Top 5 destinations for remote work in 2021

While the second wave of the Covid pandemic has a tight grip on the world, a lot of freelancers and digital nomads are feverishly dreaming of life after the pandemic - and they are planning their next travel destination. But apart from weather conditions, local cuisine, and travel budgets, you should also consider some other factors when choosing your next location for remote work: A fast internet connection, the companionship of other nomads, and infrastructure like co-working spaces are among the things you should be looking for. So, based on these aspects, here are our top 5 picks for places for remote work.

The German capital is known both for its diverse history as well as its vibrant club scene. But Berlin also has one of the countries’ fastest-growing start-up scenes, attracting creatives and professionals from all over the world. Paired with plenty of co-working spaces, coffee shops with free Wi-Fi, and somewhat affordable living conditions (if you happen to be one of the lucky ones to actually find an apartment), Berlin has become a favourite meeting spot for freelancers and digital nomads.

But not just the cool amenities of Berlin life have got the international freelance community excited, it is also a little something called the residence permit for freelance employment. This permit allows freelancers like artists, writers, language teachers, interpreters, and more to live in Germany and have the right to work in their freelance occupation. 

Here’s some more information about the residence permit

No digital nomad list would be complete without this Indonesian island and while it has almost become somewhat of a cliche, Bali still is pretty much a paradise for freelancers and digital nomads. Affordable accommodation, good Wi-Fi connections, beaches everywhere, and a huge expat’s community offering anything from Yoga classes to flat whites and buddha bowls.

On top of that, Bali is considered to be quite safe, allowing for solo as well as group travel and offering plenty of socialising opportunities with co-working spaces and expat events being hosted all over the places.

According to ABC News, the second biggest city in Australia has the continent’s most co-working spaces. 170 shared working spaces are scattered across the city, making up almost half of the country’s total amount of co-working offices. So if you are looking for a place to do remote work and meet other people, Melbourne is the place to be.

But that’s not all the city has to offer: For eight years in a row, Melbourne has been named the most livable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index and was only 0.7 points behind 2019’s top-runner Vienna. So one can expect a great work-life balance and a high quality of life when working remotely from down under!

While Estonia might not be number one on the list of places to see in Europe, it is on the top of a different important list. In 2016, Estonia had the most business start-ups per head in all of Europe! And the capital Tallinn has also embraced this new working culture, opening up coworking spaces and having loads of cafes to work in.

On top of the business spirit, the city also has a lot of culture to offer: old churches, medieval fortresses, and a beautiful old town that manages to combine the old with the new. Coupled with affordable living conditions and the fact that you can hop on the ferry to Helsinki or St. Petersburg for a cheeky weekend away, Tallinn well-deserves its place on our list!

This little gem in the north of Thailand might be a stark contrast to the vibrant streets of the countries’ capital Bangkok, but over the last years, it has quickly become one of the top choices for nomads to live and work remotely. And there are many reasons for that! Known to be the capital of culture, Chiang Mai has plenty of temples to visit, markets to eat from, and nature to recharge your battery in. 

It also has a fair share of co-working spaces considering its size (population of just over 127,000 in 2019) and a lot of beautiful and affordable housing that attracts freelancers from all over the world. Be sure to find a lot of other nomads here!