In recent years, remote work has become As the norm for many companies, more and more workers are looking for the perfect “work from anywhere” location. What's more, recent research shows that around 70% of workers are now only willing to consider new jobs that theoretically allow them to work from anywhere in the world.
Tourism experts have analyzed a variety of factors that are most important for remote work and have identified the best places for digital nomads to move. As a result, Bucharest, the capital of Romania, came out on top in Europe.
But for those looking for a place to live in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by unique, stunning landscapes, the results of the study will disappoint: Iceland ranks last, despite the fact that this is the “happiest” country in the entire ranking.
Another important factor is the initial cost of applying for a visa. In most countries, the visa fee is less than 80 euros, but in Malta, a digital nomad visa will cost 300 euros.
Those who prefer the sun and “summer all year round” should consider moving to Spain or to Cyprus, which are ranked second and third respectively, both countries with high Wi-Fi quality scores, which is ideal for workers who make a living solely on the Internet.
Finding really affordable housing for long-term rentals has proven difficult, but Romania, Greece and Hungary offer prices for renting a one-bedroom apartment in the center of their capitals for 500-550 euros per month.
This is significantly lower than in Portugal and Iceland, where the average rent goes over 1,000 euros per month.
Despite seventh place overall, those digital nomads who don't earn particularly high monthly salaries should consider moving to Portugal, where applicants are required to have a monthly income of just over 750 euros. However, most countries require workers to have a salary of more than 2 300 euros just to be able to apply for a visa.
Despite the fact that workers must receive a high monthly salary – 3 700 euro – there are quite a lot of attractive things to live in Romania: low rent, food and lodging costs, as well as a high “index of happiness”; and stable Wi-Fi.
A number of the largest European countries, such as France, Italy and Germany, did not make the list of the best for digital nomads at all. The explanation came quickly. They simply don't offer such visas to foreigners.
I must say that Spain, for example, introduced this scheme only a few months ago, and now it ranks second.
Interestingly, that cruise ships are now enabling digital nomads to live and work. Of course, at sea. Many may think that a cabin on a cruise ship is not the right place for daily work, but cruise lines are becoming more sophisticated, allowing remote workers to combine work with exploring different parts of the world.
High-speed Wi-Fi, business centers , conference rooms and rest rooms — all this is designed to make long-term work on board a cruise ship comfortable. Remote workers traveling on a cruise can take advantage of the benefits of working all over the world, truly living out their “work from anywhere” dreams.