The Best Cities for Single Nomads

When I was just twelve years old, my parents made a huge announcement: they were thinking of relocating our family to New Zealand.

While I was taken with the idea of adventure, my sixth-grade brain couldn’t help but worry about my budding relationship with Julie – my very first girlfriend. 

It wasn’t like I was planning to get married, but as anyone can attest, your first crush makes you do weird things.

While we may say that we’ve moved on from all of that nonsense as adults, we still think about dating and relationships quite a bit. The only difference is that we’re a bit more pragmatic about it now.

Naturally, then, it’s no surprise that single Nomad Capitalists often ask me about dating, relationships, and nightlife before they venture offshore.

Let’s be honest: people value relationships. Whether it’s casual dating, serial monogamy, or a long-term relationship and marriage, the people I work with want to know where they can meet romantic partners.

In fact, I often ask single people who decide to work with me about their relationship preferences and goals. No matter how much we want to deny it, dating is an important part of most single people’s lives, and we want to know where we can go to find romantic success.

However, in my twelve years of traveling the world, I’ve learned that dating on a global level is quite different from what you’re used to at home. Although many people generally find dating in other countries more satisfying, not all countries and cities are easy to navigate romantically. 

Here in Serbia, for instance, the majority of people prefer to date others from their own culture. You may find stunning women and well-built men at every turn, and many of them will be rather pleasant if you have a friendly chat – but you’ll have a hard time actually dating and forming a relationship with them.

That’s why I believe in having an honest dialogue about how to go where you’re treated best in the dating world.

Just as some countries are better for your tax strategy than others, some countries are simply easier to date in, which is why I decided to write this article.

Since I am no longer single, I decided to turn to several well-read experts on this topic to discover the best places in the world for dating. Keep in mind, however, that these kinds of subjects are often matters of opinion, and I welcome you to share your personal experiences dating abroad in the comments below.

With all of that said, here’s what the dating gurus had to say about the best cities for single nomads:

Cebu, Philippines

Cebu is not just a tropical paradise – it’s also an excellent place for dating and nightlife.

Sebastian Harris of Global Seducer recommends heading to Cebu if you’re a single nomad.

I love the Philippines, I really do. But I have to be honest – I absolutely hate Manila. It’s loud, it’s dirty, and well, it’s just not for me.

When I visited the Philippines for the very first time, I spent two days in Manila, and then I had enough. I had to get out of there. That’s why I decided to leave that crazy city behind me.

I didn’t know any other place in the Philippines, and that’s why I hopped from island to island to discover the country.

Then, I found my personal heaven on earth. This place is called Cebu. I fell in love with this city from the moment I checked into my hotel. In my opinion, Cebu is everything Manila isn’t.

The people are friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the women are beautiful. Yes, I try to focus a lot on my work, but let’s face it. As a single nomad, you don’t want to stay in a place where you don’t enjoy dating.

And let me tell you one thing: I love to date in Cebu and there are a couple of reasons for that.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t really name another city that offers such incredible opportunities when it comes to dating than Cebu.

If you are a single man living the digital nomad lifestyle, you will absolutely love this place.

Cebuanas are some of the most beautiful women in the world. They don’t just know how to dress. They also know how to make your head spin.

I mean, wow. Their charm, their feminine attitude, and their nurturing nature are out of this world. These ladies combine all the positive qualities that men appreciate in women.

I’ve dated a Filipina in the past and one of my friends is currently in a relationship with a woman from Cebu. She’s his biggest fan, his greatest supporter, and she helps him however and whenever she can.

The beauty and the nature of the local women are already good reasons to book a flight and visit Cebu. But it gets even better than that. It’s so easy to meet women in Cebu.

If you are interested in meeting beautiful women during the day, you should head to the Ayala shopping mall. Just be careful to stay away from the girls who are window shopping and hoping to find a foreign guy who pays for their designer handbag. I’m sure that’s not what you want.

You want women who are interested in you and not your money – and you can find a lot of them in this mall. Alternatively, you can check out the Robinsons mall. That’s where I met the beautiful Cebuana I ended up dating while I was in Cebu.

What if you are a party animal and you love the nightlife? Then you should check out the Mango square. This is the biggest nightlife venue in Cebu. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the LIV superclub. This is the most famous club in the city, and on the weekend, it’s packed with model-like girls.

Of course, as a digital nomad, you also need to focus on your expenses. Well, then you will love the fact that you can get a decent studio for less than $400 a month and eat out in good restaurants for less than $5 per meal. That makes going on dates a lot cheaper than in the USA.

I hope you enjoy your stay in Cebu, and if you want honest dating advice that will help you to attract the right girls in Cebu, then you should subscribe to my daily podcast on iTunes.

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand, is another great place for single nomads.

Dan from WorldDatingGuides recommends Bangkok for dating abroad.

When Nomad Capitalist contacted us about our opinion on the best city in the world to be a single nomad, we had a few initial options in mind.

