Best Asian cities for digital nomads according to travel bloggers
If there’s one continent that is being flocked by digital nomads from all over the world, it’s Asia. The cost of living is cheap, people are extremely welcoming and of course, food is great! In my opinion, Asia is the best pick if you are a first-time digital nomad venturer. It will be easier for you to adjust and it can open new opportunities – everyone is here!
Travel blogging as a full-time job requires the constant moving around and endless search for steady Internet connection that will sustain our work on the road. In this post, travel bloggers have suggested the best Asian cities for digital nomads but don’t be confused with the numbers. Each city has a metric based on factors such as:
Which cities are in this post?
(Click on the items below to jump to content)
#1 Chiang Mai, Thailand
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Nathan Aguilera, Foodie Flashpacker
Chiang Mai, Thailand is a famous hub for digital nomads for good reason. A low cost of living, high quality of life, and super-fast internet at some of the best prices anywhere in the world make it many peoples go to choice for starting out as a digital nomad. It is one of the best places to work remotely because there are also tons of coworking spaces or cafes to work from, weekly nomad meetups and someone is always organising some type of day trip or weekend event. It makes for great networking.
Also, as a foodie- Thailand has some of the best food in the world at incredible prices. You can have a delicious meal for less than $1 USD or treat yourself to a designer brunch for about $6. For anyone interested in an amazing city with a great support network at incredibly affordable prices Chiang Mai should be at the top of your list!
#2 - Bangkok, Thailand
Simply impossible not to love #bangkok
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Claudia Tavani, My Adventures Across the World
I didn’t spend too long in Bangkok, but I found it to be a great place to hang out. There are a lot of things to do in Bangkok, and it may well be one of the best cities in Asia to live as a digital nomad. Internet is easily available in a lot of places, and it works better than in most places in Asia. The cost of living is incredibly cheap – rent for under $300 per month for a really good place; food for more than reasonable prices. Transportation works well, with a state of the art metro system and lots of tuc tuc and taxis (and uber as well). There’s plenty of gyms to work out (and lots of condo buildings have their own pool and gym anyways) and there’s lots of good co-working places. And if one is really stuck for inspiration and needs a break, the cat cafés around town always help relax.
#3 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Hanna Sobczuk, Hanna Travels
When I arrived in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) the first time, I’ve heard a lot of opinions from backpackers that there’s nothing interesting here. How good I didn’t listen to them! It turned out that HCMC is a perfect place for digital nomads.
The city has a great coffee culture (hello, we’re in Vietnam!) and one can find here plenty of interesting coffee shops, restaurants and places to go out. Wi-Fi is stable and quite fast. And it’s really cheap to live here, what is the most important for all digital nomads.
However, there are some challenges, too. First of all, the language is very difficult and not many people speak English but society really wants to improve. (That’s why you can easily find a job as an English teacher and earn some extra money!) Another challenge is driving a scooter in the city. Saigon’s traffic is a hustle and bustle but driving your own bike gives you freedom!
#4 - Jeju Island, South Korea
Photo Credit: Kisty Mea
Kisty Mea, Let’s Go Wander
Jeju Island is a volcanic island located 130 km off the coast of the Korean Peninsula. The island is dubbed as the ‘Hawaii of Asia ‘for its volcanic formation and lava tubes. Jeju Island is a terrific place for digital nomads mainly for three things: Superb internet speed (I once downloaded a bunch of series for less than 10 minutes!), beautiful views (three are UNESCO Heritage Sites and a field of canola flowers!), and strong coffee culture. Not to mention, Korean beauty skin care is cheap and there are a lot of places to eat kimchi and other delicacies. Although English is not a common language in Jeju City, the capital of this province, a lot of restaurants offer English menus and the people are very accommodating.
