Best countries & cities for digital nomads (2026)

For remote workers

The best places for digital nomads

Nomads chase the same things: somewhere cheap, low-tax, safe and well-connected. The STATLAS Digital Nomad Score blends all four into one number so you can rank the world by what actually matters for remote life.

Cheap to live

Low modeled cost of living — the #1 nomad driver (40% of the score).

Low taxes

Top personal income tax rate as a tax-friendliness signal (25%).

Safe

Modeled safety from homicide and governance (20%).

Connected

Internet adoption as a connectivity proxy (15%).

Countries

Top countries for digital nomads

Full ranking

#	Country	Nomad score	Cost	Tax	Safety	Internet
1	🇧🇹 Bhutan	91	55	—	96	91%
2	🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	88	71	—	97	92%
3	🇧🇭 Bahrain	87	104	0%	99	100%
4	🇧🇾 Belarus	87	59	13%	96	94%
5	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	87	62	12%	98	90%
6	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	85	115	0%	98	100%
7	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	85	80	10%	97	93%
8	🇴🇲 Oman	85	114	0%	99	95%
9	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	85	81	10%	95	93%
10	🇸🇷 Suriname	84	75	—	88	87%
11	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	84	58	—	98	56%
12	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	83	87	10%	98	86%
13	🇷🇴 Romania	83	96	10%	98	91%
14	🇷🇺 Russia	83	73	15%	88	94%
15	🇲🇳 Mongolia	82	82	10%	89	85%
16	🇵🇾 Paraguay	81	81	10%	88	82%
17	🇺🇦 Ukraine	81	68	18%	93	82%
18	🇲🇪 Montenegro	81	91	15%	99	89%
19	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	81	98	10%	98	82%
20	🇶🇦 Qatar	81	142	0%	99	98%
21	🇧🇴 Bolivia	81	80	13%	92	80%
22	🇰🇼 Kuwait	80	146	0%	99	100%
23	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	80	68	25%	96	91%
24	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	80	148	0%	99	100%
25	🇬🇪 Georgia	80	76	20%	96	84%
26	🇷🇸 Serbia	80	97	15%	98	88%
27	🇲🇷 Mauritania	79	67	—	98	46%
28	🇲🇾 Malaysia	79	72	30%	99	98%
29	🇲🇩 Moldova	79	95	12%	95	77%
30	🇱🇧 Lebanon	79	65	25%	96	81%
31	🇭🇺 Hungary	78	112	15%	99	94%
32	🇦🇲 Armenia	78	88	20%	96	81%
33	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	77	54	—	96	25%
34	🇦🇫 Afghanistan	76	44	—	93	16%
35	🇲🇺 Mauritius	76	88	20%	96	73%
36	🇮🇳 India	76	56	30%	95	70%
37	🇲🇻 Maldives	76	119	15%	99	85%
38	🇦🇱 Albania	75	100	23%	98	86%
39	🇸🇿 Eswatini	75	77	—	78	63%
40	🇲🇲 Myanmar	75	53	25%	95	45%

Cost & nomad score: world median = 100 / 0–100 scale. Tax = top marginal personal income tax rate (a signal, not your effective rate).

Cities

Top nomad cities

Real cities (population 50,000+) that combine low cost with safety, connectivity and enough size to have an actual scene.

Full ranking

#	City	Country	Nomad score	Cost	Population
1	Minsk	🇧🇾 Belarus	81	67	1.7M
2	Tashkent	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	80	71	2.0M
3	Moscow	🇷🇺 Russia	79	92	10M
4	Andijon	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	79	64	748k
5	Homyel'	🇧🇾 Belarus	79	59	501k
6	Namangan	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	79	64	713k
7	Saint Petersburg	🇷🇺 Russia	79	84	5.4M
8	Samarkand	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	79	63	595k
9	Almaty	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	79	88	2.0M
10	Hrodna	🇧🇾 Belarus	79	58	361k
11	Brest	🇧🇾 Belarus	79	58	344k
12	Mahilyow	🇧🇾 Belarus	79	58	353k
13	Vitebsk	🇧🇾 Belarus	79	58	358k
14	Jeddah	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	78	131	4.7M
15	Yunusobod	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	78	61	352k
16	Nukus	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	78	61	333k
17	Shymkent	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	78	85	1.2M
18	Fergana	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	78	60	299k
19	Bishkek	🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	78	78	900k
20	Bukhara	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	78	60	280k
21	Bobruysk	🇧🇾 Belarus	78	56	207k
22	Qarshi	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	78	60	278k
23	Marg‘ilon	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	77	60	254k
24	Qo‘qon	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	77	60	260k
25	Chilanzar	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	77	60	261k
26	Baranovichi	🇧🇾 Belarus	77	55	171k
27	Lagos	🇳🇬 Nigeria	77	34	15M
28	Riyadh	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	77	138	4.2M
29	Makkah	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	77	123	1.6M
30	Novosibirsk	🇷🇺 Russia	77	79	1.6M
31	Angren	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	77	59	191k
32	Tirmiz	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	77	58	183k
33	Mumbai	🇮🇳 India	77	68	13M
34	Barysaw	🇧🇾 Belarus	77	54	136k
35	Yekaterinburg	🇷🇺 Russia	77	78	1.5M
36	Jizzax	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	77	58	179k
37	Dammam	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	77	121	1.3M
38	Madinah	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	77	122	1.3M
39	Kyiv	🇺🇦 Ukraine	77	80	3.0M
40	Pinsk	🇧🇾 Belarus	77	54	124k

Build your own shortlist

Use the interactive map to stack your own filters — set your maximum budget, minimum safety and the amenities you need — or compare two destinations head to head.

Open the map Compare places Income tax by country

FAQ

Digital nomad questions

What makes a country good for digital nomads?

Most nomads optimize for the same few things: a low cost of living, low or zero income tax on their (often foreign) income, personal safety, and reliable internet. STATLAS combines these into a single Digital Nomad Score so you can compare destinations at a glance.

How is the Digital Nomad Score calculated?

It's a 0–100 composite. For countries we weight cost of living 40%, income tax 25%, safety 20% and internet connectivity 15%. For cities we add a ‘hub’ factor (city size) and use the city's own cost of living. All inputs are normalized across every place with data, and the score is clearly labeled as a modeled estimate.

Does a low tax rate mean I'll pay no tax?

Not necessarily. We show each country's top marginal personal income tax rate as a signal. Your actual liability depends on tax residency, double-taxation treaties, territorial vs worldwide taxation and any nomad-visa schemes. Always get professional advice before relocating.

Are these the cheapest places overall?

Cost is the heaviest factor, but not the only one. A very cheap city with high crime or poor connectivity will score lower than a slightly pricier city that's safe and well-connected — which is closer to how nomads actually choose.