Our first thought was New York City – there are so many things to see and do all around you, and so much fun can be had there.

But is that really a great city for everyone? Sure, if you have a big bankroll, good looks, and game, then there may not be a better place on the planet to be.

But what if you are just an average Joe who isn’t making a ton of dough and wasn’t blessed with model looks? Is riding on the train for hours each day or spending way too much money on a tiny studio really ‘the best?’

At the end of the day, it was hard to argue that, so we decided to go another way.

Bangkok is a great answer for a wide variety of reasons, and we will dive deeper into all of them. In our opinion, it is the best value for money city we have ever been to, and since finances are a big part of this site, we felt like that was the way to go.

But Bangkok offers so much more than just being a cheap place to live. You have great Thai food, a great infrastructure, truly world class nightlife, and cheap vacation options all around you.

The Best Value For Your Money In The World?

We aren’t going to definitively say that you are going to get better value for your money in Bangkok than anywhere else, but you are going to be hard pressed to tell us somewhere better.

Thailand is still a third world country in many ways, but when you are in downtown Bangkok, it certainly doesn’t feel like it.

Rent is usually one of the more important factors when it comes to budgeting your money, but luckily, you can find good apartments here for $300 per month and great ones for $500 or less. We aren’t talking about needing to stay out in the sticks either – at $500 you will have a nice, modern apartment in some of the nicest areas of the city.

Considering most Thai people don’t make anywhere close to that much money, you can easily spend less if you want, but the $300-$500 range will give you a nice setup.

One of the keys to this city is the great public transportation. If you wanted to save some money, you could head out to the end of the BTS Line to somewhere like On-Nut and get an even better apartment value. Then, you can just hop on the train for a half-hour commute and be right downtown.

The trains and taxis are both very cheap, and as is the food. You can get some chicken on a stick right off the grill for a dollar, get some Pad Thai for a couple of dollars, or enjoy a nicer restaurant for $5-$10.

There are also Michelin-rated restaurants around, but you don’t need to visit them to eat well.

Plus, Bangkok is such a multicultural city that you can find foods from all over the world. We aren’t going to tell you exactly what your budget will be, but for $600 a month, you can get a nice room and eat some good food. Consider that the low-end backpacker’s budget, and you can then go up from there.

Making Money & Networking

To be honest, we don’t know much about job prospects in this city. It is clearly one of the business hubs of Southeast Asia, so you can probably work your way into a decent position if you have the drive and the skills.

With that said, it is 2019, so why not work for yourself online and not worry about finding a job? This is one of the main digital nomad hot spots in the world so you will have countless opportunities for networking and to learn from others.

You are also a very short and cheap flight away from Chiang Mai – another big-time area for digital nomads. You can find some work here, but the networking potential is where the real value is.

Nightlife & Dating

Now that we have the more practical aspects out of the way, let’s talk about why this is such a good city for singles. First off, sorry ladies, but we are writing this from a man’s point of view. All of the above greatness this city offers will apply to you, but what we are about to write probably does not.

Everyone knows about the great nightlife this city offers, but we want to keep this post family friendly so will leave out the talk about the Go Go’s and what not. Let’s just say if you are a single guy who isn’t interested in starting a relationship and only wants to ‘have some fun’ there are limitless options abound.

They may not be the best on your budget, but when your basic costs are so low you can afford to spend extra on enjoying yourself if that suits your fancy. However many aren’t aware that the nightlife and dating here offer so much more than just Go Go girls.

You have great nightclubs in areas like RCA and Thonglor, plus Thai girls really like dating guys from other countries. Some of them will want your relationship to be very serious, others are just looking to have some fun and see where it may lead.

This is a huge city, one of the biggest in Asia, and there are cute single girls all over. They may not speak the best English, but they are generally quite receptive to a kind word from a guy who is trying to get to know them.

The best thing about dating girls in Bangkok is that they aren’t expecting the world from you. Earlier we were talking about how we were contemplating writing about New York City but then decided against it because it isn’t as great for the average Joe.

In NYC your competition is rich businessmen in penthouse apartments that cost more money than many guys make in their entire life. In Bangkok, your competition will mostly be local guys who many of the girls have little interest in or broke backpackers who are only in town for a week or two.

Dating one of the hotter girls in NYC will often require nice clothes, expensive dinners, good conversational skills, and ending the night getting bottle service in a nightclub. Here all you have to do is take her out for some $3 Pad Thai and be nice to her.

It is just a completely different ball game, all you have to do is a get a girl comfortable with you and she will enjoy spending time with you and want to make you happy. Whereas most of us know that in somewhere like NYC being that nice guy won’t get you very far at all.

We have written a full Bangkok dating guide that covers where to meet girls at night, in the day, online, and where to take them on dates. Take the advice in it, put yourself out there, and be a nice guy and you can have a lot of fun.

Combine those great dating options with some excellent value for your money and almost first world conditions at third world prices and you will see why we think this is such a great city for singles, at least the men.

