Nomad List| 🏆 Nomad Score™ | 182 reviews |
| 💵 Cost | |
| 📡 Internet | |
| 😝 Fun | |
| ⛅️ Temperature (now) | |
| 💦 Humidity (now) | |
| 👌 Safety | |
| 👍 Quality of life | |
| 🚶 Walkability | |
| ✌️ Peace | |
| 🚦 Traffic safety | |
| 🏥 Healthcare | |
| 😄 Happiness | |
| 🍸 Nightlife | |
| 📶 Free WiFi in city | |
| 🖥 Places to work from | |
| ❄️ A/C or heating | |
| 😁 Friendly to foreigners | |
| 🙊 English speaking | |
| 🗯 Freedom of speech | |
| 🤚🏿🤚🏻 Racial tolerance | |
| 👩 Female friendly | |
| 🌈 LGBT friendly | |
| 🎅 Startup Score |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🌍 Region | Latin America | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚩 Country | Panama | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 8 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 9 Mbps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛅️ Weather | 🌧 29°C 85°F + 💦 Humid (83%) + 💨 8km/h = Feels like 35°C 95°F | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🔌 Power | 115V115V60Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚕 Best taxi app | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | Digicel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 0 PAB in USD | USD 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: PAB 100 | USD 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 🚫 No, not drinkable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♻️ Return rate | 11% of visitors return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 7,400 people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏠 Apartment listings | Airbnb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | Air Panama | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Copa Airlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏥 Best hospital | Hospital Almirante | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| beachsurfingdivingbackpackerslow taxsnorkelingnightlifeislandairportwarm nowwarmhotclean airgood air qualityslow internethigh humiditymany womenfriendly people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $2,347 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $1,456 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $2,012 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $575 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $400 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $244 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $1,302 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $61 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (51 listings) | $3,064 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $100 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $7 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $1 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $1 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $2 |
Based on Bocas del Toro's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
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.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 39° 102° 30° 86°🥵✈️24min$6,293 / mo18MbpsI was there for one week and stayed in Bocagrande, about a 10 minute taxi ride from the Walled City. Pros of Cartagena: Inexpensive locale, reliable and fast internet, good weather (if you like it hot), not terribly crowded (aside from Walled City), beauty/history/nightlife of Walled City. Cons: Local beaches are average at best and riddled with vendors who accost visitors non-stop, street vendors are less pushy but everywhere, fluency in Spanish is very helpful (not really a con, just is), Walled City is loaded with tourists and priced accordingly. Cartagena struck me as a one-trick pony like a Las Vegas. Some people love Vegas because of the weather and the entertainment. Cartagena has the weather and the Walled City. Unfortunately even though its a coastal city, it's tough to enjoy the beach.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 38° 100° 30° 87°🥵AQI 12✈️60min$1,586 / mo8MbpsUse 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.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 39° 102° 30° 86°🥵✈️24min$6,293 / mo18Mbpswasn't crazy about the town - the surrounding country is gorgeous
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 24° 75° 21° 70°🥵AQI 39✈️1h$1,088 / mo13MbpsChiang Mai has THE WORST AIR QUALITY of any city in the world for >= ~2 months every year (Google "burning season"). So impossible to ever live here permanently, even if you like the place. Also, Thailand is now cracking down on people using back-to-back visas or visa free entries to stay as well (just Google for it on the forums). It was getting harder and harder to stay (before I left) and the vibe wasn't as good as it used to be. Most people have moved onto Vietnam, which is much easier to stay in, much more up-and-coming, and where the authorities are much friendlier towards digital nomads.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 42° 108° 33° 92°🥵AQI 59😷✈️23h$1,127 / mo23MbpsI lived in Buenos Aires in 2018 and I loved it. I highly recommend living/staying in the Palermo SoHo neighborhood. It’s full of energy, life, excellent cafes, co-working spaces, pubs, nightlife, etc. Also Palermo has the lakes and incredible rose gardens for hiking and enjoying Yerba mate. I also recommend hiking at the ecological reserve “reserva ecológica” The public underground metro called SUBTE is very efficient. The city has been adding bike paths. The locals were very friendly, outgoing, and easy to meet. They seemed interested in meeting people from other countries. I recommend trying to speak Spanish and they appreciate the effort. The women are also gorgeous and friendly to foreigners. Inflation is really making it hard for local people. Also as with most major cities, keep your cell phone and wallet in your front pocket and don’t be flashy with new iPhones. Using basic street smarts and simply staying alert at night, I had no issues. The Palermo and Belgrano neighborhoods seemed to be the safest and most relaxed. Make sure you try local foods, drink Yerba Mate with locals, take a weekend trip via a short train ride to “Tigre” where you can rent an affordable cabin and spend the weekend on the water, kayaking, fishing, drinking mate, etc. Argentina is really nice! Enjoy!