The digital nomad lifestyle has exploded in popularity since the pandemic turned millions of jobs virtual, above all in countries like the UK, the US and Australia. These countries have some of the most stable economies in the world. The destinations for their online workforce, however, are often parts of Asia or Latin America with much more difficult economic situations.
As a languages student, I met many a digital nomad on my year abroad in Latin America. One Brit in particular was singing the praises of the devastating economic crisis in Argentina that let him buy a new laptop cheaply.
Earning in pounds to live a cheap lifestyle in Brazil or Thailand seems like the best hack to skirt the cost-of-living crisis, but the truth is that this isn’t equally supporting each economy. Without earning in the local currency or contributing labour to the host country, digital nomads effectively drive up the prices of rent and local goods while flaunting their lifestyle in the faces of the local people. Bringing foreign money into a new country is no bad thing; there are plenty of economies worldwide who are sustained primarily by tourism.
Why spend £7 on a latte in the UK rain when you could spend 10p on a coffee whilst pricing local people out of their area?
However, digital nomads are generally millennial or Gen Z professionals, predominantly from middle-to-upper-class backgrounds who are likely to favour a downtown hipster café with Wi-Fi over supporting local businesses in poorer neighbourhoods. It’s a story we’ve seen time and time again: in my eyes, digital nomad culture is gentrification on steroids. Why spend £7 on a latte in the UK rain when you could spend 10p on a coffee whilst pricing local people out of their area?
Everyone should have the opportunity to travel and see other cultures; it is something that is very inaccessible to most. That being said, there are ethical ways to do it that don’t compromise the lives of the people that will never be able to live the digital nomad lifestyle.