As the popularity of remote working continues to skyrocket in the years after the pandemic, working whilst enjoying a vacation is no longer a luxury only the minority of digital nomads can enjoy. An increasing number of British expats and professionals working remotely are set to expand their horizons with European workcations in 2023, seeking out the perfect blend of work/life balance while enjoying the main perk of being remote: freedom of movement.
In this unique 2023 ranking, experts have taken 20 of the most popular European cities and ranked them on six factors that are key to working professionals, from the cost of a coffee to broadband speed and accommodation costs.
Leading the pack is the dynamic metropolis of Madrid, followed closely by the vibrant destinations of Barcelona and Bucharest.
Jonathan Merry, CEO of MoneyTransfers.com, comments:
“While digital nomads were once an elusive minority, the rise of remote working has undoubtedly given the masses access to the luxuries of remote work – the opportunity to take a workcation without sacrificing the quality of your work (or taking too much annual leave) being a major one.
In this ranking, we covered six key factors many working professionals value if working abroad, using them to find the best destinations out of 20 of the most popular European destinations for travel in 2023.”
Key Findings:
– Madrid ranks as the best European city for workcations overall, scoring highest across all six ranking factors
– Barcelona and Bucharest round out the top three, each boasting a low cost of living, a huge number of activities, and wicked fast broadband
– Warsaw is a hot contender for any remote workers looking for a budget-friendly stay
– London is unbeatable for activities and entertainment in your downtime, with almost 9,000 activities for digital nomads!
– Edinburgh ranks last on this list due to it’s high accommodation costs, followed by Helsinki and Dublin
Madrid takes the top spot
Madrid strikes the perfect balance between some of the most important things to working professionals. It boasts a cheap cost of living (just £1.68 for a piping hot cappuccino, or £2.52 for a cold beer while you work) and an average nightly accommodation cost of just £89.20 – that’s the third cheapest cost out of any city on the ranking (following Warsaw and Bucharest).
While costs are low, Madrid offers lightning fast broadband speeds so you can rest easy knowing you can login and fire off emails whenever you need to. What’s more, remote workers have a choice of approximately 185 coworking spaces (not to mention the array of bars and restaurants you can work from) and over three thousands things to do in your down time!
With 186 state-of-the-art coworking spaces, fast internet and a vibrant infrastructure with plenty of things to do (almost 5,000, in fact!) Barcelona provides a workcation playground where business and pleasure intertwine seamlessly all while keeping costs low.
Not to be overlooked, Bucharest shines as a rising star on the workcation horizon. This hidden gem – despite being the largest city and capital of Romania – combines affordability with a burgeoning remote work scene, enticing professionals seeking new horizons. Bucharest scores highest for its low cost of accommodation and super-quick broadband. While there may be fewer coworking spots to check out (52), there are still plenty of things to keep you occupied in the cultural hub of Romania.
Methodology
20 popular European cities were ranked on six key factors: the cost of a coffee, the cost of a beer, broadband speed, accommodation costs, number of coworking spaces, and number of things to do. The data from each factor was then standardised and scored on a weighted system to give us the final ranking.