2.63/5
778 reviews
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge via Unsplash

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

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island

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Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a top choice for digital nomads, expats, and remote workers thanks to its warm year-round climate, excellent internet speeds, safety, and affordability. The city has a very active digital nomad scene with various community events and Slack/WhatsApp groups for nearly every interest. The 3km-long city beach offers chances to surf, relax, or socialize, while inland areas provide great hiking and nature escapes. You also get access to nearby islands for short trips. Many also praise how easy it is to meet people and live an active lifestyle.

However, some challenges repeatedly came up from reviewers. Food quality is often mentioned as a downside, both in restaurants and supermarkets. Coworking spaces are found to be expensive and not always reliable in terms of service and connectivity. The rising cost of living—especially rent—has led to tension with some locals who feel displaced by the influx of high-earning remote workers. A few visitors report experiencing unfriendliness or resentment from locals. Housing standards are lower compared to the rising prices, and ride-sharing services like Uber aren’t available.

Overall, it’s a great base for nomads who value community and climate over gourmet food or luxury housing. Be prepared for local sensitivities and rising prices.

AI-generated summary of reviews
3 months ago

I have lived in Las Palmas for 2 years. It is a great place to live but sadly changing. The climate is just about always perfct (if you don't mind clouds from now and then). You are close to nature and I would say it is one of the most spectacular islands in the world (I traveled to about 140 countrys worldwide). You will be surprised to see how much the island can offer. I still find new trails and places to discover.

However! Sadly the island is changing. First of all, accomidation is getting very expensive and this has changed very quickly. Expect the same price as northern Europe but with much lower living standard. The appartmens here is not build with quality. Also, latley there has been demonstrations towards forginers and digital nomands in particular. I do understand the locals as it is getting to expenstive on the island (even for me as a Scandinavian). I would also like to add that food is a problem here. You will find it hard to find quality and that means both resturantes and supermarkets. An island in a nutshell I suppose.

1 year ago

I came to Las Palmas Gran Canaria two years ago as a digital nomad and now have my home base there. Occasionally I still travel, especially during the summer because the digital nomad community is less active during that time and it is too hot for me personally. Compared to all the places I've been, Las Palmas has the best community if you're trying to connect with people (both digital nomads and expats). The community is so great because of some key people such as the girl who founded the Slack channel called 'Live it up, Las Palmas'. There's a Spanish teacher called 'La Casita de Laura' which also organizes monthly events and free language exchange plus there are some new projects such as a sharing platform called 'sharebee'. For every interest, there's a Whatsapp-Group:
Kinky? Join the Kink it up-Group chat (they organize swinger club visits and stuff)
Climber? Join the Climbing-Group with +140 members
Cyclist? Join the Cycling-Group
Running, fine dining, women in business, crypto, ... you get it, the list goes on.

As mentioned in another comment: There's been some hatred going on against digital nomads. But I strongly assume that this is coming from a very small group. In everyday life, I disagree with the previous statement that people are unfriendly. Spanish people are very open and welcoming, and Canarian people are even more laid back. Just make sure you learn some Spanish before you come here because most don't speak english!

2 years ago

I've been in Las Palmas for two months (November and December). The climate was amazing, I could swim at Canteras Beach nearly every day. Yes, and there is a big digital nomad scene or community. On the other hand, residents are (at least in my opinion) not too friendly. As I speak Spanish very fluently (I personally come from Germany), I could figure out that many local people are jealous about our income (because most of us work in the IT and have a top income compared to Spanish employees) and about the fact that we can afford higher rents - consequently, we contribute to the increase of prices. At the beach, I could even follow a conversation between locals such as "now due to the energy crisis, German people invade our island in order to save the high energy costs". Besides, I didn't like the Canarian food too much, because in my opinion, it's too repetitive: grilled fish, grilled meat, potatoes with Mojo sauce - I was missing the skills and the finesse of the kitchen as you can find for example in France or in Italy. One outstanding point to emphasize: the Internet connection is brilliant, I had a 200 MB speed without any disruption.

