It’s exciting to be able to work from anywhere as a digital nomad, but there are few places that stand out from the rest.

One of the best parts of being a digital nomad is exploring new places to stay and work. On the other hand, there’s something to be said about the tried and true places. These are the destinations where you’ll always have a good time, and a good wifi connection. Yes, the criteria for best places to live and work are a bit subjective. Still, there are some universals as well:

Safe
Good Accommodations
Reasonable Cost of Living
Pleasant Climate
Modern Amenities

The following 15 destinations manage to hit all of these and more.

1. Valencia, Spain

Valencia is absolutely stunning. It has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes. Most offer free wifi. It has a solid transit system. This means you can opt to rent an inexpensive place just outside of town, but still make your way back to the city center in a half an hour or less. All of this, along with nearby beach access makes Valencia an amazing choice for the location independent worker.

2. Austin, Texas USA

Austin has a lot going for it. First, it’s not on the coast, and that’s reflected in the slightly lower cost of living. It’s fun, progressive, and has an amazing night life. If you love live music and great food that spans a variety of cuisines, check out Austin. It also earns points for being safe, walkable, and having all of the features digital nomads need to get down to work.

3. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon is a bustling city. The traffic takes some adjusting to, but the low cost of living and amazing food make it more than worthwhile. Apartment living is cheap, and low on commitment. There are no long term leases here, meaning that if you are unhappy or simply want to move on, you can do it with ease.

4. Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok has so many options for digital nomads. The weather is warm. The infrastructure is great. It’s a booming city that wants to draw in freelancers and entrepreneurs from other places. There is no shortage of living or office space in this busy metropolis. If you prefer working in an office more than working from home, check out the coworking spaces available in Bangkok.

5. Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a relatively safe city with plenty of wifi access. It’s also culturally important, and absolutely gorgeous. If you enjoy architecture, you’ll love life here. If you decide to work in Budapest, don’t worry about a vehicle. The city has great, public transportation and is highly walkable as well.

6. Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is emerging as one of the premier destination cities for digital nomads in Western Europe. It’s extremely friendly to digital nomads, and there are several meetup groups just for traveling workers. It’s easy to find a wifi connection, and prices are quite reasonable for the region.

7. Bali, Indonesia

Bali is beautiful. It’s a tropical destination that is steeped in tradition. The gorgeous climate, and beautiful scenery make Bali extremely attractive to location independent workers. The city is quite welcoming to them as well. There are several coworking spaces for freelancers, and many cafes and eateries have wifi access as well. The visa process in Indonesia can be a bit complex, but so many feel the opportunity to live and work in Bali is more than worth it.

8. Kiev, Ukraine

Kiev might not be on every digital nomad’s short list, and that’s part of the appeal. If it were excessively popular, it might not have such a reasonable cost of living. Kiev is a place where rent and other expenses won’t break your budget. In fact, it’s not unheard of for a night in a hostel to go for around 12 USD. Bare bones accommodations for sure, but prices for more luxurious digs are comparatively low priced. A one to two bedroom apartment could run around 650 per month.

The city has plenty of coworking spaces and cafes with reliable wifi. Food is inexpensive. There are also a large number of bars, clubs, and other entertainment options.

9. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

There are plenty of gorgeous places in Mexico to visit, but Playa Del Carmen really stands out. While other cities cater to tourists, Playa Del Carmen does an excellent job of accommodating traveling workers. There are cafes and coworking spaces with reliable wifi. Food and drink is very inexpensive if you commit to eating like a local. Tacos at a restaurant that caters to tourists could run 15 dollars. The meal, without the accouterments at a street vendor could cost less than 5 dollars.

10. Portland, Oregon USA

Portland is a cool city that’s hip in a good, but not insufferable way. It’s similar to Austin in that it attracts individualists, artists, and entrepreneurs. The weather in the spring and summer are especially attractive if you like spending time outdoors. Portland has plenty of places for location independent workers to get a cup coffee and connect to wifi. The city is also home to the World Domination Summit, an event that attracts entrepreneurs and others from around the world.

11. Berlin, Germany

Berlin is friendly to creative types, largely English speaking, and it offers artist visas that are reasonably easy for freelancers to obtain. There are plenty of places within the city from which digital nomads can work, and it’s considered to be a great startup hub. This is a great place for anyone seeking a vibrant, urban locale.

12. London, England

Like other large cities, London is home to plenty of coffee shops, coworking spaces, and even pubs that have wifi for digital nomads. Of course, if you’re going to head to London to work for any length of time, you have to check out the libraries. They are housed in amazing buildings, and have many of the resources you need for completing your daily tasks.

As expected, there is plenty to do in London. There are pubs, nightclubs, and attractions of all types. There are even London based meetup groups for digital nomads.

13. Chiang Mai, Thailand

No list would be complete without a mention of Chiang Mai. It has emerged as the destination of choice for digital nomads across the globe. In fact, it’s so popular that there has been a recent explosion of social groups catering to independent workers.

Chiang Mai is laid back, low cost, and friendly. An apartment can run from a bare bones 100 dollars a month to a more fully-furnished 500 dollars. Most people travel on motor scooters. You can rent these for around 100 dollars monthly as well. Finally, not only is the local cuisine amazing, you’ll find yourself eating for around 2 dollars a meal.

14. Boulder, Colorado USA

If mountains are more appealing to you than beaches and warm weather, Boulder might be the perfect destination for you. In spite of having a relatively low population, it’s a bit of tech hub. Google and Twitter both have offices there. Denver is only a quick drive away.

Boulder has plenty to do for outdoor enthusiasts. There are national parks with hiking trails and other resources. It’s also a bit of a destination for craft beer enthusiasts.

15. Van And RV Dwelling

The truth is, a list like this could go on indefinitely. There are strikingly interesting cities all over the globe that have plenty of free wifi, great weather, beautiful scenery, and amazing things to do. Getting to all of them is impossible, but with an RV or customized van, you can certainly make your way to some amazing places.

By living the ‘van life’ as it’s often called, you eliminate rent and hotel expenses almost entirely. That alone can make the initial investment in solar panels, portable wifi and other upgrades well worth the money.

Conclusion

There are many amazing cities to visit. As a digital nomad, it can be difficult choosing your next location. Hopefully, the list above makes it easy for you to create your location ‘short list’.

Kristin Savage has graduated from Columbia University where she was majoring in Germanic Languages. Besides English as her mother tongue she also speaks German and Dutch fluently. Currently Kristin is studying Spanish and planning to obtain her PhD in Applied Linguistics since she is interested in how to use her to some extent practical knowledge of language processes in everyday life. She has been a writer at Pick Writers for a few years and is known for her thorough approach to all the tasks and aspiration to fulfill assignments with flying colors.

15 Best Places to Live And Work Remotely For Digital Nomads