With a trend of increasing numbers of companies moving towards a work from home model for their businesses in 2021, owing in part to the coronavirus pandemic the location in which you choose to live, and work has never been a more important decision.

In recent years there has been increasing numbers of digital nomads – people who chose to conduct their work online from any location in the world. Here is why you should choose Barcelona as your base as a digital nomad:

 

Lower cost of living than other major cities

 

When compared to other major cities both within Europe and globally, the cost of living in Barcelona comes in with a much lower price tag. With prices on average 66.09% lower than New York, 51.23% lower than Paris and 53.47% lower than Copenhagen; Barcelona offers all the amenities of living in a cosmopolitan and international city without the premium. Property prices in Barcelona are substantially lower than many other EU business hubs with very good value for money. We have fantastic properties of all budgets for rent and sale in the best locations in Barcelona.

 

 

A buzzing Co-working community and start-up scene

 

Barcelona has become home to many entrepreneurs as well as digital nomads in recent years, and subsequently, the co-working and star-up scene have grown exponentially. With over 130 co-working spaces to choose from on websites such as https://www.coworker.com/spain/barcelona every digital nomad or start-up founder is sure to find the right space for them.

 

 

Healthy work/ life balance

 

With younger generations such as millennials placing a higher value on quality of life than their parents’ generation Barcelona offers the perfect environment for escaping the rat race often found in other cities. Spaniards have some of the highest life expectancies in the world and according to El País this is as a direct result of the relaxed lifestyle so often synonymous with the Iberian Peninsula. Some of the lifestyle factors which are attributed to the higher quality of life are “el paseo” or the walk, the Mediterranean diet, siestas and a longer working day punctuated by more breaks. We have many properties for rent or sale with sea views or very close proximity to the beach in Barcelona.

 

 

A well-connected city

 

While travel is something that may have been taken for granted before 2020, it is almost certain that many of us will want to make the most out of any opportunity that the future may afford us to travel, and if so, Barcelona is one of the best cities to call your base. Due to the unique optimal location of the Catalan capital, the opportunities for leisure activities and travel are endless in Barcelona. In the colder months, you can find skiing destinations such as La Molina, La Masella and Port del Comte just 2 hours’ drive away from the city. During the warmer months, you are spoiled with around 5km of beaches on your doorstep. If you do decide to venture out of Spain, the El Prat airport, located around 20 minutes from the city centre offers limitless flights within Europe but also myriad of flights to the far east, Africa, North and South America as well as the UAE. Geographically, Barcelona is located close to the French/ Andorran border. You can also reach the Spanish capital of  Madrid in under 3 hours on the high-speed AVE train from Sants station; perfect for quick business/ leisure trips.

 

 

Tax incentives for the self-employed

 

While the economic situation in Spain as a whole could be better, for the self-employed or freelancers Spain offers some incentives – freelancers in Spain are exempt from paying corporation tax. The law of Urgent Reform to Freelance Work which came into effect fully in 2018 has made it easier for freelancers to claim back on various costs associated with being self-employed such as vehicle costs and gas and electricity bills. Freelancers also only have to pay 50€ social security for their first year in business.

 

Lucy Saunders