Top Affordable Digital Nomad Destinations

As of 2024, some 40 million people self-identified as living the digital nomad life, moving from place to place and working remotely everywhere they go. However, the lifestyle is also part of a growing issue in popular digital nomad destinations, like Lisbon, Portugal, where their presence is driving up rent prices, as landlords find the short-term rental game provides much larger profits than renting long-term. (It's important to note it's part of the problem, not the entire problem.)

However, there are still places out there where rent remains affordable for both digital nomads and locals alike. At least according to Reddit. 

In March, a Reddit user took to the Digital Nomad subreddit to ask the question: “Which countries/cities have not been ruined by increasing rents/inflation?”

The user added, “I see many posts here about popular digital nomad spots such as Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Portugal, Uruguay, Costa Rica that are often thought of as cheap destinations but are actually just as expensive as the U.S., and have experienced massive cost of living increases in the past few years (especially Buenos Aires and Lisbon). Has anywhere not been affected and still affordable?” 

Luckily, other users on the sub delivered. As one user noted, you could even stay in popular places if you look just outside the normal bounds.

Coastal Portugal

“Almost all coastal towns in Portugal are absolutely stunning. Move an hour drive out of Porto, and you can find tons of decently sized places in the 500-700 Euro range. And you still can visit the city whenever you want to,” the Redditor noted.  

Cebu, Philippines 

Another commenter added a similar thought, writing, “This is where being a contrarian pays off. I live in Cebu, Philippines, but 2.5 hours north of overhyped Cebu City, which is polluted, noisy, and the traffic is straight out of Dante's Inferno. I'm quite comfortable and at peace here. When I have a hankering for the city, I hop on a bus that costs $4.50.” 

Quito, Ecuador

Ecuador is becoming another popular spot for digital nomads thanks to the nation's digital nomad visa. And as one Redditor explained, Quito is a great option. “[It] still gets a bad rap because of safety issues that aren’t that bad now (it’s not Guayaquil). It is a gorgeous city close to the mountains and the Amazon. Not worried about sharing it here as Ecuador needs tourism money, and people are still put off by safety, even though they shouldn’t be.” 

Tokyo, Japan

Unlike other major cities, Tokyo has been able to avoid a housing crisis by simply ensuring it's easier to build new homes. And that continues to make it a great spot for nomads. “Japan has not had a housing crisis like the rest of the world. 2-3% inflation is scary for people here, but that's because inflation has been zero or even negative for decades,” one Redditor wrote. “Everyone used to mock Japan for not treating housing as a financial asset, but now the joke is on them. Tokyo is the biggest city in the world, and Osaka and Nagoya are also in the top 10. A few more 90-day residents aren't going to overload anything.” 

Montreal, Canada

Digital nomads from the U.S. don't need to travel far to find somewhere exciting. According to one Reddit user, “Montreal has been affected but is still quite affordable by global standards. depending on where you live, it’s not hard at all to be under $1k/month for a nice place.” And you don't even need a visa to work remotely in Canada for up to a six-month stay.