#5 - Phuket, Thailand
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Sarah-Jane Edwards, Not Another Travel Blog
It took a bit of searching for us to find the perfect place to base ourselves in Thailand but when we finally decided on Phuket it turned out to be a great decision. Rent is super cheap and we were able to get a modern, well equipped one bed apartment for just GBP400 including fast wifi and all bills. The wifi was a particular bonus, boasting speeds of over 10MB, which made it easy for me (as a writer) and my partner (a web developer) to stay productive. The cheap cost of living in Phuket also stretches to transportation, food and entertainment.
Costs aside, we loved that Phuket had plenty to do. Unlike Chiang Mai, our second choice, it has beautiful beaches to explore. Most have plenty of cafes and bars as well so if you want to work in a more scenic location it’s easy to do so. There are also a couple of good sized towns if you’re looking to meet people and work in a more social environment. Phuket Town in particular, is full of gorgeous architecture with old streets lined with colourful houses, many of which have been transformed into digital nomad friendly restaurants and cafes.
#6 - Daegu, South Korea
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Lindsay Mickles, The Never Ending Wanderlust
Daegu is a fantastic choice for digital nomads. I lived there for 2.5 years and highly recommend it. The internet is fast, cost of living is cheap, and the city has plenty of options to keep you entertained. Daegu has a local airport, access to high-speed and local trains, and the inter-city bus system is fantastic. Within the city, there are 2 subway lines, a monorail line, and very thorough bus network. One of the things I like best about Daegu is that the city does its very best to share their culture with visitors and expats alike. I was fortunate enough to take part in several Korean cooking and traditional art classes at the local YMCA. The only negatives are that it is the hottest city in the country (a bit brutal in summer) and some of the elderly population aren’t too excited to have foreigners in their city. Other than those small things, Daegu is a great choice and a wonderful home base to explore the country and neighboring cities!
#7 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Back at my favorite place in Kuala Lumpur.
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Dave Jones, Jones Around the World
When it comes to digital nomad hotspots, there are tons of good options to be found around South-East Asia. When I based myself in Kuala Lumpur on/ off for about a year, and it slowly became one of my favorite cities in Asia! The food is absolutely amazing, the rent was extremely cheap (even for a luxury condo rental), and you can find just about anything else you’re looking for. That’s why it’s one of the best countries for expats to work! There is a large expat community, surprisingly great nightlife, and excellent travel options from KLIA Airport. Traveling Malaysia is one of my best memories while in South-East Asia, and I’m definitely planning on moving back to Kuala Lumpur again sometime in the future.
#8 - Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Barbara Riedel, Barbalicious
I spent one month in the beautiful and vibrant Balinese surfer town of Canggu this year. It’s one of Asia’s hotspots for digital nomads. It’s a perfect place to begin as either a nomad or anyone searching for a strong community, great places to work, such as coworking spaces and cafés and the possibility to live with like-minded people or online-entrepreneurs in a coliving space or villa. Wi-Fi was mostly strong and great for work. But in the worst case, I could use my hotspot: In a country where you pay 10 USD for a sim card with 35 GB – you don’t need to worry about that! But my favorites were being able to go to the beach whenever I want and the sunsets! That’s what’s giving me the perfect work-life-balance.
#9 - Shanghai, China
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Alexandrea Here, They Get Around
Shanghai is a great place to live as a digital nomad – there’s a thriving expat scene, tons of western food choices and impressive nightlife. Shanghai is a massive city and you’ll find heaps of other expats here who are either working as teachers or are digital nomads. Internet connections are pretty good and there are heaps of co-working spaces such as Naked Hub, Link Place and Regus Jinmao (all open 24 hours).
Unfortunately, costs are much more expensive than living in one of the smaller, neighboring cities. However, with the price tag you do get to live with a lot of western comforts that you will struggle to find (with as much choice) elsewhere in China. There are also a ton of day trips from Shanghai that you can take when you need a break, such as the nearby water towns or scenic cities such as Hangzhou.
