There is no better time to live life as a digital nomad. More employers forgo the office to save money and hire more freelancers making this lifestyle possible. And as a result, more people are opting for the freedom to choose anywhere in the world as their temporary home for as long as they wish. Obscure destinations around the world that many wouldn’t know existed are adapting to the rise in digital nomads with co-working spaces and improved Internet infrastructure and accessibility.

The digital nomadic lifestyle is not a novel idea, however, and many destinations have seen such an overwhelming influx of expats that cost of living has risen significantly. Depending on your travel goals whether it be visiting the iconic cities of the world or countries less travelled, you’ll want to know the best places to visit and the places to avoid.

Nomad List’s Top 5 Rising Places for Digital Nomads

Nomad List is a service that finds the best places for digital nomads to work and live remotely. Places are ranked and measured by cost of living, temperature, safety, and everything else you’d need to know.

1. Budapest, Hungary
2. Belgrade, Serbia
3. Canggu, Bali
4. Lisbon, Portugal
5. Da Nang, Vietnam

5 (Unofficially) Overrated Places for Digital Nomads to Avoid

There are no official lists of over popular digital nomad destinations. But with a little digging around the global community, here are the places seasoned digital nomads say to avoid:

• Berlin, Germany
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Bali, Indonesia
• Chiang Mai, Vietnam
• Kuala Lumper, Malaysia

5 Countries That Are Getting Popular with Digital Nomads

Finding the “actual” up and coming places for remote living takes a bit of pretension since many lists can still include the “overrated” places. There are no places that are objectively better than others as it depends on personal preferences.

Here are the places rumored to be the “next” Bali or Chiang Mai:

• Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

There’s easier access to the vast Central Asia and its thousands of cities steeped in history that dot the coveted Silk Road connecting Europe to Asia. The natural beauty of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan will take your breath away in every direction you look.

• Tbilisi, Georgia

A place that may be so obscure that you might have to look up twice, Tbilisi, Georgia is the idyllic hidden destination gem that sits between the stunning Caucasus mountains and Black Sea.

• Phong Nha, Vietnam

Phong Nha is quickly becoming the “adventure capital” of Southeast Asia with its small, but growing digital nomad scene according to the global community. It also helps that it’s a gorgeous city.

• Phnom Penh, Cambodia

One of the most affordable destinations, Phnom Penh is full of history to learn that is virtually untouched by Western education.

• Kuching, Malaysia

This obscure city located on the island of Borneo is the capital of the Malaysian state, Sarawa. The highly diverse city has historical influence by the Indigenous Sarawakians, British, Punjab, Japanese, Chinese, and Malays. Its first coworking space opened in 2015 and continues to attract more digital nomads.