Best Towns For Digital Nomads In Sri Lanka 2025
- Kate Colliety
- Sep 24
- 11 min read
We’re not new to the digital nomad scene, having worked remotely from a campervan, but our trip to Asia opened our eyes to what’s possible. Sun, sea, surf on repeat and a community of like-minded nomads.
We worked remotely in popular destinations like Thailand, Bali and Siargao but we’re here to share one destination that’s kept under the radar and is perhaps our favourite: Sri Lanka.
With its coliving and coworking spaces, tropical climate, world-class surf, and some of the best wildlife we’ve ever encountered, Sri Lanka is an underrated hub for remote workers.
This guide shares the best towns for digital nomads in Sri Lanka to help you plan your trip, uncover the top things to do and find the perfect work spaces for when you need to set your laptop up.
Discover The Top Things To Do In Sri Lanka!
While driving around the country for 2-months, we created a Google Pinned Map with all the places we visited and were recommended in Sri Lanka. Grab your Pinned Map today and start planning your Sri Lankan adventure! Don’t miss out...click here to view for free!
Why Pick Sri Lanka As A Digital Nomad?
When planning where to go as a digital nomad you may not immediately think of Sri Lanka, however we’re here to show you that it’s one of the best destinations for remote workers.
One thing that stands out to us is of course the weather, the tropical climate means warm temperatures year round. There is also a vibrant surf scene here with some of the best surf spots in Asia, including Weligama and Arugam Bay.
Alongside the sun and surf there’s plenty to do in Sri Lanka. From wildlife Safaris with leopards and elephants to hiking, waterfalls, beaches and mountain towns home to lush tea plantations, there’s something for everyone.
Over recent years the digital nomad scene has grown in Sri Lanka, meaning there is no shortage of coworking and coliving spaces, although they do get booked up quickly in peak season!
Best Places To Live In Sri Lanka As A Digital Nomad
When it comes to remote work, Sri Lanka’s south coast is where it’s at. This stretch of coastline is home to some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, and more importantly for digital nomads, reliable WiFi, trendy cafés, and a growing number of coliving and coworking spaces.
While the hill country and more rural areas are stunning, they’re not yet set up for remote work, with patchy signal and limited infrastructure.
Best Towns For Digital Nomads In Sri Lanka
Weligama & Mirissa
Kicking things off with what might just be the best spot (though it’s a tough call): Weligama.
This laid-back surf town on the south coast has become a digital nomad magnet, with co-living spaces, co-working hubs and trendy cafes popping up. Think sunrise surf sessions, midday ice baths, sunset yoga, and laptops open in natural, plant adorned cafés that actually serve great coffee which is hard to find sometimes.
Weligama is where beginners come to learn to surf in Sri Lanka thanks to its long, sandy beach break leading to some of the best surf schools also being located here. We joined The Surfer, surfed in the mornings, worked in the afternoons, and socialised in the evenings, and it turned out to be one of our favourite weeks from our whole 8-month backpacking trip.
Mirissa is just a 5 minute drive away where you’ll find the best nightlife in Sri Lanka alongside some more upmarket restaurants and things to do.
Surf or join a surf camp
Ice Weligama
Party at Doctor’s House
Whale Watching in Mirissa
Sunset on the Beach
Cocktails at Zephyr
Outpost is known amongst digital nomads, having locations in both Bali and Sri Lanka it is the most-established place in Weligama.
Staying at the coliving space Outpost will give you access to their coworking rooms with international plug points, fast, reliable WiFi, standing desk and dedicated video-call booths. There is also a generator for backup power, a pool and beachfront access.
Sugar Hostel has a rooftop coworking space, onsite restaurant, free yoga, and great coffee. There are also onsite dorms and private rooms which include access to the coworking space which is open 24/7 plus discounts on the food. We love the look of this place!
Pasijou is a boutique coworking cafés with a garden setting, backup power, free unlimited Wi‑Fi, meeting rooms, beanbags, and food. The downstairs is air-conditioned and the cafés upstairs is perfect for taking a break. The Wifi speeds are 30mbps, and they have backup power generators so you can be confident in your connection.
Hangten is one of the most popular places to stay in Weligama for backpackers and digital nomads. The rooftop cafe serves good coffee with milk alternatives and is a social hub running events throughout the week. As well as the rooftop space there is a designated coworking area with beach views.