#10 - Singapore, Singapore
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Callan Wienburg, Singapore N Beyond
While there’s a lot do to in Singapore, especially for foodies, digital nomads may find it a bit stressful. It is expensive, the wifi is limited and you may get looks of disapproval when spending over 2 hours in a café. It’s surprising that some coffee shops in this amazing first world connected city still lack internet. That being said, there are some great little hotspots that have both free (and fairly fast) wifi and power sockets like Kith, the Daily Coffee, and Working Title. My favorite digital nomad spot is the Book Café near Robertson Quay as they cater for our kind of lifestyle. There have various power sockets, both inside and outside, the ambience is great, wifi fast and the staff are super accommodating. There are also numerous workspaces, but again, they are quite pricey, such as S$250 for five days. Yet, if you do some free activities, travel on the super-efficient and convenient public transportation and eat Hawker Centre food (around S$3-6 per meal) you’ll have an awesome time.
#11 - Hangzhou, China
Helen Anglin, Bristolian Backpacker
Hangzhou isn’t a hot spot for digital nomads due to the Great Firewall of China. However, once you get past the Great Firewall of China (buy a good VPN, I recommend Express), being a digital nomad in Hangzhou is excellent. Internet speed can vary but in our flat it was excellent.
The cost of living is low, especially if you stick to a Chinese diet, though there are a few good (and pricier) spots for Western food too. There is a plethora of Starbucks which is great for working, but my favourite work spot is Tous Les Jours, a “French” café (which is actually part of a South Korean chain) serving some great sweet treats and providing good wifi.
If you’re traveling to Hangzhou, there are lots to see and do there. Be sure to learn some Mandarin as English isn’t spoken as widely here as Shanghai or Beijing.
#12 - Seoul, South Korea
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Barbara Wagner, Jet-Settera
Seoul is the perfect place for digital nomads, because it is modern and fast Internet is accessible everywhere. Incheon Airport of Seoul has one of the best wifi out of all the airports I have visited lately. On the streets of Seoul good wi-fi connection is also accessible. The Internet pretty fast. (99 MBPS). Monthy living expenses are around $1600. A great thing about Seoul is that, it is one of the best places to live in Asia for expats because it’s perfectly safe, people speak English. Locals are friendly and welcoming and public transportation is great! There are plenty of good cafes to get work done. There are plenty of co-working spaces, such as the Hive Arena Coworking Space and the Imagebakery Coworking space. Cafes like Tom N Tom Coffee, Paul Bassett in GangNam or Bread & Co are great places to work. You can also find themed cafes such as Hello Kitty Cafe or Cat Cafe as well as Lego Cafe.
#13 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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Stefan and Sebastien, Nomadic Boys
During our travels in Asia, we always sought out a home “base” somewhere. This was usually Bangkok, but we found Phnom Penh to be a better alternative. It’s even more affordable than Bangkok with excellent internet connection and for us, a really cool gay scene.
We didn’t find co-working space as such in Phnom Penh because we usually find an apartment on Airbnb, which is our home/work base. The most important factor, however, we always look for is internet speed and we always ensure this high before booking a place to stay so our tip is to contact the owner beforehand and ask them to confirm how many megabytes per second.
The cost of living in Phnom Penh is extremely affordable and you can easily get by spending $20-30 per person per day.
#14 - Kaohsiung, Taiwan
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Lotte Eschbach, Phenomenal Globe
Chances are you have never heard of Kaohsiung. I for sure had not before I traveled to Taiwan. But I soon discovered Kaohsiung is pretty awesome! Kaohsiung is located in the Southwest of Taiwan and is the second largest city on the island. Almost 3 million people live in Kaohsiung and its port is the largest harbor in Taiwan.
Why Kaohsiung makes an excellent base for digital nomads? Multiple reasons!
- The city also has an international airport (and cheap flights!) making it very easy to take a trip to other countries in the region.
There is a big train and bus station in Kaohsiung, enabling you to explore other areas of Taiwan during short (weekend) trips. - Getting around in the city itself is also very easy and cheap, you can either take the MRT or hop on a C-bike (Kaohsiungs public bicycle system).
