The best countries for digital nomads
Working from home has become the new norm over the past year. Covid-19 has proven that desk-based employees can work remotely and can work from everywhere, making the “global office” and the digital nomad trend more appealing than ever.
The pandemic turned everyone’s working lives upside down, with a huge number of employees still working remotely. But who said that remote work means working from your country of origin? With the ever-evolving advances in technology, working remotely does not necessarily mean working from your bedroom.
Now let’s be honest! If someone told you that you will not be returning to the office anytime soon or if you had a job that allowed you flexibility, what would you prefer? Working in your tiny flat or rather checking your emails and having Zoom calls from a beach chair on a beautiful Greek island? Who would refuse to embrace a “vacation-while-working mode”?
And with vaccinations starting to roll out globally – increasing hopes that we will soon be able to travel freely again – there’s never been a better time to embrace life as a digital nomad!
What is a digital nomad?
For those who are not familiar with the term, digital nomads are remote workers who usually travel to different locations and use information and communications technology to perform their job. They often work in coffee shops, co-working spaces, public libraries, or hotel rooms, relying on devices with wireless internet capabilities like smartphones and mobile hotspots to do their job.
The digital nomad lifestyle is not new, even though COVID-19 made it quite more popular during the past year. It is estimated that by 2035 the number of digital nomads will reach one billion, according to the Nomad List, the biggest global community for international travelers.
Countries’ drive to draw digital nomads
Recognizing that digital nomads can bring lots of benefits to their economies and tourism industries, many countries have introduced “working holiday visas” to attract people who love to travel while still working.
For example, Greece – a country that is largely dependent on tourism and whose economy was hardly hit by the pandemic – announced in January initiatives to attract digital nomads. Thanks to legislation passed in Greek Parliament last year, starting 2021, digital nomads who come to Greece can take advantage of a 50% tax break for the first seven years. Croatia also became recently one of the European countries welcoming digital nomads through the introduction of a long-stay visa.
If all these sound appealing and want to try the digital nomad kind of life, there are a lot of important things to consider when choosing which country to make your new digital home. Circle Loop has done the legwork for you, taking into account a range of factors – from the price and speed of net connections to rental prices and countries’ rankings on the Global Happiness Index.
Top 10 countries for digital nomads
Based on this research, Circle Loop has created its Digital Nomad Index ranking the top ten countries to be a digital nomad.
Canada
Home to one of the largest tech hubs in the world, it’s almost no surprise Canada ranks at the top of the list for the best country to be a digital nomad. With big companies such as Google and Mastercard planning to open new offices and create amazing employment opportunities over the next 5 years, it would be incredibly easy to make a living in one of the friendliest countries in the world, according to Circle Loop.
U.K.
Despite being known as one of the rainiest countries in the world, the UK could actually be one of the best places for relocating as a digital nomad. With the second-highest number of global searches for ‘remote jobs in UK’, people everywhere are looking at their next adventure amongst the British Isles.
Romania
Taking the third spot on the index is Romania – one of the fastest-growing information technology markets in Central and Eastern Europe. The country also has some of the cheapest average monthly costs of fixed-line broadband packages on Circle Loop’s list, at $8.15!
Take a look at the full list:
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