Nomad List| 🏆 Nomad Score™ | 183 reviews |
| 💵 Cost | |
| 📡 Internet | |
| 😝 Fun | |
| ⛅️ Temperature (now) | |
| 💦 Humidity (now) | |
| 💨 Air quality (now) | |
| 👌 Safety | |
| 👍 Quality of life | |
| 🚶 Walkability | |
| ✌️ Peace | |
| 🚦 Traffic safety | |
| 🏥 Hospitals | |
| 😄 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 |
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| 🌍 Region | North America | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚩 Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 5 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 31 Mbps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛅️ Weather | 🌥 26°C 78°F + 💦 Not humid (39%) + 💨 6km/h = Feels like 26°C 79°F | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 👍 42 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (annual avg) | 👍 15 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🔌 Power | 115V60Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚕 Best taxi app | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | Verizon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 Tipping | No | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💳 Cashless society | 💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ☕️ Best coffee place | Starbucks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ☕️ Best alt. coffee place | Denny's | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏪 Best 24/7 coffee place | The SandBox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 👌 Yes, drinkable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♻️ Return rate | 0% of visitors return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 91,000 people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💻 Online electronics shop | Amazon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏠 Apartment listings | AirBnb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | American Airlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | American Airlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏥 Best hospital | Issels Medical Center | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| harbor citycoastshistorical architecturenational parkno-beachwarm nowwarmhotclean airgood air qualityfast internethigh cost of livingfreedom of pressdemocracyfreedommany womenfriendly people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $5,401 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $3,837 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $9,520 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $2,720 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $2,500 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $286 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $4,334 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $203 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (68 listings) | $4,047 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $133 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $15 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $2 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $6 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $4 |
Based on Santa Barbara's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
I lived in Santa Barbara for the last 15 years (originally from Russia, also lived in HN, NYC, CT, and Florida). Currently working remotely for a European startup. Sure, it's expensive (probably around 80-90% of Bay Area cost of living), but the weather is perfect (not too hot, not too cold, all year around), the scenery is beautiful (mountains on one side, ocean on the other), and the city itself is fairly old and cozy (home to the second oldest building in California). People are generally friendly and laid back, lots of tourists, plenty of hipsters. Lots of rich people and celebs own houses here. There's UCSB, a top-50 ranked university, which can provide both intellectual stimulation and fun (concerts, lectures, and partying in student town of Isla Vista). Los Angeles is ~2 hours away, San Jose ~5 hours away.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 26° 79° 26° 78°AQI 42🚕0min$5,401 / mo31MbpsNothing 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 31° 88° 31° 88°🥵😷AQI 76✈️12min$4,861 / mo28MbpsAmazing beaches and fancy places. My favorite season here is fall since it has great sunsets and the sky is sunny everyday (perfect temperature). Early summer can be gloomy and a bit cold. Late summer is too hot 🔥 Good asian food around here since there are so many asians. Otherwise, most of the restaurants seem to copy each other's menus.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 27° 81° 25° 78°😷AQI 68✈️15min$4,878 / mo46MbpsNothing 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 31° 88° 31° 88°🥵😷AQI 76✈️12min$4,861 / mo28MbpsLived 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 16° 61° 16° 62°AQI 35✈️35min$5,236 / mo44MbpsThe city of Dallas has captivated me to an extent that I never will find another place so memorizing to live in, with all the opportunities and amenities present.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 24° 75° 22° 71°AQI 30✈️3h$2,833 / mo34MbpsSamui is Thailand's second most popular island for tourists, after Phuket. The main areas are Chaweng and Lamai. Chaweng used to be more backpacker and trashy (like Bali's Kuta) but is now rapidly developing into a real clean town. Since 2014, it now has a giant air-conditioned Central World mall, an increasing number of coffee places, good restaurants and more upscale hotels and resorts. Lamai Beach used to be the more clean and laidback area but is now deteriorating. The beaches are still okay but the streets are now filled with sex bars and bad restaurants. Worse, prices in Lamai are often higher than in Chaweng due to less competition. The preferrable spot to stay in Ko Samui now is the more mellow South Chaweng.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 42° 108° 30° 85°🥵AQI 18✈️18h$1,695 / mo16MbpsAmazing nightlife and possibly the best overall food scene in the states (lots of michelin-level restaurants at far lower prices than NYC/SF). Avoid the winter and you'll love your time Chicago. It's a city of neighborhoods, so do some research to find which area suits you best. Lots of creative types live/work in the west side (West Loop, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square, etc.)
