Workcation became popular during the pandemic. Business leaders realized that employees could work just as efficiently out of the office. One of the perks of remote work for businesses is the reduced costs of renting a space. Some companies have implemented a hybrid schedule: for example, a couple days a week an employee works from the office and the rest of the days from home. In this case, it is not necessary to assign a workplace to one person.
The number of people working remotely continues to grow. According to data for 2022. 32% of Americans and 24% of Europeans intended to go on a “coworking vacation”.
For the Compare the Market study, 40 cities each from North America and Europe, and 10 cities from Australia were selected.
To determine the best cities for combining work and leisure, the company analyzed such factors as: the speed and availability of broadband Internet, the availability of co-working spaces, the number of tourist attractions and the cost of the most popular drinks. For comparison purposes, a cup of regular cappuccino and a pint (about half a liter) of domestic beer were taken.
Chisinau was in the top 10 European cities in terms of the lowest prices for coffee (1.39 euros) and beer (1.25 euros). Internet speed in the Moldovan capital is 73,88 Mb/s, there are 9 co-working spaces and 277 attractions attractive for free time. The capital of Moldova offers a fairly calm atmosphere, low prices and the digital infrastructure necessary for effective remote work.
London ranks first in the number of co-working spaces. There are 1,312 places available there, equipped for work. In comparison, Paris is in second place by this indicator – only 248. By the number of attractions – 8472, where you can spend your free time, London also tops the list. Paris has 8,291.
In overall second place is Seville, Spain. Digital nomads are attracted not only by the hot climate, but also by the fastest broadband speed in Europe – 255.13 Mb/s. The city is also cheaper than many other Spanish cities, the average cost of a cup of coffee is 1.60 euros, the same cup of coffee will cost 2.11 euros in Barcelona and 2.15 euros in Madrid.
Third place went to Barcelona with 189 co-working spaces. It ranked fifth in terms of broadband speed in Europe (147.06 Mb/s) and fourth in terms of the number of attractions – 4782.
Rounding out the top five are Madrid and Valencia. Madrid ranks fourth in terms of comfort for work, with 188 different co-working spaces to choose from. And also quite a lot of interesting opportunities for active recreation. Valencia has the third fastest broadband speed in Europe – 166.64 Mb/s and 1318 attractions.
As you can see, Spain dominates the top five. But if you look at the top ten, you can find quite interesting options in other countries. The capital of Hungary takes the sixth place, the average cost of beer in Budapest is only 2.07 euros (the fourth cheapest in the European list).
Rome, Chisinau, Zaragoza and Naples are also in the top ten, and the capital of Moldova is recognized as the cheapest option for remote work.
All data are as of 17.03.2023.
