Key Takeaways
- The typical nomad city costs $1,823 a month. That is the median for one person including rent across the 249 Nostos cities with a city-level figure; they range from $365 in Dhaka to $4,665 in Zurich.
- The visa often costs you more than the city. Budapest runs about $1,198 a month, but Hungary's White Card asks for €3,000 net a month in income.
- A tourist entry is not a work permit. Mexico's visitor category is literally "without permission for paid activities"; nomad visas exist to close that gap.
- Valletta, Faro and Lisbon top our first-timer list. Each is safe, widely English-speaking and open to a US passport for 90 days or through a nomad visa.
- Europe's 90 days are shared. Nine of the ten first-timer cities are in the Schengen area, where visa-free visitors get 90 days in any 180 across all member countries combined.
To become a digital nomad in 2026 you need three things before you book: income you can earn from anywhere, health insurance that covers you abroad, and a legal basis for your stay, which beyond a short visit usually means a digital nomad visa. Then choose a forgiving first city: safe, English-friendly and easy to enter. In Nostos, Navoy's free city chooser, the typical city costs $1,823 a month for one person including rent, and Valletta, Faro and Lisbon top our list for first-timers.
Plenty of people are thinking about it. MBO Partners' 2025 Digital Nomads report counts 18.5 million American digital nomads, and another 65 million Americans who say yes (14 million) or maybe (51 million) to becoming one within two to three years. The same report says only about 6% to 8% of those who say so actually follow through. Most guides stop at generic steps. This one also answers the question that decides whether the first trip works: where should you go first?
What do you need before you leave?
A steady remote income, health insurance that works where you are going, and permission to stay as long as you plan to. Everything else, from the laptop to the coworking pass, can be sorted on arrival.
Income. Your job or clients must be happy for you to work from abroad, and you need the paperwork to prove it. Nomad visas ask for exactly that: Spain wants proof you have worked for a foreign company for at least three months before applying, and Hungary wants six months of income at its threshold before you enter.
Insurance. Health insurance appears on the document list of 32 of the 41 visa guides in Nostos. Malta's Nomad Residence Permit asks for insurance covering risks across the European Union and the UK. Spain asks for a policy from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no deductibles or co-payments.
Legal status. Decide early whether this is a trip of a few weeks or a stay of several months. A short trip can often run on a visa-free entry. A longer one needs a visa built for remote work, and some of those can only be requested from home, so the decision shapes your timeline.
Qualifications. Some programmes check your background as well as your bank balance. Spain, for instance, asks for a university degree or at least three years of experience in your field.
How much money do you need to be a digital nomad?
Two numbers matter: what the city costs, and what the visa asks you to earn. Across the 249 cities in Nostos with a city-level cost figure, the median is $1,823 a month for one person including rent, with half of them between $1,198 and $2,728.
The spread is wide. The cheapest city in the dataset is Dhaka at $365 a month, followed by Da Nang at $469, and the most expensive is Zurich at $4,665. Here is how many cities fit each budget:
| Monthly budget, one person, rent included | Cities in Nostos | Best-scoring examples |
|---|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 33 | Buenos Aires, Sofia, Chișinău |
| Under $1,500 | 102 | Budapest, Seville, Athens |
| Under $2,500 | 171 | Valletta, Faro, Lisbon |
| All cities with a city-level figure | 249 | Median $1,823; range $365 (Dhaka) to $4,665 (Zurich) |
The table shows how many cities fit each monthly budget, and which ones score best overall within it. Source: Nostos dataset 2026.10.4, using WhereToEmigrate, WhereNext and US Bureau of Economic Analysis cost data from 2024 to September 2026, published 7 October 2026.
These are budgets for one person that, in most cities, assume a one-bedroom flat outside the centre, so a central flat costs more. The other 164 cities in Nostos have only a country-wide estimate, or no figure at all, so they are left out here: a national average misses local price differences.
The second number is often the bigger one. Budapest costs about $1,198 a month, but Hungary's White Card requires lawful income of at least €3,000 net a month. Valletta costs about $2,136, but Malta's permit asks for €42,000 gross a year. In practice, the visa threshold, not the rent, decides whether you qualify. If your income is modest, the Top 10 cities under $1,500 a month and the list of nomad visas with the lowest income requirement are better starting points than any single "magic number". You can also filter the Nostos city ranker by a $1,500 budget.
