not required for tourists traveling to Hungary for less than 90 days.
Porto, Portugal: The Up and Coming Digital Nomad Location
One Month Rent: $729
Three Month Visa: FREE
Glass of Beer: $2.24
Cup of Coffee: $1.12
Internet Speed: 31 Mbps
Weather: 60-80°F or 15-26°C
Best Months to Visit: February-October
Quality of Life: 4.5/5
One of the most popular destinations for Digital Nomads in Europe. Travelers are drawn to the beauty, culture, and rich history of Portugal. A romantic country with delicious cuisine, fantastic wine, and a unique way of life. Lisbon and Porto are the two best cities for digital nomads in Portugal. Lisbon has been extremely popular for many years but Porto is quickly catching up. Porto is the cheaper of the two but Portugal still has the most expensive cost of living out of any country on this list. A one-bedroom apartment in downtown Porto will sting you $729 USD a month.
Digital Nomads that love networking events and co-working areas will love Porto. An emerging city in the business and start-up scene, they play host to a number of workshops and events each year. Port.Io have 4 awesome coworking spaces around the city that digital nomads should check out while living here.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: The Best Geo-Arbitrage Digital Nomad Location
One Month Rent: $239
Three Month Visa: FREE
Glass of Beer: $1.08
Cup of Coffee: $0.72
Internet Speed: 22 Mbps
Weather: 80-100°F or 26-37°C
Best Months to Visit: April-June
Quality of Life: 4/5
Like many of the destinations on this list, Puerto Vallarta is a tourist hot spot. This leads to some overcrowding and price increases, but it also makes it a fantastic location for Digital Nomads. Nomads can indulge themselves in cheap, luxury accommodation, picturesque beaches, authentic Mexican food, hidden surf breaks, and fun nightlife.
Puerto Vallarta is a much safer spot for digital nomads to live compared to other destinations in Mexico. The city has it’s own International Airport, making it a great city for Digital Nomads that plan on doing a lot of traveling.
This location is not as popular for digital nomads as the Mexican city of Playa Del Carmen but it still has plenty of coworking spaces for travelers to network and mingle.
There is huge potential to earn USD online while living in Mexico. You are in a similar timezone to most American businesses so work hours will not be in the middle of the night or early morning. Most online clients are likely to hire people based on the same continent as them. This makes Mexico one of the best places to take advantage of Geo-Arbitrage.
Living in Mexico is dirt cheap, luxury accommodation costs around $239 a month per person. You can get a glass of beer for $1.08 and a cup of coffee for 72 cents. Nomadlist says the cost of living is $1300 a month for nomads. If you were making upwards of $3000 USD a month online (which is extremely possible) then you can live like a king and save $2000 USD a month.
If you are interested in building an online business, here are 25 Ideas that you can start while traveling.
Want to travel the USA? Here are our 30 Best Places to visit in the US.
To learn more about making money online as a freelancer, give this article a read.
Comments