KAYAK reveals the best countries for travel and remote working in 2022
The Philippines landed in the top 10 of the Asia-Pacific ranking and top 30 globally
As more people embrace flexible working environments and set their sights on their next ‘workation’ (AKA, a vacation that blends leisure and remote working), KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, reveals the best countries in the world to work remotely from, with Portugal topping the list. The Philippines ranks 9th in the Asia-Pacific region and 29th worldwide.
KAYAK’s first Work from Wherever Index is the ultimate source for those looking to set up a new office away from home temporarily or for a longer period of time. To develop the index, KAYAK closely analysed 111 countries and ranked each against 22 factors across six categories: travel costs and accessibility; local prices; health & safety; remote working capabilities; social life; and weather. Ultimately, the index reveals the countries that are easiest to work from while having a lot of fun in your off hours.
The top 10 best countries worldwide and in Asia-Pacific for combining productive working conditions and opportunities for travel adventures according to KAYAK are:
| Rank | Country / Region | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Portugal | |
| 2. | Spain | |
| 3. | Romania | |
| 4. | Mauritius | |
| 5. | Japan | |
| 6. | Malta | |
| 7. | Costa Rica | |
| 8. | Panama | |
| 9. | Czech Republic | |
| 10. | Germany |
| Rank | Country / Region | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Japan | |
| 2. | Sri Lanka | |
| 3. | Taiwan | |
| 4. | Thailand | |
| 5. | Indonesia | |
| 6. | Australia | |
| 7. | Malaysia | |
| 8. | Singapore | |
| 9. | The Philippines | |
| 10. | New Zealand |
Data Source: KAYAK Work from Wherever Index
The Philippines took 9th spot in the Asia-Pacific region and came 29th worldwide, outrunning countries like New Zealand and South Korea. This country is attractive for digital nomads in terms of low local pricing on long term apartment rentals, transport and eating out. Moreover it offers good opportunities for adaptation and socialisation as it has a great number of places for going out and many locals can speak English. Yet, it falls behind in the Remote work infrastructure as well as Health & safety categories.
Portugal was ranked the all-round best country to work remotely from worldwide, scoring high across the board in all categories, including great weather, high abundance of places for going out, low-crime rates, and relatively low cost of living. Portugal also offers a digital nomad visa, and many locals have a high English proficiency, which is something that attracts many expats.
Travellers from the Philippines can find the best ‘workation’ for their team’s time zone thanks to KAYAK’s new feature
In addition to the Work from Wherever Index, KAYAK features a new time zone ranking to help users quickly and easily find out the time differences for their trip – ideal for those looking to swerve 2am conference calls whilst working abroad. The time zone-focused rankings take key factors and categories from the Work from Wherever Index into account but display them according to your work country of origin – so the countries that have time zones closest to your own work time zone will be featured higher up on the list of country destinations. The tool also provides information on the latest travel restrictions and local vaccination rates per country.
Before planning your journey, be sure to check the latest travel restrictions in your destination. KAYAK’s travel restrictions map provides real time updates on COVID-19 restrictions and entry requirements of individual countries around the world.
All sources have been accessed and data retrieved between 1 September – 20 October 2021. The numbers collected are based on the latest available data. For full details on the Travel and Work Index methodology, please visit this page.
ABOUT KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay and rental car. We also support business travellers with KAYAK for Business, our free corporate travel solution, and are transforming the in-travel experience with our app and new hotel and accommodation software. For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.au.