Top 10 cheapest cities around the world for a workation

Workations (working vacations) are a new form of mixing work and play and are for people looking to carry on working normally whilst travelling long term. Whilst they may seem farfetched, workations have become very popular on social media, with over 29 million views for the term on TikTok alone.

With this in mind, Savoo has analysed 50 of the world’s most popular cities, looking at metrics such as cost of living and hot-desking spaces in each city to determine the cheapest cities around the world for people looking for a workation.

 The 10 cheapest cities around the world for a workation

Some other key findings that may be of interest: 

• New York is the most expensive city for a workation,with high rental costs (£2,845) and expensive cost of living (£1,163).
• Switzerland has the highest cost of living in the world, the average monthly cost of living in Zurich is £1,518.
• Doha has the highest hot desking prices of all global cities,the average cost of a coworking hot desk is £388 per month.

Buenos Aires is the best city to be a hybrid worker in 2023

• Buenos Aires is crowned the cheapest global city for hybrid workers, with an average total cost of £754 per month
• With an average cost of £1,609, Hull is the best city in the UK for hybrid workers
• Expert shares top tips for saving money when returning to the office

According to new global data, workers spend an average of 3.5 days per week in the office. Whether they’re commuting into the city, or paying for a hot-desking space, the costs associated with the working week can really add up. But, which cities in the world are the cheapest for hybrid workers?

To find out, the team here at Savoo analysed 50 of the world’s most popular cities, taking into account factors such as the cost of living, rent, transport, coffee, internet, and hot-desking spaces in each city, to determine the total cost per month of being a hybrid worker. The research has also looked at which cities across the UK are the best for flexible workers.

Buenos Aires is crowned the cheapest global city for hybrid workers, with an average total cost of £754 per month

Buenos Aires has been revealed as the cheapest location for hybrid working in the world, with a total average cost of £754 per month. Residents in the Argentinian capital see the cheapest cost of living of all cities analysed, at £351 per month, on average. Rent is also the most affordable here, averaging around £285 per month for a one-bed apartment in the city centre. For those looking to pick up a caffeine-fix on their commute, Buenos Aires also boasts the cheapest coffee, at just £1.33 per cup, and for those travelling around the city, local transport is only £0.11 for a one-way ticket.

With hybrid workers spending a total average cost of £912 per month, coming in second place is Turkey’s Istanbul. The city boasts the cheapest internet of all cities analysed, with costs around £6 per month. Local transport is also very cheap, costing around £0.28 for a one-way ticket, and those workers looking for affordable co-working spaces will do well to head to Istanbul, as the city offers hot-desking for around £47 per month.

Brazil’s São Paulo has come in third place, with a total cost of £1,239 per month. The city is one of the cheapest places for coffee, with an average cappuccino costing around £1.46, and transport is also very cheap in the city, costing just £0.71 for a one-way ticket.