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. Sri Lanka landed in an impressive 2nd place in the Asia-Pacific ranking and 13th globally.
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:
TOP 10 Best Countries for ‘Workcation’
| Worldwide Ranking | Asia-Pacific Ranking | |||
| Rank | Country / Region | Rank | Country / Region | |
| 1 | Portugal | 1 | Japan | |
| 2 | Spain | 2 | Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Romania | 3 | Taiwan | |
| 4 | Mauritius | 4 | Thailand | |
| 5 | Japan | 5 | Indonesia | |
| 6 | Malta | 6 | Australia | |
| 7 | Costa Rica | 7 | Malaysia | |
| 8 | Panama | 8 | Singapore | |
| 9 | Czech Republic | 9 | The Philippines | |
| 10 | Germany | 10 | New Zealand | |
| Data Source: KAYAK Work from Wherever Index |
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.
Sri Lanka took an impressive 2nd spot in the Asia-Pacific region and came 13th worldwide, outrunning countries like Thailand, Indonesia or Singapore. Sri Lanka has very attractive local prices and affordable long-term apartment rentals which creates great opportunities for travel. Digital nomads will definitely appreciate the good weather conditions all year round. Another significant factor that speaks in favour of choosing this country for workation is the visa for digital nomads that has recently been introduced.
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.