The 100 best cities for digital nomads have been ranked for 2022 with Lisbon in Portugal named number one. We explore the results
The world’s best cities to live, work and travel as a remote worker have been ranked by Nomad List, a real-time, user-based website that rates destinations accommodating to digital nomads. The website uses factors such as cost of living, internet speed and climate to index over 1,000 cities in more than 190 countries and territories.
Lisbon in Portugal is currently listed as the best city for digital nomads, followed by Canggu in Bali, Indonesia, and Bangkok in Thailand. Portugal was also recently named the best country for remote workers thanks to its visa and digital nomad schemes as well as its great weather, safety and high English proficiency.
Launched in 2014, Nomad List has over 10,000 members who regularly feedback data in real-time. The index also uses public data sets from the UN, WHO, IMF and the World Bank for statistics on demographics, crime, safety and healthcare. The list also includes a handful of island and resort destinations popular with remote workers.
10 best cities for remote workers
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Madeira, Portugal
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Timisoara, Romania
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Portimao, Portugal
Popular spots
Long a favoured destination among expats, Portugal launched the world’s first digital nomad village in 2021, Digital Nomads Madeira. The new initiative aims to attract digital nomads to make use of free co-working spaces and subsidised accommodation. The island destination is ranked fourth on the list.
Portugal’s capital, mainland Europe’s westernmost, appeals to digital nomads who flock to the city to work as much as play. However, while there is no shortage of affordable places to eat, drink and play, what nomads consistently say they like most about Lisbon is the sense of community among the freelancers who call it home.
The culture and architecture are also major draws with Lisbon described as one of Europe’s most human-friendly capital cities. Spread across seven historic hills, and with a gorgeous waterfront, the city is a sprawling collection of cobbled streets, ancient ruins and white-domed cathedrals.
Although not a city, the beachside destination of Canggu in Bali is ranked number two by Nomad List. Popular among travellers for generations, the coastal village is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia and is particularly appealing to backpackers, budget travellers and digital nomads. Ubud, Seminyak and Seseh in Bali, also make the top 100.
Thailand is a mainstay of such lists and remains popular due to its affordability and beautiful weather. It is a secular country that is friendly towards foreigners, making it an attractive option for expats and remote workers. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ko Pha Ngan and Krabi are all popular destinations. Chiang Mai is Thailand’s fifth largest city but is much greener and quieter than Bangkok and is located on a plain at 316m, surrounded by mountains and lush countryside.
One of the world’s mega-cities, home to over 25 million, Mexico City is the most popular city in the Americas for digital nomads thanks to its energetic nightlife, mouthwatering food and new relaxed visa rules. There are plenty of coworking spaces although rising rents have been reported due to the recent influx of US workers.
100 best cities for digital nomads
The best cities for digital nomads have been ranked by their ‘Nomad Score’, a numerical value based on the various data points. The heaviest weighting is assigned to the cost of living, climate, internet speed and safety.
Other indicators comprise inclusion (such as ethnicity and LGBTQ+ friendliness), air quality and nightlife.
It’s worth noting that the site’s indices are in constant flux as all the data is refreshed every 10 minutes based on user input. As such, some positions may fluctuate.
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Madeira, Portugal
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Timisoara, Romania
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Portimao, Portugal
- Berlin, Germany
- Bengaluru, India
- Warsaw, Poland
- Budapest, Hungary
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Lagos, Portugal
- Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Varna, Bulgaria
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Seoul, South Korea
- Prague, Czechia
- Sofia, Bulgaria
- Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand
- Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Brasov, Romania
- Medellin, Colombia
- Penang, Malaysia
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Cluj, Romania
- Krakow, Poland
- Porto, Portugal
- Constanta, Romania
- Azores, Portugal
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Zagreb, Croatia
- Wroclaw, Poland
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Zadar, Croatia
- Ericeira, Portugal
- Bansko, Bulgaria
- Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Hyderabad, India
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Mallorca, Spain
- Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
- Gdansk, Poland
- Ploiesti, Romania
- Cebu, Philippines
- Bucharest, Romania
- Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia
- Seseh, Bali, Indonesia
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Manila, Philippines
- Davao, Philippines
- Atlanta, USA
- Guadalajara, Mexico
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- London, UK
- Cancun, Mexico
- Novi Sad, Serbia
- Braga, Portugal
- Busan, South Korea
- Nis, Serbia
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Perth, Australia
- Brno, Czechia
- Da Nang, Vietnam
- Dallas, USA
- Szczecin, Poland
- Lviv, Ukraine
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Dresden, Germany
- Mumbai, India
- Delhi, India
- Mostar, Bosnia
- San, Antonio, USA
- Taghazout, Morocco
- Bratislava, Slovakia
- Queretaro, Mexico
- Krabi, Thailand
- Antalya, Turkey
- Barcelona, Spain
- Lima, Peru
- Sarajevo, Bosnia
- Luang Prabang, Laos
- Puerto Escondido, Mexico
- Austin, USA
- Monterrey, Mexico
- Split, Croatia
- Athens, Greece
- Vancouver, Canada
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Haikou, China
- Phu Quoc, Vietnam
- Kyiv, Ukraine
- Skopje, North Macedonia
- Palawan, Philippines
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