Best Cities In Australia For Digital Nomads

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Best Cities In Australia For Digital Nomads

Digital nomads seek new locations to experience, explore, work from, and add to their impressive list of “places I’ve been to and worked from”. Office Needle has compiled a list of the best 54 cities for digital nomads around the world. Here we list the best cities in Australia for digital nomads.

Criteria That Best Cities For Digital Nomads Should Meet

Digital nomads look for good internet connection and speed in a country with a favourable climate that is not too costly, has reasonable levels of safety. The lifestyle is also a factor with fun things to do and attractive places to see, excellent food and an approachable community. Practical issues can be important like whether there is an easy entry digital nomad visa, convenient workplaces and a lack of language barriers. The cost of living is another factor with accommodation and transportation costs to be considered. These are the factors taken into account when compiling this list.

Melbourne

MONTHLY COST: $3,447
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: cafes, coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 54 Mbps
CLIMATE: mild in winter, hot in summer
POPULATION: 5,078 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: great

The capital of the Australian state Victoria, Melbourne is situated on the coast, looking out onto Tasmania. It is one of the most liveable cities in the world, despite being pricey. Loaded with culture, it is a great choice for digital nomads interested in art and theatre. Moreover, it has a pleasant climate throughout the whole year.

Coffee lovers can enjoy the world-class warm drink while typing away on their laptops in one of many coffee shops. The Internet is super fast, and free WiFi in the city is pretty good, as well. Moreover, the list of coworking spaces keeps growing so that digital nomads can spend time with other similar people while doing business.

Sydney

MONTHLY COST: $3,853
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: cafes, coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 18 Mbps
CLIMATE: cool in winter, very warm in summer
POPULATION: 5,312 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: great

Situated north of Melbourne, Sydney is also a tad bit pricier. It is also one of the larges Australian cities and the capital of the New South Wales state. People are very friendly, coworking spaces are not lacking, and the quality of life is very good, despite being a bit pricier. Sydney is definitely a city not to be missed for any digital nomad when they find themselves in Australia.

With the pleasant climate, digital nomads can be found here at any time of the year. It is also very friendly to females, LGBTQ+, and foreigners in general. Located on the seaside of the East Coast of Australia, Sydney offers great views, and many places suitable for coworking.

Wollongong

MONTHLY COST: $5,098
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: cafes, coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 21 Mbps
CLIMATE: warm in winter, very warm in summer
POPULATION: 0,295 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: great

Despite having a really high monthly cost, there are ways to visit this area of Australia without breaking the bank. Wollongong is a seaside city about an hour’s drive away south of Sydney. It is a top destination for swimming and surfing all year long thanks to the warm temperatures.

This Australian city boasts a growing startup community and is ideal for digital nomads and entrepreneurs who want to escape the big cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne. By spending a shorter period of time here, digital nomads can enjoy their days by the beach without spending too much money.

Gold Coast

MONTHLY COST: $3,038
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: cafes, coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 19 Mbps
CLIMATE: mild in winter, hot in summer
POPULATION: 0,540 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: great

In the state of Queensland, Gold Coast is situated south of Brisbane, the state’s capital. It is a great choice for spending time in warm weather and on the beach. Likewise, it is also a tad cheaper than Melbourne and Sydney but still considered pricey. However, it has a decent quality of life score.

Long sandy beaches, a rainforest, many theme parks, waves for surfing, and hiking trails promise any digital nomad enough things to do to stay a little while. The Internet is fast and coworking spaces are available. Moreover, Gold Coast is also not far from Brisbane where digital nomads also spend time.

Hobart

MONTHLY COST: $3,343
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: cafes, coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 20 Mbps
CLIMATE: mild in winter, warm in summer
POPULATION: 0,206 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: great

Just like the other Australian cities on this list, Hobart is another friendly place for foreigners and digital nomads. The capital of Tasmania, situated near Mount Wellington, gives digital nomads a chance to explore trails for hiking and biking. This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy physical activity while also exploring new places.

For those who are not the biggest fans of really warm and hot weather, Hobart’s weather averages between 14 and 23 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Fast Internet and offices for coworking make it appealing to any digital nomad who wants to get work done.

Adelaide

MONTHLY COST: $3,221
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 19 Mbps
CLIMATE: warm in winter, hot in summer
POPULATION: 1,306 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: good

On the coast of South Australia, Adelaide is a city connected to art in many ways. It displays a lot of art in galleries and museums and even hosts an international art gathering yearly. It is a cheaper and quieter alternative to Sydney with beaches, good food, and wine.

Digital nomads say that the best time to visit Adelaide would be between March and May when the weather is nice, but not too humid. Adelaide is a highly liveable city with friendly locals, but not the right choice for digital nomads who need to be doing something all the time, as it can be very quiet. It has great beaches and parks to explore, though.

Brisbane

MONTHLY COST: $3,483
DIGITAL NOMAD VISA: no
PLACES TO WORK: cafes, coworking spaces
INTERNET CONNECTION & SPEED: 22 Mbps
CLIMATE: mild in winter, hot in summer
POPULATION: 2,28 million
LOCAL LANGUAGE: English
COMMUNITY: good

Being one of the most affordable cities in Australia, Brisbane has nice weather all year long, and more activities to offer than Adelaide. It has a good Internet connection and great places to work from. Besides that, it is a natural choice for digital nomads who consider themselves sun lovers. Besides that, Brisbane also bursts with possible physical activities to try.

Fans of spending time in nature will have many parks and botanic gardens to visit, along with beaches and mountains. During the summer, mosquitos are everywhere and it is very humid. That is why it is better to visit Brisbane during other seasons, such as August to November when pleasant spring brings warmer temperatures.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.