The best destination to base yourself as a digital nomad depends on the type of lifestyle that you want to enjoy. And thankfully, there are quite a few options that you can consider if you want to base yourself.
Cost is one factor, but it isn’t the only factor that you should consider. In the end, you want to have a great experience in the place where you will base yourself as a digital nomad. So we’ve considered the following factors for choosing the top digital nomad destinations.
Skip to section
Cost of living
The cost of living is important as you want to be able to afford to have a good experience in the place in which you are based.
The lower the cost of living, the easier it will be to live as a digital nomad. You won’t need to worry about “making ends meet.
Instead, you will have the opportunity to be more creative and take more risks with your digital nomad ventures.
A sweet spot is if you are able to minimize your cost of living to less than $1000USD a month.
Infrastructure.
From the travels that we have personally done, we have found that it isn’t worth trading off good infrastructure for cost. It’s important to have good infrastructure such as transport, safety, internet, and communications.
This will allow you to improve your productivity and mobility.
Quality of life
This is a huge factor that gets overlooked by alot of digital nomads. Ultimately, you need to be happy with the quality of life that the digital nomad lifestyle offers you.
You can live cheap and frugally in a hostel in Cambodia renting a bed with a mosquito net for $1-2 a night. Or you can rent an apartment or a villa for $1,000USD a month and share it with friends, family, or partners.
The same thing goes for being able to socialize, explore, and participate in activities.
It depends what kind of lifestyle you want.
Activities and lifestyle
Are there any activities that you would like to participate in while you are travelling to the destinations? For example, would you like to get involved with local sports teams? Or would you like to participate in cultural experiences such as visiting landmarks or cultural events.
Cultural immersion
Do you want to be completely immersed in the culture of the destination that you are visiting?
Do you want to live with the locals and participate in the local activities? And if so, can you afford to do so?
Top destinations for digital nomads.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I personally felt like this was the best place to be based as a digital nomad in South East Asia. The reason being was that it was easy to be productive in the city with excellent internet connection.
The city also has excellent transportation networks internally and globally.
I’d originally found travel deals to Singapore and the Maldives for as little as $50 per person.
The lifestyle in Kuala Lumpur was also enjoyable. And the food was amazing.
Click here to see more about being a digital nomad in Kuala Lumpur.
Lisbon
Lisbon is one of the most incredible cities to visit in Europe. Very cosmopolitan and inexpensive when compared to other areas in Europe. It is possible to live in Lisbon for less than 1000 Euros a month, but you will still get access to the 24/7 lifestyle that the city has to offer.
If you like music, entertainment, art, sunshine, scenic views, and the ability to explore other areas in Europe, Lisbon may just be the place where you should be based as a digital nomad.
Click here to see more about being a digital nomad in Lisbon.
Brisbane, Australia
Brisbane, Australia offers a really good lifestyle that will give you the opportunity to explore different regions of the country. Although it is more expensive per month to be based in Australia, the cost of living can be minimized and it is traded off by the amount of free activities and events that the city offers.
It will never be as cheap as South East Asia, but for a little bit more, you will get a cleaner and safer environment, a healthier and nice place to live, and easy access to beaches and outdoor activities.
On top of that, locals area generally polite and friendly.
There are also budget airlines that can take you to other digital nomad destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Bali.
Click here to see more about being a digital nomad in Brisbane.
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai has been at the top of the list for a very long time with digital nomads. It has great infrastructure and is relatively inexpensive. There’s a mix of the “old with the new”. It also has easy transportation networks to other countries such as Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and more.
Click here to see more about being a digital nomad in Chiang Mai.
Vietnam
Vietnam is another interesting place to be based and you can choose to be based either in Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi, or one of the smaller cities inbetween.
You can get a great home setup for a relatively low price (sometimes as little as $400USD per month).
You can easily get inexpensive transportation networks to take you within the country or to other areas.
It will also give you a great opportunity to grow your business remotely.
Click here to see more about being a digital nomad in Vietnam.
Are there any places that you would also like to see on this list? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.
Sign-up now!
Start your digital nomad journey today!