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 31° 88° 28° 82°AQI 57😷✈️7h$1,035 / mo21MbpsOne of my favourite places to visit. Best vegetarian food in the world.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 23° 73° 24° 75°AQI 53😷✈️16h$4,322 / mo19MbpsPretty decent place. I usually spend September and October in Athens when the weather is close to perfect ie. not too hot nor too cold for yours truly. You can get easily by with nothing but English, though tossing an occasional συγνώμε and παρακαλώ in the mix helps. That, of course, as long as you stay in the pricey parts of the city. With a bit of luck and some advance planning Athens can be extremely affordable. There are Airbnb listings quite far away from the center, yet close to a metro station -- for less than 800€ per month you can get a two bedrooms + a kitchen + a large balcony next to a reasonably quiet street. This, of course, works only for those who are more or less busy working from Monday to Friday. For something resembling more like a tourist visit, you'll be paying at least twice for a flat near the center and quite likely end up in somewhere with plenty of motorcycle noises to keep you awake all night, every night.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 25° 77° 23° 74°🥵AQI 58😷✈️14h$2,690 / mo12MbpsBest city in the world! You can certainly live the Nomad life in NYC for a lot less than 5k a month! I've been doing it since December 2018 for around $2500/mo. AirBnB is the way to go!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 4° 39° 6° 44°AQI 26✈️5h$4,945 / mo31MbpsI was there for one week and stayed in Bocagrande, about a 10 minute taxi ride from the Walled City. Pros of Cartagena: Inexpensive locale, reliable and fast internet, good weather (if you like it hot), not terribly crowded (aside from Walled City), beauty/history/nightlife of Walled City. Cons: Local beaches are average at best and riddled with vendors who accost visitors non-stop, street vendors are less pushy but everywhere, fluency in Spanish is very helpful (not really a con, just is), Walled City is loaded with tourists and priced accordingly. Cartagena struck me as a one-trick pony like a Las Vegas. Some people love Vegas because of the weather and the entertainment. Cartagena has the weather and the Walled City. Unfortunately even though its a coastal city, it's tough to enjoy the beach.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 38° 100° 30° 87°🥵AQI 12✈️60min$1,586 / mo8MbpsCarolina is not safe anymore. Agree with the rest. Live in Quito for 7 years
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 17° 63° 17° 63°AQI 42✈️2h$1,067 / mo7MbpsUse 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.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 39° 102° 30° 86°🥵✈️24min$6,293 / mo🌇 Also went here23 peoplewasn't crazy about the town - the surrounding country is gorgeous
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 24° 75° 21° 70°🥵AQI 39✈️1h$1,088 / mo🌇 Also went here19 peopleGreat food and affordable Airbnbs in decent neighborhoods! What more could you ask for! Highly recommend Mexico City if you're passing through LATAM.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 25° 77° 23° 73°AQI 50✈️3h$1,511 / mo🌇 Also went here14 peopleBest city in the world! You can certainly live the Nomad life in NYC for a lot less than 5k a month! I've been doing it since December 2018 for around $2500/mo. AirBnB is the way to go!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 4° 39° 6° 44°AQI 26✈️5h$4,945 / mo🌇 Also went here22 peopleLived there for 5 month on a contract project in one IT company, With my monthly income of $3,400 it was disgustingly hard to have a normal lifestyle. The city is also very dirty, specifically the Mission. Would not recommend moving there as an expat.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 21° 70° 20° 68°AQI 90😷✈️7h$5,050 / mo🌇 Also went here16 peopleAmazing place! Definitely one of the most underrated countries in western Europe.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 17° 63° 17° 62°AQI 45✈️11h$2,037 / mo🌇 Also went here13 peopleI have been living in London for over 2 years as a student. It's ridiculously expensive. However, there are options. What I like about the city is you can find many events anytime you want. It's active all year 24/7. There are so many foreigners and tourists which make the living more vibrant and less racist. London has sub-communities which I think is a good thing. Those communities bring their cultures, ethics and foods. Public transportation and restaurants are great. I used to spend 3-4 hours in Costa or Nero cafe without interruptions. Though if it's raining or summer season it could be hard to stay long. On the negative side, the UK suffers from slow and old bureaucracies making life difficult sometimes. It's not easy to open a bank account or to rent. The government systems are slow. Also, you will feel depressed in winter when the sunset is before 4pm and the temperature is 0c. All in all, everything is great about the city except the affordability and the winter.