Top 10 Cities for Remote Workers in 2026

Lisbon claims the top spot for the second consecutive year, and it is easy to see why. The city combines southern European warmth, a thriving tech and startup ecosystem, world-class food, and a cost of living that sits roughly 52% below New York. A remote worker earning $100,000 from a US employer can expect an equivalent lifestyle to someone earning roughly $210,000 in Manhattan, once you account for housing, dining, transportation, and healthcare.

Portugal's Digital Nomad Visa, introduced in late 2022 and refined since, allows remote workers earning at least four times the Portuguese minimum wage (roughly 3,400 euros per month) to live and work legally in the country. The visa grants access to the Schengen Zone, meaning weekend trips to Paris, Barcelona, or Rome are a cheap flight away. Internet speeds in central Lisbon average 150-200 Mbps on fiber connections, and coworking spaces are abundant throughout neighborhoods like Chiado, Santos, and the LX Factory district.

The time zone (GMT/WET, UTC+0 in winter, UTC+1 in summer) works reasonably well for collaborating with both US East Coast teams in the afternoon and European colleagues during standard hours. This overlap makes Lisbon particularly attractive for workers at companies with distributed teams across multiple continents.

Chiang Mai is the original digital nomad capital, and in 2026 it remains one of the most financially compelling places on earth for remote workers. With a COLI of just 22.6, a remote worker earning $80,000 can live a lifestyle that would require well over $300,000 in New York. Rent for a modern one-bedroom condo in the Nimman neighborhood, the social center of the nomad scene, runs around $400 to $600 per month. A full meal at a local restaurant costs two to three dollars.

Thailand's Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa and the newer Digital Nomad Visa provide legal pathways for remote workers. The LTR visa, aimed at higher earners with income above $80,000 annually, offers a reduced tax rate and multi-year stays. Coworking spaces like Punspace and CAMP have been catering to remote workers for over a decade, and the infrastructure around the nomad community is mature and well-established.

The primary trade-off is the time zone. At UTC+7, Chiang Mai is 12 hours ahead of US Eastern Time, which means live collaboration with American teams usually requires early morning or late evening calls. For asynchronous workers, this is irrelevant. For those who need significant overlap with US business hours, it demands discipline and schedule flexibility.

Medellín offers the lowest cost of living on this list combined with what many nomads describe as the best climate in the world. Sitting at 1,500 meters elevation in a valley surrounded by mountains, the city maintains temperatures between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius (72-82 degrees Fahrenheit) virtually every day of the year. There is no need for heating or air conditioning, which itself is a meaningful quality-of-life advantage.

With a COLI of 20.4, Medellín is roughly 80% cheaper than New York. A spacious apartment in the popular El Poblado neighborhood rents for $600 to $900 per month, while neighborhoods like Laureles offer even better value at $400 to $600. Colombia's Digital Nomad Visa, established in 2022, requires proof of remote income of at least three times the Colombian minimum wage (approximately $1,100 per month) and grants a two-year stay.

The growing tech scene is a bonus. Medellín has invested heavily in public infrastructure, including a modern metro system, libraries, and parks. The city's time zone (UTC-5, same as US Eastern) is its secret weapon for anyone working with North American teams. You get the cost of living of Southeast Asia with zero time zone friction for US-based employers.

Budapest is one of the most underrated cities in Europe for remote workers. With a COLI of 38.5, it offers a lifestyle that feels closer to Paris or Vienna at a fraction of the cost. The city is architecturally stunning, split across the Danube with Buda's hills and castles on one side and Pest's vibrant cultural districts on the other. A one-bedroom apartment in the central District VII area rents for $700 to $1,000 per month, while areas slightly further out drop to $500 to $700.

As an EU member state, Hungary gives residents access to the broader European market and straightforward travel across the continent. Hungary introduced a White Card program for digital nomads that allows non-EU citizens to reside and work remotely for up to one year, renewable once. The requirements include proof of remote employment and a minimum income threshold.

Internet infrastructure in Budapest is excellent, with average speeds of 100-150 Mbps widely available. The city's thermal bath culture, ruin bar scene, and affordable fine dining create a lifestyle that feels indulgent without straining a remote worker's budget. The time zone (CET, UTC+1) aligns well with European and UK-based teams and overlaps with US East Coast mornings.

Mexico City has become the default landing spot for US-based remote workers who want a dramatically lower cost of living without sacrificing time zone alignment. At COLI 32.5 and sitting in the Central Time zone (UTC-6), it is as close to a plug-and-play relocation as a remote worker can find. Your salary stretches roughly three times further than in New York, and you never need to set an alarm for a midnight Zoom call.

The neighborhoods of Roma Norte, Condesa, and Coyoacán have become hubs for the international remote worker community. A well-furnished one-bedroom in Roma Norte runs $800 to $1,200, though moving slightly outside these gentrified pockets can cut costs in half. Mexico does not have a formal digital nomad visa, but its generous tourist visa (180 days for US and most European citizens) and the Temporary Resident Visa for longer stays make the logistics straightforward.

The city itself is a cultural powerhouse with world-class museums, a food scene that rivals any city on the planet, and a scale and energy that keeps it from ever feeling small. Internet speeds in the central colonias are reliable at 50-100 Mbps, and the coworking scene has exploded in recent years.

