Nomad List
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| 🌍 Region | Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚩 Country | Iceland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 7 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📡 Internet speed | 25 Mbps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛅️ Weather | 🌥 15°C 58°F + 💦 Humid (82%) + 💨 2km/h = Feels like 15°C59°F | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 👍 37 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (annual avg) | 👍 15 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🔌 Power | 230V50Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | Vodafone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 1,000 ISK in USD | USD 8.06 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: ISK 10,000 | USD 81 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💳 Cashless society | 💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💻 Best coworking space | Reykjavík Coworking Unit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 👌 Yes, drinkable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♻️ Return rate | 10% of visitors returns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 120,000 people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👫 Gender ratio | 👨 49% 👱♀️ 51% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏠 Apartment listings | Airbnb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | IcelandAir | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Finnair | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| few mosquitosislandno-beachairportnon-touristycoldcold nowclean airgood air qualityfast internethigh cost of livinglow crimehigh humidityfreedom of pressdemocracyfreedommany womenfriendly people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $3,683 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $2,464 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $5,685 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $1,624 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $1,209 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $298 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $2,138 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $100 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (56 listings) | $2,697 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $88 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $12 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $2 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $7 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $4 |
Based on Reykjavik's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
Just moved to Glasgow a year ago. Yes, weather is humid, grey, rainy, everyday (almost). BUT the people are great, the city is full of charm and vibrant. It is very authentic and doesn't have many tourists. The accent is awesome. It's cheaper than most important cities in UK. The post-industrial style is so interesting too ! I 'm in love with Glasgow.
The price of just about everything in Dublin makes me think that Ireland is a bit deluded about how attractive its capital actually is.
you mean cheap alcohol ? :) to some people there is more to a great nightlife than that.
I do not recommend London for nomads. It's very hard to find places to work in London. Cafes don't like people with laptops, there won't be any power outlets and you'll get funny stares from staff. That's because London is expensive, and it's a loss for cafes to have you. Flexible coworking is hard to come by and day passes are very expensive. That makes it practically impossible to work properly in London as a nomad.
One of the most well known cities, few will be surprised by what they see and experience. Very high cost of living can make it tough for many nomads. A lot of things to see and do but most of that costs money. Can feel overwhelming and oppressively business oriented (ie, full of very serious yuppies and places catering to them), especially in Manhattan south of Harlem. Ton of single people, which is good on paper but means everyone you date will get distracted by another person, or multiple, unless you are extremely exceptional, before you have a chance to meet again, never ends. Weather sucks hard from July to August and January to March/April. It's an okay city if you're a biker and varies a lot. Some areas are quite protected, others have no bike lanes. In general, it can be dangerous if you want to commute by bike, it's not Amsterdam. Friendliness of the people varies a lot. I think income/wealth, where they grew up, where they live within NYC, their job, etc. can often give you an idea of what to expect. Service at stores is usually pretty unhelpful and unfriendly but, again, it varies, even within the same store. Internet is fast for the most part. Great selection of food, just a bit pricey besides some of the cheaper pizza slices. Transportation system is good, no need for a car. However, the subway lines are notorious for having issues during rush hour and are usually jam packed. Also, the stations look decrepit and are way out of date. It's pretty safe. Street scams are more prevalent in tourist areas, pick-pocketing and random phone snatching isn't really anything most people worry about. Can be very noisy depending on where you live. You may wake up to extremely loud construction every morning.
Not a very "freelance/artist" friendly city. The look of someone working inside a coffeeshop is still unusual and unappreciated. Extremely not accessible and not disable friendly (Metro, bus, building, coffeeshops and restaurants...)
Been 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)
A mixture of piss, weed, unwashed nerdy men, overpriced reality estate, passive-aggressiveness, homeless people and freaks
Just got back from spending a month in Stockholm (Feb-Mar), enjoyed the experience but perhaps went at the wrong time of the year as the weather was a bit wet / cold. Was staying in hostels (~$30/night) and met some really interesting people - hostels were busy during the weekends but only about 30% full during weekdays (probably due to time of year). Found the city about as expensive as London (where I'm from). City was very clean, easy to walk around and people were friendly with perfect English (and more than happy to speak in English). I worked in SUP46 co-working space (free to work in the hot-desking area) and cafe's around the city (Espresso House was a good option). I looked at a few different co-working spaces but most were pay-monthly, which maybe I would have picked if I was living there longer. My biggest issue was that there didn't seem to be much going on, I went to a few museums (recommend the Vasa museum) and explored some parks on the weekends (good for running around), however after the first couple of weeks, I ran out of things to see / do in my spare time. In the summer, I imagine people would go hiking around Stockholm, however the weather didn't allow me to. Nightlife was okay, there is a great pub crawl called "Stockholm Pub Crawl", which is on every Friday and Saturday, highly recommend going as you'll meet some really interesting people. I ended up going on it a few times. Nightlife on weekdays seemed pretty dead. Final point about weather, it was a little cold (-3 degrees C) when I got there and snowed / rained quite a few days, but was getting better by the time I left. I'd recommend going between April and September, as outside of these months it does get very dark and cold. Overall, a city worth checking out (probably the best city out of Norway, Sweden and Finland) but not for longer than 4 weeks.
