If you live in Sacramento and work remotely, you’ve probably toyed with the idea of “going nomad” — trading your desk for a beach chair, a European café, or maybe just a Tahoe Airbnb with better views than your neighbor’s fence.
The digital nomad lifestyle is everywhere right now. And in 2025, it’s a little less “Instagram fantasy” and a little more “real people making it work.”
Why Nomad Life Is Having a Moment
- Visas Are Getting Friendlier – Countries have figured out that remote workers aren’t just bringing laptops — they’re bringing money. Spain, Portugal, and even New Zealand now have digital nomad visas that let you live and work there for months (or even years) without overstaying your welcome. Translation: no more frantic “border runs” every 90 days just to keep your legal status. Some places even throw in tax incentives, co-working memberships, or fast-track residency for people who commit long term.
- Tech Is Making It Easier – Remember when remote work meant endless “You’re on mute” moments and Google Docs breaking at the worst possible time? Those days are fading. Between AI handling the boring admin stuff, project management tools that actually sync, and virtual meeting software that doesn’t look like you’re trapped in a pixelated hostage video, it’s never been easier to stay productive from anywhere. You can be just as effective from a Midtown Sac coffee shop as you can from a rooftop café in Lisbon — and sometimes even more so, because you’re not losing two hours to I-5 traffic.
- Sacramento Cost Shock – Let’s be honest: for some, this isn’t about wanderlust. It’s about the math. Sacramento rent has gone full diva — all demands, no compromise. That charming Midtown studio that’s just big enough for you and your air fryer might cost the same as a three-bedroom villa with a pool in Mexico, or a modern flat in Thailand with daily cleaning service. When your housing budget stretches further abroad, the “Why not try it?” question gets a lot easier to answer.
- Lifestyle Flexibility Is Trendy Again – The pandemic made remote work normal; now 2025 is making location choice normal. Friends, colleagues, and even whole teams are spread across continents, and nobody blinks when you say, “I’m taking the next two months to work from Costa Rica.” In fact, in some industries, it’s a bit of a flex.
- The FOMO Factor – Social media feeds are full of people logging into Zoom from hammocks or posting “office for the day” shots with ocean views. Sure, it’s curated — they’re not showing the 14 mosquito bites or the dodgy Wi-Fi — but it’s planting the seed. And that seed is growing into “Wait… maybe I could actually do this.”
The Perks (Sacramento-Style)
- Freedom to Roam – Your “office” could be a shady spot at Old Sacramento’s waterfront one week, and a rooftop terrace in Barcelona the next. Hate the current view? Change it. No PTO request, no awkward goodbye cake in the break room — just book the ticket and pack your laptop charger.
- Seasonal Swaps – Sacramento summers are basically an endurance sport. Nomads can skip the 100° days and spend June through August in cooler climates — maybe a breezy coastal town or a mountain village. Then when Sac hits that perfect golden autumn, you’re back for apple hill trips and pumpkin patches like nothing happened.
- Built-In Life Upgrade – You stop scheduling your entire week around traffic patterns and errand runs. Grocery shopping becomes a stroll through a street market in Lisbon. “Lunch break” might mean a quick dip in the ocean, a museum visit, or a hike instead of scrolling your phone at your desk.
- Cultural Immersion Without the “Tourist” Price Tag – Living somewhere instead of just vacationing means you shop where locals shop, eat where locals eat, and discover the hidden gems no guidebook covers. Plus, you avoid the $20 “special tourist latte” in favor of the $2 version that tastes better.
- Networking That Doesn’t Feel Like Networking – Co-working spaces abroad aren’t just offices — they’re hubs for creatives, entrepreneurs, and other adventurous souls. You might find your next client, business partner, or travel buddy over shared Wi-Fi and a flat white.
- Sacramento Recharge – You don’t have to leave forever. Many nomads do “stints” abroad and return to Sacramento recharged — with new ideas, better work-life balance, and a fresh perspective that makes even your neighborhood Raley’s feel exciting again (…for about a week).
The Not-So-Instagram Bits
- Wi-Fi Roulette – That “ocean view café” might have views… but no bandwidth.
- Lonely Moments – Missing brunch with your Sacramento crew hits different when you’re 9 time zones away.
- Visa Fine Print – The dreamy “move abroad” TikTok doesn’t show you the paperwork pile.
Your Sacramento Nomad Starter Kit
- Test Locally First – Try working from Tahoe, Napa, or Monterey for a week. See if you like the whole “work from anywhere” thing when “anywhere” still has good coffee.
- Join Remote Meetups – Check out co-working hubs like The Urban Hive or Outlet Coworking to connect with other remote workers before you go global.
- Plan Your Escape Seasons – Winters in the desert, summers by the coast — be strategic.
- Have a Money Plan – Freelance income? Remote job? Side hustles? Make sure your cash flow isn’t on vacation before you are.
Why Some Sac Locals Go Nomad Instead of Buying
Sacramento’s housing market in 2025? Still spicy enough to make your eyes water. Prices are high, bidding wars are back, and even the “fixer-upper with character” is selling for more than most people’s comfort zone.
For some locals, it’s not that they couldn’t keep grinding toward a down payment — it’s that they’ve decided not to. The math is brutal:
- Average Sacramento home price? Pushing $600K.
- Average time it takes to save a 20% down payment while paying rent, bills, and maybe a student loan or two? Let’s just say… don’t hold your breath.
- Add in rising interest rates, and your dream house can start to feel more like a financial ball and chain.
So instead of tying themselves to a mortgage they can’t quite love, a growing number of Sac residents are hitting “pause” and taking those savings on the road. For the cost of a single year’s property taxes in East Sac, you could:
- Spend three months in Portugal, working from a sunny rooftop café.
- Winter in Mexico and actually see the ocean more than once a year.
- Live in multiple cities, sampling local food, music, and culture without the commitment of a forever address.
It’s not giving up on homeownership — it’s choosing to invest in now. Travel, experiences, and the flexibility to say “yes” to opportunities you can’t fit between a mortgage payment and HOA fees.
And here’s the twist: some Sac nomads find that by living in countries with a lower cost of living, they can actually save more than they could at home. Which means when (or if) they decide to come back, they’re in a better position to buy — maybe even without the decades-long mortgage.
For now, though? The “dream home” is whatever Airbnb has the fastest Wi-Fi and the best view.
Bottom Line
Nomad life in 2025 isn’t just for 20-something influencers. It’s for Sacramento professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want a flexible, experience-rich way to work — whether that’s across the world or just down Highway 50 with a better view.
Check out The Real Cost of Living in 6 Sacramento Neighborhoods In 2025 here