Kiev, Ukraine

Kiev, the capital of Ukraine is recommended as one of the best cities for single nomads

James from Maverick Traveler, who’ve been living the digital nomad life for many years recommends Kiev, Ukraine, where he is currently based.

As someone who’s traveled and lived in more than 80 countries, few countries beat Kiev when it comes to the openness of its people, low cost of living and overall high quality of life.

Of course, I could be biased because I was originally born in Ukraine, but the fact of the matter is that it’s really a great country to visit and live.

First, as a capital, it’s very cosmopolitan and has lots of things to do. From theaters to plays, to parks and nightlife, there’s a bit of everything for everyone.

In general, Eastern Europeans have a reputation for being very stoic and not really open to making friendships with new people, but that isn’t really true in Kiev, as I found the locals in this capital very friendly and open.

Kiev is also a very charming and picturesque city. The center can be put on a postcard. After a hard workday, one of my favorite pastimes is to go for a walk in the narrow streets and admire the old pre-Soviet buildings while reading the plaques of the important people who’ve lived there before.

Kiev is extremely affordable. You can get a central, nicely remodeled apartment in the center for only around $600-700/mo, which is a bargain compared to what you get in the West. The food and various services are also many times cheaper here than, say, in New York or London.

Whatever you do, just don’t get the impression that Kiev is some rundown ex-Soviet city with dark little corner stores that cheap Vodka. If modern luxury is your thing, you can visit any number of modern shopping malls that would easily rival those in New York or Madrid. The prices would match to boot.

It’s a city that’s rapidly changing and modernizing. When I first returned in 2011, English was barely spoken and when I spoke English with my friend, everyone’s heads were turning as we walked along the main street in Kiev. Nowadays, not only does Ukraine get an increasing amount of tourists, but young people are also busy learning as much as English they can. While it’s certainly not at the level of Baltic countries, knowing only English is now enough to survive in this country.

I honestly can’t say whether I’ll recognize this country in another 5-10 years.

Lastly, if you need a break from Ukraine, another advantage of Kiev is its ideal geographical location close to both Western Europe, Middle East, and Caucasian states. In Eastern Europe, you’re only an hour or two away from places like Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and a host of Western European countries like Italy and Greece.

Last month, my girlfriend and I traveled to Sicily, Italy for a quick vacation. The flight was only a couple of hours, making the entire trip easy and hassle-free. That’s something you can’t really do in New York or LA unless you want to take your 100th trip to Miami or Cabo, respectively.

Working and Hustling

Kiev is experiencing growth as a startup and programming hub of Eastern Europe. Coworking spaces are popping up like mushrooms and Ukrainian companies are getting more and more funding from local and international funds to build their ventures.

One of my friends who lives in New York runs an entire office based in Kiev and another British friend is building a company with programmers in Odessa, a southern city known for its beaches and nightlife.

I even have a couple of friends who moved here from the US and were able to easily find themselves developer jobs. Of course, the pay was a lot lower than they’d make back in America, but the costs of living are lower as well. As they’ve known been here for more than five years, they don’t regret leaving America just one bit.

Of course, they all speak Russian, so I don’t know what it’s like for a non-Russian speaker to come down here and easily find work as a developer. However, I will say that you shouldn’t have any issues finding work as an English teacher as learning English is something that’s in high demand.

Nightlife and Dating

Kiev is also ideal for single nomads who’re interested in dating women. As a Ukrainian guy, but also as someone who’s lived in many countries around the world, I’m proud to say that Ukrainian women—like other Slavic women—are simply amazing when it comes to dating and building relationships with.

They’re friendly, easy-going and love taking care of their men, making them excellent marriage material, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Even the Ukrainian President once uttered that Ukrainian women are special. And, indeed, after living here for more than five years, I can’t help but wholeheartedly agree.

In fact, if you’re a single heterosexual man, you can do a lot worse than living in Kiev. While you can live anywhere in Ukraine, the advantage of living and dating in Kiev is that you’re exposed to all kinds of women from all over the country and who are into different interests and activities.

Of course, not all Ukrainian women are the same, but if you know what to look for and avoid the gold diggers, you can easily find yourself a great Ukrainian girl to build a life with. If you want to learn more, I have written an extensive guide on Ukrainian women where you can learn everything you need.

The one minus

Along with the numerous advantages, there’s one glaring disadvantage of Kiev and Eastern Europe in general: the cold winter that stretches roughly from mid-October to May.

As someone who’s lived in Latin America for over seven years and never needing to wear a jacket or a sweater, dealing with snow and sub-zero temperatures was a huge shock at first. But once I got over it, I realized that the numerous advantages easily outnumber this one disadvantage.

Final thoughts

Combine the picturesque atmosphere, open people, insane value for money and great dating options, and I really can’t think of another city that can even compete with Kiev. If you hate cold weather but can figure out how to deal with the freezing winter, Kiev might just be the perfect city.