Top 10 (+1) Countries for Remote Work Ranked by Visas, Taxes, and Living Costs
With a cheeky Italian Cameo
Remote work is no longer a niche — it’s a lifestyle, a market, and for many, a survival strategy. Countries are in a race to lure digital nomads with fast Wi-Fi, clever visa schemes, mild taxation, affordable Aperol Spritz (or equivalent), and that magic mix of sun, sea, and Slack.
The Visaguide Digital Nomad Visa Index cooked up the latest ranking for 2025, weighing three main ingredients:
Visas: how easy is it to stay legally, and for how long? Can you bring your partner, kids, or even the family dog?
Taxes: does the country let you keep more of your hard-earned freelancing money, or does it happily eat half of your invoice?
Living costs: from cappuccinos to co-living, is the bill friendly or frightening?
So here’s the global leaderboard — with one small adjustment from us (hint: ciao bella).
1. Spain 🇪🇸
Spain tops the chart with a dream combo: reliable internet, healthcare, a family-friendly visa, and the Beckham Law’s juicy tax perks. Paella tastes even better when it’s tax-deductible.
2. United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
Zero income tax, lightning internet, and glossy skyscrapers make the UAE a remote worker magnet. Expensive? Yes. But Wi-Fi that fast almost feels like a bargain.
3. Montenegro 🇲🇪
Taxes between 0–15%, wallet-friendly living, and an Adriatic backdrop that makes Zoom calls feel like National Geographic. Infrastructure is catching up fast.
4. Bahamas 🇧🇸
No income tax, endless beaches, and enough vitamin D to make your doctor jealous. Downsides? Your laptop may get sandier than you’d like.
5. Hungary 🇭🇺
Six months tax-free, solid internet, and Budapest — a capital where café culture meets co-working cool. Cheap goulash, expensive ruin bars.
6. Canada 🇨🇦
Strong governance, healthcare, and maple syrup on demand. Nature lovers can close their laptop and be in a forest within 20 minutes. Bears included.
7. Romania 🇷🇴
Fastest internet in Europe (seriously), low living costs, and a six-month tax holiday. Bucharest and Cluj are buzzing with nomad energy.
8. Portugal 🇵🇹
Portugal’s mix of affordable living, beach towns, and buzzing Lisbon makes it an evergreen pick. Wi-Fi strong enough to work from a tiled alleyway.
9. Brazil 🇧🇷
Flexible taxes, low costs, and a samba rhythm that sneaks into your deadlines. São Paulo for business, Rio for pretending you’re on “workation.”
10. Curaçao 🇨🇼
Zero income tax, affordable housing, visas that don’t expire before your suntan. Life runs slower here — your Slack notifications included.
Honorable Mention: Italy 🇮🇹
Italy didn’t crack the official top 10 (stays at n. 25), but let’s be real — it deserves a seat at the table (preferably with a view of the Amalfi Coast). The Italian digital nomad visa is now live, paired with healthcare access, and for certain high earners there’s a 70–90% income tax exemption for several years if you relocate officially. Living costs? Depends — Milan can bite, but Sicily (just to mention one) will cuddle you with cheap cannoli and houses priced lower than your gym membership back home. Add to that 20 regions, 8,000 towns, and enough pasta shapes to outnumber Slack emojis… and you see why nomads keep falling for Italy.
The truth behind the rankings
These lists are fun, but let’s be honest: they’re like Tinder bios — shiny, incomplete, and sometimes misleading. A tax discount might not matter if the visa paperwork is hell. Cheap rent is useless if the Wi-Fi collapses during your client call.
At the end of the day, the only ranking that counts is your own, built on personal experience, countless train delays, and yes — many pairs of sneakers worn thin walking cobblestones and airport terminals.
Because remote work isn’t about scoring systems. It’s about finding that place where life and work both feel… possible.