Nomad List

Data-Driven Platform for Digital Nomads

Core Idea: Nomad List is a platform that ranks cities worldwide based on various metrics (cost of living, internet speed, weather, safety) to help digital nomads find ideal locations to live and work remotely.

Key Elements

Key Features

• City rankings based on multiple factors relevant to remote workers
• Cost of living estimations and comparisons
• Climate and weather data
• Internet speed ratings
• Safety metrics
• Tax information
• Visa requirements
• Real-time community of digital nomads

Technical Specifications

• Built by Peter Levels using his minimalist tech stack (HTML, JS/jQuery, PHP, SQLite)
• Crowd-sourced data combined with algorithmic analysis
• API available for developers

Use Cases

• Remote workers planning their next destination
• Digital nomads comparing potential locations
• Companies seeking information on remote work hubs
• Researchers studying digital nomad trends and patterns
• Travelers calculating budgets for extended stays

Development History

• Created in 2014 as one of Peter Levels' "12 Startups in 12 Months Challenge" projects
• Initially a simple spreadsheet of cities with basic metrics
• Evolved into a comprehensive platform with community features
• Became Levels' breakthrough product and a defining resource for the Digital Nomad Movement

Impact

• Helped formalize and popularize the concept of digital nomadism
• Created standardized metrics for evaluating cities for remote work
• Built a global community of location-independent professionals
• Influenced city governments to consider policies attractive to digital nomads
• Spawned numerous similar services and city-ranking platforms

Additional Connections

• Broader Context: Digital Nomad Infrastructure (foundational resource)
• Applications: Geoarbitrage (tool for optimizing location based on financial factors)
• See Also: NomadScope, Teleport.org (similar city comparison tools)

References

1. Nomad List website (https://nomadlist.com/)
2. Peter Levels' account of creating Nomad List (from bio)

#digital-nomad #remote-work #travel #city-data #geoarbitrage