Nomad List
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| 🌍 Region | Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚩 Country | Bulgaria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⏱ Average trip duration | 8 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📡 Internet speed (avg) | 18 Mbps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛅️ Weather | ☀️ 30°C 87°F + 💦 Humid (62%) + 💨 3km/h = Feels like 33°C 91°F | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (now) | 😷 75 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 🚬 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💨 Air quality (annual avg) | 👍 43 µg/m3 equal to 🚬 🚬 / day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🔌 Power | 230V50Hz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚕 Best taxi app | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 📱 Best wireless carrier | Mtel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 10 BGN in USD | USD 5.74 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏧 Suggested ATM take out: BGN 1,000 | USD 574 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💸 Tipping | No | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💻 Best coworking space | Betahaus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🚰 Safe tap water | 👌 Yes, drinkable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♻️ Return rate | 11% of visitors return | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👨👩👧👦 Population | 1,200,000 people | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 👫 Gender ratio | 👨 45% 👱♀️ 55% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ⛪️ Religious government | Non-religious | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💻 Online electronics shop | Emag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 🏠 Apartment listings | Imoti | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best short-haul air carrier | WizzAir | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ✈️ Best int'l air carrier | Bulgaria Air | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| skiingoutdoorshikingsnowboardingsnownightlifehistorynon-schengenno-beachairportwarm nowwarmhotfast internetcheap cost of livinghigh humiditymany womenfriendly people | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 💵 Nomad Cost™ | $1,350 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for expat | $847 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for family | $1,720 / month |
| 💵 Cost of living for local | $491 / month |
| 🏠 1br studio rent in center | $345 / month |
| 🏢 Coworking | $155 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $715 / month |
| 🏨 Hotel | $34 / night |
| 🏠 Airbnb (218 listings) | $1,158 / month |
| 🏠 Airbnb | $38 / night |
| 🍝 Dinner | $4 |
| 🍹 Coca-Cola (0.3L) | $1 |
| 🍺 Beer (0.5L) | $2 |
| ☕️ Coffee | $1 |
Based on Sofia's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
 | UI UX Designer @ Sotheby's Home |
 | Frontend Developer @ Netdata Inc. |
Sofia is a pretty cool city if you know where to go. It's also next to high mountains (ski available) and feels very green. However, Bulgaria has a very strongly marked Soviet past, so it might be a bit of a shock to some.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 33° 91° 30° 87°😷AQI 75✈️30m$1,350 / mo18MbpsBy far, one of the best cities in Bulgaria, located in the center of the country, with good views upon the Balkans + Rila Rodopi mountains. Has good scenery from 2-3 hills + cheap food/drinks and so on! Fully recommend for those who wanna see it!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 36° 97° 32° 89°AQI 19✈️30m$1,464 / mo21MbpsBeen there recently. Little city with some Istanbulish appearences in the Old Town + it's really cheapppp!!! The old town + center is really cute. Definitely worth seeing it!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 41° 106° 34° 93°AQI 29✈️30m$1,318 / mo8MbpsHidden gem in Eastern Europe - loads of awesome co-working spaces and co-living places popping up all over the place. Plenty of awesome nightlife, cheap, loads of beautiful parks and only 2 hours to the mountains or 3 hours to the sea.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 41° 106° 34° 93°AQI 31✈️45m$1,688 / mo50MbpsBrilliant, vibrant city in a beautiful country. I've lived in the balkans for a few years, and I'm not sure I've ever met friendlier people.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 39° 102° 33° 92°AQI 8✈️45m$1,250 / mo7MbpsI was in Belgrade a couple of days ago. Stayed there like 2 days. My Airbnb host was really welcoming and he offered some tips/advice regarding the best cheap prices in pubs + restaurants. The old center of Belgrade is really nice + it seems the same like Bucharest in some parts of it. Loved it and more than probably I will return to check it! Be carefull with gypsies near the bus/train station.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 39° 102° 34° 94°😷AQI 72✈️45m$1,481 / mo21MbpsPloiești is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located 56 km north of Bucharest. The area of the city is around 60 km2. It borders the Blejoi village in the north, Bărcănești and Brazi villages in the south, Târgșoru Vechi in the west and Bucov village in the east. Ploiești has direct access to the Prahova Valley, one of the most important alpine tourism areas in Romania. Ploiești is an important transport hub, linking Bucharest with Transylvania and Moldavia. According to the 2011 Romanian census, there were 201,226 people living within the city of Ploiești, making it the 9th most populous in the country.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 39° 102° 33° 91°AQI 12✈️45m$1,461 / mo24MbpsI was in Belgrade a couple of days ago. Stayed there like 2 days. My Airbnb host was really welcoming and he offered some tips/advice regarding the best cheap prices in pubs + restaurants. The old center of Belgrade is really nice + it seems the same like Bucharest in some parts of it. Loved it and more than probably I will return to check it! Be carefull with gypsies near the bus/train station.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 39° 102° 34° 94°😷AQI 72✈️45m$1,481 / mo21MbpsSpent six months in Istanbul in 1993 when Turkey was really exotic. Didn't return till 2007, when I made mostly Kurdish friends in Sultanahmet, whom I'd see on frequent visits thereafter. Otherwise, I'd skip the city as like throughout Turkey bar the Kurdish areas there's anti Western feeling and targeting of visitors (I noticed that after a meal with alcohol, I'd nearly always be approached by a single male in the street near the restaurant inviting me to a bar certain. I'd suggest going to the first busy café instead, at which point they'd excuse themselves. I suspect some waiters were part of a scam targeting single males).
