Polski
It started in November 2022. Kristjan and I were sitting in our apartment in Europe, staring at gray skies and 4 PM sunsets, both working remotely, both wondering: why are we still here?
We'd been traveling on and off since 2021, but always coming back to our home base. This time, something clicked. We both had fully remote jobs. We had no lease tying us down. We had two backpacks that we could pack in twenty minutes. So we looked at each other and said: let's just go. Not for a vacation. For real.
The Search Criteria
When you decide to actually live somewhere as a digital nomad, your priorities shift completely compared to a holiday. We sat down and made a list of what actually mattered:
1. Fast, reliable internet - This was non-negotiable. If you can't join a video call without freezing, nothing else matters. We needed at least 20 Mbps consistently, not just in fancy hotels but in cafes and Airbnbs.
2. Cost of living - We weren't trying to burn through savings. We wanted a place where we could live well on a normal remote salary. Accommodation, food, coworking, everything included, ideally under $2,000 a month for both of us.
3. Good weather - We were leaving European winter specifically to find sun and warmth. Anything above 25 degrees and sunny was the goal.
4. Safety - We're not risk-seekers. We wanted to walk around at night without worrying, leave a laptop in a cafe while going to the bathroom, that kind of safety.
5. Food and culture - We love eating local food and exploring markets. A place with amazing street food was a huge bonus.
6. Time zone that works - Since most of our clients were in Europe, we needed a time zone that had at least some overlap. Asia works surprisingly well for this: if you're in Bangkok, you're 6 hours ahead of Central Europe. Start your work day at 11 AM local time and you have the whole European afternoon covered. Mornings are yours to explore.
The Asia Revelation
Our first stop was Bangkok. We booked a one-way flight for about 400 euros and an Airbnb for $500 a month, a proper one-bedroom apartment in the center with a pool and a gym. Back in Europe, that wouldn't even get you a studio.
The moment we landed, everything changed. Our total monthly spend including rent, food, transport, coworking, and going out was around $1,300 for both of us. In Europe, our rent alone was more than that.
And the internet? Bangkok surprised us. We were getting 40-50 Mbps in most cafes. Our Airbnb had fiber. Video calls were crystal clear. The "Asia has bad internet" stereotype is completely outdated, at least in the major nomad hubs.
But it wasn't just about the numbers. Bangkok has this energy. You finish work, walk outside, and there's a night market on every corner. Pad Thai for a dollar. Temples you can visit on your lunch break. A whole city that's alive until midnight.
Chiang Mai: The Nomad Capital
After two months in Bangkok, everyone we met said the same thing: you have to go to Chiang Mai. So we did.
Chiang Mai is even cheaper. We rented a beautiful apartment for $350 a month. A meal at a local restaurant was $1.50. A day at a coworking space was $5. Our total monthly cost dropped to about $1,100 for two people.
But what really makes Chiang Mai special is the nomad community. There are hundreds of remote workers there at any time. Coworking spaces double as social hubs. You show up in the morning, work until lunch, and suddenly you have five new friends from five different countries, all living the same lifestyle.
The internet was solid too, around 20 Mbps in most places, enough for everything we needed. And the weather? Warm and sunny from November through March, exactly when Europe is at its most miserable.
Vietnam: The Price-Performance Champion
After Thailand, we moved to Da Nang in Vietnam. If you're optimizing for cost, Vietnam is hard to beat. We were spending around $900 a month total. A huge bowl of pho was 50 cents. A beachfront Airbnb was $400 a month. Coffee culture is incredible, Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee producer, and you can work from stunning cafes all day for the price of a single latte in London.
Ho Chi Minh City was another story, bigger, louder, more chaotic, but also incredibly exciting. The food scene is next level. The energy is addictive. And the cost of living is absurdly low for what you get.
The European Winter Escape Pattern
Here's what we figured out after our first year: Asia in winter, Europe in summer. It's the perfect pattern.
From November to March, Europe is cold, dark, and expensive. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia is in its dry season: sunny, warm, and a fraction of the cost. You fly to Bangkok or Bali or Da Nang for a few hundred euros, live like royalty for four months, and come back to Europe when spring arrives.
But not everyone wants to go that far. For shorter escapes or a gentler time zone difference, there are closer alternatives:
Lisbon has become a massive nomad hub. It's mild in winter (12-16 degrees), has excellent internet (38 Mbps average), a huge coworking scene, and Portugal's digital nomad visa makes it easy to stay long-term. The cost is higher than Asia but much lower than Northern Europe.
Madeira, also Portugal, is a hidden gem. It's basically subtropical Europe with temperatures around 18-20 degrees year-round. The island launched a digital nomad village that went viral in the nomad community. Great internet, stunning nature, and you're still in the European time zone.
The Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote) are another winter favorite. They're technically Spain but sit off the coast of Africa, so the weather stays warm even in January. Gran Canaria especially has a growing coworking scene.
Istanbul offers an incredible mix of culture, food, and affordability. Winter temperatures hover around 8 degrees, so it's not tropical, but the city more than makes up for it with its energy and the cost of living.
Internet: The Real Ranking
After living and working from a dozen countries, here's our honest ranking of internet reliability for remote work:
- Singapore: Insanely fast, 150+ Mbps everywhere. But expensive to live.
- Seoul: 33 Mbps average, incredibly reliable. South Korea takes internet seriously.
- Tokyo: 28 Mbps, always stable. Cafes with good WiFi are everywhere.
- Lisbon: 38 Mbps, best in Southern Europe.
- Bangkok: 24 Mbps, surprisingly reliable. Fiber in most modern apartments.
- Budapest: 34 Mbps, great for a European base.
The worst? Smaller towns in Vietnam and Nepal. You can work from there, but pack patience and a mobile hotspot as backup.
The Best Value: Our Top Picks
If we had to recommend just five cities for someone starting their digital nomad journey, optimizing for the best mix of cost, internet, weather, safety, and lifestyle:
1. Chiang Mai - The classic for a reason. $1,100/month, great community, amazing food, warm weather.
2. Da Nang - Beach town with incredible value. $900/month, beautiful coastline.
3. Bangkok - Big city energy at a fraction of the price. $1,600/month, endless things to do.
4. Lisbon - Best European option. European time zone, great weather, strong nomad scene.
5. Budapest - Affordable Europe with fast internet, beautiful architecture, and thermal baths.
What We Wish We'd Known
A few things nobody told us before we started:
Get a good eSIM service. Don't buy local SIM cards anymore. We use an eSIM that works in most countries and it's been a game-changer. Having data the second you land means you can navigate, translate, and call an Uber before you even leave the airport.
Coworking day passes are better than monthly memberships if you're moving around. Most places offer drop-in rates of $5-10 a day.
The "digital nomad visa" thing is real now. Portugal, Estonia, Georgia, Thailand, and many others have specific visas for remote workers. It makes everything legal and simple.
Always test the internet before committing to a long-term Airbnb. Book two or three nights first, run a speed test, join a video call. Then commit to a month.
We Built a Page for This
We realized that every time we were picking our next destination, we were doing the same research: checking costs, internet speeds, weather, safety scores. So we built a dedicated digital nomads page on City Buddy where you can browse, sort, and compare the best nomad cities by exactly these criteria.
Every city links to its full City Buddy page with attractions, local costs, visa info, and all the practical details you need. It's the tool we wish we'd had when we started.
If you're thinking about making the jump, just book a one-way ticket to Bangkok. Seriously. That's how it starts.