Paradise cities | NY and LA among the world's top ten 'workcation' destinations

NY and LA among the world's top ten 'workcation' destinations

New York and Los Angeles are among the top ten cities in the world for work and vacation, or “workcation,” according to hybrid workspace operator International Workplace Group’s latest report.

The results are based on in-house research, and findings from a global survey of 1,000 hybrid office workers.

Largely due to the Covid pandemic, the number of people working from home increased five-fold between 2019 and 2023, and 40% of US employees currently work remotely at least one day a week, according to Economic Policy Research.

The report says that 84% of hybrid workers have either extended or would consider prolonging a vacation to work remotely, while 75% said “the freedom of being able to work from anywhere boosts their job satisfaction.”

The IWG survey compared 30 cities across the world, rating them on categories such as climate, culture, accommodation, happiness, broadband speed and number of available flexible workspaces.

What are the best cities for remote working?

Budapest topped this year’s list, scoring highly for accommodation, transport, sustainability, and broadband speed. The Hungarian capital is “famed for its classical architecture", attracting some 12 million international tourists every year.

Barcelona, which topped the list last year, slipped off the top spot but remains a favorite among hybrid workers thanks to its digital nomad visa, reliable transportation infrastructure and comparatively affordable cost of living.

The visa is for any foreigner planning to live in Spain as a resident, working remotely for a company or an employer (or self-employed) located outside of the Spanish national territory, and using exclusively "computer telematics" and telecommunication media and systems.

When the applicant is self-employed, they can also work for a company located in Spain, as long as the percentage of this particular work doesn´t exceed 20% of the total amount of his/her professional activity. In addition, the applicant must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a University, College or Business School of prestige, or have at least three years of work experience in his/her current field of activity.

Cities in Asia also featured prominently in this year’s list with Beijing, Singapore and Jakarta all making it into the top ten. Beijing fell a spot this year to fourth place.

Meanwhile, Singapore climbed an impressive 14 places from last year to the seventh spot. The city-state scored exceptionally well on the broadband quality and sustainability categories.

Singapore serves as a “global gateway to Southeast Asia,” making it an attractive destination for travellers, and was also named Asia’s happiest country for the second consecutive year. It is on track to offer island-wide 5G coverage by 2025, according to IWG.

Full list of the top ten “workcation” cities

Here is the full list of the top ten cities for a "workcation":

  1. Budapest
  2. Barcelona
  3. Rio de Janeiro
  4. Beijing
  5. Lisbon
  6. New York
  7. Singapore
  8. Jakarta
  9. Los Angeles
  10. Milan

Be the first to comment.

Sign up for a FREE myGrapevine account to have your say.