The first thing to think about when you’re deciding where to live when you work remotely is the cost of living. Given the wide range of prices between different cities, you may have to adjust your expectations slightly.
You may not be able to live in an expensive city, but you can still find plenty of affordable options where your money will go a lot farther. If you want to live in an affordable place and work remotely, you’re going to have to do some research to find the right place.
This will likely involve looking at the cost of living index in different states and cities. If you want to live somewhere with a low cost of living, you should look at rural states. There are plenty of affordable states to live in, for example, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Indiana.
Before you sell your home and move to another state, let’s take a look at some different options where you can live when you work remotely and what pros and cons they have.
Rural areas
If you know you want to live in a small town, rural areas are often the most obvious choice for working remotely. You’ll have plenty of space, lots of open skies, and (hopefully) low levels of internet congestion. Most of the drawbacks of living in a smaller town can be remedied with a little research.
For example, you can find cheap places to live in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Indiana. These are all states with a low cost of living and plenty of rural areas to choose from. That being said, you should be sure to check into what internet options are available in the rural areas you’re looking to live in.
If you aren’t able to find a reliable internet provider near you, you’ll want to look elsewhere – even if the cost of living is low.
Smaller cities
Smaller cities, especially those that rely on tourism, are a great choice for working remotely. These cities are used to people coming to work remotely and often have a lot of infrastructure in place to support remote workers like coworking spaces, internet providers, and fiber internet options.
Although they don’t have the same excitement as big cities, smaller cities still offer plenty of perks – especially if you’re able to find a place that’s not too far from a larger city.
For example, there are cheap places to live in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon. Both of these cities are home to plenty of remote workers, are close to larger cities, and have low levels of internet congestion.
Bigger cities
If you’re the type of person who thrives on city life, there are still plenty of options for living in a big city when you work remotely. Some of the most common options for cities with low costs of living and high rates of internet availability include New York City, Seattle, and Las Vegas Nevada.
However, be aware that some of these cities require a lot of infrastructure in place to support a remote workforce, so you’ll want to make sure you have the right internet package and coworking options available to you.
Try to visit before you move
A word to the wise: Do not move to another state or country without first visiting your destination.
It is easy to fall in love easily with the idea of a city. Your vision of a place and its reality will undoubtedly clash. Take the time to learn the differences before you make a move.
It’s better to spend a long weekend visiting than nothing. A week can give you a better understanding, while a month is better.
Talk to locals, walk the streets and test the Internet speed. You will get a feel for the culture and the food. It’s possible to fall in love with it, or it might be completely different from what you thought.
Conclusion
The ideal place to live when you work remotely will vary from person to person. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re deciding where to live.
First, check into the cost of living in different cities, rural areas, and smaller cities. Then, pick a place that’s close to larger cities but also has the level of quiet you need.
If you do your research, you can find the perfect place to live when you work remotely.
