Is it just us, or does it feel like everyone on Instagram is moving to Lisbon? That’s because they are.
You’ve heard about the “Great Resignation,” now it’s time for the Great Millennial Migration. For many, the pandemic has afforded them the time to reflect on where and how they work, and priorities have shifted. So-long 9-5 al desko , hello WFA* (that’s Work From Anywhere).
In fact, a recent survey from Hostelworld found that 84 per cent of respondents believe WFA is the new WFH and more than half (57 per cent) would like to work from another country as much as they want each year.
From Mexico City to Ibiza, meet the new wave of digital nomads making work work for them.
Lisbon
Average rent: Around €1,200 (£1,000) a month for a one-bed
Lisbon is being hailed as the new Silicon Valley, with its sun, sea and surf drawing digital nomads at breakneck speed.
Charlotte Gray, 32, works in music partnerships and moved to Lisbon with her partner Hugo Jones, co-founder of personalised nutrition company NGX, in September 2020 to avoid a second winter lockdown in the UK. They’re back doing another stint in Lisbon until April for the surf season. “There are lots of expats here from all over the world. Start-ups are drawn to the affordable workforce and tax efficiencies and there’s a huge wellness and surf community, and lots of people in tech and property. You can get pretty much anywhere on foot, then it’s a short drive to amazing beaches and national parks and the sun always shines, no matter what time of year,” Gray says. “There’s always a new bar, or restaurant opening and the music scene is really underrated. You don’t often see Lisbon on major tours but that has nurtured a lot of local talent and there are so many nights, clubs and festivals that champion local sounds.”
Biggest downsides? “The bureaucracy. We were lucky enough to get residency before Brexit but getting a working visa can be a fairly laborious process.” Currently British passport holders can enter Portugal for 90 days. Shara Tochia, 37, co-founder of Dose, has been living between Lisbon and London since last year. “Most people in Lisbon speak English. It’s super affordable compared to London and the quality of life is amazing.” What would surprise you about Lisbon life? “Despite being warm eight months of the year, it’s always very cold at night and you need to wrap up. Also, Lisbon is small — the ex-pat community is even smaller. Everyone knows everyone and that isn’t for everyone!”
Mexico City
Average rent: £350-£500 a month for a one-bed
When freelance writer Juliana Piskorz’s tenancy ran out on her London flat last year, she took a flight to Mexico City. “I have been writing a script, which I can work on from anywhere, so after a bit of a weird year I just thought if not now, then when?” she says. Mexico’s borders have remained open to foreign travellers throughout the pandemic. “I quickly fell deeply in love with the city, the people, the culture, the food. There’s an energy in Mexico that I’ve never experienced anywhere, it was so stimulating. I felt fully present in the moment for the first time in years.” The digital nomad scene is booming in Mexico City too. “There’s a huge café culture, so bars and cafés are packed with creatives and artists working remotely on laptops. On Fridays everyone packs up early and heads to a boozy lunch that turns into dinner and drinks and dancing until the early hours.” New Year’s Eve took her to Puerto Escondido, a boho beach town and surfers’ paradise along the Oaxacan coast that’s around an hour’s flight from the capital. “I ended up staying for a month. Literally half of London was there. Every day I would bump into someone I knew, it was actually quite stressful at times, like social Russian roulette! I can see why though, the beaches are stunning and it’s very easy to pop over for the weekend.” Having returned to London after feeling “a bit homesick,” Piskorz is already plotting her return to work remotely longer-term. “I’ve been back for three weeks and have already had enough of the rat race and terrible weather. The cost of living is so much cheaper so you can live quite lavishly on quite a small budget.”
Los Angeles
Average rent: around $2,000 (£1,500) a month for a nice one-bed
Beauty editor Ava Welsing-Kitcher, 27, is moving to LA next month. “I feel like there’s a bit of an exodus happening out of the UK right now, especially amongst young black Brits who want to explore other diasporas, go back to where their origins are, or simply to wherever there’s some sun,” she says. “I’ve been freelance for two years and it feels like a now-or-never moment — especially as I feel I’ve hit a bit of a glass ceiling with my career here, and know it could expand somewhere like California, where a lot of exciting beauty changes are happening.”
