Dubai appears to be the best place in the world for digital nomads, according to a new survey published by Bloomberg. Factors such as the climate, rental prices and connectivity with other countries were examined. However, the second best destination is in Spain.
This recognition highlights the Spanish city’s growing appeal as a technology and business hub. Since the pandemic shifted to hybrid working, many managers have sought new bases in different parts of the world, often in warm coastal cities with easily accessible airports.
Savills’ research found Málaga to be the second-best place in the world for digital nomadic managers. The city has an excellent climate, is more than well connected to hundreds of countries through the Pablo Ruiz Picasso International Airport and has reasonable rents and a very good quality of life. These factors have contributed to this high ranking for Málaga.
A continuous influx of international companies
Málaga’s emergence on the technological scene is partly due to the continuous influx of international companies, with Google being a notable example. This American multinational technology company will soon open their cybersecurity centre in the southern Spanish city.
Malaga surpasses all cities in terms of quality of life
Bernardo Quintero, founder of Virus Total and a strong supporter of Google’s presence in Málaga, pointed out the importance of this recognition on X (formerly Twitter). He emphasised: “Málaga will enter the world ranking of cities for expats for the first time in 2023 and shoot straight to second place! Only Dubai is higher, but in terms of quality of life, Málaga surpasses it.”
Málaga entra por primera vez al ranking mundial de ciudades para trabajadores remotos ejecutivos en 2023 y ¡va directo al #2! Solo Dubai está por delante, pero Málaga la supera en calidad de vida. Barcelona séptima, Palma octava.https://t.co/qgHguAe8Jo pic.twitter.com/fKVJeRyNDI
— Bernardo Quintero (@bquintero) August 17, 2023
The results classify 20 markets as particularly attractive for remote workers. The Savills study gave Málaga an overall score of 32.38 out of 35. The city excelled in quality of life, with a score of 10.38, higher than any other destination analyzed. Despite the continued rise in rents in Málaga, they remain within reach of remote workers, as shown by the score of 5.26 in the study.
Barcelona in seventh place
While Málaga is close to Dubai in the ranking, Miami follows third, thanks in part to a combination of low taxes, lower rents and popular beaches. The top ten also include Abu Dhabi, Lisbon, Barbados, Barcelona, Palma, the Algarve (Portugal) and the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.
Also read: Malaga very attractive for young Northern European digital nomads
