I’m often asked what the difference between a digital nomad and an expat is. Where they may seem quite close, as in both cases we are talking about people leaving their hime country to live abroad, the approach, challenges and mindset differ greatly. Knowing the difference may help you decide which lifestyle is more adapted to your needs. Bearing in mind, some people switch from one to the other, nothing is set in stone!
The differences between a digital nomad and an expat?
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely while traveling from place to place. They earn their income online, often as freelancers, entrepreneurs, or remote employees, and choose locations based on lifestyle perks, cost of living, or simply wanderlust. For digital nomads, mobility is the goal. They may stay a few weeks or months in a single place before moving on to the next destination.
An expat, short for expatriate, is someone who moves abroad to live in another country for a more extended period—often for work, family, or retirement. Unlike digital nomads, expats typically settle into one location and aim to build a life there. Their stay might be open-ended or long-term, even permanent.
Now that we’ve set the bases, what are the differences in terms of approach and day-to-day?
Different Challenges, different Needs Moving Abroad
While both digital nomads and expats embrace life across borders, their priorities, needs and decision process differ significantly. Here’s how:
Choosing a Location
Digital Nomads seek out places that are nomad-friendly, with co-working spaces, fast internet, short-term rentals, and vibrant online communities. Cities like Bali, Lisbon, Chiang Mai, or Medellín frequently top their lists. Flexibility and turn-key appartements is their motto.
Expats, on the other hand, prioritize livability: access to healthcare, education (if they have families), safety, infrastructure, and integration into daily life. They look for a place to settle, not just pass through. Their ability to find a job in the location is also high on the list if they aren’t moving with their current company.
Finding a Home
As mentioned above, digital nomads want flexibility. They’ll often opt for short-term rentals (Airbnbs, coliving spaces) or shared apartments. Their home being more of a temporary base, they want a turnkey apartment: fully furnished, and all bills included. If you are only staying a few months, you don’t want to tie yourself down with heavy furniture or and yearly electricity contract.
Expats are more likely to sign long-term leases, buy property, or invest in making their house a home where they are likely to stay a couple of years. When expat life becomes challenging, their home becomes their safe space and anchor. When looking for a place, they think about things like proximity to schools, commuting distance, and local neighborhoods.
Visas and Bureaucracy
Digital nomads often hop between tourist visas, apply for short-term remote work permits, or take advantage of “digital nomad visas” that many countries now offer.
When it comes to local bureaucracy, they’re lucky to skip on all the fun! They may rely on global health insurance like Safety Wing, avoid setting up local bank accounts, and use travel cards or online banks like Wise or Revolut.
Expats are in it for the long haul. They apply for residency, work permits, spousal visas, or retirement schemes. These come with more paperwork, but also more rights and responsibilities. Expats will also need to open local bank accounts, set up their social security number, and all the other admin fun games! Long-term stability means engaging fully with the system.
Expats vs digital nomads two different lifestyles
Community and Lifestyle
Digital nomads usually connect with international, transient communities such as other travelers, entrepreneurs, or freelancers easy to meet in places in co-working spaces or co-living houses. Their connections might be intense but short-lived as everybody hops off to their next destination after a few months.
Expats seek to build roots. They will get involved in local clubs, cultural groups, or family networks. Finding a community of people who are also there for the long haul becomes essential to them.
Day-to-day life and Practical Needs
Digital Nomads tend to live in the moment. Knowing their stay is limited in time, they’ll enjoy the local attractions, delicacies and perhaps find a couple of cafes and restaurants they enjoy that will become their go-to spot for the time. But will rarely go much deeper in terms of integration.
Expats have to go deeper into the culture and understanding of both the country’s system, social norms and customs. They will need to find their way to register with a family doctor, find a school for their children, figure out how to do their groceries locally: which supermarket has what, how to order from a butcher, where they can find international foods, and all the other services they may need: hairdresser, gym etc. As time goes by, they will start to integrate pieces of the culture in their day to day and celebrate these traditions.
While digital nomads and expats share a love for travel and cultural discovery, their journeys take different forms: one thrives on flexibility, the other on foundation. Now that you know the difference, you’re better equipped to choose the path that suits your lifestyle, and to thrive in it. Whether you’re chasing Wi-Fi across continents or planting roots in a new country, the world is yours to make home.
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