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| ⭐️ Overall Score | 249 reviews |
| 👍 Quality of life score | |
| 👶 Family score | |
| 💵 Cost | |
| 📡 Internet | |
| 😝 Fun | |
| ⛅️ Temperature (now) | |
| 💦 Humidity (now) | |
| 💨 Air quality (now) | |
| 👌 Safety | |
| 🎓 Education level | |
| 💰 Income level | |
| ❤️ Liked by members | |
| 🙊 English speaking | |
| 🚶 Walkability | |
| ✌️ Peace (no pol. conflict) | |
| 🚦 Traffic safety | |
| 🏥 Hospitals | |
| 😄 Happiness | |
| 🍸 Nightlife | |
| 📶 Free WiFi in city | |
| 🖥 Places to work from | |
| ❄️ A/C or heating | |
| 😁 Friendly to foreigners | |
| 🗯 Freedom of speech | |
| 🤚🏿🤚🏻 Racial tolerance | |
| 👩 Female friendly | |
| 🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly | |
| 🎅 Startup Score |
| 🌍 Region | Asia |
| 🚩 Country | Thailand |
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 9 days |
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 18 Mbps |
| ⛅️ Weather (now) | ☀️ 27°C 81°F + 😊 Comfy (56%) = feels 28°C 82°F |
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 😐 131 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day |
| 🔌 Power | 230V50Hz |
| 🚕 Best taxi app (in country) | |
| 🚑 Travel medical insurance |  Safetywing |
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | AIS |
| 💸 100 THB in USD | USD 3.30 |
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: | THB 10,000 = USD 330 |
| 💸 Tipping | No |
| 💳 Cashless society | 💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere |
| 💻 Best coworking space | The Big Buddha |
| ☕️ Best coffee place | The Big Buddha |
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 🚫 No, not drinkable |
| ♻️ Return rate | 12% of visitors return |
| 📸 Visitors per year | 2,500,000 visitors |
| 📸 Tourists now | 47,912 tourists |
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 63,000 people |
| 👨👩👧👦 GDP per Capita | $5,911 / year |
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious |
| 💻 Online electronics shop | Lazada |
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | Air Asia |
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Air Asia |
| 🏥 Best hospital | Bangkok Hospital Samui |
| 💵 Cost of living for nomad | $1,746 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $1,383 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $2,821 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $806 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $659 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $198 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $704 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $33 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (587 listings) | $2,496 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $82 / night |
| 🍛 Dinner | $2 |
| 🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $1 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $2 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $2 |
Im planning to go to Koh Samui at the end of April for a month. Does anyone know good areas where to live there and have good internet connection (maybe close to coworking space). Or also after reading some info here in nomadforum - some people say its better to go to Koh Lanta. Any thoughts about that?
Cheers
Hi nomads!
I’m intending to become a proper digital nomad in January at the latest, and I am just starting to take some initial steps. I am a software developer and I intend to create an app and build a startup. Which one of these places would be best for that?
My idea is to develop my business in any of those places and open it here in Australia later on. Obviously, one of the main reasons why I have picked those places is that they are very affordable so that I can make the most of my savings from my current contract 
Goa would probably be my favourite pick since is quieter and not as crowded as Chennai (I think), plus living costs are about half of what they are in Ko Samui and Ko Lanta.
However, due to the nature of my business plan, Internet is a must. I have read your article about Goa and you said that Internet access is pretty bad, however I noticed that you wrote that a year ago and I also heard that this is currently changing. What’s the situation right now?
Cheers!
I was in Koh Lanta this January working out of KoHub and would definitely recommend it. Its a great island with lots to do and KoHub’s atmosphere makes it really easy to make friends and have socials.
Lots of people work during the day and there is always someone going out in the evening for dinner and drinks… Pair that with a laid back island, its truly an amazing life style.
I was also in Goa unfortunately internet was a struggle and no where near as tourist friendly as Koh Lanta.
