Wuloru.info – American music producer Ryan Klos moved to Da Nang from Taiwan two months ago in search of new inspiration, and he was immediately impressed by the city.
“The diverse cuisine, excellent quality, and affordable prices are better than most places I’ve lived,” said Klos, 32, who has been a digital nomad (working remotely while traveling) for 14 years.
For just over one dollar, American tourists can easily enjoy a breakfast of pho or banh mi. Every day, Klos finds a new restaurant to try, but he admits, “I’ll never be able to sample all the great places in Da Nang.” While the average price for a men’s haircut in the U.S. is around $28, Klos only needs to spend nearly two dollars for a haircut in Da Nang.
Cost was also a significant factor for Ahmed Abd Alkhalek, an Egyptian working in publishing, who left Suez to choose Da Nang last July. Ahmed noted that Vietnam does not have a special visa policy for digital nomads, but he can still live comfortably. If he were to move to places with digital nomad visas like Dubai, UAE, he fears he would “go broke.”
Da Nang ranks among the top 10 ideal cities for digital nomads, according to Freaking Nomads—a website dedicated to this community. In 2023, Nomad List, a popular database for digital nomads, ranked Da Nang second among the fastest-growing remote work destinations, just behind Tokyo, Japan.
“It’s no surprise that Da Nang is a great city for people like us,” said Kay, a filmmaker currently living in Da Nang. Kay remarked that English is widely spoken in the city, and there are hardly any inconveniences in daily communication. For Kay, the friendliness of the locals is a key factor that makes him want to stay longer in Da Nang.
As the trend of digital nomadism grows globally, this group is beginning to receive negative reactions from locals. Andy Sto, a website providing information for digital nomads globally, with 60,000-80,000 monthly visits, pointed out that the cost of renting houses in Cape Town, South Africa in 2024 only increased by 4% compared to the previous year; in the U.S., it increased by 4%, and in Australia, by 8% over the same period. All three places have few digital nomads due to strict visa policies and high living costs.
However, in Medellin, Colombia—a digital nomad hotspot—the current rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,300 per month, while the average monthly income for locals is $300. In Mexico, many walls in the city bear the slogan “Gringo Go Home,” implying that digital nomads should leave the city, blaming them for the 245% increase in housing prices over 15 years.
“I’ve never had a bad experience with the locals,” Kay said, noting that Da Nang feels like a second home. He currently rents a two-bedroom house in the central area for 14 million VND per month. Kay thinks it’s not a big amount in a tourist city. Many of Kay’s friends also rent houses in Da Nang at 50% lower prices but still have good locations and complete amenities.
According to Anton Verkooijen, a Dutchman who has lived in Da Nang since 2020 and runs a co-working space in the Ngu Hanh Son area, Da Nang is a “very new” promising name for the digital nomad community. The number of digital nomads coming to the city is not yet large enough to impact rental prices like in some other hotspots.
Klos feels truly integrated into the Da Nang community. When he passes familiar shops, the staff wave at him. Sometimes, he plans to walk down an alley just five minutes from his place but ends up taking more than 30 minutes because locals stop him to chat. The vibrant pace of Da Nang energizes Klos every morning as he begins his creative process.
At 5 a.m., Thach, the landlord of Klos’ rental, is already up and swimming at the beach before returning home for breakfast, proudly sharing that he just swam 2.4 km. Thach and his family also regularly teach him about Vietnamese eating habits or introduce him to new words, making each day in Da Nang a fresh experience for Klos.
The American music producer admits there are some drawbacks to living in Da Nang. Sometimes, he needs to record, but the neighbor’s karaoke system is blasting. Barking dogs also distract Klos. However, this isn’t a major issue since he can easily find a quiet spot in the Son Tra area.
“Since coming to Da Nang, I work less but create more, thanks to the city’s tranquility,” he said.
For Kay, everything in Da Nang is great, but he feels there’s a lack of workspaces and community connections for digital nomads. A major issue for digital nomads is the lack of social connections due to working remotely and living in unfamiliar places. Additionally, they need adequate workspaces to maintain focus.
Vietnamese people often take their laptops to cafes to work, but digital nomads need more than that. They frequently have to hold remote meetings with partners on the other side of the globe, so they require good Internet quality and quiet spaces.
Anton noticed many digital nomads have moved from Bali and Chiang Mai to Da Nang because they love the city, but most complain about the quality of the co-working spaces. Anton’s co-working model, launched in March, aims to provide an excellent work environment with quality desks and chairs and high-speed Internet. Additionally, he builds a digital nomad community and organizes weekly activities to help them explore more of Vietnamese culture and meet new friends. According to him, digital nomads don’t just work; they want to explore the city and connect with others to stay longer.
However, the biggest issue he sees digital nomads facing in Vietnam is the lack of a dedicated visa. With a maximum stay of 90 days, they must leave Vietnam and reapply for a visa, which is time-consuming. Additionally, they find it difficult to secure accommodations because renting for 1-3 months often costs 30-40% more than usual. Many places in prime locations with good services do not want to rent to short-term tenants.
Ahmed, who recently ended his digital nomad life after finding a long-term job in Da Nang, noted that digital nomads bring economic benefits to the destinations as they bring foreign currency and spend on various services. However, Vietnam needs policies to support this group so they will want to stay longer.
According to Anton, remote work is becoming increasingly popular, and Vietnam’s tourism industry will benefit if it can attract this group. Anton supports a separate visa policy for digital nomads, which would encourage them to start business projects, contributing to economic growth.
“Digital nomads are mostly dynamic, creative individuals who can positively impact Vietnam’s economy,” he said.
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