Since the pandemic began, employees around the world who had the option to work remotely discovered that remote work did not have to mean working from home.
Instead, remote workers discovered that as a digital nomad they could essentially ‘work remotely’ from anywhere in the world and the birth of working in a holiday hotspot was born, better known as the ‘workcation’.
Best places to work
The International Workplace Group (IWG) recently released their second yearbook Work from anywhere Barometerwith a list of the ten best cities in the world for a workcation.
International Workplace Group, a company that manages more than 4,000 remote work hubs worldwide, assessed major cities around the world against very specific criteria.
Each location was given a score from one to ten on climate, culture, housing, transport, food & drink, happiness, broadband speed, sustainability and the availability of flexible workplaces.
There was a broad mix of cities, countries and regions on the list. Let’s look at some highlights for remote workers.
Budapest for the gold
The top spot in the 2024 barometer survey was the popular tourist destination Budapest in Hungary.
With a score of 75 out of 100, the city scored highly for its mix of workspace and fun places that would give remote workers a good sense of work-life balance.
Not only is the city a scenic destination with plenty of fun places to wander and restaurants to explore, but it’s also home to a number of cultural experiences that can inspire remote workers.
It was also noted that internet speeds are relatively fast and reliable. Furthermore, Budapest was considered friendly to both remote workers and digital nomads.
Silver for Barcelona
While Barcelona took the number 1 position in the survey last year, it was still able to remain in second place at the top.
Along with warm and sunny weather and the ability to work from the beach, Barcelona has a trendy remote working vibe throughout the area, along with a strong digital nomad feel.
The convenient digital nomad visa and relatively cheap transportation also made Barcelona a favorite among people on a ‘workcation’.
A recent development that could be a disadvantage is the pressure on international digital nomads and remote workers in Barcelona. Locals believe that ‘temporary’ residents are responsible for rent increases and the lack of housing supply in the city.
Rio ties for silver
Rounding out the top three is the South American hotspot Rio de Janeiro.
With a carnival atmosphere all year round, Rio is a great place to let loose and enjoy one of the best ‘workcation’ locations for digital nomads around.
The city has a robust remote internet network, strengthened for the 2016 Summer Olympics that the city hosted, now with city-wide 5G coverage.
Additional government investment has made the city very remote ‘workcation’ friendly and a digital nomad visa is available.
One of the downsides is that Brazil is one of the few countries in the world that requires US citizens to apply for an entry visa and the entire process is confusing, intrusive and difficult.
What nomads need to know
The top ten best cities for a ‘workcation’ are completed with Beijing, Lisbon, New York, Singapore, Jakarta, Los Angeles and Milan.
There were also a few cities that didn’t make the top ten but stood out as emerging places for digital nomads and remote ‘workplaces’.
Those notable highlights included Austin, Texas; Podgorica, Montenegro; Marrakesh, Morocco; and Valletta, Malta.
So get out there and explore while working remotely as a digital nomad. It’s a big world for a great “workcation”.
What other cities would you recommend for a ‘workcation’? Be sure to post your ideas in the story comments to share with other Traveling Lifestyle Nomads.
