Dear all
As a wanna be nomad figuring out a way to get free of the rat race, I was wondering what is the best bank account to have while travelling the globe? I need an account where is easy for me to receive payments from all over the world and it also need to be a bank that I can find almost anywhere in the world. I want to avoid carry cash on me if it’s possible.
🗯 Forum replies
Hello,
I’ve been searching through the forum, but most of the information I’ve found seems a little old and Americans, unfortunately, seem to be exceptions to a lot of things.
Situation:
I’ll start a new job with a 1-2 year contract outside the US in about a month, I:
am a US citizen - it is the only passport I hold
have been using my parents’ address (Texas) as my official address for the past few years.
will be on-sight in South East Asia, but officially billed as a private contractor for the company.
will make less than the cut-off amount for the American tax exemption in next year. It is realistic to assume based on my career, though, that in the coming years I will be over that mark.
plan to qualify for the 330 rolling days outside of the US
Don’t plan to return to the US for at least the next several years, maybe ever for residency.
From research so far, it looks like the best options for me are Belize, though I see a lot of people talking about Hong Kong or Singapore. I know that within the US, Delaware LLC’s are easy to set up, and may be a good short-term option since I’ll likely qualify for the foreign tax exemption in 2018.
I would love to talk to anyone that has some experience with this as my head is spinning a little bit. Website recommendations would also be great (there is a lot of information out there, but figuring out what is and isn’t sketchy is a bit harrowing - has anyone worked with, like Nomad Capitalist or Flag Theory before?).
Thanks!!
Nomad Capitalist: http://nomadcapitalist.com/
Flag Theory: https://flagtheory.com
The last few years I’ve spent mostly in Asia (Thailand/Indonesia) and Europe (Spain/Italy), but I run a company in the US and need to coordinate with 10 US based employees and business partners. The time zone issues between EU/US and SEA/US are exhausting even if I love the locales.
I’d really like to try romping around the Americas for a while, but I’ve never been south of Baja California and really can’t find much positive having been said about remotely working from CA/SA as a DN.
I know some hippy, surfer, artist, musician, yoga teacher types calling various locals home, but no one making a living online… more than a few people have told me it’s fabulous down there until you go to Thailand/Bali and then you wonder why all those ExPats are suffering in CA/SA. Of course you only really know when you go yourself.
I’d love to see nomadlist.io get filled out with more details on Central and South American cities. It seems really sparse coverage at the moment, but maybe that’s simply because it’s not good and no one stays there for long.
Last summer I spent some time travelling through Thailand and Cambodia and jumped on mopeds to get around. I fell in love with them, the freedom, the ability to get off the tourist trail and see areas of a country not written about in tour books.
Recently a friend of mine cycled from London through Western Europe down to Morocco. His journey, stories and photo blog have all inspired me to see Europe by road rather than missing it all by plane.
I’ve been encouraged to do the same longer term through Europe. Next month I’m heading off to Spain to start that journey.
I was wondering if any nomads here are on similar journeys? Does anyone motorcycle between cities setting up to work for a couple weeks then moving on?
If so, have you got any advice/tips for someone just starting that journey?
it seems like Visa have gotten more tight recently and it’s touch and go whether each transaction will go through. Sometimes it does but often now I am getting declined. The bank knows my locations but in the background Visa seem to be blocking a lot regardless and they are harder to notify. I am using paypal where possible because it doesn’t get blocked, but that’s only good for a limited number of places.
Anyone else getting worn out by the payment approval games?
✨ Recommended destinations
This is an algorithmic recommendation based on @kyleschutter's trips history to find places they haven't been to yet that other people with similar travels as them also went and liked.