3 years ago

L'île de Grande Canarie offre un climat agréable et ensoleillé tout au long de l'année, ce qui en fait une destination populaire pour les touristes et les expatriés. Cependant, les coûts de la vie peuvent être élevés, surtout pour les produits importés, ce qui peut être surprenant pour certains visiteurs. En effet, les prix sont souvent similaires à ceux en France, ce qui peut être considéré comme un frein pour les voyageurs qui cherchent à économiser.

De plus, la qualité de service peut varier, et certains visiteurs peuvent trouver les habitants de l'île peu courtois et peu souriants. Cela peut être un choc pour ceux qui s'attendent à une ambiance plus détendue et conviviale. Les espaces de coworking, tels que "The House", peuvent également être chers et offrir une connectivité Internet médiocre. Il est important de faire attention aux prix et à la qualité des installations avant de choisir un espace de travail.

Malgré cela, il y a des options pour travailler sur l'île. Par exemple, il y a des Starbucks situés en bord de mer qui offrent des prises électriques à l'extérieur. Cependant, certains visiteurs peuvent trouver les sièges peu confortables pour travailler pendant de longues heures.

La vie nocturne de l'île est animée, avec de nombreux bars et clubs proposant une variété d'activités pour tous les goûts. Cependant, pour ceux qui cherchent à être productifs, l'île peut ne pas être le meilleur choix. Les distractions sont nombreuses, et l'atmosphère générale est propice à la détente et à la fête. Il est donc important de prendre cela en compte lors de la planification d'un séjour sur l'île.

En conclusion, l'île de Grande Canarie peut être une destination idéale pour les touristes et les expatriés qui cherchent un climat ensoleillé et une vie nocturne animée. Cependant, les coûts de la vie peuvent être élevés, et certains visiteurs peuvent trouver l'attitude des habitants peu accueillante. Les espaces de coworking peuvent également être chers et offrir une connectivité médiocre. Il est donc important de faire attention aux coûts et à la qualité des installations avant de choisir un espace de travail. En fin de compte, l'île est un endroit de détente et de fête, plutôt qu'un lieu de travail productif. The island of Gran Canaria offers a pleasant and sunny climate all year round, making it a popular destination for tourists and expatriates. However, the cost of living can be high, especially for imported products, which may come as a surprise to some visitors. Prices are often similar to those in France, which can be a deterrent for budget-conscious travelers.

Additionally, the quality of service may vary, and some visitors may find the locals to be unfriendly and unsmiling. This can be a shock for those expecting a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Coworking spaces, such as "The House," can also be expensive and offer mediocre internet connectivity. It's important to pay attention to prices and the quality of facilities before choosing a workspace.

Despite this, there are options for working on the island. For example, there are Starbucks located on the seaside that offer outdoor electrical outlets. However, some visitors may find the seats uncomfortable for working for long hours.

The island's nightlife is lively, with many bars and clubs offering a variety of activities for all tastes. However, for those looking to be productive, the island may not be the best choice. Distractions are plentiful, and the overall atmosphere is conducive to relaxation and partying. It's important to keep this in mind when planning a stay on the island.

In conclusion, Gran Canaria can be an ideal destination for tourists and expatriates seeking a sunny climate and lively nightlife. However, the cost of living can be high, and some visitors may find the locals' attitude unwelcoming. Coworking spaces can also be expensive and offer mediocre connectivity. It's important to pay attention to costs and facility quality before choosing a workspace. Ultimately, the island is a place for relaxation and celebration, rather than a productive work environment.

3 years ago

Amazing place. Great weather . Great internet. Amazing beaches. After living in 30 countris now this place is my top1. And companies only pay 4% taxes if you have 3 employees.

