Work · 4 min read · June 2026
Which Digital Nomad Cities Have the Best Internet?
Cities with consistently fast and reliable internet: Tokyo (fiber standard, 200–500 Mbps common), Taipei (among the best in Asia, 80–300 Mbps), Lisbon (fiber widely available, 100–300 Mbps), Berlin (solid fiber coverage), Budapest (fast and affordable, ~80 Mbps average). Cities where you need to verify before committing: Bali (speeds vary significantly by neighbourhood and provider), Cape Town (load-shedding affects connectivity). Internet quality for remote work is one of those things you can't afford to be casual about.
City rankings for remote work internet
These are based on median speeds at coworking spaces and typical apartment broadband in nomad-popular neighbourhoods — not theoretical maximums.
- Tokyo, Japan — exceptional. Fiber standard in apartments; 200–500 Mbps typical. Coworking spaces are fast and plentiful.
- Taipei, Taiwan — equally excellent. One of the fastest average speeds in Asia. Coworking spaces ubiquitous and fast.
- Lisbon, Portugal — fiber coverage in all central neighbourhoods; 100–300 Mbps typical in apartments. Coworking spaces reliable.
- Berlin, Germany — solid infrastructure; 100–300 Mbps typical. Coworking scene is large and professional.
- Budapest, Hungary — fast and affordable. ~80–200 Mbps. Internet cost is very low relative to most European cities.
- Chiang Mai, Thailand — reliable and fast in Nimman and Old City; 30–100 Mbps at good coworking spaces.
- Medellín, Colombia — good in El Poblado and Laureles; 50–150 Mbps; coworking infrastructure has improved significantly.
- Tbilisi, Georgia — surprisingly excellent. Fiber available, fast speeds, low cost.
Cities that require verification
These cities are popular and worth going to — but internet quality is variable enough that you need to verify your specific accommodation before committing.
- Bali (Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud) — highly variable. A $500/month villa can have 5 Mbps or 100 Mbps depending on the provider and neighbourhood. Always ask specifically for a speed test result before booking. Dedicated coworking spaces (Dojo, Outpost) are reliably fast.
- Cape Town, South Africa — excellent speed when load-shedding isn't happening. Load-shedding (scheduled power outages) disrupts internet regularly. A good coworking space or apartment with a generator/UPS system solves this; verify before booking.
- Mexico City — fast in Condesa and Roma Norte; more variable in other areas. Generally fine if you're in the right neighbourhood.
- Da Nang, Vietnam — improving; coworking spaces fast; home connections more variable. Fine as long as you're not fully relying on apartment WiFi for video calls.
- Rule of thumb: always ask any accommodation booking "what is the fastest speed you've measured on the WiFi and which provider is it?" A landlord who can't answer this is a red flag.