With more countries offering digital nomad visas, a peripatetic lifestyle is becoming more popular. A 2023 study by the Wyse Travel Confederation estimated that the number of digital nomads worldwide would reach 60 million by 2030 (up by 20 million compared to 2023).
Kate Woodley, 25, a former management consultant from London, is among the Britons finding ways of working remotely while seeing the world. She set off in 2021, heading first to Latin America.
She is currently working as a content creator in Colombia, but has visited around 40 countries as a digital nomad in the past four years, including Egypt, the Philippines and Morocco. She has visited 55 countries overall, including her travels before becoming a digital nomad.
Life on the road has taught her how to live economically. “Pick your country carefully,” she says, pinpointing South East Asia as one region that is still cheap.
Kate estimates she spends between £1,000 and £1,500 a month on accommodation, food and drink, and while the amount she earns fluctuates, she saves between £800 and £1,600 per month.
While the cost of living varies widely, accommodation is almost always the principal outlay. In return for free lodging, she has house sat and volunteered as an English teacher in Colombia – when she lived off £120 for three weeks – as well as Morocco and Peru.
She says spending a month in self-catering accommodation costs less than moving every week – and is also an opportunity to live more like a local. “You can buy groceries and cook, and that keeps costs down.”
Otherwise, she’ll stay in a hotel: “I rarely stay in private hostel rooms. They’re almost always more expensive and not as nice. You’re paying for the social aspect.”
Kate says loyalty pays. Booking.com gives discounts depending on how frequently you use the platform, while hotels.com offers a free night’s stay for every 10 booked.
For food, she recommends asking residents where to eat and looking at reviews on Google Maps. “In South East Asia, if you see small, red plastic chairs outside a restaurant, it’s probably going to be very good [rather than a tourist trap] with the best food and low prices.”
While Eastern Europe generally remains less expensive than the West, both are relatively pricey. When travelling around the continent, Kate maximised carbs: “I lived on croissants from supermarket bakeries. Cooking will also save a lot of money. I ate a lot of pesto pasta.”
When it comes to transport, you’ll need to do your research. Kate uses Skyscanner for flights and has found that short layovers – rather than a direct flight – have helped save money, “they also allow you to stretch your legs if it’s a long journey” – but not always.
“I took three flights to Pakistan instead of one just to save a couple of hundred pounds and had to sleep on the airport floor. Not an experience I would repeat.”
In Colombia, Kate has been getting around on low-cost flights, which can cost as little as £30. In South East Asia, overnight buses and trains are often cheap and comfortable, costing around £15.
One of Kate’s most memorable journeys was a 24-hour ride on an “executive” bus from Cusco to Lima in Peru, a distance of around 670 miles. “Being in a comfortable chair for 24 hours was actually very nice because I’d been moving around a lot.”
One of her favourite ways to get to know a place is the free walking tours, found in many cities.
After four years, Kate’s approach has changed – she’ll pay more to ensure her happiness and comfort. When she started out, she saved by eating cream cheese on bread. But she decided the sacrifice wasn’t worth the savings.
Spending money on experiences rather than luxury accommodation has become another priority. “The most expensive thing I’ve done was a cruise around the Galapagos. It was over $1,000 (£795) but it was completely worth the money.”
Despite sometimes lacking a sense of community, Kate plans to continue travelling. “If I had to go back to a normal life, the hardest thing for me to give up would be my freedom,” she says.
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