3 years ago

This island is amazing for remote workers, nomads, expats or generally anybody wanting to live and work from a beautiful, fun and affordable place with great european infrastructure! Just to name a few positives (great internet, safety, friendly people is a given!): Gran Canaria offers amazing diversity - if you want city vibes Las Palmas has it all, if you want peace and quiet then head to the mountains for beautiful hikes and remote trails offering stunning views. Beaches? No problem, so many to choose from. Food? The island is a food haven, so many options from spanish/canarian to international and modern. Community? So many lovely people to meet, always something going on. I have been extending and extending and extending my stay... :-)

3 years ago

I love this place so much! It's a super safe city! After spending 1,5 years there I wanted to explore new places, but I will come back for sure! It's cute :)

3 years ago

I can highly recommend the capital of the island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Where else can you live cheaply in a great climate all over the year in a big city at a 3 km beautiful beach with surfers, palm trees and restaurants? The nomad scene is awesome. In my opinion this is still an underrated place.

3 years ago

Awful. No ride sharing/car service, food was horrendous, and months later I still smell this funk from some chicken dish I ate there.
I'm sure it would've been great if they had Uber and ditched that god awful spice they use in nearly every food. I was basically hanging on for my life nutrition-wise. Even Burger King had that horrendous stench to it!
Not recommended at all.

3 years ago

Just to let folks know that the Digital Nomad Guide states that the island's pop is 380,000 people. But that is just the pop of the capital (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). Las Palmas metro area is home to over 650,000 and the whole island has some 850,000.

3 years ago

I was in Las Palmas for three months during spring. I volunteered in an hostel and there were many people working online. The Canaries offer great options for short trips to the other islands, that are all very distinct and also on Gran Canaria itself there is a lot to do!
You can reach many places with a bus, but at times it is much easier to share a car, especially to get into the mountains! Really liked the city bikes, too!

4 years ago

Best place for nomads in Spain. The nomad scene is incredible, and the people pretty friendly. The beach is really nice for a city beach and you can be on it all night. The clubs are fun as well. Food could be better but you get all the traditional Spanish staples here. Make sure to join the slack group "Live it Up Las Palmas" to learn about all the different events each night that the nomad community puts on. Flavio and Nelly are the best!

4 years ago

Had such a great time in Las Palmas. Great weather all year round, relatively cheap, easy to connect to locals and other nomads, many things to do like surfing, hiking and going out directly at the huge beach. Looking forward to go there again.

4 years ago

Stayed one month in January. In which it is one of the few places in the EU with absolute tshirt-weather. I liked the nomad and expat scene, which is lively. There's always something to do: sailing, markets, tapas nights, meetups. The transport system is good, with a cheap city bike system, good bus system for island travel and ferries for inter-island travel. Each island is a bit different in climate and culture so go and see a few. I especially liked the hiking in different micro-climates. For downsides the Canary Islands are very touristic including complete Swedish/German/English neighbourhoods in some beachside places. Though you can easily avoid these. Even though the islands are quite small, car drivers still race around maddeningly. So try and find your bed away from main roads. My personal recommendation would be to base in Las Palmas, where the expats are, and do some excursions from there.

5 years ago

There's a good nomad scene here. I think the city is under rated on this website. Weather good all year, safe, friendly locals, good internet (I have fiber 600mb in my apartment) and it's affordable compared to many cities. There's a community facebook page that is quite active with events organised every week - Gran Canaria Digital Nomads. Check it out you won't regret it ;)

6 years ago

Amazing place! cheap and beautigul. Stay in the south!

