Affordability is a major factor digital nomads take into account when picking their next home base, but so are cultural wealth and tourist offerings.
You don’t want to move to a new foreign city and stay locked up in your Airbnb as there’s nothing to see or do.
Let’s face it, though: it’s not always easy to ‘hit the jackpot’ when all of the most popular cultural hotspots, namely London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and New York, are not exactly… affordable.
So where could nomads go that are both cheap, whether they’re coming from well-off countries or not, and not mortally boring?
Well, there’s this ancient, inexpensive town in Asia that’s been gaining quite the traction lately, drawing in ‘workcationers‘ from all over.
According to new research published by Freaking Nomads, Hoi An in Vietnam is the best destination for nomads, and in this article, we’ll briefly look into some of the reasons why.
Why Is Hoi An The Number One Nomad Hotspot Right Now?
First of all, Vietnam as a whole is an incredibly trendy destination for Westerners currently:
Thanks to the attractive consumer prices, they are able to have a much higher quality of life relocating to this Southeast Asian country, and the relaxed visa policies have made it easier for them to stay longer without resorting to once-a-month visa runs.
Vietnam is full of gorgeous resort cities, nature preserves, and vibrant metropolises, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, to name a couple.
So the fact that Hoi An, of all places, has topped this particular ranking begs the question.
However, it takes only a day of strolling around its maze-like, yellow-washed Historic Zone and getting acquainted with the hospitable locals to figure out why remote workers are flocking in here in droves.
Hoi An is probably the prettiest town in Vietnam, with a UNESCO-listed Old Town traversed by a scenic river and oozing Old World charm:
A Historic Town With An Eclectic Architecture
It’s been under the control of several different empires over the centuries, and the Chinese, the Japanese, and the French have all left their mark.
It is an eclectic townscape, meaning you’re as likely to stumble upon pagoda-topped, covered nipple bridges as you are European-built, colonial-style houses.
There are so many ornate temples to visit that you’re unlikely to see everything, regardless of how long you stay.
Hoi An’s location near the sea, within short driving distance of unspoiled beaches, and the verdant hills of Central Vietnam make it a prime destination for nature lovers.
Picturesque doesn’t even begin to cover it, and then there’s the fact that on every corner you turn, you can find a quirky, visitor-friendly cafe catering to the Western clientele, equipped with AC, power sockets, WiFi, and serving a wide variety of local delicacies and freshly-squeezed, tropical juices.
In the new study, Hoi An posts a score of 73.94 out of 100, the most out of all destinations assessed, and as expected, the Vietnamese gem is commended for its low cost of living, with particularly low prices observed for food and rent, plethora of coworking spaces, and friendliness towards guests.
None of Hanoi’s crazy traffic, much less Da Nang’s unruly, Russian-dominated nightlife scene:
The Old Town is entirely walkable, and the social scene is indeed vibrant, but it’s more laid-back, and life here unfolds at a much slower pace compared to the bigger cities.
This Is Why Nomads Love Living Here
In Nomad List, the most reliable platform for tracking digital nomad trends, Hoi An has received near-perfect ratings for its amazing, balmy weather, food safety, which is a big concern for travelers across Vietnam where food poisoning is a common concern, and lack of crime.
Nomads, whether they’re male or female, face minimal, if not zero risks of being harassed, experiencing any sort of crime or violent acts, and even scamming:
Vietnamese locals are truly some of the most welcoming, kind people in Asia, and irrespective of their economic situation, they have unshakable moral standards.
Of course, nomads love Hoi An in particular for how cheap it is to live in: we’re talking $840 a month, accommodation and daily expenses included, and that’s far less than rent alone in any popular U.S. or Western European city.
A generous bowl of pho will cost you less than $2; you’re unlikely to spend over $150 in groceries per month, utilities cap at around $47, and renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center with a local real estate agency can cost as cheap as $248 (according to Numbeo).
You can stay 3 months in Vietnam as a digital nomad on a tourist visa, so that means your total expenses will be only $2,520: for a one-month stay in Tokyo, Japan, you should be prepared to fork out $2,961, and an eye-watering $4,233 in Singapore.
Now you know why digital nomads love Hoi An:
- It’s beautiful
- It’s historic
- It’s cheap
- It’s safe
It’s still only one facet of a surprisingly diverse, fascinating country you can learn more about here.
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