10 Best Digital Nomad Cities in 2024

Introduction

Are you a digital nomad looking for your next destination? Are you interested in becoming a digital nomad and need to know the best digital nomad cities around the world? Worry no more!

Being a digital nomad can be a great way to travel the world while working remotely. However, choosing the correct city to settle in is essential, as it can significantly impact your work-life balance, lifestyle, and overall experience.

Many cities in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and even Africa have become digital nomad hubs, and this post covers the ten best digital nomad cities for you to choose from.

But first, what are the factors to consider when choosing a destination as a digital nomad? Each digital nomad might have specific unique requirements, but these four will often be on their list.

Therefore, we reviewed the top digital nomad destination cities against the following criteria:

• Internet: A fast and reliable internet connection is crucial for digital nomads.
• Cost of Living: The cost of living can vary significantly between cities, making it important to choose a place that fits your budget.
• Social Life: A thriving social scene can make it easier to enjoy the city, meet other digital nomads, and make new friends.
• Weather & Climate: The climate can have a big impact on your overall enjoyment of a city, so it’s important to consider when choosing your destination.

In case you want to go direct to a specific city, here is the summary of the ten best digital nomad cities reviewed in this post.

Summary Of The 10 Best Digital Nomad Cities

Detailed Review Of The 10 Best Digital Nomad Cities

#1. Lisbon – Portugal

Lisbon has, in recent times, shot up rankings amongst the best digital nomad cities, as shown on. NomadList’s recent ranking. The city has a vibrant digital nomad culture and is among Europe’s best digital nomad hubs.

The city boasts over 300 days of sunshine in a year for anyone evading the cold winters of Europe. On top of that, Lisbon has lots of historical attractions, great food, beautiful parks, and co-working spaces.

Digital nomads often feel at home in Lisbon despite being in a Portuguese-speaking country, as English is widely used. The digital nomad community is also quite huge in Lisbon, filling up the cafes and co-working spaces around the city.

Portugal offers a special Digital Nomad Visa or Portugal D7 Visa, which makes it much easier for remote workers to enter the country.

Lisbon also welcomes startups, with hundreds setting up shops across the city. Additionally, more and more Americans are moving to Portugal as digital nomads, while others acquire citizenship through golden visas.

#2. Chiang Mai – Thailand

The legend of digital nomad cities is only complete with Chiang Mai. This is one of the best digital nomad cities in Asia, having started as a backpacker’s hub but has since grown into a digital nomad capital.

It offers a great blend of temples, markets, jungles, and excellent street food, all at a very affordable price. Additionally, Chiang Mai has good internet speeds in the numerous co-working spaces and cafes spread across the city.

Chiang Mai has a vibrant digital nomad community; you will blend right in. This is also on top of the welcoming culture of the Thai community.

If you seek adventure, hiking the nearby mountains is a good starting point. Chiang Mai is located next to the mountains in North West Thailand and is an hour’s drive to Doi Inthanon National Park, the highest point in the country.

#3. Canggu, Bali – Indonesia

Initially a holiday destination for tourists in Indonesia, Canggu has since been transformed into one of the top digital nomad locations. Bali has always been among Asia’s best digital nomad cities due to its excellent co-working spaces, cafes, hotels, and events tailored for digital nomads.

It’s the perfect spot for digital nomads seeking a balance between the beach-life and work. Expats and digital nomads are in plenty around Canggu, creating a vibrant digital nomad community.

Once you log off work and need some thrill, surfing is always a great idea in Canggu, Bali.

#4. Mexico City – Mexico

This is simply the best digital nomad city in Mexico and one of the cheapest digital nomad locations worldwide. Considered by many the “New York of Mexico,” Mexico City is one of Latin America’s top digital nomad hubs.

For most Americans and foreigners, the cost of living in Mexico City is very affordable compared to American and European cities while offering a higher quality of life. In addition, there are plenty of museums, food markets, galleries, and a better variety of food.

There is a robust digital nomad and ex-pat community in Mexico City as well as co-working spaces, cafes, and networking events to meet other digital nomads.

#5. Medellin – Colombia

Fifth on our list is Medellin, another of the best digital nomad cities in Latin America and recently the most popular in South America amongst digital nomads, especially those looking to party and have a good time.

It offers a lot of co-working spaces, fast wi-fi, a tech-friendly ecosystem, loads of local delicacies, and events to mingle and unwind.

Medellin’s digital nomad and the expat community are very well established, making it very habitable even for beginner digital nomads.

Finally, Medellin is also one of the cheapest digital nomad locations offering great monetary value for digital nomads looking for affordable digital nomad cities.

#6. Buenos Aires – Argentina

Next on our list is one of the best digital nomad cities in South America, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Anyone looking to switch the cold European winters or Southeast Asia beaches for some Latin American spice should consider Buenos Aires.

It also offers access to the rich Argentine culture, food, parks, football, weather, and a vibrant nightlife to unwind after work.

For those without two feet, you can sign up for Tango classes.

There are numerous cafes and co-working spaces for digital nomads to work from and good internet speeds across the city.

#7. Bangkok – Thailand

Located in one of the safest countries in the world, Bangkok can often be overlooked because of its counterparts like Canggu and Bali. However, Bangkok remains one of the best digital nomad destinations in Asia.

Bangkok offers a modern transit system, co-working spaces, malls and cafes, and a wide variety of cheap street food. It is also very affordable, making it ideal for digital nomads on a budget.

#8. Budapest – Hungary

Eighth on our list is Budapest, a city primed for those wanting to experience the best digital nomads destinations across Europe on a budget.

It comes packed with affordable monthly living costs of under $1500, incredible internet speeds, cheap food, and lots of history to explore during your stay.

English is widely spoken in Budapest, and with great transport, you will have no issues getting around the city.

For social life, a cruise on River Danube or experiencing the thermal baths across Budapest would be a great starting point for your digital nomad experience.

#9. Istanbul – Turkey

Istanbul is one of the best cities for digital nomads in Europe. Despite not being the capital city, it is still Turkey’s biggest city and financial capital.

For any digital nomad who loves history, ancient civilization, and related topics, Istanbul is perfect for you, with its rich history dating back to 3000 BC.

As for the social life, you will find numerous clubs, bars, and restaurants open late into the night.

#10. Cape Town, South Africa

Digital nomads rarely considered African countries in years past, but that has since changed. As a result, South Africa is slowly becoming one of the best countries for digital nomads, and Cape Town is their preferred city.

With incredible internet speeds, excellent infrastructure, numerous co-working spaces(close to 100), and beautiful destinations, digital nomads are flocking to Cape Town. Additionally, living in Cape Town is considerably cheaper than most digital nomad destinations across Europe.

Once done with work, digital nomads can explore the beaches, mountains and the vibrant culture of South Africans.

Bonus: Salt Lake City – Utah, US

Salt Lake City, the highest-ranked US city on the list, has grown to be a favorite among digital nomads because of the number of public workspaces, efficient public transportation within and outside the city, and its reasonable cost (by US standards).

Conclusion

Hopefully, some, if not all, of these ten top digital nomad destinations will make your to-visit list this year.

Pack your bags, and let’s get going!