With technology advancing and more and more people not being up for the traditional 9-5 job, searching instead for flexible remote jobs, becoming a digital nomad is a dream for many. Working from whichever location you’d like, moving around the world with your laptop to perform the job from a library, coffee shop, co-working space or even a beach bar is becoming increasingly attractive and possible with the estimation now that by 2035 there will be around 1 billion digital nomads roaming around the world. And while it sounds very attractive and people leave their regular jobs to go for the adventure of their life, becoming a digital nomad is not as easy as it may seem and there are a lot of different things to consider when choosing a country, from climate of the country, the community, to internet speed and local laws. However, if you are one of the lucky ones or are well on your way of becoming one, we bring you some of the best countries in which to be a digital nomad.
1. Thailand
One of the most popular places to live for digital nomads is definitely Thailand. Besides seeming to be a very cheap country for anyone who comes from the West, Thailand has excellent climate, delicious food, beautiful nature, friendly people as well as a thriving expat community and – very important – good and stable internet connection in most big cities. Whether you settle for a bit in Bangkok or Chiang Mai or go the the south to enjoy Phuket’s beaches, Thailand will be great for both your work and social life. Local Thai people are very nice and pleasant to expats, and you can enjoy discovering the beautiful Thai culture and nature. Just be careful though – don’t break any of the local laws as Thai prisons are no fun at all.
2. Vietnam
While still not as popular as Thailand, Vietnam is also becoming a trendy place to be among the digital nomads who want to work in an exotic location. Still very cheap for anyone coming from a Western country, Vietnam is very hospitable and the people are super-friendly so you will definitely get along well with the locals. Now becoming a new startup hub in the region, it offers a lot of work and social opportunities to the expats who decided to make it their home at least for a while. The only downside is that the internet speed is not perfect everywhere so for work you will probably need to stay in bigger cities like Hanoi.
3. Berlin, Germany
We’d love to promote the whole Germany as a destination for digital nomads but unfortunately there are some quite expensive German cities which don’t allow us to do so. However, Berlin needs to be mentioned as a great place to be and probably needs no special introduction. The German capital offers all advantages of a big city including a large expat community, richness of culture, numerous restaurants and opportunities at every corner while remaining relatively safe and the cost of living is still at very affordable. However, with the very cold and long winters, the climate may not be so agreeable for everyone.
4. Croatia
One of the most popular European destinations in the last couple of years, Croatia is also becoming very popular among the digital nomads. This is not surprising as the country took some steps to attract the digital nomads from all over the world to come and work from there, supporting the economy of the country. One of the recent measures is the possibility of issuing digital nomad visas which were just introduced in January this year. The visa makes it possible to stay for different amounts of time of up to a year and allows you to perform your work from there and enjoy all the perks of life in Croatia – beautiful nature, incredible food, nice people and all of this still in Europe at reasonable prices.
5. Portugal
Whoever visited Portugal probably fell in love with this beautiful country – great climate, nice people, delicious food and gorgeous nature are all you need to have a good stay and you can all find it here. If you add to this a thriving expat community, interesting culture and history, it is no wonder that digital nomads just keep coming. Portugal also helps the trend with their laws and regulations, offering for independent workers and entrepreneurs a temporary residence visa and residents permit for a year which can be renewed for up to five years as well as some tax benefits. Who would not want to live and work in Portugal with the perfect mix it offers!