Lisbon is the next remote work hub of Europe. There's many reasons why I think that: 1) it already has somewhat of a startup/tech scene because of the annual Web Summit conference 2) which means internet is fast, and there's lots of meetups and it's easy to make friends 3) it's relatively affordable for foreigners compared to Spain and the rest of Europe 4) Portuguese people are super friendly, a lot more friendly than in the rest of the Mediterranean and Europe 5) Lisbon is ideal to go on day/w
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 12° 54° 12° 54°AQI 180$2,058 / mo19Mbps
Bali is amazing, but Canggu isn't really that great -- actually there are SO MANY better places, like Uluwatu, Gili Islands or even Ubud that I can't understand the hype. As almost everyone said below, beaches are crappy, roads are terrible, sidewalks are non-existent and having a motorbike is a must. On the other side, food is great and cafes are pretty reasonable with all those incredible bowls. Anyway I wouldn't recommend it for more than a week.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 32° 90° 28° 82°🥵AQI 340$1,371 / mo23Mbps
Berlin is overall a great city to be. Food is cheap and everywhere, easy to go out and have fun/meet for business. Rent has crept up but still far better value than where I came from. Internet: 36 EUR/month get me 450/40 mbps (cable -> DOCSIS 3.0) Public transport is 2.70 EUR/ticket. No woman I know has said they felt unsafe. Some really odd, xenophobic sounding comments on here. Biggest downsides IMO: service quality at restaurants - not that people are rude, but they don't seem to particular
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels -5° 23° -2° 29°AQI 130$3,042 / mo33Mbps
Chiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life. It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) and restaurants (2-3$ for a main). Wouldn't recommend staying there during the burning season. The best area is Nimman, but it's also the most expensive. You can stay in the old city that's very nice but that gets noisy during the weekend for the night markets. Last but not least, very safe city. All in all would go back in a heartbeat.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 27° 81° 26° 80°AQI 660$1,107 / mo22Mbps
I visited Prague on more than one occasion and tried something new each time. I really wanted to enjoy it, but unfortunately it turned out to be one of my least favourite cities. Perhaps it was just me, but there was an overwhelming sense of distrust and dislike towards foreigners, you have to try pretty hard to blend in if you want to experience the life of a local & avoid the tourism. I met some wonderful people and and there’s some cool communities to be part of, but another extended stay
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels -7° 19° -4° 25°AQI 190$2,120 / mo35Mbps
They say you get what you pay for. After having traveled the previous 4 months in India, Cambodia, VietNam, Myanmar and Thailand, Singapore was so easy! The subway system is a marvel, streets signs were easy to read, everyone speaks English (that just makes it easy for me as an English speaker) it is safe, clean, and parks are gorgeous. I was there as COVID 19 was breaking out fairly fast and that put a damper on my time but I was so happy to be there anyway and plan to go back. For digital
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 34° 93° 29° 85°AQI 550$2,868 / mo95Mbps
I stayed here for a month in July last year. There's lots of cool aspects to the city but I hated it when I was there. The city has a problem with British stag parties, so if you look like you're a British male and speak English expect to be treated with disdain (it's fair enough) The Hungarians can just generally be unfriendly, especially bartenders. It's a weird experience waiting to be served while 3 people ignore you. Or buying the same drink and getting charged whatever they want (700-1500
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌫 Feels -4° 25° -2° 28°AQI 360$1,525 / mo40Mbps
Honestly, this is an awesome place to be if you're actually trying to get work done. It's a bit of an older vibe than Canggu, and there's certainly a big chunk of yogi's kicking around — but I liked it much better than Canggu and found it less pretentious. Plus, you can drive down there in 45mins whenever you want some beach or party vibes. As others mentioned, there's some great coworking spaces, cheap warungs, some really nice spots to stay cheaply if you go just outside of the mad tourist
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 32° 90° 27° 81°🥵AQI 400$1,076 / mo13Mbps🌎 Regions collected (4 of 9)









🚩 Flags collected (16 of 276)















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🛬 Most visits

Tokyo has so much to offer and so much to do. It is easily overwhelming. Whereas I usually take my first week to explore a place Tokyo’s sights just kept on going. I remember ending up in a hidden cocktail bar, a mexican rooftop party with 1 meter margaritas, spending a whole day going only to French places(?), visiting a store that only imported 2nd hand hiphop apparel, and throughout it all the best michelin star ramen. It just seemed endless, completely unrelated and incredibly fun. Six wee
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 15° 59° 15° 59°AQI 361x$3,392 / mo28Mbps
We loved Medellin! Poblado is a magical enclave, unlike most of Medellin. Amazing restaurants, lots of nature, friendly people, gorgeous women, fast internet, tons of places to work.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 22° 72° 22° 72°AQI 76😷1x$1,065 / mo11Mbps
Use Uber transportation. I do not recommend to use bike because it is not safe. Traffic is a big problem, so be prepare ahead for your appointments and don’t get stock in the rush hours.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 35° 95° 29° 84°🥵AQI 461x$2,703 / mo15Mbps



