Where to Base Yourself in Estonia as a Digital Nomad

The capital has a walled medieval Old Town, a growing skyline and the country’s startup and tech scene. Kalamaja, just west of the Old Town, is the favourite with remote workers, with wooden houses, cafes, the creative quarter in old factory buildings and the seaside nearby. The city centre has modern apartments and the most coworking spaces, Kadriorg is leafy and quiet around its palace park, and Nõmme is a pine-forest suburb with a village feel. Tallinn has the best hospitals, the airport and ferries to Helsinki and Stockholm. The downsides are higher rents and summer crowds in the Old Town. See the Tallinn digital nomad guide.

Estonia’s second city is home to the country’s oldest university, so it is young, cheaper than Tallinn and full of students, researchers and tech workers. The centre is compact, with riverside walks, cafes and a lively student nightlife during term. It has a big university hospital and trains to Tallinn in about two hours. Winters feel long and summers can be quiet once students leave.

Estonia’s summer capital has a long sandy beach, spa hotels, parks and a pretty old centre. From June to August it is busy with festivals and visitors, and short-term rents rise; from October to April many places close and it becomes a quiet town. It suits nomads who want a beach summer, or a calm and cheaper winter base with spas.

A small seaside town on the west coast, with wooden villas, a bishop’s castle, a seafront promenade and mud spas. It’s a couple of hours from Tallinn by bus. It suits people who want calm, sea views and a slow pace, but there is little nightlife or community, and services are limited.

Estonia’s largest island is reached by ferry from the mainland, with juniper forests, windmills, cliffs and a medieval castle in Kuressaare, the island’s only town. In summer it’s a beautiful place for a month of nature and focused work; in winter it is very quiet and ferries can be disrupted by weather. Healthcare is basic, so serious cases go to the mainland.

A small hilltop town in the south, known for its castle ruins, lake and the Viljandi Folk Music Festival in July. It has a creative, arts-school community, low rents and decent internet, but very few foreigners. It suits nomads who want a quiet, authentic base within reach of Tartu and Pärnu.

• Start in Tallinn to sort your SIM, apartment and, if you can, residence registration, then decide.
• Come in summer. May to September is the best time everywhere, and the coast and islands are only really lively from June to August.
• Think about winter. Small towns and islands are very quiet from November to March; Tallinn and Tartu keep their cafes and community.
• Check the heating before you rent for winter, and whether it is included in the rent.