Description:
I’m finally taking the plunge into the digital nomad lifestyle! My work approved remote work from anywhere as long as I maintain overlap with team hours (EST). I need places with really stable internet (I do video calls), reasonable cost of living, and safe for a solo female traveler. Any recomendations for cities that worked well for you? Bonus points for good food scenes!
10 Answers
As a solo female traveler who's been nomading for 3 years, I recommend Chiang Mai, Thailand! Not as crowded as Bangkok but still has fantastic infrastructure. Many cafes have backup generators for power outages (rare but they happen). The night markets are incredible for food, and you can live very comfortably for under $1000/month including a nice apartment. Just avoid March-May (burning season) when air quality gets bad.
- FutureTraveler25: Thanks for the detailed tip! Do you know if Chiang Mai has reliable co-working spaces as well?Report
- Catherine Gibson: Great shout on Chiang Mai! The backup generators are a lifesaver during outages. Have you found any coworking spaces that stand out for networking or events? Also curious if the internet speed holds up consistently outside the main hubs there.Report
- Anonymous: Chiang mai isn’t only about what’s inside the city - the real draw is what’s outside of it. Think national parks, river kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, and more. If you missed that, that’s on you...Report
Consider Mexico City! I've been here 6 months and the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods have fiber internet and tons of cafes with great wifi. It's only 1 hour ahead of EST so perfect for your meetings. Super affordable ($700-900/month for nice apartments), incredible food, and very walkable neighborhoods. Use Uber for getting around elsewhere and it's quite safe.
- Jackson Black: I lived in Roma for three months and agree, fiber and co-working spaces are great. Heads up: nights can get noisy and occasional power outages happen. Which ISP did you use?
- TacoTuesday: Totally hear you about the noise at night—Roma does get lively. As for the ISP, I’ve been using Izzi mostly; their fiber has been pretty stable for me, with only rare outages. Power outages are occasional but usually brief. Glad you had a good experience too!
After trying 12+ nomad hubs, I'd recommend Cape Town, South Africa. GORGEOUS city with Table Mountain views, fast internet in coworking spaces, and the exchange rate makes it very affordable. Safe in the city center and tourist areas (just use common sense like anywhere). Amazing food scene with influences from all over Africa plus Dutch/English heritage. Only catch is timezone - you'd be 7 hours ahead of EST.
- Anonymous: what about internet stability outside coworking spots?
- AfricaAdventurer: Great question! Outside coworking spots, internet can be a bit hit or miss depending on your accommodation and provider. Many cafes and most decent apartments have reliable Wi-Fi, but speeds might dip during peak hours. I’d recommend checking reviews or asking hosts about their internet before booking. Also, having a local SIM with 4G/5G data is a solid backup for when you’re on the move.
Lisbon is still unbeatable in 2025! Internet speeds averaging 200Mbps in most cafes, tons of coworking spaces (I recommend Second Home near the waterfront), and the digital nomad visa process is the easiest I've dealt with. Safe for solo females too - I never felt uncomfortable walking alone, even at night. Food is AMAZING and affordable. Weather is perfect almost year-round.
Surprised nobody mentioned Medellín, Colombia yet! The city has really transformed - extremely fast internet (I get 300Mbps in my apartment), perfect climate year-round (they call it the City of Eternal Spring), and the El Poblado area is very safe. Cost of living is about 60% lower than US cities. Only dowside is you'll want to learn some Spanish, but that's part of the fun!
Dont overlook Eastern Europe! Tallin, Estonia is basically a tech hub now. All of the country has amazing internet (they consider it a human right), the e-residency program makes it easy to run a business, and its super safe. Price is mid-range but worth it. Also has direct flights to major European cities for weekend trips.
I'd say Bali, but honestly the internet can still be spotty in 2025 despite what Instagram would have you believe. Fine for most work but video calls can drop suddenly. For reliability + female safety + good food, Japan is worth considering despite higher costs. The new digital nomad visa makes stays up to 6 months possible, and internet is lightning fast everywhere.
Try Valencia, Spain for a chilled coastal base with faster than advertised fiber in many barrios and fewer tourists than Barcelona. It blends beaches, paella scenes and solid coworking. I would argue Medellín feels less safe at night despite great internet, so maybe prioritize neighborhoods. Quick question, when you say EST overlap do you mean Eastern Standard Time or something else?
Massive congrats on taking the leap, you are about to unlock your potential in the best way. For a different perspective try Tbilisi, Georgia and Panama City, Panama.
1) Tbilisi delivers an inspiring blend of affordable living, vibrant wine and food culture, and coworking energy that fuels creativity.
2) Panama City gives you zero timezone drama with EST and reliable fiber in many modern buildings so your video calls stay crisp. Pro tip, always book places with verified upload speed, check jitter and packet loss, and carry a local eSIM or portable LTE hotspot as a backup. You got this, embrace the synergy and enjoy the paradigm shift.Have you checked out Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam??? Lowkey a hidden gem for nomads rn! The internet is solid af in most cafes and apartments, plus living costs are suuuper chill. Food? Insanely good with those crazy fresh herbs and street eats 🍜 Safe enough if you stick to District 1 & 3. Time overlap with EST is doable with some late shifts. Trust me, this city’s vibe will make working feel like an adventure! Just prep for some chaos on wheels 😅
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