The cheapest city is rarely the best. On the Top 10 cheapest cities, Dhaka scores 44 out of 100 overall, while Buenos Aires, at $781, scores 70.
Is it legal to work remotely on a tourist visa?
Generally, no: a visitor entry is granted for tourism, family visits and similar short trips, not for work. Some countries tolerate incidental remote work and a few say so in writing, but the safe route for a long stay is a visa made for remote workers. This is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice.
Countries word this differently. Mexico's visitor entry is called, in its own name, a stay "sin permiso para realizar actividades remuneradas" (without permission for paid activities). The UK goes the other way on a narrow point: its visitor rules let you carry out work for your overseas employer remotely, provided this is not the main purpose of the visit. Most countries say nothing explicit, which leaves you exposed if a border officer asks what you are doing.
That uncertainty is exactly why so many countries created nomad visas. Uruguay's export agency announced in 2023 that, under Decree 238/022, digital nomads "podrán vivir y trabajar legalmente" (will be able to live and work legally) in the country. Nostos keeps 41 country guides to nomad and long-stay visas, each built from the official pages it cites. Three examples, with income rules confirmed on the official sites on 7 October 2026:
- Spain. The Spain teleworking visa guide explains the rule of 200% of the minimum wage, which the Spanish consulate in Washington puts at €2,442 a month for a single applicant in 2026. People already legally in Spain, including visa-free visitors, can apply in Spain for a residence permit of up to three years without a prior visa.
- Hungary. The Hungary White Card guide covers a permit valid for up to one year and extendable once, for €3,000 net a month over the previous six months. Family members cannot join you on it.
- Malta. The Malta Nomad Residence Permit guide sets out the €42,000 gross yearly income rule that applies to applications made since 1 April 2024.
Rules change often, and the Nostos guides are marked as not yet reviewed by a person, so check the official page each guide links before you apply.
Which cities are best for a first nomad stay?
Valletta, Faro and Lisbon, according to the Nostos Top 10 cities for first-time digital nomads. The list keeps only cities with a safety score of 60 or more, high or better English, and either a nomad visa or at least 90 visa-free days on a US passport, then sorts them by overall score.
| # | City | Score | Monthly cost | Safety | Median download | Nomad visa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valletta, Malta | 76 | $2,136 | 91 | 87.3 Mbps | Yes |
| 2 | Faro (Algarve), Portugal | 75 | $1,719 | 87 | 46.2 Mbps | Yes |
| 3 | Lisbon, Portugal | 74 | $2,499 | 87 | 40.4 Mbps | Yes |
| 4 | Budapest, Hungary | 73 | $1,198 | 81 | 91.7 Mbps | Yes |
| 5 | Malmö, Sweden | 73 | $1,957 | 87 | 84.9 Mbps | No |
| 6 | The Hague, Netherlands | 73 | $2,843 | 86 | 91.1 Mbps | No |
| 7 | Porto, Portugal | 72 | $2,006 | 87 | 48.7 Mbps | Yes |
| 8 | Hong Kong | 72 | $2,448 | 91 | 42.5 Mbps | No |
| 9 | Utrecht, Netherlands | 72 | $2,865 | 86 | 84.1 Mbps | No |
| 10 | Coimbra, Portugal | 72 | $2,084 | 87 | 48.8 Mbps | Yes |
The table shows the ten best-scoring cities that are safe, English-friendly and easy to enter, with what each costs and how fast its internet measures. Source: Nostos dataset 2026.10.4 (cost data July to September 2026, M-Lab internet measurements 2024), published 7 October 2026.
A few things the table does not say on its face. Safety is a country-level score, so Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Coimbra share one. Download speeds are medians of tests run by users through M-Lab, which run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so use them to compare cities rather than to predict your own connection. Scores weigh nine factors equally.
Budapest is the value pick. It is the cheapest city on the list and the best-scoring city under $1,500. The Budapest city page shows it ranks 20th of 413 overall, with a median download of 91.7 Mbps, but only 5 of its 12 months are comfortable.
Malmö, The Hague, Utrecht and Hong Kong have no nomad visa in Nostos. They make the list on visa-free days alone, so treat them as short first stays rather than long-term bases.
The Schengen clock is shared. Every city on the list except Hong Kong is in the Schengen area, where the European Commission sets the visa-free limit at 90 days in any 180-day period across all member countries together. Lisbon followed by Budapest is one 90-day allowance, not two.
What should you do in your first 30 days?
