Page 7 - bne_Tech_01_2021

Leaders
January 2021 www.intellinews.com I Page 7
Romania arguably among best locations for digital nomads
Romania is the third-best destination for employees and freelancers who want to work remotely, according to a new global ranking, the Nomad Digital Index, published recently. However, the list is at odds with other rankings that don’t consider Romania a good pick for such workers.
The Nomad Digital Index, developed by the British telecommunications company Circle Loop, analyses 85 countries, based on criteria such as rent, speed and cost of mobile and broadband internet, to identify the best countries for remote working in 2021. The company’s experts see no better place for freelancers around the world, except for Canada and Great Britain, than Romania.
Canada leads the ranking, with a score of 73.35 points, followed by Great Britain (63.53 points) and Romania (62.28 points).
The top 10 countries for remote work in
2021 include Sweden, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland and Germany. Among Romania's neighbours, Hungary ranks 12th with a score of 59.12 points, while Bulgaria is in 62nd place with 43.62 points.
Romania stands out with its cheap internet services, high-speed fixed internet (the first place among the analysed countries) and low rents. But this might not be enough to attract digital nomads.
Although ranking regional capital cities Tallinn, Tbilisi and Belgrade as the best spots for travelling freelancers, Big 7 Travel sees no Romanian city among the top 50 such locations, according to its latest ranking.
Estonia has enacted a new visa in recent years that allows digital nomads to work remotely
in the country for up to a year, the publication argues. “The capital city is oozing with charm and surprise that will have you living in a real-life Baltic fairytale,” according to the authors of the ranking, that seem to weight other criteria along with the internet speed and rents.
“Sat in the Caucasus region, the quirky capital has a lot to offer in the way of culture; from its diverse food scene to its long and complicated history, there’s something for everyone,” they say, speaking about the second-best spot found for digital nomads, the Georgian capital Tbilis.