Best places to be a digital nomad in 2024

We ranked 61 locations based on affordability, weather, broadband speed, and other factors to reveal the best places to be a digital nomad in 2024.

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, and the trend is being driven by technology, growing demand for flexible workspaces, and the increasing adoption of hybrid work.

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What is a digital nomad?

A digital nomad is a remote worker who travels and works simultaneously, visiting locations worldwide and 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 nearly 30% of digital nomads prefer to stay in one location for one to two months, while 26% stay for three to four months and 16% stay for five to seven months.

Top digital nomad locations ranked

Below is our ranking of 61 of the best places to be a digital nomad in 2024, with Dubai and Lisbon 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 Milan all appear below unexpected winners, such as Jacksonville and Gothenburg.

Outranking every other city analysed, Dubai stands out as the number one destination for digital nomads. This UAE city has a strong reputation as an international business hub with excellent infrastructure. The UAE also offers a special one-year Virtual Work Residency Visa.

You’ll have no worries about connectivity while working in sunny Dubai – there are over 23,000 wi-fi hotspots throughout the city, with an average broadband speed of 230mbps. Dubai also has a climate that attracts digital nomads from around the world, getting an annual average of 3,500 hours of sunshine. This makes it an excellent place to work from the beach!

Not far behind Dubai is Lisbon, the perfect option for inexpensive yet delicious food, beautiful weather and scenery, and great 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 98mbps, the city is ideal for enjoying the sun and surfing while still working productively. A cappuccino in Lisbon will cost you just £1,66, and an Airbnb will cost you £115 a night.

Best digital nomad cities globally

Spotlight on Asia

Bangkok is the top Asian city on our list. It offers stunning local cuisine, vibrant street food markets, and more than 15,000 wi-fi hotspots with an average broadband speed of 229mbps.

Other Asian business hubs, such as Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong, offer captivating travel experiences, scenery, and food alongside stellar connectivity, infrastructure, and a manageable cost of living.

Day-to-day expenses in Asian cities can be very affordable for digital nomads. Hanoi has the most affordable cuisine, with a Vietnamese dining experience costing £18,9, and Kathmandu has the cheapest coffee, charging just £1,27 for a cappuccino.

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 the workspace, meaning you can easily find creative coworking spaces in Singapore, meeting rooms, and serviced offices from which to work as you travel.

Connectivity is also second to none. Beijing boasts the fastest average broadband speed in this ranking at 260mbps, while Jakarta has the most wi-fi hotspots, with more than 97,000 across the city. Meanwhile, Tokyo ranks the highest in terms of quality of life.

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. Wellington, Auckland, Sydney and Perth are all among the top cities on our list.

Spotlight on Europe

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

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. Beautiful Vienna in Austria is the city with the highest quality of life score in Europe, making it a highly desirable destination to live and work. Zurich, Rotterdam and Copenhagen are all close behind.

Spotlight on the US

Los Angeles tops our list of best digital nomad cities in the US. The City of Angels is all about sun and fun, with a warm Mediterranean climate and beaches galore to explore. The city has over 10,000 wi-fi hotspots and an average broadband speed of 198mbps, so you can confidently join meetings and share documents from your LA coworking space or beachfront coffee shop.

Other US locations, like Houston, Chicago 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

Jacksonville, Florida, has the highest quality of life score on our US list. Known as the “Bold New City of the South”, Jacksonville has a great climate, 22 miles of beaches and plenty of outdoor activities. This makes it one of the most attractive places for remote workers to network, sightsee and enjoy some downtime.

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 only scratches 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. 

Data Sources

1. mobile and broadband speed – https://www.speedtest.net/global-index
2. number of Wi-Fi hotspots – https://www.wifimap.io/countries
3. average yearly hours of sunshine – https://weather-and-climate.com/
4. Restaurant price Index – https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp?title=2023&displayColumn=4
5. average cost of cappuccino – https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/prices_by_city.jsp?displayCurrency=USD&itemId=114
6. average cost of an Airbnb – https://analytics.alltherooms.com/market/