A new study has revealed Romania to be the best European country for those in search of a digital nomad lifestyle working abroad.
Travel experts at Panache Cruises have named the top ten capital cities across Europe best suited for those in search of the opportunity to work fully remote overseas.
With the choice to work completely remotely becoming the norm for many companies, more workers are searching for the perfect ‘work from anywhere’ destination.
Post pandemic changes in workplace practices has seen a rise in the number of UK businesses offering employees the chance to work overseas as the latest data shows over 70% of workers would now only consider a new job which allowed them to work from anywhere.
Now travel experts have crunched the numbers in a comprehensive study to find the top locations for digital nomads to move to.
By researching factors considered the most important for remote employees, Bucharest, Romania comes out on top as the best European city for digital nomads.
However, those in search of a location off the beaten track, surrounded by unique, sweeping landscapes will be disappointed to discover that Iceland ranks last, despite it being the happiest country across the whole index.
The upfront cost of a visa application is certainly one of the most crucial deciding factors for remote workers – and with most countries charging under £70, it is surprising to see the cost for a digital nomad visa in Malta to reach over £260.
Those in search of working in the sun should consider moving to Spain or Cyprus, who rank second and third, respectively – both with high scores for wifi download speed; ideal for workers relying solely on the internet to make a living.
Finding an affordable place to rent for the long term can be difficult, yet Romania, Greece and Hungary all offer renting prices for a one bed apartment in the centre of the capital city for less than £500 a month (on average).
This is significantly lower than Portugal and Iceland, which both have an average renting cost of over £1000 a month.
Despite ranking seventh overall, for those digital nomads who don’t earn a particularly high wage each month should consider moving to Portugal, which only requires applicants to earn just over £650 per month.
The majority of countries require workers to earn over £2000 a month to even be able to put in a visa application.
James Cole, founder and CEO of Panache Cruises said: “It’s really interesting to see Romania rank first as the best country for digital nomads to move to as it’s not a popular spot for British tourists and travellers.
“Despite requiring workers to earn a high monthly wage (over £3200), Romania offers attractive qualities in low rent, food and living costs, as well as having a high happiness score and good wifi speeds.
“Remote workers may be surprised to see some of the largest European countries – such as France, Italy and Germany – not make the list. This is because only a select number of nations offer digital nomad visas for Brits.
“However, we are seeing an increase in countries offering these remote working visas – Spain only introduced the scheme a few months ago and now ranks second best. I hope that many other countries will follow suit given the growth in the number of British businesses offering their employees the chance to work overseas.
“Of course, cruise ships are now making it possible for digital nomads to live at sea too. Although many might think a cruise cabin would not be a good place to get work done, cruise lines are increasingly improving factors to make it possible for cruise agents and remote workers to get their work done while exploring countries off the beaten path.
“High-speed WiFi, business centres, meeting rooms and lounges on board are all being designed to make working from ships a more comfortable and long-term option for travellers. Remote workers travelling by cruise can benefit from working all over the world, truly living out their ‘work from anywhere’ dreams.”
To find out more about working as a digital nomad and the best countries to travel to, visit https://www.panachecruises.com/.