Best cities for digital nomads in 2026
CityLivably Editorial Team · Built on World Bank, WorldClim, USGS and FEMA/INFORM open data · Updated 2026
Nomad rankings usually ignore weather and disaster risk. Ours doesn't — here's the best mix of low cost, good climate and safety.
Top nomad cities
- Punta del Este, Uruguay — cost 55, climate 100, safety 73
- Maldonado, Uruguay — cost 51, climate 100, safety 73
- Melo, Uruguay — cost 52, climate 100, safety 70
- Dundalk, Ireland — cost 52, climate 97, safety 73
- Porto, Portugal — cost 54, climate 100, safety 65
- Herceg Novi, Montenegro — cost 54, climate 100, safety 66
- Tivat, Montenegro — cost 56, climate 98, safety 65
- Boquete, Panama — cost 56, climate 100, safety 62
- Bendigo, Australia — cost 50, climate 100, safety 69
- City of Port Phillip, Australia — cost 50, climate 100, safety 69
- Ballarat, Australia — cost 50, climate 100, safety 69
- Mercedes, Uruguay — cost 52, climate 98, safety 70
- Galway, Ireland — cost 50, climate 99, safety 70
- Swords, Ireland — cost 52, climate 98, safety 70
- Limerick, Ireland — cost 50, climate 99, safety 70
- Bhisho, South Africa — cost 49, climate 100, safety 70
- Cetinje, Montenegro — cost 54, climate 98, safety 67
- Albufeira, Portugal — cost 54, climate 100, safety 62
- Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay — cost 51, climate 97, safety 70
- Rivera, Uruguay — cost 51, climate 97, safety 70
- Waterford, Ireland — cost 51, climate 99, safety 68
- Dubrovnik, Croatia — cost 53, climate 100, safety 64
- Budva, Montenegro — cost 54, climate 98, safety 66
- Kotor, Montenegro — cost 57, climate 92, safety 67
What makes a city good for nomads
Low cost of living, a comfortable year-round climate, and safety (both disaster and crime) are the foundations. Visa access and internet matter too and are the next data layers we're adding.
Why these numbers are trustworthy
Every figure on this page is reproducible from open, citable sources rather than crowd-sourced guesses: cost from the World Bank price level (PPP ÷ exchange rate), climate from WorldClim v2.1 temperature normals, earthquakes from real USGS event history, and flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold and tsunami exposure modelled from each city's geography. We score 1,103 cities across 68 countries on the same 0–100 scales, so comparisons are like-for-like. The numbers are planning indicators, not promises — verify rent, visas, healthcare and tax for your own situation before you move, and treat the modelled hazard tiers as a relative guide between cities rather than an absolute forecast.
FAQ
Which city is cheapest for nomads?
Kotor, Montenegro is among the most affordable in our data.
Do you account for weather?
Yes — climate is a real, scored pillar, unlike most nomad lists.