Antigua is a fun, historic and compact city with enough international visitors to make it comfortable for any expat for digital nomad. In recent decades the city has evolved into an international Spanish-learning destination, for the high quality of life, tourism amenities, access to nature, and low cost. It's also a few hour drive from one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen: Lake Atitlan.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 19° 66° 19° 66°AQI 381x$1,218 / mo5Mbps
Don't believe the prices on here for an apartment. 686 usd/month refers to an apartment in a high class condo, right in the city centre and seconds away from the BTS(train station). Just remember this, people working at supermarkets make 2 usd/per hour. If you want to live like a local, then you can save a lot of money. If you don't mind a 5-10 minute walk from the BTS, then you can easily get a one bedroom apartment for 300 USD per month, in a high class condo, plus with free golf cart ser
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 34° 93° 30° 86°🥵AQI 125😷1x$1,455 / mo21Mbps🛌 Most time spent

We loved Medellin! Poblado is a magical enclave, unlike most of Medellin. Amazing restaurants, lots of nature, friendly people, gorgeous women, fast internet, tons of places to work.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 22° 72° 22° 72°AQI 76😷5mo$1,065 / mo11Mbps
Don't believe the prices on here for an apartment. 686 usd/month refers to an apartment in a high class condo, right in the city centre and seconds away from the BTS(train station). Just remember this, people working at supermarkets make 2 usd/per hour. If you want to live like a local, then you can save a lot of money. If you don't mind a 5-10 minute walk from the BTS, then you can easily get a one bedroom apartment for 300 USD per month, in a high class condo, plus with free golf cart ser
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 34° 93° 30° 86°🥵AQI 125😷2mo$1,455 / mo21Mbps
I've been living in SF since 2014 and I have to say Cost of Living is misrepresented. It's a lot more expensive now (2020) than posted. 1-bdr in center is $3,500-$4,000 + $200-$300 for parking + $100-$200 for utilities. Almost impossible to find month-to-month rent, so this is for 1-year lease. Coffee for two + a pastry is easily $20. Dinner for two never less than $50, unless it's fast food (+20% tips are expected) and if you want actually something good it's at least $100 for two. Airbnb is $1
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 15° 59° 15° 60°AQI 611mo$5,580 / mo72Mbps
Hong Kong is a fabulous city - from big city living, to isolated beaches, outlying islands and hikes through mountainous terrain. The big downside is it's EXPENSIVE. You need to have a decent salary to live here - otherwise, it would be tough. Hong Kong island is the most expensive, but more affordable places are possible, the further you are willing to travel. It's quite a transient city, so probably pretty easy to make connections!
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 19° 66° 19° 67°AQI 76😷1mo$2,563 / mo70Mbps
Tokyo has so much to offer and so much to do. It is easily overwhelming. Whereas I usually take my first week to explore a place Tokyo’s sights just kept on going. I remember ending up in a hidden cocktail bar, a mexican rooftop party with 1 meter margaritas, spending a whole day going only to French places(?), visiting a store that only imported 2nd hand hiphop apparel, and throughout it all the best michelin star ramen. It just seemed endless, completely unrelated and incredibly fun. Six wee
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 15° 59° 15° 59°AQI 361mo$3,392 / mo28Mbps
Really enjoying Seoul so far. It is very hard to make friends at first as not many people will speak English or are too afraid to. Maybe easier in Itaewon. For phone service, I was able to get month to month service on KT with unlimited data for only 35,000 won a month. Check out the desk with a sign in Thai on the electronics floor at IPark Mall connected to Yonsan station for this deal. They speak great English as well.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels -8° 18° -5° 24°AQI 101😷1mo$2,370 / mo20Mbps
Use Uber transportation. I do not recommend to use bike because it is not safe. Traffic is a big problem, so be prepare ahead for your appointments and don’t get stock in the rush hours.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 35° 95° 29° 84°🥵AQI 4620d$2,703 / mo15Mbps
Maybe I’m a bit unfair here, but Santiago is so... boring. People don’t look so happy and aren’t welcoming, city has nothing special, currency with so many zeros is hard to get used... didn’t have a bad time, but it wasn’t great either. Just dull. Maybe I’m wrong and in a long term it worth it, but it lacks authenticity and don’t even compare to other cities in Latin America such as Mexico City or even Buenos Aires, both cheaper and funnier.
⭐️ Score💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 25° 77° 25° 77°AQI 5016d$1,507 / mo9Mbps