Bali has evolved from a backpacker stopover into one of the world's most developed remote work ecosystems. The island offers a lifestyle built around tropical weather, rice terraces, surf breaks, and yoga studios, with a digital infrastructure that has matured significantly. Indonesia's B211A Remote Worker Visa (also known as the Digital Nomad Visa) allows stays of up to one year for remote workers earning from overseas employers.

The coworking scene in areas like Canggu and Ubud is world-class. Spaces like Dojo Bali and Outpost pioneered the tropical coworking model, and the density of options means you can find everything from open-air work lounges overlooking rice paddies to air-conditioned offices with standing desks and podcast studios. A comfortable villa with a private pool in Canggu rents for $800 to $1,500 per month, a price point that would get you a studio apartment in most Western cities.

With a COLI of 28.5, a remote worker earning $90,000 lives at a level comparable to earning over $315,000 in New York. The time zone (WITA, UTC+8) works well for teams in Australia, Singapore, and other parts of Asia-Pacific, but creates the same challenges as Chiang Mai for US collaboration.

If Chiang Mai is Thailand's laid-back nomad retreat, Bangkok is its urban counterpart: a sprawling, electrifying megacity where a remote worker can live in a high-rise condo with a rooftop pool for the price of a shared apartment in Brooklyn. The COLI of 32.8 is slightly higher than Chiang Mai's, reflecting Bangkok's status as a global capital city, but it remains extraordinarily affordable by any Western standard.

Bangkok's infrastructure advantage over Chiang Mai is significant. The BTS Skytrain and MRT metro are efficient and expanding, fiber internet reaches most residential buildings, and the city has some of the best hospitals in Southeast Asia. The food scene is legendary and almost absurdly cheap, with Michelin-starred street food stalls sitting alongside world-class restaurants. A modern one-bedroom condo near the BTS in areas like Ari, Thonglor, or On Nut runs $500 to $900 per month.

The same visa options available for Chiang Mai apply here, including the LTR visa for qualifying remote workers. Bangkok also benefits from being a major international hub with direct flights to virtually every continent, making it an ideal base for workers who travel frequently.

Cape Town is unlike any other city on this list. The natural setting, Table Mountain rising above a city flanked by two oceans, is genuinely among the most spectacular urban landscapes on earth. With a COLI of 30.5, the city offers remarkable value. A two-bedroom apartment in the desirable Sea Point or Green Point neighborhoods rents for $800 to $1,200, and dining out is a fraction of European or American prices.

The time zone (SAST, UTC+2) is one of Cape Town's underappreciated strengths. It aligns almost perfectly with European business hours and overlaps with US East Coast mornings, making it a rare city that works for both markets. South Africa does not yet have a dedicated digital nomad visa, but remote workers commonly enter on tourist visas (90 days, extendable) or apply for a Business Visa with proof of remote work.

Cape Town's lifestyle offering is exceptional: hiking, surfing, wine country, and a growing tech ecosystem centered around the Woodstock and Observatory neighborhoods. The city has invested in fiber internet infrastructure, and speeds of 100-200 Mbps are standard in well-connected areas.

Bucharest is the dark horse of this list and arguably the best-kept secret for remote workers in Europe. With a COLI of just 22.5, it is one of the most affordable capital cities on the continent, yet it sits firmly within the EU, offering all the legal and logistical advantages that come with it. Romania also consistently ranks among the top countries in the world for internet speed, a legacy of the country's rapid fiber-optic buildout. Average download speeds in Bucharest exceed 300 Mbps, making it one of the fastest-connected cities globally.

A spacious one-bedroom apartment in central Bucharest, in areas like Floreasca or Herastrau near the park, rents for $500 to $800 per month. The city has a lively cafe culture, a growing number of coworking spaces, and a nightlife scene that punches well above its weight. Romania's Digital Nomad Visa allows non-EU citizens to live and work remotely for up to one year, with a required minimum income of roughly three times the average Romanian gross salary.

The time zone (EET, UTC+2) aligns with most of Europe and provides reasonable overlap with US East Coast mornings. For remote workers who want EU residency, fast internet, and a cost of living on par with Southeast Asia, Bucharest is hard to beat.

Buenos Aires is the cultural capital of South America: a city of grand European-style architecture, world-class steak, tango halls, and a literary tradition that produced Borges and Cortazar. With a COLI of 25.2 and Argentina's historically favorable exchange rates for holders of strong foreign currencies, a remote worker earning in dollars or euros can live like royalty in one of the world's great cities.

The Palermo and Recoleta neighborhoods are the most popular among remote workers, with a one-bedroom apartment running $500 to $900 per month in prime locations. The city's cafe culture is perfectly suited to remote work, with many cafes actively welcoming laptop workers, and coworking spaces have proliferated throughout the central barrios. Argentina's exchange rate dynamics mean that accessing dollars through official channels versus parallel markets can significantly affect your purchasing power, a factor worth understanding before you arrive.

The time zone (ART, UTC-3) overlaps well with US East Coast hours and is only one hour behind during Eastern Daylight Time. Argentina does not have a formal digital nomad visa, but offers a straightforward Rentista Visa for those who can demonstrate regular foreign income, and tourist visas grant 90-day stays that can be extended.