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 32° 90° 29° 84°AQI 42✈️1h$1,647 / mo10MbpsBy far, one of the best cities in Bulgaria, located in the center of the country, with good views upon the Balkans + Rila Rodopi mountains. Has good scenery from 2-3 hills + cheap food/drinks and so on! Fully recommend for those who wanna see it!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 36° 97° 32° 89°AQI 19✈️30m$1,464 / mo21MbpsPeople 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.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 32° 90° 33° 92°AQI 24✈️1h$3,043 / mo8MbpsAlthough London isn't an ideal 'digital nomad' city due to the cost, it is very much made for working, networking and having a great time while you do it. Rent is silly expensive, but you can find a room in a shared house for around £500-600 per month. One review on here complains about bad food, unsafe and bad banking - sounds like they had a bad time to be honest. I disagree strongly with all those negatives. Food is awesome, with lots of incredible places to eat and reasonable (ish) prices. Head to Brixton, Brick Lane, Hackney/Dalston, Tooting etc for top quality food. For your banking, you'll find Revolut, Monzo, Starling etc all allow you to get set up in a few days. Oh and safety.... I've lived here for 7 years (on and off) and been drunk in 'dodgy' parts of town and can say London is one of the safest cities anywhere. Can't say the same for Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona etc.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 26° 79° 25° 76°AQI 20✈️3h$4,013 / mo14MbpsNot 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...)
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 31° 88° 29° 84°AQI 15✈️3h$4,063 / mo20MbpsI 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 49° 120° 35° 96°AQI 25✈️10h$1,102 / mo14Mbpsgreat city - perfect weather , great food, great tech scene
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 34° 93° 30° 86°AQI 22✈️3h$3,406 / mo24MbpsHidden gem in Eastern Europe - loads of awesome co-working spaces and co-living places popping up all over the place. Plenty of awesome nightlife, cheap, loads of beautiful parks and only 2 hours to the mountains or 3 hours to the sea.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 41° 106° 34° 93°AQI 31✈️45m$1,688 / mo50MbpsI was in Belgrade a couple of days ago. Stayed there like 2 days. My Airbnb host was really welcoming and he offered some tips/advice regarding the best cheap prices in pubs + restaurants. The old center of Belgrade is really nice + it seems the same like Bucharest in some parts of it. Loved it and more than probably I will return to check it! Be carefull with gypsies near the bus/train station.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 39° 102° 34° 94°😷AQI 72✈️45m$1,481 / mo🌇 Also went here56 peopleSpent six months in Istanbul in 1993 when Turkey was really exotic. Didn't return till 2007, when I made mostly Kurdish friends in Sultanahmet, whom I'd see on frequent visits thereafter. Otherwise, I'd skip the city as like throughout Turkey bar the Kurdish areas there's anti Western feeling and targeting of visitors (I noticed that after a meal with alcohol, I'd nearly always be approached by a single male in the street near the restaurant inviting me to a bar certain. I'd suggest going to the first busy café instead, at which point they'd excuse themselves. I suspect some waiters were part of a scam targeting single males).
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 32° 90° 29° 84°AQI 42✈️1h$1,647 / mo🌇 Also went here68 peoplePeople 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.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 32° 90° 33° 92°AQI 24✈️1h$3,043 / mo🌇 Also went here62 peopleGreat city that sucks you in. There is a true thing here called the "BudAffect". Many nomads/travellers come here for 4 weeks and then get sucked in for 6 months or longer. I personally came and after planning to stay for 1 month ended up staying for ~3 years. Now I am feeling the itch to travel again but Budapest has earned its place as "home" and I will return here after my next set of travels.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 41° 106° 34° 94°AQI 32✈️1h$1,368 / mo🌇 Also went here74 peopleBeen there twice. I love Prague
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌦 Feels 27° 81° 26° 80°AQI 38✈️2h$2,373 / 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 29° 84° 27° 80°AQI 20✈️2h$3,124 / mo🌇 Also went here79 peoplegreat city - perfect weather , great food, great tech scene
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 34° 93° 30° 86°AQI 22✈️3h$3,406 / mo🌇 Also went here98 peopleNot 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...)