- Food is cheap and delicious, you can find traditional Taiwanese cuisine, Chinese food, Japanese dishes, Vietnamese restaurants and even Canadian sandwiches.
- Accommodation is also not expensive, you can rent a room via Airbnb for only €250 a month!
- Internet in Kaohsiung (or Taiwan in general) is the fastest I’ve ever seen. I bought a 30 day tourist SIM card (1000NT) which gave me unlimited 4G internet for the entire month. I used this SIM to create a personal hotspot and connected up to 5 devices simultaneously, without any problems!
Besides all these benefits there are also plenty things to see and do in Kaohsiung, you can read more in this Kaohsiung itinerary.
#15 - Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Ready to watch Legong Trance & Paradise Dance in #Ubud Palace #Bali #Indonesia
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Gianni Bianchini, Nomad Is Beautiful
Ubud might be well-known as a detox & yoga paradise, but everyone who wishes to spend quality time in a digital nomad community in a beautiful environment and get fantastic food, should draw his attention to this cozy village in Bali.
Here you can easily rent a spacious double bedroom with a private bathroom for $300USD with Wi-Fi. If you wish a private two bedrooms house with a pool, triple the price.
Regarding the internet, you’ll be on a safe side if you work in cafes or co-working spaces like HUBUD – a fantastic place for creative. A day pass costs $20, a monthly pass with umlimited hours is for $275.
Moreover, there are oodles of organic vegetarian restaurants in Ubud where you can work with your laptop. Meals are for very reasonable prices here: lunch in a local warung for 3$, or $10 for a fabulous Italian pizza.
#16 - Gwangju, South Korea
[us_separator style=”dashed”]Chris Walker-Bush, Aussie on the Road
Gwangju in South Korea’s Jeollanamdo province probably doesn’t leap out at you as a go to digital nomad destination. It doesn’t have the cosmopolitan status of Seoul or Busan, and the entire province tends to be looked down upon by Koreans as a bit of a rural backwater.
My two and a half years living and working in Gwangju painted an entirely different picture. The fast internet, inclusive expat scene, and Gwangju’s status as a transportation hub within South Korea made it a perfect base from which to work and explore.
By far the biggest selling point of Gwangju is its status as one of Korea’s most connected cities. The high-speed KTX train might be the most glamorous way of getting about, but it’s Gwangju’s massive bus terminal (once the largest in the world) that makes it a perfect base. You can get anywhere from Gwangju in just a few hours and for $10 – $30 US. Here are some of the coolest things to do in Gwangju if you want to check it out!
What are the best Asian cities for digital nomads that you’ve been to?
Let’s help other digital nomads decide their next destination! Leave your insights in the comment box below.
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Stefan Arestis
Scrambling to plan the next home base in Asia. Taiwan and South Korea look very appealing!
Barb
It looks like lots of the great digital nomad destinations are in Korea. I feel like I should go back to explore more of this exciting country!
Lotte
Great list! I have been to many of these cities an it always surprised me how affordable life is, even in cities like Taipei and Seoul (which reminds me: I’ve got to travel to South Korea, I’ve heard so many great things about the country!)
Lindsay
What an absolutely fantastic list! I’ve been thinking about moving to Asia and pursuing a full-time digital nomad lifestyle. This will definitely come in handy when choosing where I’d like to set up shop!
Joan Torres
Great choices and beautifully structured! Good to know about all these detailed costs. If I knew it before, I would have told you to include Bishkek, as well, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. I’ve spent here almost 3 weeks now and I am very surprised by how developed it is. There are awesome wifi, endless cafés, western pubs and restaurants, people are open-minded, it’s incredibly clean and super, super cheap. You can rent a room for as cheap as 100$. I’ve met a couple of DM and they love it, especially because the international scene is increasing massively! I am seriously thinking of moving here!
