Sydney falls, Melbourne AWOL on 2024 ‘best cities for remote work’ list
In its 2024 list, HR management platform Remote states Sydney is the Australian city best-suited to the work-from-home lifestyle and remote employment.
Sydney? 17th. Melbourne? Nowhere to be seen. Canberra, Cairns, or anywhere else between Burnie and Broome? Forget it.
Those are the key findings from a new report on the world’s best destinations for remote work, which put only one Australian city in the top 100 worldwide.
In its 2024 list, HR management platform Remote states Sydney is the Australian city best-suited to the work-from-home lifestyle and remote employment.
Remote said its list is based on metrics like internet access, specific working incentives, safety, inflation, and overall quality of life.
While the harbour city earned plaudits for its perceived lifestyle and cultural clout, it fell seven places from its 2023 ranking, putting it behind cities like Bangkok (#16), Reykjavik (#10), and #1 city Madrid.
Remote noted Sydney’s high cost of living, especially for renters, but said it is still a “top choice for digital nomads and expats alike”.
Along with the report, Remote released an interactive tool allowing businesses and job-seekers to find the top city for their needs.
Using this tool, it is possible to make Sydney the top destination — so long as users prioritise cultural attractiveness and quality of life above all else.
Melbourne, which became a WFH world leader during the COVID-19 lockdowns, did not earn a mention on the list, despite its frequent recognition as one of the best cities on Earth.
No other Australian city cracked the top 100, with the closest alternatives being Auckland (#4), Jakarta (#99), Singapore (#78), and Bandar Seri Begawan (#95), the capital of Brunei.
Other cities to earn a mention in Remote’s top 100 above any other Australian city include Juneau (#97), in the far-flung American state of Alaska, and Montpelier, Vermont (#32), with a population just above 8,000.
Remote states the list reflects the needs of today’s diverse and dispersed workforce and the specific measures some jurisdictions are taking to woo remote workers and so-called ‘digital nomads’.
For example, Valetta, Malta (#18) earns a spot through the nation’s specific digital nomad visa targeting remote workers and entrepreneurs (along with its stunning natural beauty and “lightning-fast” internet).
No equivalent visa exists in Australia.
“This year’s list of the top global destinations for remote work reflects not just the best places to live and work remotely, but also the evolving landscape of what remote professionals need to thrive in a post-pandemic world,” Remote co-founder and CEO Job van der Voort said in a statement.
You can read the 2024 report and access the customisable tool here.
