Despite many employers forcing employees to return to the office, some workers who have experienced remote work during the pandemic will never return.
Now, many of these remote workers are taking advantage of the opportunity to move to places more suitable for work-from-home life.
A new report from the global HR platform Remote.com examined 100 popular remote cities across the globe, ranking them based on factors including the quality of life they offer residents, level of safety, internet infrastructure, current economic factors and more.
Only one US city made the top 10 – Portland, Maine.
“The immigrant population has increased the diversity of a traditionally hard-to-reach region, so international visitors may feel more at home here than in the rest of Maine,” the report states. “Housing costs are on the rise in this coastal city, but are still below the national average.”
The next US city comes in at number 19 (Honolulu, Hawaii, for “legendary beaches” and welcoming telecommuting policy), followed by number 20, Des Moines, Iowa, for “reasonable housing costs ” and a plethora of breweries (that close early, the report notes).
New York City was ranked number 21.
The No. 1 city worldwide for remote workers is Madrid, Spain, according to the report, which is “always welcoming” thanks to its low income tax rate and “generous immigrant visa options” aimed at attracting workers independent and remote.
The average cost of living for a single person in Madrid without monthly rent is around $804, according to the latest data from Number. The city is about 49.5% cheaper (without rent) than New York City.
Here are the top 10 cities for remote workers across the globe, according to the report.
10. Reykjavík, Iceland
Reykjavík, Iceland (Getty Images)
9. Stockholm, Sweden
8. Taipei, Taiwan
7. Portland, Maine, USA
6. Paris, France
Paris, France (Getty Images)
5. Tokyo, Japan
4. Auckland, New Zealand
3. Toronto, Canada
2. Madeira, Portugal
1. Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain (Getty Images)
For the full report, visit here.