10 Best Destinations for Digital Nomads and Remote Entrepreneurs
An estimated 1 billion people will be digital nomads by 2035. There’s a solid chance that even if you haven’t heard the term, you may join the legions of them in due time.
The appeal of time flexibility, professional autonomy, and the ability to earn a living remotely is causing many to ditch their 9 to 5 for the ultimate work-life balance.
As the expectations of employers shift to match the growing desire for untethered opportunities, the amount of ways to make money away from a desk continues to increase each year.
However, the allure of the digital nomad life can cause many to overlook the reality of how difficult it can be to achieve it.
While Instagrammers give glimpses into this world, using pithy hashtags like #digitalnomad and #workhardplayharder and posting beach laptop selfies, the truth is it takes tremendous discipline, resourcefulness, and an idea of where to go in order to be the best digital nomad you can be.
Remote workers and entrepreneurs tend to understand how important their “why” and their “how” is, but the “where” often isn’t taken into serious consideration as perhaps it should be.
So what makes a destination ideal for a digital nomad?
There’s not just one answer to this question. To some extent, it depends on what you do and the kind of community you seek. If you’re a YouTuber, a gamer, an online tutor, an Instagram influencer, or a photographer, you may already know better than a list could tell you.
However, after surveying digital nomads from around the world, these are the top factors we’ve taken into account as we’ve rounded out The Remote Traveller 10 Best Destinations for Digital Nomads and Remote Entrepreneurs:
Internet access — This seems like a no-brainer, but you can’t do your work without it these days. A digital nomad without internet is as hindered as a pilot without a plane. We’ve considered both connectivity and speed.
Cost-effectiveness — Most digital nomads take a hit, at least for the first few years outside of a 9 to 5 while they’re still figuring out how to manage their own career. Finding somewhere affordable to live can extend the time you have to design your new life.
Inspirational — The path of a digital nomad can be a solitary one at times. If you find yourself alone, it elevates your thoughts as you explore your work, your life, and your environment, if you are inspired by everything around you. For some people that means going snorkeling, or enjoying a festive night on the town, to others it means visiting ancient temples, or medieval cathedrals. Either way, every digital nomad needs to recharge and your surroundings are the easiest source to draw energy from.
These are the places we felt fit our criteria and deserve their place as the 10 best destinations for digital nomads and remote entrepreneurs.
Bali, Indonesia
If you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed, you’ve likely seen Bali on travel and entrepreneurial pages alike. The go-to destination for the hippies, hustlers, and everyone in between, its reputation is well-earned. If surfing, yoga, and taking over the world from the comfort of a tropical escape is your thing, Bali could be your dream destination.
Bali offers co-working spaces ranging from corporate setups to chic tropical cafes. Most of these coworking options have power-points, good internet connections, and are affordable to join. One of the key benefits to getting a membership is that it allows you to groupthink with other digital nomads and form a tribe of like-minded peers.
You can stretch your money and, subsequently, your time in Bali quite far, but you have to be savvy with your wallet. Mopeds, cocktails, and lavish beach parties will eat up your bank account quickly if you don’t pay attention to your spending there. However, if you plan to eat, work, and do things in moderation, you can thrive in Bali.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Bali is the abundance of natural beauty that continues to enchant and inspire remote entrepreneurs to come from far and wide. The abundance of nearby islands gives you plenty of things to do, see, and explore. From white-sand beaches to volcanic mountains, coral reefs, temples, and rice terraces, you’ll find inspiration in spades here in Bali.
Using a bike for short distances or a scooter for longer distances are favorite forms of transportation for locals and tourists alike. In addition to the myriad physical activities, Balinese cuisine offers up plenty of vegetarian and vegan delights with meals ranging anywhere from $1 to $9 for the more touristy spots.
The total cost of living should be somewhere in the ballpark of $1000 per month.
2) Chiang Mai, Thailand
The largest city in northern Thailand, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a pleasant mixture of nature, ancient temples, and cities teeming with life and culture. Chiang Mai is easily one of the most affordable bases for digital nomads out of all the viable destinations. The accommodations are cheap, there’s plenty of great street food, and you can bike your way through the city.