There’s lots of digital nomad cafes and coworking spaces in Weligama. We chose Nomad Cafe to grab a coffee and get some work done, although now we wish we tried the food as it looked delicious. Nomad Cafe also has a small boutique selling locally made products and surf essentials.
Hiriketiya Beach
Hiriketiya is a picturesque town built on a horseshoe bay which has two surf breaks. The town feels far less hectic than Weligama mainly because it is situated off the main road and made up of a maze of dusty, windy, narrow tracks. The beach is beautiful, lined with fairy lights at night and it soon became one of our favourite places in Sri Lanka - we liked it so much we came back twice!
Lining the streets are small boutique shops, local cafes and delicious restaurants serving a variety of food from local curries to western burgers. There’s plenty of places to stay including small local homestays, coliving hotels and surf camps, but be warned it gets busy!
Surf
Relax on the Beach
Visit Dickwella
Party at Dots Bay
Eat Roti Hut for breakfast
Yoga classes
Ice Hiriketiya
If you’re looking for a cosy setting with fast wifi, plug sockets and sea views then Mond Café is the place to head. They serve a variety of food including fresh bread, smoothie bowls and Malu Malu, a sailfish steak.
If you’re looking for somewhere to grab breakfast and check your morning emails then Malu Poke has reliable internet and a relaxed vibe. Although this may not be the best place to set up for the whole day, for a quick, productive morning with delicious, healthy food Malu Poke is the place. We recommend trying their smoothie bowls or the Katsu Curry which is absolutely delicious!
The most popular co-living space in Hiriketiya is Verse Collective. Here the community atmosphere is unmatched due to the onsite events such as yoga, surf, skate ramp and socials. This trendy option offers sea views, a café and perfect coworking space for productivity.
Day passes to visit Verse Collective are around $6 a day, so if you’re looking for a place to balance work and fun head here!
Just outside Hiriketiya, towards Dikwella is Dots Surf Café which is a coworking café with high-speed WiFi, work booths and plug sockets. They also have dorm rooms onsite if you’d like to stay.
Arugam Bay
One thing we love about Sri Lanka is that it’s a year-round destination. When the south coast is experiencing its monsoon season you can head over the east where peak season has just begun.
Arugam Bay is the most popular town on the east coast, mainly due to its epic surf. We spent 10 nights in Arugam Bay right at the end of the season and can’t wait to head back for a full season as the vibe was just amazing.
Alongside surf for all abilities, there’s small boutiques, tasty restaurants and to top it all off, wild elephants roaming around.
Surf
Peanut Farm Beach
Climb Elephant Rock
Crocodile Watching
Spot Wild Elephants
Coliving & Coworking Spaces In Arugam Bay
This is one of the only places to head in Arugam Bay for digital nomads. They offer back up generators, air-con and desks. There is also an outdoor garden and of course coffee, an essential in our eyes.
A small coworking space with aircon and good WiFi. You can get a 2 hour pass for 800 LKR or a day pass for 2000 LKR.
If you’re looking for a cafe, hideaway blue has strong WiFi and great coffee. They also serve delicious smoothie bowls.
Ahangama & Midigama
Back to the south coast and to Ahangama which is a popular, rustic surf town. Close to neighbouring Midigama, known for its advanced waves, they are both popular towns in Sri Lanka with digital nomads. Midigama is much smaller, with less going on, whereas Ahangama is a hub for cafes, restaurants and shops.
The draw to these towns is that they are less crowded than Weligama meaning intermediate and advanced surfers can head for a morning surf without the busy lineup.
There’s fewer options of coliving here but there are still some coworking spaces that can be used by digital nomads.
Being located on the south coast Ahangama and Midigama are good towns to base yourself in and explore from. If you plan to do this we recommend hiring your own tuk tuk as transport.
Surf the reef
Stilt Fishermen
Street Photography
Party at Lazies
Kabalana Beach
Boutique Shopping in Ahangama
Coliving & Coworking Spaces In Ahangama & Midigama
A local favourite for remote workers, Focus Hub offers strong WiFi, decent coffee, and a chilled-out vibe. It’s not the biggest space, but it’s great for getting a few solid hours of work in, especially in the morning before heading out to surf.
