Melbourne is the best city in the world for working remotely

PHOTO: Melbourne

A new study has revealed the best cities to live in and work remotely from, based on data on legislation, costs and overall liveability.

The on-demand housing platform Nestpick investigated the 75 best cities in the world for working remotely. Melbourne and Sydney came first and third respectively.

The scores indicates which cities are best prepared to attract a new breed of remote workers by using digital nomad visas, remote working infrastructure and more.

Melbourne scored highly on liveability factors like safety, healthcare and culture and leisure activities. The top 10 also included major international cities like Tokyo in Japan, London in England, Berlin in Germany and Singapore.

working remotely scores — **The Top 10 Cities to ‘Work Anywhere’ from. Source: Nestpick**

Melbourne’s score was boosted by its remote working infrastructure and the presence of a specific ‘Digital Nomad’ Visa.

Only 10 cities in the study offer this visa. The cities were Zagreb in Croatia, Prague in the Czech Republic, Lisbon in Portugal, Reykjavik in Iceland, Tallinn in Estonia, Athens in Greece, and Australia’s Sydney and Melbourne, as well as Dubai, UAE and Mexico City.

Melbourne digital nomad visa — **Source: Nestpick**

On average, Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro has the most affordable Home Office Space (approx. AU$188 per month), followed by Russia’s Saint Petersburg (approx. AU$220 p/m), and Turkey’s capital Istanbul (approx. AU$268 p/m). Melbourne ranked 34th out of 75 in this sector.

Bari, Italy received 100 per cent for accomodation availability. The port city was followed by Zagreb, Croatia and Warsaw, Poland were ranked second and third, respectively. Melbourne came 39th in this sector.

COVID-19 vaccination rates were also taken into consideration. At the time of the study, US cities held the top eight positions, including Boston, Honolulu, Seattle, New York, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, Melbourne ranked 67 out of 75 in this sector.

covid vaccines remotely working — **COVID-19 vaccination rates. Source: Nestpick**

Las Palmas has the best overall weather conditions in the study, while Tallinn has the best combined noise, air and light pollution score. Melbourne ranked 19th for weather and 37th for pollution.