In between work, attend meditation retreats, yoga, and exploring. When you want to find a community of peers, check out some of the co-working spaces scattered around town or enjoy the 24-hour cafes which cater to remote entrepreneurs.
Chiang Mai might be even more popular among digital nomads than Bali. The combination of cheap living, festivals, stunning mountains, co-working spaces, work-ready cafes, and laid back vibe leaves little to be desired for the ambitious adventurers. The wifi tends to run a bit faster than Bali (though this isn’t a side by side comparison of the two, they tend to attract a similar crowd of digital nomads).
For entertainment, hike, bike, and indulge in outdoor activities. If you’re the partying type, you can rage on through the night at the bars and clubs — until midnight. Okay, so this isn’t necessarily a party city, but you can still find plenty of ways to live out the digital nomad motto work hard, play hard.
Getting around Chiang Mai is simple enough. The city is walkable or you can ride in a three-wheeled taxi, also known as a tuk tuk. For longer treks, you will likely want a car or a scooter. The cuisine is affordable, diverse, and vegan-friendly. You’re sure to find everything from noodle dishes and curry to barbeque.
The total cost of living should range from $700 to $1,000 per month depending on how extravagantly one chooses to live.
3) Medellin, Colombia
Our first two destinations have come from the Eastern Hemisphere, but have no fear, the west is here. Over the course of decades, Medellin has overcome its past of drug crime and rampant violence to emerge as a dreamscape for remote entrepreneurs.
Solo female travel is on the rise in Medellin as a result of major investments in infrastructure and technology. Long gone are the days of Pablo Escobar. Nowadays, work the day away and dance the night away in this vibrant city. Co-working spaces are being built regularly and there are plenty of cafes with good wifi connectivity depending on what part of the city you’re in.
For entertainment, hit up the bars, clubs, restaurants, take the cable car up to Parque Arvi, and take your time exploring the distinctive neighborhoods as ascend. Many expats find themselves in bliss hiking the lush greenery of Envigado.
Medellin is temperate year-round with a thunderstorm-filled rainy season that runs from April through November. The metro station can take you around the city if you live near it, otherwise, Uber and taxis are probably your best options (roughly $9 for a 1-hour ride).
The food isn’t necessarily healthy or cheap, however, if you like tropical fruits, you should get on just fine in Medellin. Healthcare is quality and affordable with highly-trained doctors and often better facilities than you’ll find in the states. You’ll pay similar rates without health insurance in Colombia as you would with health insurance in the United States.
The total cost of living should fall somewhere between $1,000 to $1,200 per month.
4) Budapest, Hungary
For our first European entry, we invite you to take a look at Budapest. Remote entrepreneurs and digital nomads can bathe in culture and the riches of history this city has to offer.
Budapest is a mixture of new and old, clearly defined and split in two halves by the river Danube. As an eastern European city, it’s vastly more affordable than some of its western European counterparts, while still giving its residents and nomads more than their share of museums, and ancient buildings to wander around awe-inspired. The world-famous Opera House and basilicas are just a glimpse into the splendor of Budapest.
Of the destinations on the list so far, Budapest also has the fastest wifi and best connectivity, broadly speaking. The thermal baths around the city also make a nice break if you’re looking to literally blow off some steam. Public transportation is top-notch, so getting around also won’t be an issue.
The cuisine in Hungary is far from vegan-friendly, thought it is possible to find your spots. Expect meats, soups, and pastries with specialties like grey cow, Mangalica and paprika pork, and Goulash. The medical care in Budapest is impressive enough that it’s rightfully risen to the top as a premier medical tourism destination. Like many European countries, bureaucracy and long wait times are still an issue.
The total cost of living should be around $1,300 per month.
5) Prague, Czech Republic
Prague quietly rivals Europe’s grandest cities with its cobbled streets, mystery, romance, and old world charm. Around each corner and along each path, you’ll likely discover something that feels like a secret specially made for you to stumble upon; another beer garden, cafe, $1 pint of beer, or a stranger with a different accent than the last one you met had.