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 10° 50° 12° 54°😷AQI 88✈️4h$3,524 / mo32MbpsIn it's current iteration, Houston is a wide-spread, vehicle dependent city and would be a difficult place to exist as a Nomad without a vehicle. Downtown Houston was once a desolate cluster of office buildings that was abandoned at sundown. But now, downtown is currently undergoing a transformation and will soon (5~ years) make for an inhabitable and nomad friendly destination.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 26° 79° 24° 75°🥵AQI 19✈️3h$3,199 / mo35MbpsNothing 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 31° 88° 31° 88°🥵😷AQI 76✈️12min$4,861 / mo🌇 Also went here11 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 16° 61° 16° 62°AQI 35✈️35min$5,236 / mo🌇 Also went here9 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 45✈️4h$1,573 / mo🌇 Also went here6 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 24° 75° 21° 69°🥵AQI 43✈️5h$5,394 / mo🌇 Also went here9 peoplewasn't crazy about the town - the surrounding country is gorgeous
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 25° 77° 23° 74°🥵AQI 47✈️7h$1,091 / mo🌇 Also went here6 peopleOn the bright side: Clean and generally safe, good infrastructure, close to nature. Negative side: One of the most difficult places in the world to make friends, not much happening in the city, very expensive and broken housing market. Many internationals with whom I have spoken feel very bad here
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 10° 50° 11° 52°AQI 14✈️12h$3,523 / mo🌇 Also went here6 peopleOne giant tourist trap. Giant hordes of rich Europeans vacationing with their parents credit cards.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 14° 57° 15° 60°AQI 15✈️12h$5,048 / mo🌇 Also went here6 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 16° 61° 16° 61°AQI 35✈️12h$3,949 / mo🌇 Also went here9 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 25° 77° 24° 75°AQI 21✈️13h$3,334 / mo🌇 Also went here6 peopleThe city center is interesting but Warsaw or Budapest are much nicer. Horrible for nomads or long-term due to visa restrictions and language. Almost nobody speaks English, not even young people, forget about social life. Most locals look at westerners as a cash cow. Without knowing Ukrainian language its extremely difficult to build anything there longterm, lawyers, real estate agents, translators, banks and any service dedicated to expats is totally overpriced and even more expensive than in the UK! To say something good: At least food is tasty and cheap.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌫 Feels 25° 77° 23° 73°AQI 41✈️14h$1,422 / mo🌇 Also went here6 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 46° 115° 33° 91°🥵AQI 40✈️17h$1,171 / mo🌇 Also went here7 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 49° 120° 35° 94°🥵😷AQI 67✈️18h$1,539 / mo🌇 Also went here6 people✅ Pretty safe
✅ Fast internet
✅ Lots of fun stuff to do
✅ Warm in the spring
✅ Perfect humidity now
✅ Good air quality on average
✅ Spacious and not crowded
✅ Very easy to do business
✅ High quality of education
✅ Great hospitals
✅ Roads are very safe
✅ Great freedom of speech
✅ Democratic
✅ Everyone speaks English
✅ Very friendly to LGBT
✅ Not many people smoke tobacco
❌ Extremely expensive
❌ Very expensive
❌ Not many nomads go here
❌ Very difficult to make friends
❌ Not safe for women
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