Digital Nomads

They definitely are, but since many DNa are actually from US and Canada, they know how to do it so they’ll just do it and won’t ask about it much.

Also because of the cost (US) and weather (Canada), most people stay there briefly.

Expensive, (mostly) not walkable, healthcare is turbo expensive.

You can have a very nice life on half a US budget in most of the world.

If you own a car, car camping around the state lands and national parks would totally be doable.

I did a 2 month road trip. Fuel is cheaper in US than muxh of the world. Groceries too. Restaurant food has gone way up with inflation.

Problem is you can't really buy a car as a foreigner. And renting one for 3 months is going to be insane.

Van, campers rentals were expensive when I looked in 2019. Cheaper to stay in a hotel. I can only imagine now after the COVID hype how expensive they are.

Hostels aren't really a thing in the US, so finding a place to sleep for under $50 a night is a challenge

Um, the cost, that's why

Most of US cities are not walkable, on top of being prohibitively expensive.

I liked Montreal as a more affordable city. It’s also one of those rare North American metropolises that is actually walkable to some degree, with decent public transportation.

Renting a car is not complicated in the US at all.

You can't do 99% of that cool stuff without a car and spending $500-1000/weekend just on those little side trips.

It's a thing in outdoorsy areas away from people. Think Newfoundland, Alaska/Yukon, Montana, Utah, Arizona & Vancouver Island.

Also ski resorts: Canmore, Revelstoke, Colorado.

As far as cities go, the only appealing place is Montreal, but it's not quite as expansive as what you'd find elsewhere in the world.

The draw of DN is not to see the same five chains in every American city but to experience the entire world at a much more affordable price. I've been to almost every big American city and a ton of medium-sized ones. They are largely all the same with the same generic bars, restaurants, shops, and generic downtown attractions. American culture is boring. I've lived here my whole life. I'm trying to eat street food every day and live in a walkable community in a country I've never been to.

Well, I have lived in a subaru outback for a few years in the California area. Main reason was cause I loved hiking the Sierra region. The main obstacle I would think is internet connectivity- which can be resolved by starlink (not available at that time) - but I had hotspots and yagi antennas to pull signal. Then i drove into Mexico and lived a couple of years hoppping cities and volcanoes. Then South america. The point is that its doable.

People usually go to places that:

1. offer good value for money
2. offer an exciting, culturally-rich lifestyle.

The US and Canada offer neither. They’re expensive and the only culture they offer is capitalism.

Because digital nomads aren’t real ballers. Most of them just make something similar to a full time job in western world. Because they don’t have to go to a office they’ll live like ballers in developing countries where prices are cheap. You can’t afford to live like that in USA, Canada, etc..

No idea how your brain works but yes, to rent a basic studio as a foreigner in LA, you need $2500 minimum, anywhere in SEA or South America, you’re living like a king/queen on that budget - likely a small villa, eating out daily, doing whatever activities you want.

Visas are also more tricky in the US, at least for me as a European.

The US is pretty damn expensive.

Americans see a lot of it growing up here visiting friends and family. The only stuff worth seeing is public lands and ghost towns since every town is the same series of strip malls and box stores. There are a few worthwhile cities as well, mostly the priciest.

So either you’re a devoted outdoors person when here or you don’t see much of the good stuff

No visas that would allow such a thing

From California. It costs me more to fly from hometown to SF, than it does to fly from SF to Asia. I’ve eaten plenty of solo meals at home for what I’ve paid to fly to whole ass other countries. Living in the US is a scam at every turn. We have absolutely horrid public transport and getting from one destination to another via car can take multiple days which most visitors don’t wrap their heads around until after they arrive thinking they can drive from NYC to the Grand Canyon in a day or something. Probably the biggest reason against the US for most though is that we have by far the most expensive healthcare in the world. If you have to seek medical attention for any reason at all, you better pray you have really great insurance or be prepared to drain your life savings and be in debt until the day you die paying it off.

Most of us want to be DN’s specifically to travel abroad and have more affordable living.

I just booked an Airbnb for 3 months in Toronto during low season. It will cost me over $6k USD total for lodging alone. That's why.

The USA & Canada are massive overpriced shitholes in comparison to most of Europe & large parts of Asia. People will either hate that fact, or try to dispute it, but it's so true it's painful.

The US is the most popular DN destination in the world.

There are about 600,000 H-1B visa holders.

but there are ways around it.

Sure! You can sleep in a tent.

Probably cost and also a negative bias that the US and Canada don’t offer cultural experiences. Having spent time slow traveling in different provinces and states, I disagree that we have no culture. You find what you look for.

I’m based in dual citizen US-Canada. Based out of Toronto and wfh so I decided to take long workcations in different cities across Canada. Ended up going to the same ones over and over again. Montreal and Quebec City. Monthly rentals are the best value and varied from 1200usd (Quebec City - low) 1800 usd (Halifax - mid) 2800 usd (Montreal - when I splurged on a really nice place in the summer. Can be done for less.)

I can get a nice place in Bangkok for a third of the price for a crappy place off the freeway in Bakersfield California

Transport is too expensive and that is the only reason. Buy a car or better a van and they are the best two countries in the world to visit. Good roads and a variety of climates.

Mate have you been to north American cities? They suck (with some exemptions) and are expensive. The worst from both worlds.

Cold and expensive, among other reasons.

I have family in Montreal that I can stay with, though. Wouldn't mind doing a yearly summer trip there.

and cars are essential in most of the US and make navigating parts of Canada easier.

I'm an American with remote work, and it's so incredibly expensive here. I'm not even in a big, major city. I end up staying with my parents inbetween my travels.