Best places to be a digital nomad in 2022

We ranked almost 80 locations on affordability, weather, broadband speed and more to reveal the best places to be a digital nomad in 2022.

Advances in technology, remote working and workplace culture mean that by 2035, a billion people could be living and working as digital nomads. According to predictions, this global nomadic workforce, capable of plugging in anywhere in the world with a decent internet connection, will make up 1 in every 3 employees.

There are already 35 million digital nomads worldwide, with the trend being driven by technology, growing demand for flexible workspace, and the increasing adoption of hybrid work.

What is a digital nomad?

A digital nomad is a remote worker who travels and works simultaneously, visiting locations worldwide, working from beaches, coffee shops and coworking spaces. Some digital nomads only travel for a few months, and others do it for years. Research suggests that 80% of digital nomads prefer to stay in one location for 3-9 months.

Top digital nomad locations ranked

Below is our ranking of up to 80 of the best places to be a digital nomad in 2022, with Lisbon and Bangkok in the top two spots.

Locations that rank highest provide the ideal combination of cost-efficient living with beautiful weather, superb connectivity, and quality of life. Notably, many major tourist hotspots are comparatively low on the list: London, Paris and Venice all appear far below unexpected winners like Thessaloniki, Gothenburg and San Jose.

Outranking every other city analysed, Lisbon is the perfect option for inexpensive, delicious food, beautiful weather and scenery, and excellent infrastructure. One of the sunniest places in Europe, the Portuguese coastal capital is a food-lovers haven, with local markets and freshly caught seafood available on virtually every corner. With more than 7,000 wi-fi hotspots and an average broadband speed of 163mbps, the city is ideal for enjoying the sun and surf while working.

Not far behind is Bangkok, offering stunning local cuisine, vibrant street-food markets, more than 15,000 wi-fi hotspots and some of the most affordable accommodation of all the cities researched. The average cost of an Airbnb in Bangkok is £27 a night.

Best digital nomad cities globally

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Spotlight on Asia

Unsurprisingly, over half the cities analysed in our top 60 are in Asia. Cities like Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong offer captivating travel experiences, scenery and food alongside stellar connectivity, infrastructure and a manageable cost of living.

Bustling metropolises across Central, East, South, Southeast and Western Asia are perfect for digital nomads who want to explore some of the world’s most iconic business centres and enjoy a continent full of exciting travel opportunities and sights. Demand for flexible office space in places like Singapore and Hong Kong is high as more people look to new ways of using workspace, meaning you can easily find creative coworking spaces in singapore, meeting rooms and serviced offices to work from as you travel.

Connectivity is also second to none. Singapore boasts the fastest average broadband speed in this ranking, at 256 Mbps, while Jakarta has more than 97,000 wi-fi hotspots across the city.

Top cities for digital nomads in Asia

Neighbouring countries in Asia-Pacific also feature high on the list for digital nomads, with Australia and New Zealand both offering plenty of coworking space, delicious cuisine, travel opportunities and probably most appealing of all, unparalleled sunny weather.

Spotlight on Europe

According to almost 80 cities analysed, Europe is one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads and the second most popular continent on the list. Rich history, excellent transport and accessible travel opportunities make Europe one of the most appealing locations for digital nomads, who can spend a weekend sightseeing in Paris and catch a train back to London in time for work on Monday.

Top cities for digital nomads in Europe

For those who want to soak up the Mediterranean climate, Lisbon and Thessaloniki are warm seaside cities with a gentle pace of life. Switzerland boasts the two cities with the highest quality of life in Europe (Bern and Zurich), making it a highly desirable destination to live and work.

Spotlight on the US

California’s San Jose tops the list of best digital nomad cities in the US. This Silicon Valley business centre is diverse, known for innovation and has a sunny Mediterranean climate, making it one of the most attractive places for remote workers to network, sightsee and enjoy some downtime outdoors.

Other US locations, like Houston, Chicago, LA and New York, are already popular tourist attractions, but their combination of flexible office space, connectivity, transport infrastructure and travel options also make them appealing locations to live, work and play while exploring the US as a digital nomad. 

Top cities for digital nomads in America

What jobs do digital nomads do?

Plenty of careers are amenable to a digital nomad lifestyle. 51% are in digital marketing, computer science and creative industries (copywriting and design), but this is only scratching the surface of the range of jobs occupied by remote workers. Anything that can be done behind a screen can be done by a digital nomad, whether that’s insurance brokering, nutritional advice, or HR.  

Travel while you work: a trend that’s here to stay

Trends in commercial property reflect the general movement towards increased workplace flexibility. Our market forecasts show flexible workspace as a proportion of the total office market will grow from 5% to almost 13% by 2025. As the role of the office changes and flexibility increases globally, more people will be able to travel and work virtually anywhere.

Discover a flexible workspace that suits your working style anywhere in the world.   

Data method

We analysed data from various reputable sources across nine categories to rank the best cities for digital nomads. We then assigned scores to the best ranking cities for each category and summed up the scores to create a global list.  

• mobile and broadband speed – https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/internet-speeds-by-country

• number of Wi-Fi hotspots – https://www.wifimap.io/countries

• average yearly hours of sunshine – https://weather-and-climate.com/

• average cost of an inexpensive meal and a coffee – http://https:/www.numbeo.com

• quality of life – https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/

• average cost of an Airbnb – https://analytics.alltherooms.com/market/

• Instant Offices proprietary data