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 31° 88° 29° 84°AQI 15✈️3h$4,063 / mo🌇 Also went here84 peopleAlthough London isn't an ideal 'digital nomad' city due to the cost, it is very much made for working, networking and having a great time while you do it. Rent is silly expensive, but you can find a room in a shared house for around £500-600 per month. One review on here complains about bad food, unsafe and bad banking - sounds like they had a bad time to be honest. I disagree strongly with all those negatives. Food is awesome, with lots of incredible places to eat and reasonable (ish) prices. Head to Brixton, Brick Lane, Hackney/Dalston, Tooting etc for top quality food. For your banking, you'll find Revolut, Monzo, Starling etc all allow you to get set up in a few days. Oh and safety.... I've lived here for 7 years (on and off) and been drunk in 'dodgy' parts of town and can say London is one of the safest cities anywhere. Can't say the same for Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona etc.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌥 Feels 26° 79° 25° 76°AQI 20✈️3h$4,013 / mo🌇 Also went here98 peopleAmazing place! Definitely one of the most underrated countries in western Europe.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety ☀️ Feels 29° 84° 27° 81°AQI 19✈️4h$2,578 / mo🌇 Also went here64 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 49° 120° 35° 96°AQI 25✈️10h$1,102 / mo🌇 Also went here69 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 51° 124° 37° 99°AQI 37✈️11h$5,385 / mo🌇 Also went here55 peopleBangkok 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 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 46° 115° 34° 93°AQI 50✈️11h$1,513 / mo🌇 Also went here82 peopleIt's funny how 15-20 years ago, KL was almost devoid of travelers - presumably because "Muslim country", 9/11, whatever. THAT was actually a time when not only was everything ridiculously cheap; the locals were happy, friendly, courteous, always giving you a huge smile. I have so many happy memories of back then. Fast-forward to 2019: Yes, KL is now "on the map". Yet the cost of living is exploding; much of the city's heritage has been bulldozed away; a high-rise is going up at every corner; and more and more people are visibly stressed, frustrated, hostile. As a foreigner, I encounter silent treatment every day; have people shut the elevator door in my face; rarely get a Please or Thank You or even Excuse Me; the little annoyances just keep mushrooming. But all in all, and especially for those who never experienced the fun and relaxed KL of yesteryear, it's still a relatively safe and affordable place. Nowhere near as pricey as Singapore, and also not as prone to power cuts and violent crime and accidents as Thailand or Philippines. I see private doctors, and they are excellent, London/Cambridge-trained and yet affordable. Also, phone apps work quite well when it comes to payments, booking a Grab car or ordering food / groceries. And of course, the sky is blue and the sun is shining all year round.
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 44° 111° 33° 92°✈️12h$1,395 / mo🌇 Also went here56 peopleThe water is perfectly safe to drink. It's more trustworthy than the water in my city back in the States. The air quality is not good at all. If you go by Plume, you will see what days you should engage in outside activities. The ride from the airport is a little wild, so Dramamine may be useful. Uber is illegal, but it's the best way to not get ripped off by your driver (taxis used to get me all the time), just make sure you sit in the front. Be sure to check your route once you're out of your Uber to make sure you didn't get scammed as well (this has only happened to me twice). Your trip should end when you get out of the Uber. Good neighborhoods for foreigners include the following: El Poblado (expensive, good night life), Laureles (more authentic, good street night life), Envigado (farther away from some cool areas, but very chill, more authentic, cheaper), Guayubal, and more. No matter how good the AirBNBs downtown look, just don't do it. Don't be on your phone outside at night. Put it away and you'll probably be fine. The internet is fine! I work every day on the internet and have never had any trouble in any neighborhood. Food can be very cheap outside of El Poblado. Other than the amazing fruit selection, the food is bland in most restaurants. Spice is not really a thing here. Last thoughts: cars will not stop for pedestrians, go salsa dancing every night, and you can find a cheap gym - just keep looking!
🎒 Nomad 💵 Cost 📡 Internet 😀 Fun 👮 Safety 🌧 Feels 29° 84° 27° 81°AQI 13✈️14h$1,266 / mo🌇 Also went here55 people Nomad List Nomad List1 Month: $29.99/month
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