Ranjan Bhat
It’s disappointing that none of the Indian cities could make it in this list…
Jackie Sills-Dellegrazie
So many great cities to choose from but I’d be partial to Chiang Mai. I loved my time there and the food was great! There are so many little streets to explore and the night markets are fun. Most of all, (clearly my priorities are set) Chiang Mai was where I had the best Thai massage. Living and working from Chiang Mai would be a win win!
Chrysoula
There are so many great choices to base yourself in Asia and especially Thailand is very affordable. I love how you analyze the costs and most importantly the wi-fi connection which is so important on a job like this.
Danik
Havent been to Asia as a digital nomad but this list will come in handy if I can get rid of my ‘real job’ in London 😀 If I did, it has to be Maldives. 😀 😀 😀
Patricia
I had started to notice how many digital nomads have gravitated toward Asia. After reading through the recommendations, I can certainly see why. Right now, I’d say that I’m swayed toward Phuket. The mid-level costs, decent Wi-Fi and things to see are big selling points. While I’d love to see Singapore, it feels like it might be too expensive for us to stay for long. Thanks for the breakdown!
Cristina
Love this list! I feel like Thailand is a great option and Vietnam! Would love to go to both for a month each!
Karla
Trish, sometimes I feel like you can read my mind. I was looking around for a place in asia to stay for a month or two— and these are all the things I needed to know. Thank you
melody pittman
Unfortunately I haven’t been to any of these yet, but definitely agree that Chiang Mai is the most blogger friendly. 😉 I read about it constatnly. Great post and interesting destiantions. 😉
Megan Jerrard
Great list! It seems like everyone’s in Chiang Mai at the moment – seems to be a pretty big digital nomad hub, and any-where in South Korea I can understand – fastest internet speeds in the world or something like that!
Anneklien
Great list here, looks like south Korea is winning for great wifi/internet connection
Stephanie
Great article! I love that you included gay friendly and female friendly in your list. That isn’t something I’ve seen much of.
Claudia
What a great list ! And I love the metrics you used to based your search and answers on. I personally would probably choose Chiang Mai because I just love Thailand and think it has a great location but maybe anywhere in Bali would also work for me
Marissa
I was surprised that so many places from South Korea made the list! I never thought of that country as being good for digital nomads, but why not?
Rye
I’ve just come back from a two-week trip to Chiang Mai, and I am now in Hanoi where I’ll be staying for 6 weeks. I do agree that Chiang Mai is a perfect base for most digital nomads. It has a plethora of luxurious cafes that serve affordable coffee, and Wi-Fi is quite reliable. But I feel drawn to Daegu, Gwangju, and Kaohsiung as well. I’ll consider moving to Korea and test the waters, I suppose.
sherianne
You did such a great job on this list! I always wonder why there are so many digital nomads in Asia, now I know!
Nisha Jha
I love this list. I have been to many of these places and can connect with the article immediately. Of course not all these cities are cheap
Adelina
What a great list! I had heard so much about Chiang Mai as a place for digital nomads so it was cool to see some other options and suggestions as well.
Candiss
What a great round up! All the information especially cost of living is super handy. I have many plans for digital nomad-ing so i am sure this will come in handy!
Paige W
This is a perfect guide for people wanting to live remotely and be a digital nomad. I’m hoping to be referencing this list in the very near future. We’re heading to Chiang Mai in a few weeks to feel it out.
SHRADDHA GUPTA
The metrics in this post are great! I need internet speed like a necessity, but other than that – freedom of speech, transport and cost of living and such important factors! I would love to live in Ubud!
Claire
Ooh this is a great guide! I’m travelling Latin America at the moment and having some major issues with wifi – so when I switch continents I’ll definitely come back to this guide to decide where to go in Asia!
Rosemary
This is a great list and so many cool places to base oneself. I’ve been to many of the cities mentioned in this article and I’d to say fast internet access always impressed me. I was impressed with the speed of internet in Cambodia and I loved the co-working spaces in Chiang Mai. Looking forward to getting back to Southeast Asia soon. Thanks for sharing.