Koh Samui is a nice island and close to a few other so you can hop around. Not sure about how digital nomad friendly it is. Internet 4g was great.
Koh Pha Nang seems to be picking up… theres a coworking space which opened on the beach earlier this year if I’m not mistaken. One to check out for sure.
I’ve been reading a bit more about Ko Pha Ngan and it seems that indeed it’s picking up. They opened two coworking spaces and it seems that they are cheaper than Ko Lanta’s.
Most likely, I’ll go there to work on my startup, and also to Chiang Mai.
Thanks for your replies!
Thanks for your replies. What about Ko Pha Ngan? I heard that it’s becoming increasingly popular among digital nomads these days.
Thought I’d throw our hat in the ring, we might interest you @Spacer. @Edumadic run 12 week programs for people exactly like you. Our next program visits Goa, Sri Lanka, and Bali. You can check us out at www.edumadic.com
Thanks anigupta. It seems that I’ll be going to Ko Lanta and Chiang Mai in the end
Thanks kevinohashi. Ko Lanta would be more suitable for me I think.
Let’s see if someone can share their experiences with Goa and Chennai! I’m very interested to know about those too.
Goa’s infrastructure is certainly improving every year. There is more widespread 4G, especially in the big city Panjim, and some areas in North Goa. I expect with the Reliance Jio launch this year; the situation would improve even more.
Panjim, the capital city, has also seen some attempts at building a digital nomad and tech community. I have seen a definitive trend of tech & design startups in India choosing Goa as their base.
South Goa wifi/internet infrastructure is very sparse. You could, of course, get a landline, if you plan to stay for a while, but the only provider in most places is BSNL, a govt provider with the bureaucracy you can imagine 
I am confused why you put Chennai on this list at all. It is one of the four major metropolises in India, and the dullest and insipid one. If you wanted tech talent, Bangalore and Pune are much better options. Pune is not too far from Goa.
I can only speak for Koh Lanta and Koh Samui.
Koh Samui is a much bigger island than Koh Lanta. More people, more everything. If you like modern amenities and enjoy a more city feel at the beach with access to everything you could want, it’s probably the better pick. I think the internet was fine most places.
Koh Lanta is a much smaller, relaxed island. Since you’re talking about January, that is high season (until around april/may). So it is more crowded, but it’s still not that crowded. It’s more of a family island, rather than a party island. Although there is generally a party or two every night somewhere if you want it. It also has a fantastic coworking space KoHub (http://kohub.org) which has very good internet (100mbps + 50mbps backup line - from which I’m writing this now).
Lanta is bigger than Samui!
Koh Lanta is much easier to get around though as it’s pretty much one straight road. In general, cheaper than Samui.
That said, my preference would be Samui. It’s just beautiful there.
@Paul maybe in area because it’s counted as many islands. But Koh Lanta Noi has no hotels on it and is pretty much exclusively locals. As is the eastern side of Koh Lanta Yai (main island) which is only 80 km^2 according to wikipedia. While Samui is 228km m^2. Samui also has a population of 60,000+ while the entire lanta district is 30,000 (11,000 for Yai).
The area generally talked about as Koh Lanta (one specific island, Koh Lanta Yai) is much smaller than Samui.
Hi to all Nomads living on Ko Samui or Ko Phangan!
Are there any good coworking spaces on the islands of Thailand? (I only found one in Ko Lanta, but nothing on the Eastern islands like Ko Samui or Ko Phangan where I would like to stay.)
If not, what are the best internet cafes to work comfortably and quietly?
How fast and how reliable is the internet connection?
Thanks so much!
Any new co-working spaces & cafes since this thread was opened (in dec '14)?
Info on Ko Samui & Ko Phangan is great, but also on other islands having new co-working spaces.
Thanks
Hi there
We are launching the first beachfront coworking space that I know of and it is on a beautiful beach on the west coast of Koh Phangan.