great city - perfect weather , great food, great tech scene
Budapest + hungary has the pro-s of a tropical digital nomad hideaway, if you go there in the warmer months: the climate is like in Bali between June and September, however mornings can be refreshing. And there s a plethora of spas, thermal baths and swallow lakes with waterskiing and boarding amenities throughout the country which is easily and quickly accessible by the grid of well-maintained highways. The street scenery and style spans somewhere between Barcelona and Berlin so as the plentiful nightlife programs and the scope of culture and art ! Almost the entire younger generation speaks pretty good english however with the elders you might have language barriers.
A lot more things to do there on Summer than on Winter, even though the city is beautiful both seasons. Wouldn't recommend going there in the beginning of spring or late autumn since it'd be mostly rainy and cold. On Summer I recommend just walking around the city and checking out all the architecture and drinking beer on the beach of Hietalahti or taking a ferry to Suomenlinna and having a picnic day there. Linnanmäki amusement park is also nice if you are traveling with children. On Winter I recommend you leave the city center and go to f.ex. Mustikkamaa or Central Park. There are places where you can ice skate.
I do not recommend London for nomads. It's very hard to find places to work in London. Cafes don't like people with laptops, there won't be any power outlets and you'll get funny stares from staff. That's because London is expensive, and it's a loss for cafes to have you. Flexible coworking is hard to come by and day passes are very expensive. That makes it practically impossible to work properly in London as a nomad.
Getting a place to stay is a challenge, and renting an apartment might be a challenge unless you can show proof on stable income job. most leases are 6-12mths minium
Just got back from spending a month in Stockholm (Feb-Mar), enjoyed the experience but perhaps went at the wrong time of the year as the weather was a bit wet / cold. Was staying in hostels (~$30/night) and met some really interesting people - hostels were busy during the weekends but only about 30% full during weekdays (probably due to time of year). Found the city about as expensive as London (where I'm from). City was very clean, easy to walk around and people were friendly with perfect English (and more than happy to speak in English). I worked in SUP46 co-working space (free to work in the hot-desking area) and cafe's around the city (Espresso House was a good option). I looked at a few different co-working spaces but most were pay-monthly, which maybe I would have picked if I was living there longer. My biggest issue was that there didn't seem to be much going on, I went to a few museums (recommend the Vasa museum) and explored some parks on the weekends (good for running around), however after the first couple of weeks, I ran out of things to see / do in my spare time. In the summer, I imagine people would go hiking around Stockholm, however the weather didn't allow me to. Nightlife was okay, there is a great pub crawl called "Stockholm Pub Crawl", which is on every Friday and Saturday, highly recommend going as you'll meet some really interesting people. I ended up going on it a few times. Nightlife on weekdays seemed pretty dead. Final point about weather, it was a little cold (-3 degrees C) when I got there and snowed / rained quite a few days, but was getting better by the time I left. I'd recommend going between April and September, as outside of these months it does get very dark and cold. Overall, a city worth checking out (probably the best city out of Norway, Sweden and Finland) but not for longer than 4 weeks.
Not a very "freelance/artist" friendly city. The look of someone working inside a coffeeshop is still unusual and unappreciated. Extremely not accessible and not disable friendly (Metro, bus, building, coffeeshops and restaurants...)
Been 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)
Been in January 2018 in Madrid and it was somehow ok. Enjoyed the parks + some pedestrian sides of it, but ..the rest was not so astonishing like other cities known for their inner beauty.
Definitely the place to be in western Europe. Great weather, solid food, pretty cheap, good internet, a lot of fun stuff to do, expats everywhere, English gets the job done, awesome day trips... I could go on and on.
great city - perfect weather , great food, great tech scene
People and food are just lovely in Greece. Would argue that Greeks are the most friendly and welcoming people in Europe. The city is a disaster. Overrun by migrants, run down by the government, empty buildings and gratifies everywhere. Not far from city center (10min by feet) it feels more like a third world country than Europe.