6 years ago

✅ Very safe

✅ Fast internet

✅ Warm all year

✅ Friendly people

✅ Very affordable

✅ Great digital nomad scene

✅ Lots of outdoor activities

✅ Lots of fun stuff to do

✅ Warm now

✅ Good air quality on average

✅ Many Nomads.com members have been

✅ Spacious and not crowded

✅ Easy to make friends

✅ Very easy to do business

✅ High quality of education

✅ Roads are very safe

✅ Great freedom of speech

✅ Democratic

✅ Very safe for women

✅ Family friendly

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ Poor food quality

❌ High cost of living

❌ Unfriendly locals

❌ Expensive coworking spaces

❌ Housing shortage/expensive rent

❌ Not many Nomads.com members right now

❌ Hospitals are bad

❌ People don't speak English well

❌ Many people smoke tobacco

❌ High alcohol consumption

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

19°C / 66°F mild

21°C / 70°F mild

22°C / 72°F mild

23°C / 73°F mild

24°C / 75°F warm

25°C / 77°F warm

23°C / 73°F mild

22°C / 72°F mild

21°C / 70°F mild

Real (median)

19°C / 65°F
mild

19°C / 66°F
mild

21°C / 70°F
mild

22°C / 71°F
mild

23°C / 73°F
mild

24°C / 74°F
warm

25°C / 77°F
warm

23°C / 73°F
mild

22°C / 71°F
mild

21°C / 70°F
mild

Humidity

nice
64%

nice
65%

nice
69%

nice
70%

nice
75%

nice
73%

nice
77%

nice
76%

nice
70%

nice
68%

Most common

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
13mm

dry
10mm

dry
7mm

dry
4mm

dry
3mm

dry
2mm

dry
1mm

dry
0mm

dry
4mm

dry
5mm

dry
11mm

dry
7mm

Cloud

pockets
26%

pockets
12%

pockets
33%

pockets
29%

pockets
32%

pockets
31%

pockets
40%

cloudy
55%

cloudy
69%

pockets
40%

Sun

seek shade
5 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

seek shade
4 UVI

Remote workers

2,329 people

2,044 people

1,545 people

1,311 people

1,255 people

1,100 people

1,000 people

1,091 people

1,292 people

1,660 people

1,883 people

1,633 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

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⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety good

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 17° 63° 17° 62° AQI 39

✈️5h

$3,595 / mo

🌇 Also went here177 people

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	2.63/5 (Rank #333) 778 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍18 liked it 👎4 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Good
🎒 Community score	Okay
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $2,045 / mo
📡 Internet	😡 Slow: 28 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Good
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🌞 Perfect: 21°C70°F (feels 21°C70°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 72%
❄️ % of buildings with AC	😊 High: 65%
👌 Safety	Great
👩 Safe for women	Good
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Great
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Great
🤝 Lack of racism*	Okay
🎓 Education level*	High
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Good
💰 Income level*	High: $2,225 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Bad
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Good
🧳 Lost luggage*	Okay
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Good
📶 Free WiFi in city	Bad
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Bad
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Good
🎅 Startup Score	Okay

🌍 Continent	Europe
🚩 Country	Spain
🗓️ Average trip length	28 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	28 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	☀️ 21°C 70°F + 😊 Comfy (72%) = feels 21°C 70°F
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🚕 Best taxi app*	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	EUR 100 = USD 117
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
💻 Best coworking space	CoworkingC
💻 Best alt. coworking space	CoworkingC
☕️ Best coffee place	Tu Petit Café
🚰 Tap water	👌 Yes, safe to drink
♻️ Return rate	👍14% of visitors return
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	380,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$26,695 / year
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 83% 👱‍♀️ 17%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Amazon
🏠 Apartment listings	Idealista
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Ryanair
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Iberia

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$2,045 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,800 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$4,235 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$1,210 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$400 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$1,981 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$1,032 / month
🏠 Median home price	$397,953
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$19 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$65 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$105 / month
🍛 Dinner	$8
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$4
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$2
👩‍🏫 International school	$8,426 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$25 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$13 / trip
Sales tax (VAT/GST)	7%
Individual tax rate (min)	25%
Individual tax rate (max)	47%
💰 Estimated tax on $50,000	$11,365
💰 Estimated tax on $100,000	$33,727
💰 Estimated tax on $250,000	$110,442
💰 Corporate tax rate	20%