Bored of the UK? Research reveals the best cities to be a digital nomad in 2025
Today marks Digital Nomad Day (8 August), flexible office space experts have revealed the best places to travel and work remotely.
There are around 40 million digital nomads worldwide today. Still, the rise of remote work and ongoing technological investmentsare paving the way for a future where more than a billion people could be living and working as digital nomads by 2025.
Research, conducted by the team at Instant Offices, has analysed factors such as connectivity, affordability and weather to discover which cities around the world are the best places to be a digital nomad in 2025.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who travels the world while they work. They’re also sometimes called ‘remote workers’, ‘nextpats’ and people on a ‘careercation’, although none of these quite convey the nature of the lifestyle.
For a digital nomad, the destination can be anywhere, as long as there’s an internet connection and somewhere to work, like a coffee shop or coworking space.
More than 50 regions have started offering digital nomad visas, which allow individuals to work remotely outside of their home country. Many take advantage of temporary resident visas, with nearly 30% of digital nomads only staying in a location for one to two months.
Top 10 Best Places to be a Digital Nomad
| 1 | Dubai | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | |
| 3 | Lisbon | |
| 4 | Bangkok | |
| 5 | Rotterdam | |
| 6 | Madrid | |
| 7 | Ho Chi Minh City | |
| 8 | Beijing | |
| 9 | San Antonio | |
| 10 | Valencia |
Taking the top spot is Dubai. Offering year-round sunshine, ultra-fast internet and a renowned work-life balance, Dubai is the number one destination for digital nomads looking for a temporary base in the UAE. The city only has a four-hour time difference from the UK, making it an easy switch for UK remote workers, while fast global connectivity from Dubai makes it easy to get to virtually any destination in the world once you’re done.
Along with zero income tax and a special one-year work visa that enables you to become a resident in Dubai for a year, it’s easy to see why so many people choose this city to turn the remote work grind into a sun-soaked, globally connected adventure.
Second place is Lisbon. The Portuguese city blends sunshine, affordable living and connectivity into one irresistible package for remote workers, and the city’s flexible D7 and dedicated digital-nomad visas simplify long stays and offer low taxes on foreign income.
Expect walkable neighbourhoods, vibrant coworking spaces and a great work-life balance, while surf breaks, wine country and year-round festivals recharge creativity.
Rounding off the top three is Bangkok, a city that seamless blends affordability and unbeatable cultural experience for remote workers. With a high number of Wi-Fi hotspots and low coworking costs, Bangkok offers digital nomads the opportunity to live well for less.
The Thai capital also scores highly for walkability and connectivity, making it easy to explore the city between meetings. Add in a thriving café culture, a welcoming expat community, and year-round sunshine, and it's no surprise Bangkok continues to attract location-independent professionals from around the world.
Travel while you work: A trend that’s here to stay
As the role of the office changes and flexibility increases globally, more people will be able to travel and work virtually anywhere. This is being reflected in the office market, which is expected to grow to from $109 billion in 2025 to $424 billion by 2034
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