Sydney cops its fair share of flak: some of it justified (rental crisis, rip-off tolls and snail-paced infrastructure construction, we’re looking at you). But you’ve got to give it to our harbour city – it’s a bloody beautiful, clean, diverse, safe and fun city to live, work and play. And we’re not the only ones who think so. The digital nomad lifestyle shows no signs of slowing down, as more and more remote workers pack up their laptops every year and head off in search of affordable living, fast Wi-Fi in cafés and strong community support – and Sydney has been ranked as one of the hottest digital nomad destinations for 2025.
A new study from ScoutLogic looked at data ranging from cost of living and connectivity to cultural offerings, healthcare, environmental quality and engagement within the local digital nomad community to see which cities are really delivering in 2025. The result is a global leaderboard of digital nomad hotspots that might just inspire your next one-way ticket to work-life bliss.
Sydney has been ranked as the fifth best place to work remotely. And while it’s the priciest on the list with living costs averaging $5,728 monthly, Sydney lures nomads with its golden beaches, outdoor lifestyle, work-life balance (lunchtime swim, anyone?) and high salaries to balance the sting of those matcha prices. Quality of life here remains world-class, and the nomad crowd keeps growing.
Bangkok, Thailand takes the crown with a Digital Nomad Score of 68.09. Living costs average $2,338 per month – not dirt cheap, but worth it for the city’s buzzing nomad network (a perfect 5.0 community score). Street food, coworking hubs and endless energy make Thailand’s capital hard to beat.
The under-the-radar city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also in Thailand, comes in at number two. It’s practically a steal at just $1,595 per month and offers the fastest internet speeds on the list (105 Mbps). Smaller, cheaper and insanely well-connected, it’s basically Bangkok’s little sibling with better Wi-Fi.
At $4,529 per month, Dubai, UAE, isn’t for penny-pinchers. But the city makes up for it with futuristic architecture, top-tier infrastructure and a thriving nomad scene (community score: 4.75). Imagine hopping off a Zoom call and straight into the world’s most extravagant skyline.
Porto, Portugal is Europe’s star player, coming in at number four. Porto charms nomads with riverside cafés, old-world architecture and a welcoming expat scene (community score: 4.5). Plus, Portugal’s streamlined visa options make long stays less of a bureaucratic headache.
Nomad nirvana isn’t just about cheap rent or fast Wi-Fi anymore. As David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of ScoutLogic, notes, “Successful remote work destinations now require more than connectivity – they need professional and social infrastructure too.” In 2025, the hotspots worth working from are the ones that offer both.
Want to work abroad? These are the ten best digital nomad cities in 2025
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
- Dubai, UAE
- Porto, Portugal
- Sydney, Australia
- Madrid, Spain
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Seoul, South Korea
- Ericeira, Portugal
- Lisbon, Portugal
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