Digital nomads will be delighted to know that there’s plenty of great coworking spaces around the city, wifi connectivity, and a decently affordable living situation. If you’re a writer and feel an itch to live in Prague, check out its famous residencies and fellowships for wordsmiths.
The total cost of living is estimated at around $1,900 per month.
6) Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon boasts red tile rooftops, views of the Atlantic, traditional Fado music, warm weather, and an even warmer embrace of the digital nomad lifestyle. Artists can easily join creative hubs located in museums, art galleries, and pubs — some of which even teach free-running and parkour. Remote entrepreneurs can find bohemian cafes and co-working spaces.
Though a little pricier than Asia, the tradeoff is worth it from the beaches to the nightlife, surfing, laidback vibe, culture, architecture (castle lovers, Lisbon will not disappoint), beer and wine, history, and diverse landscapes. The wifi is decent, but certainly servicable for digital nomads.
Most of the entertainment in Portugal is centered around its beaches and natural beauty and the allure of exploring its numerous ancient monasteries and castles. The tram system carries people around the city along with the metro system and buses. Portugese cuisine heavily features seafood and meat, but there are vegan options to be found.
The total cost of living is roughly $1,400 to $1,500 per month.
7) Tenerife, Spain
Most Spaniards will describe Tenerife as a party destination or a holiday getaway — both of which are true statements — but the largest Canary Island is also a booming hub for digital nomads.
The outdoor activities, natural scenery, beaches and enchanting nightlife, makes it an easy adjustment for the gipsy soul. Most parts of the island have great wifi accessibility with some beaches even serving up free wifi.
The total estimated cost of living in Tenerife is about $2,100 per month.
8) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Between the friendly locals, markets, savory street food, bustling cafe scene, and scooters whizzing by, digital nomads will feel alive and at home in the city also known as Saigon. If France and Southeast Asia had a baby, it would look and behave quite a bit like Ho Chi Minh City. The former French colony boasts exquisite architecture and cuisine.
Explore the floating markets and villages along the Mekong Delta River or party the night away in the raging Vietnamese nightclub scene. Wifi connectivity tends to run at average speeds. For transportation, use taxis, buses, or rent or buy a motorcycle. A meal will typically cost you $2 to $8. To rent a place with laundry, a housecleaner, and utilities is roughly $300 per month.
The total cost of living in Saigon is estimated to be between $700 and $800.
9) Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona really needs no introduction. Between the tapas, Gaudi artwork and architecture, and nightlife, this world famous city would be worth going to even if it weren’t a haven for digital nomads. As it happens, it is exactly that.
Barcelona has its own Silicon Valley, uncoincidentally named ‘Barcelona Silicon Valley,’ where you can watch the daylight come and go and people walk the streets as you work from the comfort of a street cafe with superb wifi. The only downside of being a remote entrepreneur in Barcelona is the cost of living.
The total cost of living is roughly $3,000 per month.
10) Mexico City, Mexico
Long ago, the area that now comprises Mexico City was the center of the Aztec world. The innovation that helped them take over their portion of the ancient world has carried on into the present day. Mexico City is becoming a go-to destination for digital nomads.
While it isn’t the safest city in the world, it’s attracting an increasing number of startups and businesses. Be smart with how you present yourself and how you carry around your equipment. However, the same caution should be applied in nearly any destination on this list.
Mexico City is one of two capitals founded by Native Americans and it also happens to be the oldest capital in the Americas. The architecture, culture, museums, and an overall sense that incredible stories have unfolded here is evident at every turn and corner.
The total estimated cost of living in Mexico City is $1,500.
Conclusion
More than fifty percent of the workforce will be working remotely by 2021. As over half of the world gears up for a digitally-based workforce, hubs for remote entrepreneurs are becoming more clearly defined, causing others to join the ranks of their peers in hustle.
Whether you intend on moving to Bali, Prague, Medellin, or another destination on this list, make sure it aligns with your bank account, but most importantly, make sure it aligns with the things that inspire you to be your best self.