One of the most well known cities, few will be surprised by what they see and experience. Very high cost of living can make it tough for many nomads. A lot of things to see and do but most of that costs money. Can feel overwhelming and oppressively business oriented (ie, full of very serious yuppies and places catering to them), especially in Manhattan south of Harlem. Ton of single people, which is good on paper but means everyone you date will get distracted by another person, or multiple, unless you are extremely exceptional, before you have a chance to meet again, never ends. Weather sucks hard from July to August and January to March/April. It's an okay city if you're a biker and varies a lot. Some areas are quite protected, others have no bike lanes. In general, it can be dangerous if you want to commute by bike, it's not Amsterdam. Friendliness of the people varies a lot. I think income/wealth, where they grew up, where they live within NYC, their job, etc. can often give you an idea of what to expect. Service at stores is usually pretty unhelpful and unfriendly but, again, it varies, even within the same store. Internet is fast for the most part. Great selection of food, just a bit pricey besides some of the cheaper pizza slices. Transportation system is good, no need for a car. However, the subway lines are notorious for having issues during rush hour and are usually jam packed. Also, the stations look decrepit and are way out of date. It's pretty safe. Street scams are more prevalent in tourist areas, pick-pocketing and random phone snatching isn't really anything most people worry about. Can be very noisy depending on where you live. You may wake up to extremely loud construction every morning.
A mixture of piss, weed, unwashed nerdy men, overpriced reality estate, passive-aggressiveness, homeless people and freaks
Really fun city. I think the easiest big city in Asia for westerners to feel comfortable in. People are generally pretty friendly on a superficial level, quick to smile, laugh, and help. Unfortunately, becoming real friends with Japanese is much more difficult and most cannot speak English. Store staff are mechanically polite like robots, which is better than rude, but also a bit weird. A bit pricey and gets more expensive after a year of residence (after you get taxed based on previous year's salary, same for health insurance fees). You can drink in public at any time, though it's not really a drinker city like some European cities are known for. Clubs and music events are expensive unfortunately, though quite a few options. Great public transport system, can just be a bit confusing with all of the different names. The street layout is completely chaotic, which can be fun but also disorienting. You will often have no idea which direction you are facing, like you are in a giant maze. You can find most major international food options but not in great numbers. Obviously, Japanese food is everywhere though. It's technically on the water, though odds are you will live more inland. Still, you can reach the bay within an hour or so and an actual beach further south in Kanagawa within 90min. Japan itself has a lot of cool things to check out as well. Best time of year are spring (cherry blossoms) and fall (cooler, leaves changing cooler), though there are a series of summer festivals that start in August that are incredible (people dress in traditional clothes, food vendors all over, tons of fireworks, etc.) and they have a lot of Christmas lights and displays in December. Dating for men is not bad, just don't come expecting every woman wants you. As mentioned before, most cannot speak English and they're somewhat conservative overall, not big on casual sex. You may have an advantage in the dating pool if you're not an English teacher, since most western foreign guys there are and that job is known for not paying that well, and definitely do if you can speak Japanese near fluently. Some negatives besides those already mentioned: it's really humid and mold develops quickly, there are A LOT of crows that creeped me out and cicadas that are VERY noisy in the summer, finding the right specialist doctor that also speaks English can be tricky, the friends you make from other countries come and go constantly, a lot of guys with issues come here (socially awkward, major womanizers, right wing nuts, escaping something from their home country, stereotypical anime fanatics, etc.), Japanese men are not anywhere near as friendly as the women are and are more likely to be xenophobic (pretty much like every other country), living space is really small for the price, vegetable selection is pretty limited and expensive, a lot of food products contain soy, subways get really overcrowded during rush hour, popular areas get really overcrowded on weekends, it's not that English friendly especially dealing with contracts and anything government related (there is a free foreigner help service that can help you via phone and usually whatever government stuff you're dealing with will have at least one person on hand who understands English and can help you).
Great place. You can avoid the dropshipper, FBA and MLM webinar course people who have infested the coworkings here for years, by, well, just not visiting the coworking spaces here.
Bangkok has some of the best private hospitals in the world. Which is interesting if you're in Asia a lot and you want medical care better than you can get in your home country. Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok is ranked #7 in the world. I did an executive health checkup there and it was great. Prices range from $250 to $750 depending on how many checks you want. You can get blood count, X Ray, ultrasound, hormone check, etc. They also have most other medical disciplines. I also got vaccinations renewed. The hospital is private so it's so much better than the overloaded public healthcare systems of Europe, Canada and UK where everyone tries to avoid helping you, is overworked and angry. In Bangkok they're super nice and helpful and you can make appointments straight with a specialist. Not blocked by a GP like in your home country.
Nomad-ed here for a month. A totally ok place if you have the budget for it. Coworking spaces are good, 4g everywhere, transportation is effective. Lots of things to do. I was able to find friends. Lots of international people, very few digital nomads. If you're there, consider not renting in the center (as it gets expensive fast) and being creative with places to eat to find cheap options. Be prepared to use cash unless you live in a luxury.
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by levelsio
