It is an island in Norway that freezes much of the year and has almost as many polar bears as inhabitants.

It is also one of the most privileged places for “work” by digital nomads.

The remote archipelago of Svalbard was ranked among the 6 places in Europe that made the top 10 worldwide in a survey conducted by Remote, a global startup providing HR solutions for distributed teams.

Svalbard is home to the world’s northernmost church, university and brewery, not necessarily in order of priority. A pint can cost you a pretty dime here, but the rent is really low, unless your work plans involve episodes of heavy drinking you should do just fine here.

The World Top 10

The remote survey assesses cities around the world on the following factors:

• internet connection quality
• attraction
• security
• quality of life
• open-mindedness,
• cost of living and
• incentives for digital nomads.

Toronto, Madrid, Auckland, Madeira, Helsinki, Svalbard, Berlin, Valparaiso, Dublin and Sydney complete the top 10.

US cities aren’t higher on the list, with only Salt Lake City ranking 11th.

On the other hand, usual suspects such as London scored a dismal 78th, due to its high cost of living, despite its status as a global financial and technological hub. However, the British capital got a high score for its openness to various lifestyles, safety and quality of life. The “most open-minded places” tag went to
Stockholm, Toronto and Amsterdam.

Digital nomads and life assessment

The clue comes at a time when the pandemic sees many people reassessing what the idea of ​​life and work means to them.

Auckland, Honolulu, Sydney and Reykjavík are among the top destinations with the “best quality of life” that are increasingly gaining the top priority on the list of remote workers, as opposed to the money.

For nomads for whom money is still essential, Italian Emilia Romagna offers the most important financial incentives.

Scope of the investigation

In total, the ranking has 44 countries and 24 U.S. states that offer special remote work incentives, such as special visas, tax breaks, relocation payments, or housing incentives.

Incentives

Nomadic programs also offer different incentives to remote workers. In Cabo Verde, for example, you are exempt from income tax, while Ecuador offers a minimum monthly income of around £ 300.

Emilia Romagna pays parents under 40 almost £ 25,000 to relocate, to rejuvenate the economy and local communities.

Cities particularly dependent on tourism now also offer special long-term visas for digital nomads.

Cities like Mishima in central Japan are offering either $ 2.7,000 or a calf, yes a real live calf, to help digital nomads.

Polar bears or calves, if you are a digital nomad, the world definitely becomes your oyster.

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