Counter 06 · Communities
Verified 06 Aug 2026
Nomads.com
NOCity data and a members-only network in one place
Nomads.com (the site formerly known as Nomad List, built by Pieter Levels) ranks over a thousand cities on cost, internet speed, safety, and climate, then layers a paid membership on top for meetups, a Telegram community, and a nomad dating/friend-finder feature. It's built for nomads deciding where to go next and wanting to find people already there.
What is Nomads.com?
Nomads.com (formerly Nomad List) is a city-data and membership platform built by indie developer Pieter Levels. It ranks over a thousand cities on cost of living, internet speed, safety, and climate, then adds a paid members-only network for meetups, group chat, and messaging other nomads already in town. It started in 2014 as a crowdsourced spreadsheet and is now one of the first tools a lot of remote workers check when picking their next base. That's why people still search "Nomad List" even after the rebrand to Nomads.com.
The nomad angle
The city rankings are the real product. You can filter by budget, visa ease, time zone overlap with a team, or how many other remote workers are checked in right now. That live check-in data is what separates it from a static cost-of-living spreadsheet: you can see who else is in Chiang Mai or Lisbon this month and message them directly. A paid membership adds the private community chat, member-organized local meetups, and direct messaging to people on the ground.
The catch
The free tier is limited. You get a slice of the city rankings; chat, meetups, and detailed cost breakdowns sit behind the paywall. Pricing has shifted more than once over the years, so check the current tiers on the site rather than trust an old screenshot or forum post. The data is crowdsourced, so smaller or less-visited cities can carry thin or dated numbers, and the member base skews young and tech-heavy. Our take: the paid membership is only worth it if you want the chat and meetups. The core city data has circulated in similar form on other sites for years, so paying just for the rankings is a harder sell than paying for the network.
Pricing reality
Nomads.com runs on a freemium model. Browsing city data is free. A paid membership, billed monthly or annually, adds the community chat, meetup listings, and member-to-member messaging. The exact figure has changed over time, so check the live price on the site rather than a quoted number here. If you sign up through a link on this page, NomadGear may earn a referral commission at no extra cost to you.
What works
- Ranks over 1,000 cities on cost of living, internet speed, safety, and climate in one filterable view
- Live check-in data shows which other remote workers are in a given city this month, updated as people check in and out
- Meetups and chat turn a research tool into an actual way to meet people on arrival
- One of the longest-running names in the space, with years of crowdsourced city history behind it
What to watch
- The free tier only shows a slice of the data; chat, meetups, and full cost breakdowns need a paid membership
- Pricing has changed more than once, so a number quoted online may be outdated
- Crowdsourced data means smaller cities can be thin or stale, and the member base skews younger and tech-industry heavy
Questions at the counter
Is Nomads.com the same as Nomad List?
Yes. Nomads.com is the rebranded version of Nomad List, the city-ranking site Pieter Levels launched in 2014. The city data, cost rankings, and community features carried over under the new name and domain.
Is Nomads.com worth paying for?
Only if you want the community features, not just the data. The free tier covers basic city rankings, so the paid membership makes sense mainly if you want the live chat, local meetups, or the ability to message other nomads currently in a city.
How much does Nomads.com cost?
It runs on a freemium model with a paid membership tier for full access. The exact price has changed more than once over the years, so check the current rate on nomads.com directly rather than an older quoted figure.
What is Nomads.com best for?
Deciding where to go next and finding nomads already on the ground there. Pairing comparative city data (cost, internet, safety, climate) with a members-only network for meetups is the main reason people use it over a plain cost-of-living calculator.