Nomad List| 🏆 Nomad Score™ | 201 reviews |
| 💵 Cost | |
| 📡 Internet | |
| 😝 Fun | |
| ⛅️ Temperature (now) | |
| 💦 Humidity (now) | |
| 💨 Air quality (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 | |
| 👩 Female friendly | |
| 🌈 LGBT friendly | |
| 🎅 Startup Score |
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| 🌍 Region | Latin America | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚩 Country | Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 20 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 8 Mbps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛅️ Weather | 🌥 33°C 92°F + 💦 Humid (83%) + 💨 6km/h = Feels like 47°C 117°F | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 😷 104 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🔌 Power | 115V60Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚕 Best taxi app | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | TelCel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 100 MXN in USD | USD 5.14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: MXN 10,000 | USD 514 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 Tipping | No | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💳 Cashless society | 💵 No, cash only (esp. for foreigners) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💻 Best coworking space | NEST | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 🚫 No, contaminated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♻️ Return rate | 10% of nomads return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 150,000 people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👫 Gender ratio | 👨 54% 👱♀️ 46% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💻 Online electronics shop | Linio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏠 Apartment listings | Comparto Depa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | Volaris | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Aeromexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
😷 Air quality in Playa del Carmen is very bad (104 µg/m³) today: avoid exercising outdoors, close windows and try to stay inside, more info | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| beachplaces of worshipchurchessurfingdivingwarm nowwarmhotdirty airbad air qualityslow internetcheap cost of livinghigh humiditymany menfriendly people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $1,419 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $973 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $1,653 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $472 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $360 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $189 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $592 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $28 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (1,001 listings) | $1,809 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $59 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $4 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $1 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $2 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $1 |
Based on Playa del Carmen's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
Spent three months living in Playa in spring 2019. Weather is beautiful, though on the hotter side. One huge piece of the city, 5th Avenue, runs from the bus stop for a mile or two and is pretty much nothing but tourist junk. Bad restaurants, bars, and people trying to hawk you on garbage. Once the touristy stuff dies out, there is a small but growing area that's much nicer for living - quieter, greener, few-to-no sales vendors fighting for your attention, and some really nice little restaurants and apartments. The beach is nice (although EXTREMELY thin, sometimes 1-2 feet wide at high tide), but sargasso (seaweed washing up) is a continuous issue and makes the beach pretty much unusable in parts. English is pretty good, but a little Spanish can go a long way. The scuba diving is excellent. Recommendations: Get a bike to ride around. Eat at Primo (restaurant). Try to find an apartment with a pool or rooftop so the sargasso problems don't mess up your ability to enjoy the outdoors. Rent a car and take a trip to Chichen Itza and Ik-kil. Avoid Cozumel. All in all, mostly pleasant, decent cost of living, but wouldn't be in a rush to come back.