Being a freelancer in London can be a nightmare.

If you’re working in an office, you don’t get sick pay and sometimes there’s no desk space – meaning you’re relegated to roaming around the office with your laptop searching for a seat.


If you’re working from home or a cafe, the wifi has a tendency to cut out and coffee is expensive. And that’s before we get into the dangers of constantly accessible daytime TV.

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You might have freedom over how much you work and on which projects but travel, space and day-rates can make it more stressful than having a full-time position.



But it doesn’t have to be that way if you’re prepared to up sticks.

According to a new study by Dutch freelance platform Hoofdkraan, Lisbon is the best city in the world to be a freelancer in.

They looked at a number of crucial factors necessary for working remotely, including internet speeds, housing prices, freedom of speech, workspace availability, quality of life, safety and 17 other factors.

After Lisbon came Miami (which has the highest quality of life of all) and then Seville (where it’s almost always summer).

But if you don’t want to pack all your bits and go abroad, then fear not. Bristol was voted the sixth best place to live on account of its plethora of cooperative working spaces and safety.

Top 10 cities for freelancers Lisbon: cheap, fast internet, close to the beach Miami: great weather, fast internet, highest quality of life Seville: cheap, good weather, fast internet Las Palmas: great weather, close to beach and nature New Orleans: Lots to do, great nightlife, high life quality, fast internet Bristol: safe, lots of places to work from, high life quality Marseille: lots of places to work from, small city, good nightlife Bratislava: cheap, fast internet, lowest taxes from the top 10 Vancouver: close to nature, beaches, peaceful, freedom of speech Porto: good weather, beach close by, safe

And if none of these places take your fancy, one recurring theme seems to be that living near a beach is a pretty big factor in having a successful freelance life.

Basically, anywhere but London.

MORE: This website will find you freelancers who’ll work for free

MORE: 16 reasons why being a freelancer is the best job in the world

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