Send us an email [email protected] for more info!
@DavidSidhom we are looking a house in Ko Phangan with my team (trampolinn.com a home swapping community) we are 5, do you have any plans? My email is [email protected] or through whatsapp on this number +33641461589! Thanks mate for the advice (low bugdet unfortunately). Hugo
So sorry for replying this late. Was kind of offline over the holidays and family was a rare distraction.
Thank you all so much for the quick and useful replies. I look forward to checking out all of those places. @David, I might take you up on the offer and give you a call soon.
This forum rocks! Thanks everybody also for all the other great posts! Look forward to learning from you & giving back soon.
Safe travels,
Rich
A good friend of the Ninjas hacker collective (Loren aka 6Q) owns a hostel on Koh Samui. It is called Backpacker Hostel. Here are the details: https://www.facebook.com/BackpackerHostelSamui?rf=582099511858459
This is a great place to use as a starting point because it’s very cheap, is a super friendly crowd, and (being hacker owned and operated) has fast reliable Internet (inasmuch as this is possible, bearing in mind that you’re on a small island in Thailand, a country currently governed by the army who recently took power in a coup). If you want to enjoy the Full Moon Party, 6Q also owns another hostel on Koh Phangan and it’s very easy to bounce between the two.
There are plenty of places to stay on Koh Samui, but landing in a friendly, laid-back place that is hacker owned and operated, with an American owner who knows how to organize everything you’ll need and can solve essentially any problem you’re likely to have is invaluable. I can’t recommend this place highly enough.
hey rich!
If you go to Ko Samui, check out Son F Beach! It’s a bar-coworking space owned by a Russian designer. It’s small but cozy, with coworking upstairs and bar downstairs. Mostly Russian expats or travelers work there.
The price is 200THB/day, drink included.
I prefer coffee shops, however. I’ve been “nomading” mostly at The Islander in Chaweng, Ko Samui. It’s in a crowded street, ~17Mbps internet, although it goes down for a few seconds sometimes.
@DavidSidhom, thanks for the links! I just arrived on Phangan, and can’t wait to check you computer-keyboard-banging fellow travelers 
Hey Rich,
I’ve been working remotely on Koh Phangan for a few years now. There are co-working spaces starting to set up, the first is set to open soon and I can imagine more will follow!
http://kohspace.com/ (set to open mid January 2015!) Is located in Ban Tai area.
Theres a few groups on Face-a-book worth following for updates on this right now…
As for internet cafes and other places to work around the island, I can suggest a few places on your visit. Of course it is also possible to find suitable housing / rent with wifi for longer stays…the quality of internet varies of course.
I would recommend getting one of those AIS pocket wifi’s too.
UPDATE
If anyone would like some insider info on Koh Phangan and best places to work / rent / play - I’m happy to help, you can call me on +66 (0) 990 028 714 or send me a PM
Chok dee na krap good luck!
David
Someone had been running an email signup list for a space on Koh Samui but now I can’t find it. I thought it was something like kohworking_com or some coworking play on Koh…
Personally I love Haad Tian/Yuan/Why Nam if you can get away from the increasingly frequent and long all night blasting music… Sanctuary has decent pay by volume internet for cafe style work, and Dtac reaches bungalows on the ridges (Bamboo/Beam). True wasn’t as good as Dtac last time I was this, no idea about AIS… YMMV.
Hello World!
I'm an experienced Digital Nomad and after being in Lockdown in Bangkok and Germany for one year I would like to team up with someone to visit a new place. Or just doing some exchange about what destinations would be interesting currently.
I take the virus seriously and still I think we can still be able to take our life in our own hands. So I'm aiming for cities/countries which are not in full lockdown, are not too complicated about immigration (I'm looking at you Thailand, your state quarantine costs like 1k USD and is basically a prison) and is also rather safe regarding the virus. I tend to stick for rather big cities and like culture. I'm not a beach or nature person. I'm pretty flexible about the money topic.