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 47° 117° 33° 92°😷AQI 104✈️0.00013333333333333$1,419 / mo8MbpsTulum is loaded with cenotes for exploring and cooling off, beautiful and unique! Find local Maya and listen to their dialect. Learn a few words in Maya, they love to share it! The only beachfront Mayan Ruins are here! Iguanas galore and photo opps! Get a guide, it's worth the history lesson, wear your suit under clothes for a refreshing swim afterwards. Most hotels offer beach clubs, low cost or cost of lunch/drinks, plus they have free wi-fi. Happy hours 2/1 with live music and the recently opened museum are diverse options. In town, restaurants abound and the food is a gastronomic delight! Local taco stops are the best value for a full stomach , happy tastebuds and a light wallet. Fresh sugar cane squeezed by a hank-cranked press offers a variety of Mojitos with live variety shows and music! Other night life, that I love, is watching sea turtles lay their eggs! Fun activities near by are: numerous parks with zip-lines, animal sanctuaries, cultural shows, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing..... I would describe Tulum as bohemian / hippie/ ish, more relaxed than resorts. It has changed quickly in the last few years to accommodate not only the backpacker but the upscale tourist as well. It's a small but growing community with friendly people and a safe environment.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 45° 113° 32° 90°😷AQI 104✈️0.08656820704452$2,630 / mo9MbpsGreat 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° 74°😷AQI 93✈️1.6884732051739$1,534 / mo12MbpsTulum is loaded with cenotes for exploring and cooling off, beautiful and unique! Find local Maya and listen to their dialect. Learn a few words in Maya, they love to share it! The only beachfront Mayan Ruins are here! Iguanas galore and photo opps! Get a guide, it's worth the history lesson, wear your suit under clothes for a refreshing swim afterwards. Most hotels offer beach clubs, low cost or cost of lunch/drinks, plus they have free wi-fi. Happy hours 2/1 with live music and the recently opened museum are diverse options. In town, restaurants abound and the food is a gastronomic delight! Local taco stops are the best value for a full stomach , happy tastebuds and a light wallet. Fresh sugar cane squeezed by a hank-cranked press offers a variety of Mojitos with live variety shows and music! Other night life, that I love, is watching sea turtles lay their eggs! Fun activities near by are: numerous parks with zip-lines, animal sanctuaries, cultural shows, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing..... I would describe Tulum as bohemian / hippie/ ish, more relaxed than resorts. It has changed quickly in the last few years to accommodate not only the backpacker but the upscale tourist as well. It's a small but growing community with friendly people and a safe environment.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 45° 113° 32° 90°😷AQI 104✈️0.08656820704452$2,630 / mo9MbpsBest 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 28° 82° 26° 79°AQI 44✈️3.4025841928746$5,732 / mo31MbpsAntigua 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.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 27° 81° 24° 74°AQI 42✈️1.0375148060022$1,426 / mo4MbpsI 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 29° 84° 27° 81°AQI 25✈️11.264226829752$3,441 / mo37MbpsI live here and I can tell you that many of the stats listed are wrong. Getting an edible dinner for $10 is an utter fantasy. Typically that's what you pay for an appetizer. A 1-bdr in the city centre will cost you at least $1600 but probably more like $2000+ and chances are it will be a hell-hole at those prices. The night life is indeed terrible here. The saving grace is that there's dozens of micro-brewery pubs with very interesting beer very close to the city centre. But they're legally required to close at 23:00 and after that your options are mostly trash unless you happen to have insider knowledge about arty happenings. Most of the night life is so bad that it will make you feel like a tourist even if you're a local. There is no Uber or ride-sharing of any kind here, the taxi lobby is far too strong. Tipping? Absolutely yes, minimum 15%! People that work in restaurants here cannot survive on their meagre wages. A really important thing to know is that listed prices here never include tax, so everything costs 12% more than you thought it would -- and at a restaurant your cost including taxes and tip will be at least 30% more than what you see on the menu. Don't come here unless you're looking for a quiet retirement. Go to Seoul or Berlin or Montreal instead. It will be cheaper, more social, more cultured, more fun, and there will be a lot more to do.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 21° 70° 20° 67°AQI 12✈️5.9982820302703$3,265 / mo23MbpsGreat 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° 74°😷AQI 93✈️1.6884732051739$1,534 / mo🌇 Also went here79 peoplewasn't crazy about the town - the surrounding country is gorgeous
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 31° 88° 27° 80°😷AQI 68✈️2.6988942871634$1,190 / mo🌇 Also went here59 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 28° 82° 26° 79°AQI 44✈️3.4025841928746$5,732 / mo🌇 Also went here71 peopleNothing does a better job of explaining LA’s beautiful diversity and different neighborhoods than the documentary about the late Jonathan Gold, our city’s greatest amabassador and the only food critic to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. It is called, “City of Gold” and if you want to know LA, just watch this film. Trailer link: https://youtu.be/DmKTRDfz1zM
