Bratislava still among the world’s best cities for freelancers

The capitals of the Czech Republic and Slovakia attract freelancers, the recent survey suggests.

BratislavaBratislava (Source: SME)

Low prices, fast internet and low taxes are the reasons why freelancers often pick Bratislava as their base. The country ranked fifth in the recent 10 best cities for freelancers in 2018 research, published by the Hoofdkraan.nl website.

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Last year, it was seventh on the list.

The website surveyed 117 cities, looking at 23 factors generally important for freelancers. This includes the quality of living, beer prices and the connection to internet. Seven out of the 10 best cities are located in Europe.

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Prague is the best

This year’s edition of the research shows that the best place for freelancers to live in is Prague. The website describes the Czech capital as a home to the best beer in the world and a destination with many hidden gems.

“Work a little, wander a little, experience friendliness, whatever gender you are or prefer, and pick one of the many flexible work spaces or cafes the city has to offer,” the website reads.

Read also: Bratislava is an excellent base for digital nomads Read more 

Prague ranks the highest when it comes to value for money, beer prizes, fast internet and nightlife.

As for other countries in the top 10, Spain and Portugal stand out.

“With Sevilla, Las Palmas, Porto and Lisbon among the best cities for freelancers there is no other conclusion possible: we like some warm weather with our freelance freedom,” the website reads.

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Other important factors include cheap beer and quality of life. Moreover, Portugal and Spain are considered safe countries with good resources and facilities.

Only three cities in top 10 are outside Europe: Vancouver, New Orleans and Miami (all of them situated in North America). The countries missing in top 10 are from Asia. Well-respected digital nomad destinations like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Bali are ranked lower due to low scores on cleanliness, safety, freedom of speech and quality of coffee.

What cities to avoid?

The Hoofdkraan.nl also lists the places freelancers should definitely avoid.

This includes Lagos in Nigeria, which ranks lowest on the list.

Read also: Bratislava belongs among the Top 10 cities for freelancers Read more 

“You were perhaps not thinking of Nigeria in the first place because of pirates, Boko Haram or other violence you read about in the newspapers, but there are no facilities for freelancers altogether,” the website reads.

The majority of the bottom 10 cities, including Dhaka (Bangladesh), La Paz (Bolivia), Manila (Philippines), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Beijing (China), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Nairobi (Kenya) and Kathmandu (Nepal) are cheap to live in, but unsafe and dirty, the internet is slow and the electricity unreliable.

“Freedom of speech and an open mind towards females or gays are problematic as well,” the website reads.

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