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The remote work culture has transformed the way people travel, live, and work. The dream of living in one of the world’s top digital nomad destinations allows us to make any exciting new city our personalized office.
Now that global recruiting has emerged as a transformative option for many companies worldwide, both businesses and professionals are increasingly tuned into new and exciting opportunities in the international market.
Choosing where to stay involves many considerations, including the local language, cost of living, internet access, safety, and other cultural contexts. In many cases, remote workers are looking for top digital nomad destinations that offers comfort and great experiences, while allowing their salaries to go further.
Why is South America a great option?
The search for comfortable and affordable living has helped place South America firmly on the map among top digital nomad destinations.
While nomads enjoy the bang for their buck that living on the continents offers, for US and Canadian nomads, there is also the additional benefit of being able to work on similar timezones to back home, as well as the fact that the travel back to their country of origin is shorter and relatively inexpensive compared to the likes of Europe and Asia.
Another key benefit is the fact that once you have picked up a bit of Spanish in one country, you can use it in many of the others. While learning Portuguese in Brazil offers the opportunity of traveling to all of its culturally varied regions, given the massive expanse of the country.
The likes of Buenos Aires in Argentina, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Medellin in Colombia are now firmly established destinations for location flexible workers. But where are the next hotspots for remote foreign workers likely to be found in the region?
Below are five destinations that have major growth potential for digitial nomadery are considered.
5 top digital nomad destinations in South America
1) Bucaramanga, Colombia
Bucaramanga is an overlooked second-tier city in Colombia nestled in a valley and wrapped by green areas and panoramic sites only a bus ride away. The cost of living tends to be slightly less expensive than in Bogota or Medellin.
It is an under-explored Colombian region, with a digital nomad community yet to burst. It’s a great place to escape the hustle of bigger cities, while still having all the amenities you need as a digital nomad, including low cost of living and beautiful weather.
Bucaramanga offers a safe and comfortable living environment as the city has excellent infrastructure. Most cities in Colombia have easy plane routes to Bucaramanga, so it has relative proximity to many other amazing destinations in the country.
2) Cuenca, Ecuador
Ecuador is a small country, where you’ll find a little bit of everything, including beaches, forests, tropical jungles, mountains, and so on. Coworking is a growing phenomenon in Ecuador, especially in major cities, such as Cuenca and Quito. In the mountains, Cuenca is the main nomad hub, being a popular destination for people wishing to live and work remotely.
The region offers a great quality of life and cost of living, and the country runs on the US Dollar. So, while some things may be slightly more expensive than in other South American countries with more depreciated currencies, it’s still very practical for anyone who gets paid in US dollars and won’t need to convert expenses.
Cuenca ranks as one of the cheapest cities for utilities, food, basic products, and many other needs. It has a small but growing digital nomad community, and the high affordability, along with Cuenca’s reputation as the country’s most beautiful city, is likely to keep boosting the digital networking and nomadism culture locally.
3) Cusco, Peru
Peru is interested in expanding and solidifying its digital nomad culture. It has active online communities in the matter, such as Digital Nomads Peru. In November 2023, the government amended its Migration Law to allow and help foreign digital nomads to apply for a resident visa.
Lima, the country’s capital, has become an obvious choice for remote work. However, you may find more affordable options in other cities such as Cusco, especially out of peak season. It offers a variety of budget-friendly advantages, including affordable costs, hiking opportunities, and cultural experiences.
As a tourist hotspot, Cusco is very internationally friendly. It is a fairly large city located in the Sacred Valley, with its own airport. If you can deal with the high altitudes, this is an excellent choice for a quieter lifestyle, renting out a place in more peaceful regions of town, and getting work done in the handful options of coworking spaces.
4) Florianópolis, Brazil
Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina, a State in the very south of Brazil. It’s an island city known for its many beaches, camping, and hiking spots, making it a popular destination for international tourists looking for an alternative, less-explored Rio de Janeiro-type of city.
Even though it is not the cheapest capital to live in, it delivers a high quality of life at moderately low costs, and it’s a growing hotspot for hi-tech coworking spaces and international networking events, with fast internet access all around the city. According to Nomad List, the city has been the most consistently growing remote work hub around the world for the past five years.
The cost of living may increase during the summer, as some neighborhoods tend to get overcrowded with tourists. However, Florianópolis stands as a great opportunity to enjoy nature, nightlife, and gastronomy, along with a more relaxed work culture that doesn’t sacrifice its innovative digital entrepreneurship spirit.
5) Salta, Argentina
With the current favorable currency exchange rate, Argentina is a good destination for finding new experiences without spending too much. The government offers a streamlined process to get your national digital nomad visa and promotes plenty of information online to attract international remote workers into the country.
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina, and an important cultural and tourist pole, so locals tend to be very friendly with foreigners. With stunning colonial architecture and rich cultural heritage, Salta has much to offer for digital nomads looking for a unique experience.
Salta is a rising bet for digital nomads in the following years. Its remote work culture is still developing and can’t be compared to the booming sectors of big cities such as Buenos Aires and Bariloche. However, due to the high migration of digital nomads to Argentina, Salta is the perfect alternative with great benefits, such as safety, culture, and cost-effectiveness.
