The Best Locations Across The Globe To Be A Freelancer In 2023

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The Best Locations Across The Globe To Be A Freelancer In 2023

New research by Craft Documents has revealed the top locations to work and live as a freelancer around the world in 2023. With the rise of freelancing, workers now have the option to work from home, in a co-working space or anywhere with good internet connectivity.

As 84 per cent of businesses believe freelancers can add positive value to their business, there is a lot of opportunity to freelance across a variety of industries, while working remotely.

In order to determine the best places to live and work remotely, researchers conducted an analysis of various metrics from locations around the world to determine the top spots.

This new data examined the average price of a co-working hot desk, the average rental cost of a 1-bedroom property in the city’s centre, the average Airbnb nightly cost, internet speed, food costs, transport costs, and the number of co-working space – based on the most popular cities for digital nomads.

A spokesperson for Craft comments: “The rise of freelancing and remote working has been a global phenomenon over the past few years. Many jobs that were once traditional 9-5 positions are now being replaced by freelance and remote working opportunities, offering increased flexibility, autonomy and freedom for workers.

“With this, many individuals have been able to pursue their passion, work from different locations around the world, and take advantage of technology to collaborate with people from anywhere with internet access.

“This has allowed for more freedom – meaning you can choose to work from destinations across the globe – from Ho Chi Minh to Buenos Aires. All while exploring new cultures, delving into unfamiliar working environments, and earning an income!”

Most Freelance-Friendly Locations:

Penang (Malaysia), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), and Bangalore (India) were amongst the top locations to live and work as a freelancer – topping the leaderboard for having the best access to co-working spaces, a reasonable cost of living, and good internet speeds.

Penang in Malaysia took the top spot due to its affordability and high standard of living, offering the lowest costs for hot desking and rental prices.

Closely following these destinations were Chiang Mai in Thailand and Buenos Aires in Argentina, also offering affordable transportation, food, and accommodation.

For more information, check out Craft Documents blog post here: https://www.craft.do/blog/best-locations-to-live-and-work-as-freelancers

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.