Top 10 cities for digital nomads

The shift to hybrid and remote work has made it easier than ever for employees to work from wherever they want. For some, that means bigger, more international moves. 

In 2021, there were approximately 35 million digital nomads globally, according to sourcing platform MBO Partners, with 15.5 million in the U.S. alone. That's  a 112% increase from 2019, when  7.3 million people worked from anywhere.  To find the most in-demand locales for this growing demographic, nomadic workforce insights platform Instant Offices ranked 80 locations based on  affordability, weather and broadband speed, among other metrics. 

Europe and Asia dominated the leader board, proving employees' growing interest in mobility as a part of their role. In fact, 93% of employees said an international assignment could be life-changing for them and their families, according to a recent survey conducted by accounting firm Ernst & Young.

Read more: Allowing employees to move abroad could boost recruitment and retention

"In the past, mobility was just an operational function to get a person from A to B for work," says Joost Smits, EY's Global Mobility Leader. "But if you look at the current demographics you can really see there's been a shift of power toward employees who are expressing the need to experience a cross-border experience for themselves." 

Instant Offices' research found that 80% of digital nomads prefer to stay in one location for 3-9 months, which means that locations that ranked the highest were places that could provide a combination of cost-efficient living with beautiful weather, good WiFi connectivity and quality of life. Lisbon, Bangkok, Madrid, Seoul and Delhi rounded out Instant Offices' top five — Lisbon for its scenery and affordable eateries, and Bangkok for its access to over 15,000 WiFi hotspots, along with some of the most affordable accommodations. 

See which other cities across the globe are peaking employees' interests the most: