🇹🇭 Bangkok vs Las Palmas 🇪🇸
Bangkok or Las Palmas? It is one of the most common questions we get, and the honest answer is that the two cities pull in different directions — Bangkok wins on budget, but budget is only one line in the spreadsheet.
On the map, Bangkok is in Thailand, Las Palmas in Spain. Everything below is scored on the same scale, so you are comparing like with like rather than two tourist brochures.
Short answer
Bangkok and Las Palmas score almost identically overall (4.5/5 vs 4.4/5), so cost is the tiebreaker — and Bangkok is $300 a month cheaper.
| Metric | 🇹🇭 Bangkok | 🇪🇸 Las Palmas |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $1,400 ✓ | $1,700 |
| Nomad score | 4.5/5 ✓ | 4.4/5 |
| Internet | 4.5/5 ✓ | 4.2/5 |
| Safety | 3.8/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Walkability | 3.6/5 | 4.3/5 ✓ |
| Fun & nightlife | 4.6/5 ✓ | 4.1/5 |
| Weather | 4.2/5 | 4.9/5 ✓ |
| Air quality | 2.8/5 | 4.4/5 ✓ |
Cost of living: Bangkok vs Las Palmas
The monthly budget gap is the clearest difference between these two: Bangkok runs at roughly $1,400, Las Palmas at $1,700. Put another way: 18% off your burn rate, or $3,600 over a year that stays in your account rather than your landlord's. Both figures are typical all-in nomad budgets: a one-bedroom rental, groceries and regular restaurant meals, local transport, a mobile data plan and a hot desk at a coworking space. If you cook most nights and skip the central postcode, most people land 15–25%% under these figures.
Time zones and the working day
The time difference between Bangkok and Las Palmas is 7 hours — Bangkok runs on UTC+7 and Las Palmas on UTC, putting Bangkok ahead. A 9–6 day in each city overlaps by only about 2 hours, so one of you is taking calls early or late. Worth checking against your clients before you commit to a lease.
Internet and wifi for remote work
On internet, Bangkok is the stronger of the two: 4.5/5 to 4.2/5 for Las Palmas, a small but consistent lead. Connectivity here is scored on three things: what a typical apartment line delivers, how good the mobile network is when it does not, and how workable public wifi is. At that level you can treat Bangkok as fully reliable for client calls, large uploads and remote onboarding without a backup plan.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Las Palmas rates higher for safety (4.5/5 versus 3.8/5) — a clear gap in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. On walkability Las Palmas takes it at 4.3/5 against 3.6/5, which in practice decides whether you can live without a car or a daily ride-hail habit. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Bangkok scores 4.6/5 to Las Palmas’s 4.1/5.
Weather and air quality
Las Palmas has the better climate for year-round remote work, 4.9/5 against 4.2/5 — our weather score rewards mild shoulder seasons and penalises long stretches you would rather not be outside in. Las Palmas sits noticeably further from the equator than Bangkok (28° against 14°), which usually means sharper seasons, shorter winter days and a bigger gap between your best and worst months. Air quality is the bigger split: Las Palmas rates 4.4/5 and Bangkok 2.8/5. If you run, cycle or have any respiratory sensitivity, that gap is worth more than a few hundred dollars of rent.
Visas and how long you can stay
This is where the two genuinely diverge. Thailand offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 5 years, up to 180 days per entry (extendable once), with no published minimum income on our index. Spain offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1-year visa, convertible to a 3-year permit and requiring around $3,000 a month in proven income. Always confirm current rules with the relevant consulate before you book anything long.
Bangkok vs Las Palmas: the verdict
- Choose Bangkok if your priority is stretching your runway — it is the cheaper base at $1,400 a month, saving you $3,600 a year.
- Bangkok also takes the overall nomad score (4.5/5 against 4.4/5), so it is cheaper and stronger — the rare case where there is no trade-off.
- Want to stop thinking about where you leave your laptop? Las Palmas scores better on safety. Nightlife, events and a bigger nomad crowd point to Bangkok. On calls all day? Bangkok is the safer bet for wifi. If daily life on foot matters, Las Palmas is built better for it.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Bangkok or Las Palmas
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
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Bangkok vs Las Palmas: frequently asked questions
Is Bangkok or Las Palmas cheaper for digital nomads?
Bangkok is cheaper, at roughly $1,400 a month against $1,700 for Las Palmas — a difference of $3,600 a year. Those are full monthly budgets, not rent alone: a one-bed flat, food, getting around, mobile data and a coworking desk.
What is the time difference between Bangkok and Las Palmas?
7 hours. Bangkok is on UTC+7 and Las Palmas is on UTC, and a normal 9–6 working day overlaps by about 2 hours.
Which has better internet, Bangkok or Las Palmas?
Bangkok rates 4.5/5 for internet and Las Palmas 4.2/5, so Bangkok is the safer bet if you live on video calls.
Which is safer, Bangkok or Las Palmas?
Las Palmas scores 4.5/5 for safety and Bangkok scores 3.8/5, giving Las Palmas the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Bangkok or Las Palmas — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Bangkok leads with a 4.5/5 nomad score against 4.4/5 for Las Palmas. But the right base depends on your priorities: cost, climate, safety, community or visa access. The full breakdown above splits it metric by metric.
Can I get a digital nomad visa for Bangkok or Las Palmas?
Thailand offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 5 years, up to 180 days per entry (extendable once), with no published minimum income on our index. Spain offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1-year visa, convertible to a 3-year permit and requiring around $3,000 a month in proven income.
Which has better weather, Bangkok or Las Palmas?
Las Palmas rates 4.9/5 for climate and Bangkok 4.2/5, with air quality at 4.4/5 and 2.8/5 respectively.
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