5 of the Best Cities for Digital Nomads in Asia

If you’re looking for some inspiration on the best cities for digital nomads, you’ve come to the right place. As a location independent worker, the world might be your oyster but, one thing I’ve learned in this past year is that not all destinations are made equally.

After months of travelling through Central America with shawdy internet and a very small DN community, I had a fair idea of what necessities I personally needed as a digital nomad. When I made my way to Asia, I soon realised why so many digital nomads decide to live there. Living costs are cheap, the WiFi is strong and life is just safe and easy. A lot of people ask me where they should start their digital nomad journey so, to save you going through the same trial and error as me, these are my picks of the best cities for digital nomads in Asia!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

No list of best cities for digital nomads in Asia would be complete without mentioning Chiang Mai. And of course, it’s going to be first on my list since it’s where I spent the last 5 months of my life.

Chiang Mai is an amazing city for digital nomads! There are literally work friendly coffee shops on every single street corner, free workshops taking place every single day and an inspiring community of entrepreneurs to hang out with, too. Plus, the city is one of the cheapest places in the world to live in. I was paying £125 a month for my large studio flat, Meals cost about £1 so I barely needed to cook and getting around was easy, too.

If you’re looking to get an online business off the ground, I can’t imagine anywhere being better than Chiang Mai to do it. If not for the community, then at least for the fact that you can live a very comfortable life for less than £600 per month!

Taipei, Taiwan

I visited Taipei last year and loved the city! Not only did it have the perfect blend of Chinese food and Japanese good manners, but it has its own quirky character which made it really stick out for me. I loved wandering around the night markets, going to the art parks and feeling like a local in such a liveable city.

For digital nomads who’d like to experience an East Asian country rather than a country in South East Asia, Taipei is a great choice. The living cost is generally much cheaper than Japan or South Korea and there’s no Great Firewall to worry about like there is in China. Although the digital nomad scene is still developing and most co-working spaces are aimed towards domestic start-ups, this is still a destination to watch out for! It’s actually on my list for if I ever get tired of Seoul!

Manilla, The Philippines

Manilla isn’t often mentioned as one of the best cities for digital nomads, or even for travellers. Most people who’ve holidayed in The Philippines have skipped the megacity to relax in the islands. But, if you’re looking for a modern city with fast internet and a low cost of living, Manilla is just as good an option as Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City- especially considering English is widely spoken and Filippino people are some of the friendliest in the world!

Logistically, Manilla is an easy place to get to, too. Since there are so many cheap Dubai to Manila flights, it’s an easy destination to reach from anywhere in the world. And of course, you can easily fly to amazing islands like El Nido during your weekends off!

Penang, Malaysia

I’ve now visited Malaysia 3 times… but I’ve never left Kuala Lumpur. (I’m sure that I’ll sort that out in due time, though.) Penang is at the top of my wishlist! This little island is awash with street art, culture and amazing food: sign me up! It’s becoming more and more popular with digital nomads thanks to the low cost of living and prevalence of English everywhere. This was one of the prime migratory spots during Chiang Mai’s burning season and I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about it.

Ubud, Bali

After Chiang Mai, Ubud is generally considered to be one of the best cities for digital nomads in Asia. With its gorgeous rice fields, pool villas, healthy restaurants and conscious entrepreneurial community, lots of digital nomads are deciding to call Ubud home.

Although living costs are slightly higher than Chiang Mai, there’s more access to nature and beaches are just a short drive away, making it a lot more attractive to some people. Plus, thanks to Hubud, the king of co-working spaces, you can still enjoy the same supportive community that people love Thailand’s cultural hub for!

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Hopefully this article has inspired you to grab your laptop and go! There are so many amazing places for digital nomads in Asia but these are just the 5 that I’ve had on my wishlist. If you’ve been somewhere that you think deserves a shout-out, leave me a comment and let me know all about it!