Tbilisi, Georgia, has long been a destination for remote workers looking to relocate internationally, and Big 7 Travel, with the help of Nomad List, has rated it second on its list of the best places for digital nomads in 2021.
Taken into account while compiling this list were factors such as cost of living, quality internet access, attractive co-working spaces, friendliness towards digital nomads, and availability of visas designed for remote workers.
What helped Tbilisi rank high in the latter category was the launch of the Remotely from Georgia project. It was made available in August as a way to welcome travelers during a time when the vast majority of them were banned from the country.
Those who are approved will be able to spend up to a year within Georgia’s borders. Amongst its requirements include a desire to stay for a minimum of 180 days, a monthly income of at least $2,000 and paying for required PCR tests and an accompanying quarantine.
Tbilisi had started becoming an enticing tourist attraction before the COVID-19 pandemic dampened those gains. However, all of its attractive features are still enticing those able to travel to Georgia now or who are making plans to do so once borders start reopening.
It is a distinctive community that is home to a unique, curvy alphabet, memorable architecture and an inviting charm. It is also uncharacteristically friendly to English speakers as compared to other former Soviet Union countries. Tbilisi offers a low cost of living as well; apartments often go for less than $300 a month. Easy access to Batumi, Georgia’s second-largest city, via a five-hour train journey is available too.
The pandemic has helped interest amongst digital nomads in Tbilisi and other cities on this list, which is topped by Tallinn, Estonia, increase.
Contributing to that has been the overall increase in remote work, a move that is, for the most part, expected to remain. Employers have appreciated that their employees have been just as productive while working remotely, even more so in many cases, while employees enjoy the flexibility that digital work has provided them.