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 32° 90° 29° 83°😷AQI 56✈️4.5360929386574$4,654 / mo🌇 Also went here56 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 34✈️5.1875461272823$5,722 / mo🌇 Also went here51 peopleAmazing place! Definitely one of the most underrated countries in western Europe.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 28° 82° 26° 80°😷AQI 51✈️10.094851755962$2,486 / mo🌇 Also went here52 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 21° 70° 20° 68°😷AQI 62✈️10.693134089897$4,013 / mo🌇 Also went here73 peopleParisians tend to be rude and arrogant. The city is nice but there are much nicer places in other parts of France. Also the people make no effort to speak english 80% of the time so do bring a french/english dictionary
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 30° 86° 28° 83°AQI 49✈️11.006374682984$4,992 / mo🌇 Also went here50 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 29° 84° 27° 81°AQI 25✈️11.264226829752$3,441 / mo🌇 Also went here67 peopleBeen living in 3 different centrally located airbnb in Berlin (2018), each between 800 and 900€ per month for 40-45 sqm (we're two, so 400-450€ each). Each time a full flat and not a shared airbnb, legal now since some months (though it was always possible to get a full flat before as well). Internet was always between 15 and 50 mbps. I spend 100€ per week on food, including restaurants (pretty cheap here), check for Turkish market on Maybachufer and Turkish stores in Neukölln (I spend less on food here than in Chiang Mai!). Berlin is such an awesome place to live, very multicultural, very tolerant, many different neighborhoods, quite relaxed feeling, many parks, lakes all around. No need to speak German at all. Come over here, probably one one of the best place on earth ;) (written in Sept 2018)
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 18° 64° 18° 65°AQI 21✈️11.838719221335$3,009 / mo🌇 Also went here57 peopleBeen there twice. I love Prague
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 24° 75° 21° 71°AQI 20✈️12.059916537185$2,233 / mo🌇 Also went here61 peopleI lived between Budapest and Szeged for a year. The public transportation and city vibes kept me alive while the winter weather almost killed me in winter. Definitely get out before it gets cold. Spring to Fall you can visit Lake Balaton and their wine country for some nature, Szeged or Pecs for a college town vibe, heaps of cafes and outdoor restaurants. The pastries and food markets. The thermal baths are great and not too expensive, great parks to visit, nightlife options, and music festivals. Cost of living is great when you're making US level wages, my roommates and I lived like kings and queens. Many locals are hostile towards foreigners, especially NGO expats (the wage gap is large between locals and expats). However, most are polite and some even cordial. The younger generation can speak English, the older generation cannot - based on my experience. The Hungarian language is a beautiful queer thing that I could never tire of. I loved it and would have stayed longer given the chance. Honestly - cannot wait to go visit and return to Hungary when I get a chance.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 35° 95° 30° 86°AQI 30✈️12.625104653512$1,532 / mo🌇 Also went here60 peopleI have been told it's the vanilla of digital nomads : easy, cheap, risk free. I loved it so much I want to move there ! Great food, great places to see and awesomely polite and nice people.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 50° 122° 35° 96°AQI 29✈️20.773951304711$1,172 / mo🌇 Also went here65 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 46° 115° 33° 91°AQI 44✈️21.467648292792$1,562 / mo🌇 Also went here67 peopleThe Diet Coke of Asia. Zero crime, English spoken everywhere. Reliable public transport. Some nice spots for off-the-beaten-path walking and hiking. But also clinical, authoritarian, money-minded and very costly. Companies and shopkeepers will always do what's good for them (or makes their own life easier); not what's good for the customer. People avoid eye contact and are generally overworked and miserable. After a while, crossing over to Malaysia's neighboring Johor will, warts and all, feel like a breath of fresh air ("Yes! Space! I can move! I can breathe!").
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 37° 99° 31° 89°AQI 44✈️23.068874101954$2,887 / mo🌇 Also went here59 people✅ Affordable to live
✅ Lots of fun stuff to do
✅ Warm all year round
✅ Good air quality usually
✅ Many nomads have been
✅ Spacious and not crowded
✅ Very easy to make friends
✅ Easy to do business
✅ High quality of education
✅ Roads are pretty safe
✅ Democratic
✅ People can speak basic English
✅ Safe for women
✅ LGBT friendly
✅ Not many people smoke tobacco
❌ Not very safe
❌ Pretty slow internet
❌ Too hot in the summer
❌ Very humid now
❌ Bad air quality today
❌ Not many nomads right now
❌ Hospitals are pretty bad
❌ Freedom of speech is weak
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