Have you considered Latin America? Interested in your thoughts. I owned a hostel in Bogota, Colombia for a couple years. I hear Medellin is the "hot spot" in Colombia though. Was looking at Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, among others.
We are currently in Antigua, Guatemala and its incredible. Would highly suggest a stay here.
Hey everyone,
Looking for blogs by individuals who document their progress/business in South East Asia - ideally Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos - but also Thailand/Myanmar too.
Thank you,
Haiducci
Can anyone recommend a good accommodation website for Chiang Mai?
I’m curious to know how many people learned some Thai before going there. Learning languages is a hobby of mine but I’m very put off by how complex the writing system is, and if I decide not to learn it I’ll probably cross Chiang Mai off my bucket list. I prefer to be at least conversational in a language before I do an extended stay in a country. I’m curious how people who learned no Thai did getting by. And I’m curious, from people who did learn some, if it’s any easier than it seems? Thanks!
✅ Affordable to live
✅ Very safe
✅ Fast internet
✅ Lots of fun stuff to do
✅ Warm now
✅ Warm all year round
✅ Perfect humidity now
✅ Good air quality usually
✅ Many Nomad List members have been
✅ Spacious and not crowded
✅ Easy to make friends
✅ Very easy to do business
✅ Very safe for women
✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+
✅ Not many people smoke tobacco
❌ Nomad List members didn't like going here
❌ Not many members right now
❌ Quality of education is low
❌ Hospitals are not that great
❌ Roads are very dangerous
❌ Freedom of speech is weak
❌ Not very democratic
❌ People don't speak English well
❌ Not family friendly
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Feels | 8228° warm | 8228° warm | 8630° warm | 9133° hot | 9334° hot | 9334° hot | 8831° hot | 8831° hot | 8630° warm | 8630° warm | 8630° warm | 8228° warm |
| Real | 7926° warm | 7926° warm | 8127° warm | 8429° very warm | 8429° very warm | 8429° very warm | 8228° very warm | 8228° very warm | 8127° warm | 8127° warm | 8127° warm | 7926° warm |
| Humidity | nice 77% | nice 75% | sweaty 76% | sweaty 75% | sweaty 77% | sweaty 77% | sweaty 75% | sweaty 75% | sweaty 78% | sweaty 76% | sweaty 75% | nice 77% |
| Rain | rainy 101mm | dry 19mm | dry 11mm | dry 31mm | rainy 116mm | rainy 167mm | rainy 103mm | rainy 88mm | rainy 97mm | rainy 137mm | rainy 79mm | dry 34mm |
| Cloud | cloudy 59% | pockets 26% | pockets 30% | cloudy 66% | cloudy 82% | overcast 91% | cloudy 77% | overcast 91% | cloudy 88% | cloudy 70% | cloudy 68% | cloudy 54% |
| Sun | sunburn 8 UVI | avoid sun 11 UVI | avoid sun 10 UVI | avoid sun 9 UVI | sunburn 7 UVI | sunscreen 6 UVI | sunburn 7 UVI | sunscreen 6 UVI | sunscreen 6 UVI | sunburn 7 UVI | sunburn 7 UVI | sunburn 8 UVI |
| Nomad List members | 5 people | 3 people | 3 people | 3 people | 2 people | 2 people | 4 people | 3 people | 2 people | 2 people | 3 people | 3 people |
Based on Ko Samui's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
 | Senior Back End Engineer @ GooseChase |
 | Senior Frontend Engineer @ Pitch |
 | Lead Product Designer @ Pixellu |
 | Design Ambassador @ Contra |
 | Senior Product Designer @ Form Publisher |
I have been staying on this island for about 2 years, and would like to remind everybody something : working remotely is illegal in Thailand, and can get you in serious troubles if you do any kind of work without a work permit. There has been in the past reported cases of arrests in so called "co-working spaces". I think it is only a fair warning to people who plan to come here and hang in co-working spaces. 2 years ago koh phangan did not have a good rating on nomad list, not much as changed si
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 27° 81° 26° 79°AQI 127😷🚕53min$1,372 / mo19MbpsI really loved Koh Tao. It's an amazing place to work from. Having everything so close and accessible really spoils you. No long rides to trips to get anywhere. Amazing restaurants, walks, snorkels etc all within 10-15 minutes on a scooter. The internet is wicked fast and very reliable, as was the power. Even during COVID times there were lots of places open to eat and hang out. TaoHub Coworking was a great home base to work from and hang out at. I felt totally safe on the island the en