It’s not hard to see the lure of Cali life. “LA has always been a great place for creatives and writers, and California is the epitome of sunshine, wellbeing, and relaxed vibes. Now that London is quickly becoming one of the most expensive places to live, cities like New York, LA, and San Francisco aren’t such a far reach.” What are her biggest apprehensions about future LA life? “Having to drive everywhere. Not choosing the right neighbourhood and feeling isolated and having to try and ‘find my people’ in such a network-focused atmosphere.” Still, the better quality of life far outweigh any potential downsides for her.
Rio de Janeiro
Average rent: R$8,000 (around £1,100) a month for a two-bed in a nice area
The one thing that might surprise you about Rio? It’s crazy expensive for certain things — bad news for wine-lovers, as it’s extortionate in Brazil — but who can put a price on an Ipanema postcode? The Cidade Maravilhosa is now home for wellness and interiors PR Gabriella Maubec and her husband. “Rio is so beautiful, the sunshine, the people, the music, there are beaches surrounding you everywhere, rainforests inside the city and incredible hiking trails. I work from home, which is quite lonely when you’re in a new city but I can be at the beach in five minutes from my apartment in Urca. The time difference isn’t bad either (three or four hours).” Rio boasts a big expat community but the language barrier can make it difficult to meet cariocas (locals), Maubec says. “Crime is another factor that you have to be aware of in Rio, especially at night, so we rely on Uber. It’s also important to know the visa situation as you’re only permitted three months per calendar year and they are very strict. You can extend your visa, but with Covid rules still around in Rio, it’s much harder to sort out. We try to come back to the UK every six to eight weeks to see family, friends and catch up on work, but this has become a little harder, as there are fewer direct flights. Also, if you come to Rio to work remotely you’ll need a base with wifi as it’s not that easy to hotspot and lots of cafés either aren’t suited to remote working or don’t have wifi.”
Antigua
Average rent: £600-£1,000 a month for a one-bed depending on location
Like many others in the last few years, PR-come-yogi Koral Webb found herself unable to work due to Covid restrictions, and, faced with more lockdowns, decided to escape to Antigua. The holiday turned into a three-month stint on the island. Months later, having returned, Webb has just bought some land which she plans to turn into her own yoga retreat. “In September 2021, this beautiful island became my home. Antigua has such a relaxing energy around it. When weekends come, my friends and I go for early-morning hikes in the mountains and head to the nearest beach afterwards to cool off. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. The best thing about life in Antigua is the work-life balance. I really struggled with that at home. I was born in London and have that city mentality about me. The move here has really balanced me out. The best days are boat days, spent with good friends and good food. Snorkelling is epic here. The downsides are that processes here take a while to complete, let’s just say island time is a real thing. Immigration and my work visa application took a long time to be approved but it’s a small price to pay to live in paradise.”
Ibiza
Average rent: between €700-€1,200 (£590-£1,000) a month for a one-bed depending on location
Most people associate the white isle with raving and hedonism, but it was the calmer side of Ibiza that attracted skin therapist Frederika Van Hagen, 32, who moved there last year. She now splits her time between Ibiza and London, where she still hosts @saintlyskin pop-ups, and is about to launch her own skincare line Saent (@saentskin) taking inspiration from her new Balearic surroundings . “It’s just the most idyllic place to create products,” she says. “Ibiza has an incredible wellness scene with plenty of retreats offering yoga, meditation and hiking. It’s such a social island, I’ve made lots of friends through a resident paddleboard meet up and afterwards we have a picnic and beers on the beach. The island is so much better in low season, the beaches are empty, the weather is still amazing and you can turn up to restaurants and get a seat.”
There are two sides to Ibiza, agrees hair colourist and trainee yoga teacher Bryony Cairns, 26, who has also just moved to the island. “Many think Ibiza is just a place for partying (which it is!) but we’ve chosen to start our adventure here in the north (Sant Joan), living a rustic farm lifestyle. It’s peaceful, tranquil and beautiful, a real break from hectic London,” she says. “I wake up each morning surrounded by nature with views of Cala Xaracca and spend evenings building wood fires to heat the villa. But at the same time we have all the food, history and culture of the Old Town nearby, the island has it all!” Rent varies significantly depending on where you are in Ibiza, but Cairns says she’s paying slightly less than what she was in London, adding: “Demand is very high though so we’re going to have to be on it getting a place!”
