Title 1: How Digital Nomads Are Reshaping Cities Around the World
Title 2: A Debate on Digital Nomads: Benefits & Drawbacks

The Imbalance Digital Nomads Can Cause in Cities
Living the digital nomad lifestyle is something that more and more people are making a reality each year. From Mexico City to Medellin, Barcelona and beyond, digital nomads are flocking to popular expat areas that offer a wealth of opportunities. The trend is on the rise, and unfortunately, it is not without its issues.

The Rising Cost of Living for Locals
Travellers coming to popular expat areas can often afford to spend more money than the average resident. This means that rent costs can quickly skyrocket. For example, in Mexico City one couple’s rent went from 10,000 pesos to 35,000 pesos per month ($893 to $3126) when their landlord suddenly shifted to Airbnb. Hospitality prices can also increase as restaurants start to test out how high they can charge.

In addition to rising costs, locals are being displaced by digital nomads. A stroll through El Poblado in Medellin, Colombia, will show plenty of cafes serving poached eggs, hotcakes and matcha teas instead of restaurants targeting local customers. Spaces that were once for housing or shopfronts are now being used for ‘hot desking’.

Making an Effort to Make a Difference
Digital nomads can fortunately make a positive impact too. One study indicates the average digital nomad earns $133,000 a year and spends a third of that on essentials and entertainment. Furthermore, the 2019 “business tourism” industry generated over $1.48 billion for the Colombian economy.

To make a difference, digital nomads should put in more effort to get to know locals and learn the language. Shopping at local markets, volunteering and contributing to public projects can also help to prevent digital nomadism from having an overall negative impact on the cities they move to.

At the End of the Day…
The arrival of digital nomadism to cities around the world presents a unique problem – how to balance the benefits of remote working with the widely-felt financial and cultural effects that the lifestyle can cause. Governments should start to address this problem by creating new visas and collecting income tax. Private operators should also offer digital nomads ways to contribute to the cities they stay in. At the same time, digital nomads should work towards being part of the solution, not the problem.