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 30° 86° 28° 83°AQI 127😷🚕2h$1,815 / mo19MbpsAo Nang is a Good Hub for jumping into other beaches and islands. A few services are available for everyday use ( restaurants, bars, laundry, markets, shops, etc ). Still, I consider it quite underdevelop. Internet connectivity was quite intermittent on the two places I stayed. Also, not many places to get work done! I always worked from my villa room. Highly suggest staying by Nopparatthara beach rather than Ao Nang side. No many nomads in here aswell
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 35° 95° 30° 87°🥵AQI 95😷✈️17min$1,400 / mo19MbpsIt's basically a party island -- getting work done will require discipline. One who can accomplish that will be rewarded with a paradisiac cheerful enviroment where everyone wants to be happy and enjoy life. In long term, be careful with your emotional life, as new flows of people everyday going in and out might unbalance your way to see the world.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 31° 88° 29° 85°AQI 106😷✈️19min$1,190 / mo19MbpsLiving in Bangkok since 2015, I refused to go to Phuket longer than I could. I strongly believed in rumors that Phuket was all about prostitution and dirty beaches... oh, how I was wrong! Phuket is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I’d say you can find the same conveniences you’re used in Bangkok, but with a beach - actually many of them, ofter pristine and desert if you rent a motorbike and explore by yourself. Forget about Patong and go to Karon, Surin, Kattatani, Paradise and Freedom Beach instead... you’
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 32° 90° 30° 86°🥵AQI 96😷✈️20min$1,592 / mo20MbpsI was skeptical but have really enjoyed it. It's considered a growing 'hipster capital' of Thailand, after Chiang Mai, with its easy access to Bangkok for wealthy weekenders on breaks, and the opening of Seenspace, a massive hotel + food and drink emporium. Train to Bangkok is older and slower, but avoids traffic. There are plenty of mini-buses and taxis plying the route as well. Figure 4 hours door to door. It's blissfully free of digital nomads (even though there is a coworking space and pl
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 36° 97° 31° 87°🥵AQI 107😷✈️27min$1,351 / mo24MbpsSpent 2 months in 2011 and 3 month in 2012, amazing chill place. Waterfalls, wildlife, white sand beaches, local authentic fishermen villages (on both sides of island). One of my favorite places in Thailand, miss it so much (been in Samui, Chiang Mai, Pai, BKK, Pattaya, Ranong, total 2 years). Pai and Koh Chang, and Pattaya, are my top favorite places in Thailand.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 32° 90° 29° 84°AQI 124😷✈️30min$1,223 / mo19MbpsUnbelievably a great place to live! Forget Pattaya downtown and go for Jomtiem instead, with a more family-oriented enviroment, delicious street food and russian/scandinavian communities. You can live in great places with seaview paying less than you would pay for a regular place in Bangkok, with all the traffic and pollution. Also, Koh Larn island, an island 20 minutes far by boat is a gift, with pristine and clean beaches like the most famous islands in Thailand.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 37° 99° 30° 86°🥵AQI 106😷✈️31min$1,431 / mo19MbpsDon'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 41° 106° 33° 92°🥵AQI 134😷✈️38min$1,465 / mo22MbpsI have been staying on this island for about 2 years, and would like to remind everybody something : working remotely is illegal in Thailand, and can get you in serious troubles if you do any kind of work without a work permit. There has been in the past reported cases of arrests in so called "co-working spaces". I think it is only a fair warning to people who plan to come here and hang in co-working spaces. 2 years ago koh phangan did not have a good rating on nomad list, not much as changed si
