If you are looking for the best city for digital nomads, there are likely three broad factors that are extremely important to you: An excellent infrastructure for working remotely, a healthy work life balance and plenty of interesting things to see and do while you are living in your chosen location. Because it ticks all of these above boxes (and more!), Madrid, Spain is an excellent choice for digital nomads. Keep reading to learn why.

Madrid has a plethora of co-working spaces, such as this one at the design oriented LOOM:

The basics

Most people know about the wonderful quality of life Spain offers.  And given that Spain is the second most visited country in the world, we don’t need to convince anyone that the country has many interesting things to see and do. What many people don’t realize is how good Spain’s infrastructure is and how ideally suited it is to remote working. Thus we will focus the bulk of this article on why, logistically, it is the best city for digital nomads.

Madrid infrastructure

Because it was relatively late to the game, compared to countries like the US and the UK, Spain was able to build out its infrastructure using comparatively modern technology. Its rail system is one of the best in the world. With 3,100 kilometers of high speed rails, it has the longest high speed rail system in Europe and the second longest in the world, after China. Its trains are also some of the faster in the world, with a top speed of 310 kph. With new players in the market: first, French-owned Ouigo and most recently, Iryo, owned by Italian state railway operator Trenitalia, Spanish infrastructure company Globalvia and Air Nostrum, a Spanish airline, Spain is now Europe’s rail capital.

Spain’s excellent infrastructure translates to phone and internet connections- something extremely important for digital nomads. Although fiber optic has not been laid in most rural areas, and mobile phone coverage can be spotty outside major cities, the connectivity in Madrid is excellent. The major carriers: Movistar and Vodafone, both offer fiber optic connections of 600 Mbs in Madrid. This is extremely fast. To put this in perspective, 100 Mbps is considered more than adequate for a mid-sized household. That’s enough for 4-5 Wi-Fi users to simultaneously play online games, stream video in HD and attend video meetings with minimal stoppages or buffering. With over 500 Mbps, you can do virtually anything you want, on over ten devices simultaneously, with no slowdowns.

Spain also has an excellent mobile data network. If you are planning on living in a rural area, you will need to use the local carrier Movistar. However, if you live in Madrid (or other big city), you can use an international carrier such as Vodafone that offers a best in industry network, is actively rolling out 5G in Madrid and has the benefit of English customer service. A monthly package typically includes unlimited mobile data, in case you want to work in a cafe that doesn’t provide high speed internet.

Madrid has one of the best mobile phone networks in the world. We can help you find the best provider and deal for you as part of our relocation services.

Places for digital nomads to work in Madrid

Although the idea of working from home is appealing, most people tend to miss the social connections of an office. Moreover, many people searching for the best city for digital nomads won’t necessarily have a large enough apartment for a dedicated home office, or a quiet enough space to work during the day in their living area.   The ample amount of coworking spaces make Madrid an idea candidate for digital nomads. The crème de la crème of coworking spaces is the international WeWork, which has three locations in Central Madrid. Although it is relatively expensive, you can get anything from a hot desk to a dedicated office. They even have free beer!   Aside from WeWork, there are countless options for various budgets and needs. An excellent option is to rent a space at Utopicus (Moving2Madrid used to have our offices here) which gives you access to conference rooms at their multiple locations in Madrid. If you don’t want to commit to a monthly plan, you can go to The Shed Coworking, located in the posh neighborhood of Salamanca, where you can get a day pass for as little as 15€ per day. There is also a Google Campus in Madrid that has coworking places available. Even the big bank, Santander, offers free and paid coworking options.   If you don’t need the facilities provided by a dedicated office space, such as conference rooms and soundproof spaces, Madrid has plenty of atmospheric cafes in which to work. An excellent way to explore the city is to pack up your laptop and try a different one each day. Neighborhoods like Malasaña and Chueca have many different options. Or you can try Federal Cafe that is frequented by digital nomads from all over the world. An Australian chain, it also has excellent food and drinks if you are looking for something lighter and healthier than traditional Spanish fare.

The interior of the Salón de Fleurs, one of the many beautiful cafes in Madrid where you can bring your laptop and work

Immigration options

Spain is one of the easiest European countries to immigrate to if you are an entrepreneur. If you have an innovative idea in a strategic industry such as technology or biotech, you can apply for an entrepreneur visa. This gives you the ability to live and work in Spain and also extends to your immediate family members.   You can apply for a freelance visa if you have an established business in a more traditional industry.

Spain has a wide range of visa options that many people don’t know about   The biggest news in 2022 is that Spain, like a few other European countries, is in the process of rolling out a digital nomad visa. Although the details have not been finalized, it is part of Spain’s new Start Up Act. This is expected to pass within the next couple of months. Here are the basics:

• It will be available to those that live outside the Schengen Area
• Eighty or more percent of your revenue must come from countries outside of Spain
• It will be good for one year, with up to two extensions granted

We will continue to update this article as information becomes available, so keep checking back.

Do you want to invest in Madrid property, either to live in or to add to your investment portfolio? If so, Spain has one of the best golden visa programs in Europe, which will allow you to live and work in Spain for as long as you hold the property. Learn more here: The complete guide to Spain’s Golden Visa

Safety

Another factor that is very important to consider when choosing the best city for digital nomads is safely. This is an extremely important factor that is often, inexplicably, overlooked.   Many digital nomads flock to places like Merida, Mexico or Bali, Indonesia. However, these cities are not very safe and the broader countryside is even more dangerous. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world, due to drug related crime. Indonesia has violent demonstrations, terrorist attacks, religious extremists and is prone to natural disasters.   Spain, on the other hand, is one of the safest countries in the world- particularly in Madrid. Due to very strict gun control laws and a very strong police presence (many of them undercover), Madrid is one of the safest cities in Europe. As it does not get the extremely large amounts of tourists as Barcelona, pick pocketing is not nearly as big of a problem. Just stay away from gatherings of rowdy football (soccer) fans that fly in for Champions League matches.

Work/Life Balance

As many people know, Spain offers one of the best work/life balances of any country in the world. Even though Madrid is the capital city, its denizens don’t succumb to a grueling work schedule like those in many capital cities. This is why it is consistently ranked as one of the countries with the best work/life balances and the best city for digital nomads. The only place it falls short is if one works at a Spanish company (which, as a digital nomad, you don’t need to worry about), where the hours are long since most people take a two hour lunch. Even given this, it still ranks #2 in countries with the best  work/life balance.

Interesting things to see and do

If you want to take a little time off from working to explore (as most digital nomads do), Madrid has many cultural landmarks to visit. It has three of the best museums in the world: The Prado, The Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofia, along with beautiful smaller museums such as the Sorolla Museum.   If palaces are your thing, you can tour The Royal Palace in Madrid, or take a short ride on the light rail to visit the Royal Summer Palace in Aranjuez, which is in the southern suburbs. Another quick ride on public transport to the north is La Granja, another Royal Palace with fountains that were designed by the same architect that built the more famous fountains in Versailles.

The gardens of the Royal Summer Palace in Aranjuez   An hour to the north also lies the city of Segovia, with its fairy tale castle and large Roman aqueduct.   With Spain’s excellent high speed trains, you are only an hour and a half away from the beach in Valencia, two hours from Barcelona or Cordoba and less than three hours from Sevilla. A three hour train ride will take you to Málaga, a vibrant, culture rich city which has had a facelift in recent years and gives you access to the beaches of the Costa de Sol.

Do you wan to learn about the best neighborhoods for digital nomads in Madrid? If so, arrange a FREE CONSULTATION TODAY to learn about neighborhoods and housing options.