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 7° 45° 8° 47°AQI 38✈️12h$4,090 / mo🌇 Also went here18 peopleParisians are not as rude as some people say, most of them speak English when your approach is respectful, and you try to speak French, and begin by saying Bonjour, or Bon soir. It is very expensive, but like any other big city, there are always alternatives to different type of food or lodging. Public transportation is very efficient and not that expensive.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 7° 45° 8° 47°AQI 36✈️12h$4,090 / mo🌇 Also went here16 peopleI would disagree on the safety level of this city. Living there for 8 months now I'd say from my experience that Barcelona streets aren't safe at all. Many robberies, physical and sexual agressions are frequently occurring mostly due to drug issues in some central neighborhoods. I agree on the perfect weather great food and tech scene too on the positive side.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 15° 59° 15° 59°AQI 19✈️12h$2,864 / mo🌇 Also went here17 peopleBeen there in November 2017 and I didn't saw something special about it. Prices for each pocket with a big variety of products and so on.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 6° 43° 7° 44°AQI 50✈️12h$2,836 / mo🌇 Also went here14 peopleOne giant tourist trap. Giant hordes of rich Europeans vacationing with their parents credit cards.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 7° 45° 9° 48°AQI 19✈️12h$4,951 / mo🌇 Also went here19 peopleBeen living in Berlin for a couple of months. Not worth it anymore. Cold, gray, sad, more expensive than Cologne, terrible internet access (especially mobile), impossible to find decent mid-term apartments, everything getting 25% more expensive per quarter.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 11° 52° 12° 53°AQI 16✈️13h$2,880 / mo🌇 Also went here16 peopleI spent 54 days in Budapest and absolutely loved it. After Chiang Mai it's my favorite destination as a nomad. Pros: *Beautiful city *Super affordable *People are friendly and the majority of people I spoke with spoke English well *Tons of things to do from great night life to the hot baths, bike and walking tours and a vibrant food scene *No issues with internet and I was pleased with the co-working I worked out of (Kaptar). There are also some great coffee shops to work out of. My favorite is Flow, a few minutes walk from Octagon. *Weather was great until the start of November when it changed quite dramatically. *I had an amazing airbnb which I paid $1,050 for 30 nights. You can definitely find great places for cheaper. Cons: *At times I felt the streets were too crazy. The city has a ton of tourists and I can only imagine what it's like in the summer. *The Hungarians are heavy smokers. Thankfully there is no smoking indoors. *It got very cold and gray from the start of November. This had a bigger impact on me than I anticipated and negatively affected my experience. If you're like me and don't do well in the cold then I'd avoid Budapest from the start of November. Feel free to write me if you have any specific questions. My username on Nomadlist is @justin_butlion.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 16° 61° 16° 60°AQI 45✈️13h$1,309 / mo🌇 Also went here15 peopleDon'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 service to the BTS station. I have literally gone to a restaurant to pay 8 USD for a meal, when the exact dish was available on the street for only 1 USD and tastes much better. I ate out everyday and went partying a couple of times a week, and my total monthly expenses was still under 1000 usd. TIPS -Gyms are fucking expensive in Thailand. Expect to pay at least 60 USD/month for the gym, which is crazy when you consider the average wage in Thailand is 15 usd/per day. -Vitamins and supplements cost double the price than what you would get at home. Thais do not take supplements. Maybe only foreigners and really rich Thais. People spending 1500 USD per month must be eating steak daily and hanging out at places meant for foreigners.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 45° 113° 34° 94°🥵AQI 81😷✈️23h$1,524 / mo🌇 Also went here17 peopleUbud is great for older nomads over 35 who are over the party scene. It has great amenities like coworking spaces (HUBUD and Outpost), a dope-ass gym (Titi Batu) and some of the best yoga studios in the world (Yoga Barn and Radiantly Alive). And that's not even mentioning the food, which is incredible. Cons: no Uber or metered taxis so getting around is a total pain and the wild dogs at night can be treacherous. Overall, I don't understand why it's slipped in the rankings bc it really is awesome.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 58° 136° 37° 98°🥵AQI 25✈️24h$1,927 / mo🌇 Also went here13 people✅ Lots of fun stuff to do
✅ Good air quality on average
✅ Spacious and not crowded
✅ Easy to make friends
✅ High quality of education
✅ Roads are pretty safe
✅ Freedom of speech
✅ Democratic
✅ People can speak basic English
✅ Safe for women
✅ Very friendly to LGBT
✅ Not many people smoke tobacco
❌ Not very safe
❌ Pretty slow internet
❌ Very humid now
❌ Not many nomads go here
❌ Difficult to make friends
❌ Difficult to do business
❌ Hospitals are pretty bad
Nomad List ® Nomad List ®1 Month: $10/month
12 Months: $99/year
Save 18% per year: $8.24/month
One-Time-Purchase: $149
Save 90% forever
226 people signed up this month
Already a member? Log in
as seen in
Nomad List💖 Thank you so much for supporting Nomad List! I really appreciate it!
📬 First, please go to your email and click the confirm link first to verify your email address (check your spam folder if you can't find it).
💌 After you confirm your email I'll send you an email with more info.
👩💻 You can already start using most of the Nomad List member-only features!
💭 If you have any feedback, please tweet it!
by levelsio