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 27° 81° 26° 79°AQI 127😷🚕53min$1,372 / mo19MbpsChiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life. It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) 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 34° 93° 32° 89°🥵AQI 149😷✈️1h$1,108 / mo22MbpsI really loved Koh Tao. It's an amazing place to work from. Having everything so close and accessible really spoils you. No long rides to trips to get anywhere. Amazing restaurants, walks, snorkels etc all within 10-15 minutes on a scooter. The internet is wicked fast and very reliable, as was the power. Even during COVID times there were lots of places open to eat and hang out. TaoHub Coworking was a great home base to work from and hang out at. I felt totally safe on the island the en
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 30° 86° 28° 83°AQI 127😷🚕2h$1,815 / mo19MbpsFirst time I was in KL was in 2015 as a backpacking student. I stayed for 2 weeks at an airbnb in Bangsar South and I loved it. Met up with Uni friends, made new friends and I really like the relaxed atmosphere, despite being in a huge city. Fast forward, 3 years later, I went by myself to KL for a 3 days stay on a visa run from Chiang Mai. I stayed in a hotel near Bukit Bintang. I actually really didn't like it - I think because I was by myself, in a fairly wild part of the city and got so us
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 40° 104° 32° 89°🥵AQI 77😷✈️59min$1,282 / mo19MbpsThey 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° 30° 87°🥵AQI 50✈️1h$2,829 / mo95MbpsLiving in Bangkok since 2015, I refused to go to Phuket longer than I could. I strongly believed in rumors that Phuket was all about prostitution and dirty beaches... oh, how I was wrong! Phuket is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I’d say you can find the same conveniences you’re used in Bangkok, but with a beach - actually many of them, ofter pristine and desert if you rent a motorbike and explore by yourself. Forget about Patong and go to Karon, Surin, Kattatani, Paradise and Freedom Beach instead... you’
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 32° 90° 30° 86°🥵AQI 96😷✈️20min$1,592 / mo20MbpsHong 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 22° 72° 22° 72°AQI 81😷✈️3h$2,403 / mo81MbpsThe noise pollution here is insane. The prayer calls from the mosques seem to reverberate throughout Penang. Seems like they are competing for who can be the loudest. This really ruined Penang for me and I cut my time short.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 33° 91° 30° 86°🥵AQI 62✈️37min$1,112 / mo17MbpsBali 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 35° 95° 30° 86°🥵AQI 9✈️3h$1,352 / mo23MbpsAo Nang is a Good Hub for jumping into other beaches and islands. A few services are available for everyday use ( restaurants, bars, laundry, markets, shops, etc ). Still, I consider it quite underdevelop. Internet connectivity was quite intermittent on the two places I stayed. Also, not many places to get work done! I always worked from my villa room. Highly suggest staying by Nopparatthara beach rather than Ao Nang side. No many nomads in here aswell
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 35° 95° 30° 87°🥵AQI 95😷✈️17min$1,400 / mo19MbpsI have been staying on this island for about 2 years, and would like to remind everybody something : working remotely is illegal in Thailand, and can get you in serious troubles if you do any kind of work without a work permit. There has been in the past reported cases of arrests in so called "co-working spaces". I think it is only a fair warning to people who plan to come here and hang in co-working spaces. 2 years ago koh phangan did not have a good rating on nomad list, not much as changed si
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 27° 81° 26° 79°AQI 127😷🚕53min$1,372 / mo🌇 Also went here107 peopleLiving in Bangkok since 2015, I refused to go to Phuket longer than I could. I strongly believed in rumors that Phuket was all about prostitution and dirty beaches... oh, how I was wrong! Phuket is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I’d say you can find the same conveniences you’re used in Bangkok, but with a beach - actually many of them, ofter pristine and desert if you rent a motorbike and explore by yourself. Forget about Patong and go to Karon, Surin, Kattatani, Paradise and Freedom Beach instead... you’
