I've traveled to 8 countries in 2026 as a digital nomad. These are my ratings of where I've been (so far)

Two years ago, I got rid of my apartment and all of my “normal” everyday belongings to bite the bullet and become a full-time digital nomad. I work from my computer, and as a travel content creator and blogger who runs the brand No Man Nomad , I began to grow resentful of my Queens apartment, dubbing it a glorified storage unit.

While I do sometimes miss New York City, I, overall, haven’t looked back since the day I handed my key back to my landlord. Adios, arrivederci, sayonara!

Life now means working in humble abodes in Montenegrin coastal towns, in Middle Eastern cities I’ve been warned against visiting, and sometimes even on cruise ships to Antarctica (that was a fun one). Though I’ve traveled to a total of 98 countries throughout my lifetime, in 2026, I’ve already traveled to eight countries, with plans to hit four more by May. Here’s everywhere I’ve been, and my rankings specifically for digital nomad life.

8. Oman

I should start by saying I absolutely loved my time in Oman, so Oman falling in “last place” is not a reflection of Oman itself, but more so of a reflection of being a digital nomad here. That’s for a few reasons: Oman is quite expensive, from dining out to accommodations. You pretty much need a car in Oman if you plan to get out to the countryside (where all of the best nature is), or else your only option is to hire a driver which is, you guessed it, expensive.

Though WiFi here is great, the people are friendly, and it’s overall quite safe, it can be difficult to be socialize in Oman, and Muscat, like many developed cities in the Middle East, is not a walkable city. Oman is incredible for a vacation or a holiday, but for someone like me who has to work from the road, it falls in last for this year’s travels.

7. Cyprus

Cyprus was an incredible place to visit, but sometimes as a digital nomad, it’s nice to be able to get out of my apartment or Airbnb and set up shop at a cafe. However, this is not a cultural norm or even an acceptable practice in many destinations around the globe. Cafes are meant to be social, not confined to a laptop, and never once did I see another person out in public “working.” This is obviously a fine reality, and a desirable one, but it overall made my time in Cyprus more isolating than I would have preferred. On the other hand, Cyprus has one of the best food scenes I’ve experienced this year, and is a truly beautiful country that was, by no means, impossible for someone with my lifestyle; I just spent more days inside than I would have liked to.

6. Lebanon

Disclaimer: I traveled to Lebanon prior to the current war.

Never have I ever fallen in love with a place as quickly as I did with Lebanon. From the incredible people to the mouthwatering cuisine, there is so much about Lebanon that took me by surprise. I felt “duped” by everything I had learned about Lebanon from reading the news, and felt a lot of that dispelled while being on the ground there.

While Beirut’s cafe scene is incredibly social, and it’s a perfectly normal scene to see people out with their computers working in public, Lebanon’s infrastructure unfortunately is a recipe for instability (none of it at the fault of the Lebanese people). There are frequent power outages, WiFi can be incredibly slow, and some apps and cell carriers won’t even work in Lebanon. That being said, I worked most days when in Lebanon, whether with a glass of Lebanese wine in hand or an espresso, and was able to generally stay connected during my trip. It’s just, unfortunately, a place where things can go wrong in the blink of an eye.

5. Qatar

In all honesty, I had low expectations for Doha. I assumed it would simply be a flashy, manmade city in the Middle East with not much to offer on an exciting, cultural level. It’s rare that I say this but, I was wrong! Qatar is a modern country when it comes to technology and innovation, from a reliable metro system to tight security to extremely clean streets. A lot of immigrants move to Qatar, making it easy to meet people and converse with others since English is widely spoken. There are plenty of cafes to work from, but WiFi is seldom an issue here, making working from anywhere, particularly in Doha, a breeze. The biggest downfall would be that Qatar can get pricey.

4. Montenegro

My trip to Montenegro was a mini slice of paradise. I based myself in Budva, a coastal town with dramatic mountains encapsulating its entirety, creating one of the most jaw-dropping scenes to wake up to everyday. The WiFi in Montenegro was strong and heavily available at cafes, the food was extremely fresh with plenty of seafood and veggie options, and people were generally friendly. Budva was a great base, because though it’s a charming city, there’s not a ton to do there, so it’s less distracting when it comes to trying to get your work done if you’re also a digital nomad with constant FOMO like me.

3. Bosnia & Herzegovina

There are a few things I measure when it comes to my “digital nomad” ratings: WiFi strength, affordability on a long-term scale, general conveniences (laundry, having a kitchen in my apartment/accommodation, walkability since I hate driving), and general safety. Out of the seven countries I’ve visited so far in 2026, Bosnia really ticked all of the boxes on the checklists. I based myself out of Mostar, and paid a humble $22/night for a spacious accommodation with a kitchen, ample sunlight, laundry, and hot water (this is an important one!). Plus, it was in a prime location with strong WiFi, and when I was taking breaks between working, I’d go for nice strolls to grab a çevapi or hit the grocery store, where I paid about $7 for a bag of produce, cheese, pasta, and wine. For water, I’d go to one of the many natural water fountains throughout the city.

2. Italy

Oh, my beloved Italy. It’s hard to put Italy on any rankings list for me personally, because it’s the country I’ve returned to time and time again over my life. I have visited all 20 regions, and return at least three times a year (for example, I’ve already been twice this year, with a third trip planned for May).

With that in mind, being a digital nomad in Italy is easy. It’s extremely easy to meet people, the food is of high quality and doesn’t break the bank (especially at Italian grocery stores), and apartments, especially in the south, are affordable. If you really want the best bang for your buck, head to Naples or Palermo for a nice mix of city life and affordability. And if you want to go a little more rogue, a small town along the country’s east coast, for example somewhere in the Marche or Abruzzo region, makes for a pretty awesome office.

1. Türkiye

While I can’t speak for the whole of Türkiye, there is no denying that one of my favorite “digital nomad” destinations I could easily see myself spending months in is Istanbul. The transcontinental city has affordable apartments (I paid $26/night in the Balat neighborhood), great healthcare, incredible cafe culture, and plenty of options for socializing. Life in Istanbul was the perfect mesh of slow days inside catching up on my laptop, experimenting new recipes with Turkish produce, and having fun, cultural days out at places like the Grand Bazaar and at the hamam spa.

Digital nomad life is definitely not for everyone, but if anyone was curious about picking a place to start, Istanbul would be one of my top choices (right up there with Bangkok).