Tallinn named best city for remote workers

Its digital nomad visa helped Estonian capital top the list

Tallinn has been named the number one city for digital nomads (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Tallinn has been named the best city for remote workers in a new ranking.

The Estonian capital topped the list thanks in part to its new “digital nomad” visa, which allows workers to move there for a year provided they meet certain criteria.

Big 7 Travel, which came up with the top 50 list, also cited Tallinn’s “booming” digital economy and its low cost of living, with rent in the city centre costing around $500 (£370) a month.

In at number two was the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, which has also introduced a remote worker visa during the pandemic.

In addition, it’s set up for remote workers thanks to various coworking spaces around the city, plus housing is much cheaper than in western European cities.

Belgrade in Serbia, Bali in Indonesia, and Chiang Mai in Thailand came in third, fourth and fifth respectively.

No UK cities make the top 50, though a number of other European destinations do, including Porto and Lisbon in Portugal, Berlin in Germany, Budapest in Hungary and Madrid in Spain.

Big 7 Travel said it compiled the list based on affordability, internet access, coworking spaces, expat-friendly communities and took into account destinations that had specific digital nomad visas.

Various countries have launched these special visas over the last year, as the pandemic forced many people to work remotely – and showed that it was entirely possible for many jobs to be done from anywhere in the world.

Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda and Barbados have all introduced their own versions, in addition to Estonia and Georgia.

Top 50 cities for digital nomads

1. Tallinn, Estonia
2. Tbilisi, Georgia
3. Belgrade, Serbia
4. Bali, Indonesia
5. Chiang Mai, Thailand
6. Berlin, Germany
7. Singapore
8. Buenos Aires, Argentina
9. Hanoi, Vietnam
10. Ljubljana, Slovenia
11. Vancouver, Canada
12. Saint Petersburg, Russia
13. Istanbul, Turkey
14. Austin, Texas
15. Shanghai, China
16. Thessaloniki, Greece
17. Malta
18. Vilnius, Lithuania
19. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
20. Kyiv, Ukraine
21. Krakow, Poland
22. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
23. Bermuda
24. Antigua and Barbuda
25. Tokyo, Japan
26. Seoul, South Korea
27. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
28. Marrakech, Morocco
29. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
30. Tel Aviv, Israel
31. Porto, Portugal
32. Madrid, Spain
33. Quito, Ecuador
34. Santiago, Chile
35. Lima, Peru
36. Bangkok, Thailand
37. Aruba
38. Budapest, Hungary
39. Medellín, Colombia
40. Taipei, Taiwan
41. Melbourne, Australia
42. Cape Town, South Africa
43. Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
44. Zurich, Switzerland
45. Barbados
46. Lisbon, Portugal
47. Prague, Czech Republic
48. Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain
49. Mexico City, Mexico
50. Wellington, New Zealand