Where is the best place for a freelancer to live? Work from home abroad

With the development of the Internet, communication tools and online interaction methods, more and more people (and companies) prefer to work (or hire employees) online. Where is it better for a freelancer to live and which countries do the most successful remote workers prefer? Let's figure it out in our article. Contents:

• Introduction
• What is freelancing in simple words
• Why is working from home attractive to young people?
• Digital nomads
• Top 10 Countries for Freelancers
• Where and how is it best for a freelancer to live?
• Why Digital Nomads Need Housing
• What is the use of Deniz Estate agency?

An annual study of the US labor market ( conducted by the world's largest freelance platform Upwork in conjunction with the Freelancers Union) showed that in 2019, for the first time, more than half of US workers named freelancing as their main and long-term activity. What does this mean? Freelancing has ceased to be a part-time job and has become a real profession. And since freelancing frees a person from the need to be “tied” to a specific place, the number of people (especially young people) who choose to live and work in countries other than the ones they were born in is sharply increasing in the world. This equally applies to Ukrainians, as well as Russians, Kazakhs, Belarusians and other post-Soviet peoples, where freelancing is especially popular.

What is freelancing in simple words

Freelancing is working outside the office, at your own pace and schedule, with clients you find yourself. Freelancers are not limited to:

• Workplace. They don't have to go to the office "to work".
• Schedule. They make their own schedule, the main thing is to meet the deadlines (the deadlines for finishing work and handing in tasks).
• Salary. A freelancer sets the price for his work himself. Another thing is that you still need to be able to sell at your own price.
• Type of work. Since a freelancer searches for clients themselves, they are free to choose which projects they are interested in working on and which ones they are not.
• Fines and deductions. There is no one to fine freelancers, they have no bosses. Although, it is worth saying that working through exchanges, there is some such responsibility.
• Profession. A freelancer can easily combine several professions at the same time.
• A freelancer cannot be fired. This means that a freelancer is free from fear for his “job title” or “place” and never experiences such stress.

In the current reality, it is necessary to distinguish freelancing from remote work. Remote workers are full-time employees of companies working from home. They still “belong” to the company, are not free in their schedule and salary, are not free in the type of work, fines and dismissal. Their only similarity with freelancers is that they work the same way as the former from home, and not from the office.

Why are working from home abroad so attractive to young people?

Actually, the answer to this question is obvious. All people strive to improve their quality of life in one way or another. Traveling and the opportunity to see new places and cultures is part of this quality. And since most “classic” company employees cannot even afford the thought of traveling because of their attachment to their place of work, any opportunity to “tear themselves away” from the office is very attractive to young people. In the already mentioned study, 71% of respondents noted one of the most significant reasons for choosing freelancing as their main format of work – the opportunity to work from anywhere. And this says a lot. Since freelancing is mainly represented by the age category of 18-25, we can safely say that young people are focused on the trend of cosmopolitanism and globalism. That is, the opportunity to live and work from any desired point on the planet. For warring Ukraine, this is especially relevant. Young people strive to live and work at home abroad, since this is where they receive a high stable income and, importantly, a high standard of living. Russia is not far behind in this sense. Economic problems, a total decline in living standards and wages lead to the same consequences. Young people are rapidly leaving their “home harbor”.

Digital nomads and countries for them

The trend of working from anywhere in the world is especially popularized by travel bloggers and digital nomads. This is a new term that emerged at the turn of 2019-2020, when the first of such guys appeared, considered the founders of the movement. The lifestyle of digital nomads involves constant mobility, they do not choose a specific country to live in, but constantly travel from one country to another, while remaining professionals in high-tech sectors of the labor market and solving work problems with the help of communication services. For such a social stratum of young people, various countries of the world create special programs (simplify visa regimes, create special types of visas for them with extended stays, simplify the process of obtaining a residence permit, passport control, taxation, etc.). Simply because these specialists are able to generate high incomes and, as a result, fill the budget of the host country.

Top 10 Countries for Remote Freelance Work

Which countries do these young people choose? Let's look at the studies that have been conducted. Quite a few web portals that are somehow connected to the labor market and are concerned about where freelancers can live publish their studies on this topic. We have conducted a general analysis of several of the most authoritative ratings in our opinion.

Top 5 countries according to dengi.ua

According to the portal dengi.ua, the top 5 countries for freelancers are as follows:

• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Vietnam
• Cyprus
• Cambodia

The overseas real estate agency Deniz Estate offers freelancers real estate in Cyprus, where summer lasts almost all year round, or real estate in Bali with a dry climate and major surfing championships.

Top 9 countries according to delo.ua portal

Another authoritative Ukrainian publication delo.ua offers its assessment of the ranking of countries for freelancing and remote work from home:

• Estonia
• Türkiye
• Croatia
• Barbados
• Sri Lanka
• Antigua and Babuda
• Costa Rica
• Brazil
• Taiwan

This publication also provides another ranking of countries with special programs for digital nomads and travel bloggers:

• Georgia
• Czech Republic
• Germany
• Spain
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Bermuda and Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• Curacao
• Mauritius
• Madeira
• UAE
• Mexico
• Canada.

Top 10 countries according to freelancehunt.com

But we consider the most interesting the study of the portal freelancehunt.com – the largest Ukrainian freelance platform on the Internet. They analyzed freelancers who have already gone abroad and what countries they choose and why. It is one thing to rely on some expert opinion about the best countries for freelancing and quite another – on data from the freelancers themselves. Data on living expenses from the portal Nomadlist, data on the Internet and Wi-Fi – the portal Coworker.

