Pandemics and geoarbitrage: digital nomadism before and after COVID-19

Abstract

Digital Nomads (those working for higher wages in developed countries but living in less expensive locations, most often in the Global South) are known for their ability to practice geoarbitrage: they search for a lower cost of living while working remotely. Many in this group have merged economic ideas about mobility with cultural beliefs around the value of uprootedness as a means to live independently and appreciate experiences over possessions. This article, drawing from 900 social media observations and 25 long format interviews, shows how the coronavirus pandemic challenged core practices of digital nomads because of lockdowns and border closures. It also shows how the pandemic made some in this group reconsider their relationship with their home countries. For some Nomads, it fostered a greater appreciation of welfare state services: such as high-quality medical care, unemployment benefits, and vaccine access, but this was not always the case. A number of informants were relieved to return to their wealthy home countries in a moment of crisis, but others—using a more Libertarian understanding of their own position as independent purchasers of social services—resented the state ‘calling them back’ during the pandemic. Last, the paper considers whether digital nomadism will become more attractive with the growing acceptance of remote work and what ramifications this could have for destinations in the Global South that are already experiencing ‘transnational gentrification.’

Keywords:

• digital nomads
• mobility
• COVID-19
• borders
• welfare state
• geoarbitrage

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Max Holleran

Max Holleran is [Lecturer] in [Social Policy] at [the University of Melbourne].