Despite many employers mandating that employees come back into the office, some workers who experienced remote work during the pandemic are never going back.
Now, many of these remote workers are taking the opportunity to move to places better suited for the work-from-home life.
A new report from global HR platform Remote.com examined 100 popular remote cities across the globe, ranking them based on factors including the quality of life they provide residents, safety level, internet infrastructure, current economic factors, and more.
Only one U.S. city cracked the top 10 — Portland, Maine.
“Immigrant populations have increased 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 town but are still below the national average.”
The next U.S. city comes in at No. 19 (Honolulu, Hawaii, for its “legendary beaches” and welcoming remote work policy), followed by No. 20, Des Moines, Iowa, for its “reasonable housing costs” and a plethora of breweries (that close early, the report notes).
New York City came in at No. 21.
The No. 1 city worldwide for remote workers is Madrid, Spain, according to the report, which is “ever-welcoming” thanks to its low-income tax rate and “generous expat visa options” meant to attract freelance and remote workers.
The average cost of living for a single person in Madrid without rent monthly is around $804, according to the most recent data from Numeo. The city is an estimated 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.