As a digital nomad, the whole world really is your oyster! The problem is, with so many amazing places around the globe… it’s hard to know where to go.

Obviously you want to go somewhere cool and exotic, but you still need a good internet connection and places to work from.

The good news? There’s reportedly 4.8 million digital nomads living and working on the road right now — and if other DNs have found a (temporary) home somewhere, chances are it’ll work for you, too.

So to help you narrow your options down, these are the most popular digital nomad countries — backed up by the DNs who’ve been there and done it before.

The 7 best countries for digital nomads in 2020

Thailand

Timezone: GMT+7

Best city for digital nomads: Koh Lanta, Chiang Mai

Insider tip: “Don’t hesitate to contact people through Facebook about Digital Nomad groups in Chiang Mai, which are very active. You can find many people doing the same job as you, so your questions will be answered.” – Thomas Lacan

The digital nomad life in Thailand is pretty close to the stereotypical image you probably have in mind — working by the beach, going straight from meetings to snorkelling, chilled beers at sundown.

If you’re always trying to chase the sun, Thailand is certainly the country for you.

The relaxed lifestyle and incredible weather makes Thailand a very popular spot for digital nomads — cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Koh Lanta have flourishing communities of expats, with regular social and networking events you can join. There’s no shortage of working spaces, whether you prefer to base yourself in a cute cafe or find a coworking desk to rent for a month. Internet connection can be spotty in rural areas, but the signal in the city is more than strong enough for video conferencing and big downloads.

Thailand also has a relatively low cost of living, and is a great base for exploring the rest of Southeast Asia. Bangkok is a major transit hub, so it’s easy to fly from there to Europe and North America. Oh, and Thai food is incredible.

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Portugal

Timezone: GMT+1

Best city for digital nomads: Lisbon

Insider tip: “Book well in advance, and for at least a month at a time — we scored a hefty discount of more than 50% on a really nice pad, all by committing to be in town for four whole weeks.” – Rich Francis

Portugal is one of the most popular digital nomad spots in the world, and for good reason! It’s not quite as cheap as Thailand, but it’s got year-round warm weather and plenty of idyllic beach towns to explore.

The best place to first base yourself is Lisbon, which has a huge community of digital nomads. As you’d imagine, there are hundreds of cafes with excellent WiFi — most of whom welcome laptop workers — as well as budget-friendly coworking spaces to rent.

Lisbon airport is a hub for flights to Africa and the rest of Europe, so it’s a great place to stay if you’re planning to travel. Portugal itself has a lot of wonderful small towns and wilderness to explore, you might not even want to leave!

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Mexico

Timezone: GMT-5

Best city for digital nomads: Mexico City

Insider tip: If you’d prefer to be near the beach, Playa Del Carmen has a thriving digital nomad community. It’s a touristy spot but it’s beautiful, and has pretty reliable internet. – Michelle Bayba

Many American and Canadians choose Mexico as a remote working locale because it’s so close to home — but it’s also in a good timezone for Europeans as well. Many parts of Mexico are too rural to ensure sufficient internet for working, but Mexico City is an urban hub that many DNs have embraced as a temporary home.

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It’s a giant city of 9 million people, so you know you’ll always have fun things to see and do once you’re done with work for the day. There are a few neighbourhoods where most of the digital nomads have based themselves — Condesa, Roma, and Coyoacán — each of which are filled with great cafes and bars for meeting people.

Obviously, Mexico is a huge country, so there’s a lot to explore when you’ve got time off. You can fly cheap from Mexico City to many other places, when you want.

Estonia

Timezone: GMT+3

Best city for digital nomads: Tallinn

Insider tip: Find cheaper accommodation outside the touristy city area. “Once you leave the medieval walls and towers behind, you discover the true city... A tranquil, relaxing spot to focus on your work, write, or grow your business.” – Ignacio Nieto

You might not know much about Estonia, but it has secretly become one of the best spots in central Europe for digital nomads. Perched up north on the shore of the Baltic Sea, its capital, Tallinn, is a trendy little city that many people instantly fall in love with. What’s more, Estonia has one of the fastest public WiFi speeds in the world — that alone makes it an ideal place for remote working!

Better still, Estonia has introduced a visa just for digital nomads, allowing you to stay for a whole year. The visa also includes 90 days of travel within the Schengen zone, so you can travel around a bit and check out the neighbouring countries. The airport is pretty well connected to the rest of Europe, with budget flights on offer daily.

This is certainly a place you want to visit in summer, though, as it can get down to -10ºC in the winter, with heavy snow.

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Colombia

Timezone: GMT-5

Best city for digital nomads: Medellin

Insider tip: “There is PLENTY of fun in Colombia. Like most Latin American, Colombians are an energetic and passionate people which means that every city will have plenty to keep you entertained when you want to take a break from your laptop.” – Alexander Hatton

Colombia may have a somewhat dubious reputation, but Medellin has recently evolved into a safe and colourful city — one that’s very popular with digital nomads, too. It’s in a great time zone for working with both North America and Europe, so many remote workers and start-ups are choosing to base themselves here. Wandering around neighbourhoods like El Poblado and Laureles, you’ll find many cosy cafes filled with workers tapping away.

The WiFi is decent — maybe not as speedy as you’re used to, but still good enough to work on. And nature lovers are drawn to Medellin because of its awesome location right near the mountains — perfect for days off spent hiking and camping. It’s a good city to base yourself in for a few months, as long-term Airbnb rates are relatively cheap and the city is super easy to navigate.

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Indonesia

Timezone: GMT+7

Best city for digital nomads: Ubud, Canggu, Lombok, Yogyakarta

Insider tip: “Ubud is a fantastic digital nomad destination if you like being in nature but don’t want to miss out on the good food of a city. On the surface, it can feel touristy and over-developed, but give it time and the magic reveals itself.” – Erin McNeaney

Like Thailand, Indonesia is a haven for digital nomads in Southeast Asia. Sure, it can get crowded and touristy, though that’s not surprising considering it’s a literal beach paradise. Internet speeds aren’t great, but many cities have coworking spaces and cafes with reliable WiFi.

Bali is absolutely heaving with DNs, so unless you’re into crowds, you might be better off somewhere like Lombok or Yogyakarta. They’re smaller but still have good internet and cafe culture. Jakarta, the capital, has the best infrastructure, but doesn’t have the island vibe that comes with the smaller cities.

It’s a relatively cheap place to base yourself for a few months, and has great weather year-round. Spend your time off exploring the islands, getting into yoga and surfing and hiking, and enjoying the local food.

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Taiwan

Timezone: GMT+8

Best city for digital nomads: Taipei

Insider Tip: You’ll save a lot of money (and stress) by renting a room in a shared apartment, and that’s easily found through local Facebook groups. “Taipei is a really social, international city and people tend to enjoy living together.” – Craig O’Brien

Taiwan is a country with great infrastructure for digital nomads — fast internet, easy short-term accommodation, and well-established networks for travelling freelancers. Taipei is a bustling 24-hour city, known for its late-night markets and constantly busy streets.

The public transport in Taipei is incredibly efficient, which makes it easy to explore the whole city — and even get out into nature for hiking and biking. To top it off, you’ll probably eat some of the best food of your life. The authentic Chinese dishes on offer at the night markets make for an excellent budget-friendly dinner.

It’s a well-connected country if you’re on the go, with great links to Japan and China, and direct flights to Europe and the west coast of the US. It is a pricier option than other cities on this list, though it is considered to be one of the safest cities for digital nomads.