How to Make The Most of Digital Nomad Life in 2023 And Beyond

Digital Nomad lifestyles are on the rise, and with good reason! They offer people more freedom and flexibility than ever before, and they’re here to stay. This is why we’re naming the Digital Nomad lifestyle as one of the biggest growing trends for the year 2023.

There are currently 35 million digital nomads worldwide as of 2022 and this is set to keep on growing.

A digital nomad is someone who chooses to live in different locations while working remotely. In the post Covid world, this way of living and working has become so much more achievable as so many companies realised the potential of how much work can be completed remotely, via online working and not necessarily in the office. 

For our family, this has been a huge positive as it gives us the freedom to live wherever we want. As long as you’re happy to travel on the occasions that you do need to have face to face meetings, then the world really is your oyster. 

In this guide, you’ll learn about some of the pros and cons of this lifestyle and the best ways to make the most of your time spent in different places.

If you are thinking of taking your life on the road in the new year, you might as well do it right. We will take a look at the current trends of how to live a digital nomad lifestyle in the year 2023, as well as where you can find the best resources to help you out.

Where is Best to Live as a Digital Nomad?

Let’s have a look at the best places for digital nomads 2023. The final choices will depend on your personality and what’s most important to you, but there are some cities and locations that are really popular some digital nomads and for good reason.  

How to Choose Your Digital Nomad Location

You will need to consider a few factors including

1. Fast internet speed
2. Cost in living in that location 
3. Climate 
4. Ease of communication – Do you speak the language or is English widely understood in this location?
5. Laws and lifestyle in the country 
6. Public transport facilities

Spain

For digital nomads with family ties in the UK, Spain offers the benefit of only being a short flight away. This makes it a less daunting option to start off with, and of course it comes with much more sunshine than here in the rainy UK.

The weather bonus is even more if you choose to work in the canaries, such as Tenerife.

You may prefer to work remotely in some of Spain’s major cities like Madrid or Barcelona, where you can visit all kinds of museums and sites in your free time and be part of a vibrant busy urban lifestyle.

For those who may have learnt Spanish in school or are somewhat proficient in Spanish, this also offers a great opportunity to freshen up your Spanish.

Thailand

Once you’re feeling totally comfortable with the digital nomad lifestyle, you would have no hesitation travelling further afield such as Thailand.

One of the huge benefits of Thailand is the extremely low cost of living, for example you can easily live for $950 a month in some of Thailand’s major cities. This leaves a lot of room to save up the rest of your money and build some wealth for the future.

You also have the opportunity to spend time in some of the most beautiful beaches and jungles of the world, and to experience a totally different lifestyle.

Mexico

Like Spain, if you are comfortable speaking some Spanish then Mexico will be a great choice.

You could start off in Tenerife, Spain and then move on to spend some time in Oaxaca, Mexico. This is a safe city with many digital nomads and remote workers.

There are so many amazing sites with breathtaking history to see in Mexico, not to mention the food! Working in Mexico also gives you the opportunity to visit the USA, due to the proximity and short flights.

Chile

Santiago in Chile is one of the safest cities in South America, and is a perfect choice for digital nomads who want to live an Urban lifestyle with close proximity to nature.

Chile also has a mild Mediterranean climate which is not as hot as some of the South American countries, so may be more suited depending on your preferences.

Santiago is a great place to remotely work if you are looking for a peaceful lifestyle where the cost of living is also relatively low.

What Will You Need as a Digital Nomad?

So you’ve picked the ideal destination you’d like to go work in first. Let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll need to get organised.

Digital Nomad Work Visas

First up, you need to make sure you have all of the correct visas, permits and documentation for whichever country you have selected, for example Spain digital nomad visa 2023, to make sure that you won’t run into any problems and that your lifestyle is all above board. 

Since brexit, the situation for UK citizens is a little different as we are no longer members of the EU, with unrestricted freedom of movement and work throughout Europe. This does not need to stop you from grabbing the opportunity of digital nomad living, just be sure to get your visa in check and you’re good to go. 

A Suitable Work Space

You can work from home, but may also want to look at temporarily renting some office space or a desk in a co-working facility in your current area. This can be done very flexibly, and gives you social interaction and the benefits of office space without all the restrictions of full time office work. 

A Supportive Community

Traveling frequently, although very liberating, could get lonely if you don’t have support or community. Luckily there are many online communities for digital nomads, or apps to help connect you with others in the same boat who happen to be in the same area right now.

As the number of digital nomads grows, so too does the number of companies offering services to this growing community.

Make sure to stay in touch with family and friends back home too. Luckily, with today’s technology this has never been easier.

Pros and Cons of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Of course one of the huge pros is being able to see so much of the world. These is no doubt that this lifestyle is going to enable you to see and experience so many more things than if you were limited by a typical office job in just one location.

It can also be financially beneficial since you can choose to work in places with a lower cost of living, although the flip side is that you are more likely to be renting rather than building up any property assets. However, you can always buy a base property and rent that out as you move around, if you would prefer to have some kind of property ownership.

If you have children, then the digital nomad lifestyle is more compatible to homeschooling, if you move around more frequently. Alternatively, you can register your kids to local schools and spend a few years in each location, to balance the lifestyle with some more consistency amid the travelling.

Most of the time, digital nomads don’t stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. They work as much or as little as they like, and when they’re not working, they can travel, explore different cultures, learn languages. Flexible working hours like these give you so much flexibility to spend your time how you really want, and work to live rather than live to work.

Particularly if you are self employed and your online work allows you to earn a somewhat passive income, then the working hour flexibility can really be immense.

Each person or family will find the balance that works best, and starting out as a digital nomad may open your eyes to countries and possibilities that never would have been on your radar otherwise.