1. Thailand. Here, the city of Chiang Mai is the favorite. This country has no competition in terms of the number of freelancers working abroad. A real Mecca of freelancing. People choose it because of the climate – summer almost all year round, low housing prices, the housing itself is very comfortable, there are many inexpensive cafes and restaurants, good mobile Internet and low living and food costs. There are many inexpensive and comfortable coworking spaces open for freelancers. The average monthly cost for a comfortable life is about $1000.
2. Portugal, Lisbon. It has a mild, pleasant climate, affordable prices for housing and transportation, a very high standard of living, lots of vegetables, fruits and seafood. Lisbon itself is a multicultural city, which helps newcomers quickly adapt. Transportation is also great here – there is a metro, trams, buses, trains, you can rent a car, an electric scooter, a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an electric scooter. The Internet is one of the best in Europe, there are many free WiFi spots. The average monthly expense is about $1400-$1500.
3. Germany, Berlin. This is classic Europe with high living standards. Developed transport, average prices and lots and lots of free WiFi. Excellent Internet. Monthly expenses per person will be about $1880.
4. Spain, Barcelona . Mild Mediterranean climate, incredible beaches, pleasant prices for food and its wide variety, excellent infrastructure and developed transport. More than 134 coworking centers and more than 500 free Wi-Fi points. Cost per person – $1920.
5. Czech Republic, Prague. The city's developed infrastructure, low prices for everything, incredible architecture and historical monuments – all this attracts not only tourists, but also remote workers. The level of expenses per person per month is $1480.
6. Poland, Warsaw. A rapidly developing city, developing IT spheres at an incredible pace, low prices, developed transport and good Internet attract remote workers here. For Ukrainians, the practically non-existent language barrier is an additional plus. Living expenses per month are $1200.
7. Turkey, Istanbul . An atmospheric and dynamic city of extreme contrasts. European Christian culture here is seamlessly intertwined with Muslim. Mild Mediterranean climate, the lowest housing prices (according to the rating), delicious local cuisine with a large selection of available vegetables and fruits all year round, developed infrastructure and transport – are often decisive for freelancers. 62 coworking spaces, many mobile operators and the Internet with high-quality access, free WiFi in cafes, restaurants, hotels, public places and transport. Average monthly expenses per person, attention (!) – $670
8. Indonesia, Bali – Canggu . A town that combines a certain native atmosphere with a highly developed IT infrastructure, nevertheless, attracts freelancers from all over the world. It is especially full of digital freaks of all stripes. Canggu is a small town (even more a district) with cheap prices for everything and good internet. There is no transport as such, rare buses run between the cities. You can rent a bike, motorcycle or car. Excellent mild climate and most importantly – an ideal place for surfing. Average monthly comfort costs – $ 820
9. Hungary, Budapest. Pleasant climate, great food, developed transport and fast internet. Lots of attractions, excursions and even river tourism on the Danube. The level of expenses for a comfortable life per month is $1140.
10. Slovakia, Bratislava. Inexpensive housing, mild climate all year round, fast internet and low crime rate. It is convenient to travel around Europe from here, just take the train. Free WiFi in cafes, restaurants and hotels. Living expenses per month per person – $870.

Summary data on costs in the listed cities in the table

* Rent of 1-room apartment in the city center. ** Without rental cost.

Where and how is it best for a freelancer to live?

As can be seen from the listed ratings, Spain, Turkey, Bali and Cyprus are often the most popular among people working remotely. This is due to many factors: high standard of living, developed infrastructure, high-speed Internet, legal and medical systems, etc. However, the Deniz Estate agency goes even further and offers unique opportunities to remote workers. Usually, these are IT specialists and their income is above average, so we offer to choose and buy housing in these countries, which will dramatically reduce the cost of living in the country itself, and we will help with all the questions and nuances.

Buying real estate in Spain, Turkey, Bali or Cyprus is a great opportunity to reduce your expenses by removing the rental part from them, and, if desired, turn it into an asset that brings in money.

Why should digital nomads buy housing?

A legitimate question, if the principle of life of digital nomads is mobility, they are the least interested in being tied to a place or housing. However, there are several nuances here:

• Your friends, who are also digital nomads, can use your apartment or house. This practice is quite widespread among this social group. They willingly share their housing with like-minded people who arrive in the country when they are not there (even for free).
• Any investment in real estate is one of the best ways to not only save your hard-earned money, but also to make it “work.” Almost any successful investor will tell you this. Using real estate as a way to diversify your investment portfolio is a wise idea. After all, money still needs to be invested somewhere. Otherwise, why earn it?
• Real estate in Spain or Turkey can easily be turned into a reliable investment project by renting it out. You don’t need to look for tenants yourself, just use our services to provide you with a management company that will run your business for you for a small commission percentage of your profit.

How Deniz Estate Agency Can Help

We love and appreciate each of our clients and try to provide the most comfortable, polite and reliable service. Our reputation is not an empty phrase for us, for this reason we take care of all the details and trifles. In addition, we do not represent the interests of specific developers on the market and cooperate with many developer companies in Turkey, Spain, Montenegro, Cyprus and Bali. Therefore, we can objectively select properties based on our expertise and analysis of a specific market. We offer:

• Support of turnkey transactions with many additional consultations and advice for each client individually.
• Search for the best options for properties in the country you are interested in, according to your goals, requirements and requests.
• Search and evaluation of management companies for conducting business in leasing real estate properties.
• We organize online and offline tours to properties of interest for inspection and on-site consultations.
• We offer and provide any related assistance: translations, lawyers, legislative features and nuances, and so on.