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 32° 90° 30° 86°🥵AQI 96😷✈️20min$1,592 / mo🌇 Also went here112 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 ser
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 41° 106° 33° 92°🥵AQI 134😷✈️38min$1,465 / mo🌇 Also went here205 peopleFirst time I was in KL was in 2015 as a backpacking student. I stayed for 2 weeks at an airbnb in Bangsar South and I loved it. Met up with Uni friends, made new friends and I really like the relaxed atmosphere, despite being in a huge city. Fast forward, 3 years later, I went by myself to KL for a 3 days stay on a visa run from Chiang Mai. I stayed in a hotel near Bukit Bintang. I actually really didn't like it - I think because I was by myself, in a fairly wild part of the city and got so us
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 40° 104° 32° 89°🥵AQI 77😷✈️59min$1,282 / mo🌇 Also went here122 peopleThey 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° 30° 87°🥵AQI 50✈️1h$2,829 / mo🌇 Also went here111 peopleChiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life. It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) 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 34° 93° 32° 89°🥵AQI 149😷✈️1h$1,108 / mo🌇 Also went here141 peopleHong 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 22° 72° 22° 72°AQI 81😷✈️3h$2,403 / mo🌇 Also went here88 peopleHonestly, 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 35° 95° 29° 84°🥵AQI 15✈️3h$1,797 / mo🌇 Also went here92 peopleBali 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 35° 95° 30° 86°🥵AQI 9✈️3h$1,352 / mo🌇 Also went here78 peopleBerlin 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 18° 64° 17° 62°AQI 52✈️12h$3,045 / mo🌇 Also went here85 peopleI lived in Amsterdam for three years in three different apartments in the center. The place is very noisy and during the lockdown it became painfully obvious that the dutch in general don't really care about whether they bother their neighbors or not. After reading expat Facebook groups, it seems I'm not alone with this opinion. The city is gorgeous, but to be frank, I'm not eager to live there again.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 10° 50° 11° 52°AQI 36✈️13h$4,575 / mo🌇 Also went here87 peopleSuper fun and beautiful city. I find Parisians are actually very patient and warm if you at least attempt to speak French; in my experience, most people who complain that they're rude are the ones making zero effort to speak the language. Expensive though and not very easy to meet other nomads.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 17° 63° 16° 61°AQI 74.5✈️13h$4,118 / mo🌇 Also went here81 peopleLondon is a SO beautiful city. The historical center is cute, but also majestic and luxurious. You feel the culture at every step. British people are really kind and welcoming! Plus, more than just one, you can enjoy TWO skylines 😍 so many skyscrapers, nothing beats its collection in Europe.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌤 Feels 11° 52° 11° 52°AQI 30✈️13h$4,245 / mo🌇 Also went here82 peopleDuring winter is quite safe plus much cheaper. Some nightclubs are free and yet there is still a lot of people. Great por lgbtq+ community.
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 15° 59° 15° 59°AQI 55✈️13h$2,951 / mo🌇 Also went here90 peopleHaving spent a total of two weeks in London on two separate occasions and having lived in NYC for two years, both are among my favorite cities in the world. Londoners are quite internationally and ethnically diverse, and seemingly better educated and more intellectual than New Yorkers in aggregate. The city very clean with a stunning mix of modern and historic architecture, and arguably has Europe's best public transit in terms of signage, availability, cleanliness and general efficiency. Meanw
⭐️ Score 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 1° 34° 4° 39°AQI 53✈️19h$4,782 / mo🌇 Also went here77 people
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