The 15 Best Digital Nomad Cities in South-East Asia
South-East Asia is the benchmark when it comes to expat living, with the cheap prices and experiences making it extremely popular with nomads.
What few realise though is there is much more to the place than just Bali and Bangkok. So, what are the 15 best digital nomad cities in South-East Asia?
Table of Contents
The 15 Best Digital Nomad Cities in South-East Asia
As is the standard, I have to have lived in, been to, or spent a decent amount of time in each of the places for it to be considered. And as always, we count from 15-1, thus saving the best until last.
15) Singapore – Singapore
OK, so you might be shocked that I rank Singapore so lowly. I mean, it has everything for nomads, right? It is also bloody expensive and is not nicknamed “Pyongyang with high-speed internet” for no reason.
14) Jakarta – Indonesia
Jakarta has everything you need as an expat and a digital nomad in South-East Asia and is actually a very underrated city. And with the 5-year visa easy enough to go for, it is a good option. Does not rank higher due to the traffic, pollution and for just being too damned busy. There are better options in Indonesia.
13) Gili T / Lombok – Indonesia
Remember me saying there are better options in Indonesia? Well, I will do a Lombok and Bali combo here. These places are cheap living, fun and just very relaxing. Only negatives are they are a bit remote and visa runs are not that easy from them.
12) Angeles City – Philippines
Angeles City, as well as Subic Bay, get a bad rap due to the whole adult scene. But there is much more to them, with Angeles in particular having everything that Manila does, but just on a smaller and therefore much more manageable scale. Very cheap rental and property buying opportunities here.
11) Vientiane – Laos
The capital of Laos would score much higher were it not for visas, as they have great food and extremely cheap living. Decent cafe culture, as well as co-working spaces. Also, you can train to Thailand, or China if you need to do a visa run.
10) Manila – Philippines
The Philippines offers some of the best visas for long-term people, retirees and nomads. This allows you to open a bank account here. Bad traffic though, and Manila really is an acquired taste. Lots for nomads here though.
9) Cebu City – Philippines
Home of Cebu Pacific, so therefore well connected to the Philippines and the world by budget flights. Probably the best all-round nomad place in the Philippines. Also less bullshit than Boracay and less trouble with the weather than Palawan. Good expat scene and islands to explore.
8) Bangkok – Thailand
Honestly, the most overrated of the digital nomad cities in South-East Asia. Not only is it not cheap at all now, but the rules of the game are just constantly being changed by the government. And the whole Thai digital nomad visa is actually not all that great IMO.
7) Phu Quoc – Vietnam
Phu Quoc is completely underrated and unknown for some bloody reason. This is a travel gem, with hotels costing next to nothing and there being a whole island to explore. Great place to kick back as a nomad, with Kampot being not all that far if you need a visa run.
6) Saigon – Vietnam
Yes, Saigon and not Ho Chi Minh City, I’m talking down and dirty right in District 1. The best street food in the world is in Vietnam and the best in Vietnam is in Saigon. Cheap living, the only reason it is not higher is bad airports and shit visas, although close enough to Cambodia for a visa run.
5) Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia
KL is seriously underrated when it comes to nomad stuff. Not expensive like Singapore, but also well developed. Everything you want, or need, exists in KL, such as great food markets. Lots of cafes and co-working spaces, but while it is not Singapore, it is not cheap either.
4) Kampot – Cambodia
Kampot is the expat town in Cambodia, with bars, cafes and cheap living being the order of the day. As it’s Cambodia, you can also simply buy your visa and open bank accounts. The cheapest place to live in Cambodia, only negative is that it’s a few hours from the airport. You can though take a train here!
3) Chiang Mai – Thailand
Often listed as the best place for nomads due to the large scene, which of course includes nomads and co-working spaces. This also means you get a lot of tossers here. It is though far cheaper than Bangkok and if you like being around other nomad foreigners, then Chiang Mai is the place to be.
2) Canggu (Bali) – Indonesia
You could actually list Bali all by itself to a degree, but it’s a big place and not all parts are that great. Canggu is pretty relaxed, but has a good expat scene, lots of bars and cafes, while being near enough the airport if you do gotta do a visa run. Lots of co-working spaces and while it is a bit expensive, it is easy enough to head to the outskirts for serenity.
1) Phnom Penh – Cambodia
I have zero doubt that this will shock many and cause some controversy, but Phnom Penh is the best of the digital nomad cities in South-East Asia and here’s why. The cost of living is minuscule, it has everything you could want, including some awesome co-working spaces, but most importantly, it’s super easy to get a visa.
Yes, it is not a digital nomad visa, but with a Cambodian work visa you can open USD bank accounts, something you cannot do in Thailand, for example.
Ones that didn’t make the Digital Nomad Cities in South-East Asia list
If Vietnam could fix its visa and airport situation, you could literally fill this list with great places like Phu Quoc, Da Nang and the like. But alas, that is not the case. Also, Yangon only just misses the list quite simply because Myanmar is just such a basket case at the moment.
Timor-Leste is also conspicuous by its absence. I actually like Timor a lot and the second city of Baucau could have squeezed in, but overall it is just too expensive with little to do. Oecusse, on the other hand, was extremely far from the list!
West Papua also falls into a similar category, with this place, which deserves to be its own country, essentially being underfunded by Jakarta and in the midst of civil war. And as for Brunei? Did not even make the top 100! Nor, does Port Moresby.
Overall though, I feel this is a very solid digital nomad cities in South-East Asia list, although as always, if you think I missed out some gems then let me know.