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he sun shines faintly for the bundled-up passersby who hurry in and out of shops and cafes. On this precise November day, the temperature remains mild at about 18 degrees and not a single cloud can be seen in the Barcelona sky. Tucked between the terraces of two of Barcelona's many bars, we see the entrance to one of the city's numerous co-working spaces. Its interior maintains a delightful and modern industrial style that is very chic; the space's furniture is made of wood and steel and is strewn with empty coffee cups, with sofas that look half-comfortable and an infinity of cables scattered before the gaze of smooth stone walls and under the metallic pipes of the ceiling. Young people dressed in modern clothes sit hunched over their MacBooks, with their huge and colorful headphones muffling any noise.
Collaborative workspaces like this one are scattered throughout the city of Barcelona, occupying spacious and beautiful buildings in the center of the Eixample district, trapped between the small houses of the modern Gracia area or shaping the facade of Poblenou's start-up hub. It seems there are around a hundred offices in this coastal city that cater to the global trend of temporary work activities, location-independent entrepreneurs, and remote workers who only need a good Wi-Fi connection to do their job. A high number of online guides for digital nomads also suggest the best meeting or accommodation places for digital workers in Barcelona – many of them settle in the city, attracted by the city's relaxed and rewarding Mediterranean air.
"Barcelona is one of the best cities for digital nomads, especially for Europeans who want to live close to home and be in the same time zone and during the winter," says digital nomad Johnny JenOne of the digital nomads who have worked and lived in Barcelona for quite some time is Johnny Jen. This American, known by the nickname JohnnyFD has traveled the world for the last ten years, building different income streams to finance his lifestyle. Among other projects, Jen inaugurated the annual digital conference Nomad Summit. Last year, he spent a couple of months in Barcelona, attracted by the city's excellent reputation. "Before visiting Barcelona, I already thought this city was one of the few where I could live all year round," he recalls.
According to Jen, this metropolis has many qualities that digital nomads need to enjoy a positive experience. One of them is the climate, as Barcelona enjoys warm summers and mild winters, which is excellent news. "Barcelona is one of the best cities for digital nomads, especially for Europeans who want to live close to home and be in the same time zone and during winter." Naturally, it is also important to have a fast and reliable internet connection and good infrastructure. It is also important to be able to move around the city easily, as well as having an airport with connections to major European cities or other destinations for digital nomads such as Bali or Chiang Mai. "Barcelona is one of the few places in the world that has a well-connected airport, good infrastructure, good wifi, good weather, and a beach," Jen concludes.
"As an important value, Barcelona has an international community," he states. "It's easy to meet people; friends, colleagues, and interesting business contacts," says Stuart JonesRemote workers like Jen also benefit from communities of like-minded people, whether to carry out joint projects and exchange ideas or, simply, because working from home can be a very solitary task. Apart from co-working spaces, the city also offers a wide range of tech events, ranging from the well-known Mobile World Congress, once a year, to small networks of meeting places for freelancers. Stuart Jones, founder of the Barcelona-based company Coworkation, and work holiday provider for digital nomads, also considers the Catalan capital a good destination for digital workers. Although currently in his home country, Australia, Jones spends a few months a year in Barcelona. "As an important value, Barcelona has an international community," he states. "It's easy to meet people; friends, co-workers, and interesting business contacts," says Stuart Jones." Like many places visited by a multitude of travelers, Barcelona residents are open to meeting people; that's why it's so easy to make contacts.
"It's very difficult and very expensive to find accommodation, especially medium-term accommodation," Jen admits. "As digital nomads, we usually rent for one to three months at a time and, apart from Airbnb, there are no alternatives to this modality."While the Catalan capital offers many advantages to digital nomads, it is also true that it poses great difficulties for some. Life in Barcelona can be relatively cheap, especially when compared to other European cities, but rental prices have increased by 35 percent since 2010, according to media reports, and finding a place to live has become a painful processor, like having to pay thousands of euros just to relocate to a new apartment. "It's very difficult and very expensive to find accommodation, especially medium-term accommodation," Jen admits. "As digital nomads, we usually rent for one to three months at a time and, apart from Airbnb, there are no alternatives to this modality."
After arriving in Barcelona, a friend of Jen's spent a whole week looking for a place to live as if it were a full-time job, Jen recalls. The internal demand, from tourists and emigrants, is very high and, therefore, prices are also high. "Barcelona continues to attract established start-ups, as well as high-end traders who earn a lot of money," says Jen, implying that Barcelona is losing its position as one of the best destinations for digital nomads because anyone who wants to start a business cannot afford to live in the city. On Nomadlist, an information website that collects and ranks data on possible remote work locations, the Catalan city is ranked number 10, behind Medellín (Colombia) or Berlin (Germany).
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