This stylish surf and stay spot blends boutique coliving with a social coworking environment. The café is open to non-guests and has a few desks available, making it a handy option for getting work done.
One of the newest additions to the area, Colive is a purpose-built coliving space designed with digital nomads in mind. Expect minimal interiors, shared workspaces, high-speed internet, and community events. There is also a swimming pool, kitchen and garden.
Sri Lanka is affordable to travel with cheap homestays available and local food that doesn't break the bank. Here are some estimated costs of living in Sri Lanka:
Basic Homestyas: $5-$10 per night
Hotels: $35-50 per night
Local Food: $2-$7
Western Food: $10
Transport: Trains and buses are only a couple of dollars.
Our grand total for 59 days in Sri Lanka, including accommodation, food, transport, activities, visas, and all the little extras, came to:
£2,934.05 / $3,695.14 / €3,550.74
That’s just £24.88 / $31.35 / €30.10 per person, per day
We have also created a full breakdown of our spending in Sri Lanka here!
WiFi In Sri Lanka
A word of warning: WiFi in local homestays and around Sri Lanka is extremely unreliable and often the places we stayed in didn’t even have any! Therefore, we’d recommend buying an unlimited SIM data plan at the airport on arrival.
The most popular SIM is Dialog and it has pretty good coverage across the whole country and it’s also pretty cheap. The other option is an eSIM such as Airalo. This would mean you have data as soon as you arrive.
This is why coworking spaces and cafes were so important as they were the only places we found reliable WiFi!
Visas For Digital Nomads in Sri Lanka
If you need a visa for Sri Lanka will depend on your nationality, however a lot of countries including Citizens from the UK, EU, USA, Australia and Canada plus other countries are granted 30 days with an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) which costs £40.
The Sri Lanka ETA grants an initial 30-day visa. You fill this out online a few days before your flight, or you can do it at the airport once you’ve arrived. We had to show our ETA at passport control .
You can extend your stay online via the official Department of Immigration website, usually for an additional 30 days. We paid £80 for this. The process is straightforward, takes 2–3 working days for approval, and you can apply for multiple extensions up to a total stay of 270 days.
Alternatively, extensions can be done in person at the Immigration Department in Colombo. Always apply early to avoid overstaying and keep all confirmation documents with you during your travels.
FAQs About Being A Digital Nomad In Sri Lanka
Is Sri Lanka safe for digital nomads?
Yes, we felt safe travelling around Sri Lanka. The country has been stable since the civil war ended in 2009. The main concerns are the hectic traffic and petty crime such as theft, although luckily we didn’t experience this. If you’re a solo female traveller I’d be more cautious, although many females have only positive experiences there are still some reports of harassment.
What time zone is Sri Lanka in for remote work calls?
Sri Lanka Standard Time (SLT) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of UTC year-round. This makes it ideal for European clients (4.5-5.5 hours ahead) but challenging for US clients (10.5-13.5 hours behind).
Are there any digital nomad communities in Sri Lanka?
Yes, strong communities exist in Weligama, Hiriketiya, and Arugam Bay, centered around coliving spaces like Outpost and Verse Collective. These spaces host regular networking events, workshops, and social gatherings.
What plug socket is used in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka predominantly uses Type G plugs (same as UK plug sockets) with 230V power. Most modern laptop chargers are dual voltage and will work fine, but you'll need a UK-style plug adapter if you don't have one.
 | Surfing Accessories Sri Lanka is a surfers paradise and it's also great for beginners with multiple surf spots being a sandy bottom. Don't forget a zinc sun cream and surf hat!
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 | LifeStraw Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Binoculars For SafariHome to leopards, elephants and crocodiles having a pair of binoculars is a must to appreciate the wildlife Sri Lanka has to offer! |
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Top Tips For Travelling Sri Lanka
Rent a Tuk Tuk as Transport - This made our trip! Not only did we have complete freedom and flexibility it allowed us to have authentic relationships with locals. Use our code "KandM" for 5% off Tuktuk Rental
Stay in Homestays - Staying in local homestays meant we experienced authentic food and the local way of life. Everyone was extremely friendly and happy to help.
Don’t Forget the North - Many tourists stick to the south coast but if you have time explore places such as Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Arugam bay!
Embrace The Chaos and get stuck in, the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Sri Lankan adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
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