Revealed: the best cities in Asia to live out your digital nomad dreams

Why be chained to your desk when you could be travelling the world on a remote working arrangement? More and more people are jumping on the bandwagon, with the global digital nomad population surpassing 40 million in 2024, as Globe Trender reports. 

But while the digital nomad life sounds like a dream come true, there are some practicalities to consider too, like average salary, employment rates, cost of living, internet speeds, and co-working facilities available in a given city. 

Now, a new report by Californian print-on-demand company Printful has revealed the best cities in the world for digital nomads based on the above factors. And you might be surprised (or not) to know that Southeast Asia dominates the top spots. 

Bangkok is indisputably the best city for remote workers. Here, digital nomads can enjoy relatively low monthly living costs (786 USD) and the fastest internet speeds in the region (256.1 Mbps). Not surprising, as the Thai capital is known for being super modern and well-developed, with affordable public transport and plenty of cheap eats to go around. It helps that Thailand just launched a Destination Thailand Visa in 2024 – it’s a cost-effective, multiple entry visa that allows digital nomads, freelancers, and remote workers to live and work in the country for up to five years. 

Phnom Penh comes next, with monthly living costs of 972 USD and affordable co-working spaces available for 175 USD monthly. While Hanoi loses out on other metrics, it’s the most affordable option of all, with living costs of just 787 USD and co-working spaces from 128 USD monthly. 

If you like to be ahead of the curve, you could consider the emerging digital nomad hotspots for 2025 instead. These destinations saw the greatest increase in online searches for remote work opportunities. In Asia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka are trending, garnering 173% and 100% increases in searches respectively. They come in third and fourth place, just after the top emerging hotspots, Jamaica and Barbados. 

The world’s emerging digital nomad hotspots for 2025:

1. Jamaica (250%)
2. Barbados (200%)
3. Philippines (173%)
4. Sri Lanka (100%)
=Morocco
=Guatemala
=Kuwait
=Bahamas
5. Greece (84%)
6. Slovenia (67%)

*By year-on-year increase in searches for remote work opportunities. 

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