Treat the first month as a test of the city, not a commitment. Book short, check your legal clock, and confirm the things a ranking cannot measure for you.
- Book two to four weeks, not six months. It is easier to extend in a city you like than to escape a lease in one you do not.
- Count your days from day one. In Europe, run your dates through the European Commission's short-stay calculator before you book onward travel.
- Test your own connection. City medians are a guide; run a speed test at your flat and at one backup spot in the first week.
- Keep your visa papers current. If you plan to apply for a nomad visa, keep payslips, invoices and bank statements in order, since programmes such as Hungary's look back six months.
- Track your tax position. Long stays can make you tax resident: Spain applies its rules to anyone who spends more than 183 days there in a calendar year. Tax rules are personal and change often, so confirm your situation with a qualified tax adviser.
- Decide by week four. Stay, or move to the next city on your shortlist while your allowance still has room.
When you have chosen, plan the trip with Navoy to line up flights and a place to stay for that first month.
Related on the Navoy blog: nomad visas with no income requirement, the cheapest digital nomad visa countries, places that pay remote workers to move.
Frequently asked questions
Can freelancers get a digital nomad visa?
Often, but not everywhere. Spain's teleworking visa accepts self-employed people and lets them earn up to 20% of their work from Spanish companies. Hungary's White Card lists only a foreign employment contract or a share in a profitable company registered abroad, so a freelancer invoicing clients directly should confirm eligibility with Hungary's immigration authority before applying.
How long can I stay in Europe without a visa?
If your passport is visa-free for the Schengen area, you can stay 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across all Schengen countries together. Moving from Lisbon to Budapest does not restart the clock. The European Commission publishes a free short-stay calculator to check your dates.
Do digital nomads pay tax where they live?
They can. Spain, for example, treats you as tax resident if you spend more than 183 days there in a calendar year, and then taxes your worldwide income. Your home country may tax you too. Rules differ by country and change often, so confirm your position with a qualified tax adviser before you go.
What is the cheapest good city for a first nomad trip?
Budapest is the cheapest city on the Nostos first-timer list, at about $1,198 a month for one person including rent, and it is also the best-scoring city under $1,500. It has a measured median download speed of 91.7 Mbps and its own nomad permit. Its weak point is climate: only 5 months of 12 are comfortable.
Sources
- Ley 35/2006 del IRPF, articles 2 and 9 (tax residence and worldwide income), Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spain), https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2006-20764, accessed 2026-10-15
- 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report (State of Independence), MBO Partners, https://www.mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/digital-nomads, accessed 2026-10-07
- Nostos dataset 2026.10.4 (413 cities, 41 visa guides), Navoy, https://nostos.navoy.io/data, accessed 2026-10-07
- How Nostos scores a city (methodology), Navoy, https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology, accessed 2026-10-07
- Telework (Digital nomad) Visa, Consulate General of Spain in Washington, https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/washington/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Telework-visa.aspx, accessed 2026-10-07
- Telework visa, Consulate General of Spain in Miami, https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/miami/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/TELEWORK-VISA.aspx, accessed 2026-10-07
- White Card: residency for digital nomads, National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Hungary), https://oif.gov.hu/factsheets/white-card-residency-for-digital-nomads, accessed 2026-10-07
- Nomad Residence Permit: eligibility, Residency Malta Agency, https://nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt/nomad-eligibility/, accessed 2026-10-07
- Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM), Instituto Nacional de Migración (Mexico), https://www.inm.gob.mx/fmme/publico/solicitud.html, accessed 2026-10-07
- Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, UK Home Office, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-permitted-activities, accessed 2026-10-07
- Nómades digitales podrán vivir y trabajar legalmente en Uruguay, Uruguay XXI, https://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/es/noticias/articulo/nomades-digitales-podran-vivir-y-trabajar-legalmente-en-uruguay/, accessed 2026-10-07
- Border crossing (Schengen short stays and short-stay calculator), European Commission Migration and Home Affairs, https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/border-crossing_en, accessed 2026-10-07
- Persona física residente en España, Agencia Tributaria, https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/no-residentes/residencia-personas-fisicas-juridicas/persona-fisica-residente-espana.html, accessed 2026-10-07
About the Author
Ranym Garali
Ranym is the Marketing and Content Lead at Navoy. She's been writing about travel for two years and digs into the data behind each piece, flight prices, visa rules and what people are actually searching for , so the advice holds up in practice.
