Sick of your job? Hometown life getting you down? Feel like there’s more to life than that same old commute… Maybe the digital nomad life is for you.
Think about it. You wake up in your very affordable apartment and step out of the door to a view of palm fringed golden sand. Unfolding your laptop for a mornings work, you sip on your mango juice safe in the knowledge that your lunch break will involve a bit of snorkelling or maybe just some lying on the beach.
That’s the digital nomad dream in a nutshell.
But how can this be you? Maybe you don’t feel like your digital skills are up to much. Maybe you’re too attached to your home for whatever reason? Don’t worry, no matter how long you go for there are plenty of ways to enjoy a bit of the digital nomad lifestyle.
Digital Nomad Jobs
Being a digital nomad means you do need to get paid to keep up the lifestyle you’re used to. We have an article about working your way around the world which does cover several digital nomad jobs as well as more conventional working options. But, if that laptop lifestyle appeals these are the top digital nomad jobs you can do from your beach retreat (or wherever you want).
- Graphic Design: Handy with design tools? There is massive demand for good graphic designers. If your skills are a bit rusty (or non existent) you can learn on sites like Udemy.
- Content Writing: Good with words? Finding a few good writing clients can mean you just need to write a few articles a day to earn your keep. It’s a competitive market but start off on sites like iWriter or Upwork and you could be making a decent sum.
- Translation: Speak another language fluently? Translation is in high demand these days so put the feelers out for companies that regularly need translation work. Upwork is a good place to start looking for clients.
- Dropshipper: Setting up an online shop and selling your niche products is a great way to earn a solid income. It does take a bit of work though. Sites like Oberlo and Shopify let you set up online shopfronts selling whatever you want, anywhere in the world.
- Financial Trader: Good with money and numbers? Got a background in financial trading? Buy and sell currency or stocks and you could be a big money player eventually. If you’re new to trading you can get the skills on sites like SureTrader, sign up for free and try your hand at FX (foreign exchange) trading.
- Teaching: You don’t need a classroom to be a teacher. Sites like iTalki will let you sign up and teach English (or whatever language you speak). You can set your price but if you’re on a beach in Bali your overheads will be pretty low compared to Bethnal Green.
- Coaching: Are you already pretty good at something technical? Or do you have years of experience in a popular sector? You could be a coach or professional networker in any field from marketing or logistics to healthcare.
- Freelance Tour Guide: Know your target destination pretty well? Some places may require you get a licence to offer tours but you can set up as a virtual guide offering itineraries and using other local guides to show people around.
These are the tip of the iceberg and the creative digital nomad will find an opportunity wherever they are. You could be a quality photographer or videographer, or maybe you could just do proofreading or data entry for a large company back home. So long as you are making sufficient income to cover your costs (plus some more for fun), the sky is the limit.
What Do I Need To Be A Digital Nomad?
Besides some experience and business savvy, you’ll also need some basic equipment.
- A reliable laptop.
- A mobile phone with no SIM restrictions.
- A bit of money as backup (at least the cost of the airfare home, plus some more while you set up).
You will also of course need access to decent WiFi connections and ideally a client or two that you can at least rely on for some work as you get going. If you’re planning on being a digital nomad, there is no time like the present to start looking for a few clients and adding to your portfolio.
Be warned that getting sucked into the party lifestyle in your new home will sap those funds and lower your productivity. Ease yourself in and try to avoid going straight to holiday mode.
Where Shall I Go?
The most popular destinations for digital nomads are places with a large expat community, vibrant cultural life and good digital infrastructure. In no particular order, some of the most popular destinations for digital nomads are:
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Medellin, Columbia
- Bali, Indonesia
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Split, Croatia
All of these destinations offer enviable lifestyles, low cost of living and a good connection to the outside world. However, you can set up where ever you want to. The world is a big place and the internet is usually pretty good in most places, although remote Himalayan hill stations or jungle retreats in Peru may be a bit patchy.
Whats The Average Spend For A Digital Nomad
Costs do of course vary, sometimes wildly. If you are setting up to work from an apartment in Bangkok you will probably be paying around US$1000 for a nice pad, your bills, food and transport. However, heading to somewhere like Chiang Mai or Surat Thani (a city in the south of Thailand) will save you a lot on accommodation, so you’ll spend more like US$700-900 per month.
Research local costs on sites like:
Follow our tips for saving money while travelling to ensure your income goes much further.
Any Other Digital Nomad Tips?
If you want to do it, just do it. Once you get to your destination you’ll meet plenty of people in the same situation as you and you can start networking and building your dream. It’s not gonna be easy, of course not… But then nothing worth doing is! However, you do have to start some time so the sooner the better.
What are you waiting for? Check the flight prices to your dream destination on our handy widget below and you’ll be off to live the life of a digital nomad before you know it.
