Delhi – freelance-friendly city

This has largely been possible because work-from-home became the rule rather than the exception the world over. Some gig economy workers, for whom the concept of a physical office was redundant, to begin with, were better acclimated to this change. But even though the world embraced remote working as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, not every country and city has been equally rewarding for freelance work.

For instance, Delhi in India ranks 21 in the list of the top 30 cities for freelance workers, according to a study by Carphone Warehouse, a UK-based mobile phone retail and services company. Based on 10 metrics, which include monthly income, rent, public transportation, and internet speeds, this list rates 30 countries that offer the best quality of life for a freelance worker.

The world’s 30 best cities for freelancers

Rank	Country	City
1	USA	Austin, Texas
2	Thailand	Chiang Mai
3	Germany	Berlin
4	Spain	Barcelona
5	Australia	Melbourne
6	France	Toulouse
7	Canada	Montréal
8	UAE	Dubai
9	Colombia	Medellín
10	Norway	Oslo
11	New Zealand	Auckland
12	Netherlands	Amsterdam
13	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
14	UK	London
15	Isreal	Tel Aviv-Yafo
16	Argentina	Buenos Aires
17	Indonesia	Canggu, Bali
18	Chile	Santiago
19	Pakistan	Lahore
20	South Africa	Cape Town
21	India	Delhi
22	Russia	Saint Petersburg
23	Brazil	São Paulo
24	Serbia	Belgrade
25	Ukraine	Kiev (Kyiv)

Internet speed, rent, and quality of life in the world’s most freelance-friendly cities

Rank	City	Monthly salary	Commute dissatisfaction index	Internet speed	Leisure activities score	Quality of life index
1	Austin, Texas	£3,688	457	137	100%	191
2	Chiang Mai	£425	26	136	80%	126
3	Berlin	£2,188	462	91	100%	166
4	Barcelona	£1,298	115	133	100%	140
5	Melbourne	£2,322	1,810	43	100%	178
6	Toulouse	£1,971	225	140	80%	168
7	Montréal	£2,054	1,543	126	80%	168
8	Dubai	£2,425	1,365	96	60%	157
9	Medellín	£228	1,099	32	80%	120
10	Oslo	£2,409	249	123	80%	163
11	Auckland	£1,989	981	111	60%	167
12	Amsterdam	£2,463	102	113	80%	169
13	Hong Kong	£2,239	2,362	170	100%	99
14	London	£2,606	3,483	68	100%	126
15	Tel Aviv-Yafo	£2,041	913	84	90%	149
16	Buenos Aires	£446	4,840	41	80%	112
17	Canggu, Bali	£166	30	21	80%	95
18	Santiago	£503	158	93	40%	111
19	Lahore	£172	472	10	60%	107
20	Cape Town	£827	2,809	31	80%

In contrast, cities in developing countries such as Pakistan, Colombia, Ukraine, Russia, and India performed better on the cost of living index. Delhi also ranked the third cheapest country in terms of monthly rent, while Hong Kong was the most expensive.

Interestingly, Delhi had the highest number of co-working spaces among the cities on the list, revealing a clear appetite and potential for the flexi-work culture.

Cities with the most co-working spaces in the world for freelancers

City	Co-working spaces
Delhi	714
London	509
Hong Kong	422
Manila	411
Barcelona	331
Melbourne	258
Berlin	243
Cairo	226
Dubai	209
São Paulo	208
Buenos Aires	169
Lahore	144
Amsterdam	133
Montréal	125
Medellín	122
Santiago	122
Nairobi	106
Kiev (Kyiv)	92
Cape Town	80
Austin, Texas	75