Backpacker vs Digital Nomad: What Are The Differences?

After returning to Hoi An for the first time in 10 years, it made me think about the differences between being a backpacker and a digital nomad.

When I first visited Hoi An, I was a backpacker. When I returned, I was a digital nomad.

The way I look at the place and what I look for when booking my trip has changed between these two visits and then I realised that what a backpacker and a digital nomad are can be quite different, even if on the surface what they are doing is quite similar.

Of course, everything I talk about here are generalisations. There are backpackers that don’t fit this mold and there are digital nomads that wouldn’t travel and live in the way I’m describing as well. But these are the points that I would consider the biggest when it comes to comparing digital nomads and backpackers.

The differences between backpackers and digital nomads

Work situation

Probably the biggest different when it comes to backpackers vs digital nomads is the their employment. Backpackers are normally unemployed having left work, or maybe not starting work after a period of study, and travelling full time.

Digital nomads are remote workers that work a variety of hours ranging from full time (40+ hours per week) to freelancers that have a more relaxed schedule.

Budget

As a general rule, backpackers are budget travellers, always looking for the cheapest option. Staying in shared accommodation to save money against a hotel, travelling to cheaper parts of the world like south east Asia and Latin America.

Digital nomads have a much larger range of budgets. I know of some digital nomads that earn just over $1000 per month with others earning many multiples of that. Some will still stay in budget accommodation and eat only street food with others often staying in fancy places eating at fine dining establishments.

Accommodation options

When it comes to differing budgets, this also means that where they stay will be different.

Backpackers tend to stay at hostels, sharing bunk beds in dorm rooms of 4-10+ people for a low price, with some dorms as low as USD$5 per night. Occasionally backpackers will stay in private rooms in hostels, budget guesthouses or cheap hotels.

Digital nomads will find apartments to stay in and rent them for longer periods of time. Sometimes digital nomads will get a place on AirBnB for a month with a kitchen for cooking and a lounge for relaxing. It is more luxurious but it is needed when working full time.

I have met digital nomads that stay in hostels as they are on lower budgets or don’t earn as much for various reasons but the majority I know stay in hotels, guesthouses or private apartments.

Pace of travel

Backpackers normally stay in each destination for only a few days, taking tours, seeing the sights and then moving on. They’re travelling long term, but will see many places over the months of travel.

Digital nomads normally stay in each place for a longer period of time, from weeks to months to sometimes years depending on their visas. They form communities that go to events, form bonds and make real friendships with locals. Some digital nomads only travel to 4-6 places or countries per year, staying months in each places. Backpackers on the other hand can often visit 3-5 countries in just a few months.

Where they travel

Backpackers tend to stick to well worn backpacking routes known as the Gringo Trail in Latin American or the Banana Pancake trail in South East Asia. These are cheaper destinations for western backpackers with an abundance of amenities for backpackers, tourist buses that take you from hostel to hostel and lots of budget accommodation and tours.

Digital nomads also tend to stick together and often visit the same hubs over and over such as Chiang Mai, Bali, Lisbon, Tulum and Medellin. These destinations all have what digital nomads look for, good community, coworking spaces and easy housing rentals.

However, you will also find digital nomads in many other countries and cities around the world that aren’t always well travelled. I’ve worked from more than 30 countries, some with large digital nomad communities like Bansko or Tirana, and others with fewer digital nomads around. Some digital nomads that earn big bucks may be drawn to places like Dubai where housing and lifestyle costs are considerably higher.

Socialising

The way that digital nomads and backpackers socialise is very different.

I remember from my backpacking days of meeting people in hostels, meeting people on tours, going out for drinks everynight. Hostels are the social hub of backpackers and the perfect place to meet people.

As a digital nomad, socialising is a little bit more difficult. I often stay in AirBnB’s or hotels by myself, I don’t have a ready made stream of dorm mates. I don’t often take tours and I wouldn’t go out for drinks by myself so it can be lonely on the road. I meet people by going on walking tours or by going to coworking spaces. I meet people most similar to me in those places and I regularly meet people in coworking that I then meet up again around the world as they travel a lot like me.

Travel length

As backpackers are normally unemployed and living off savings, unfortunately backpacking must come to an end eventually. I backpacked around Asia for 6 months with my savings, but then I moved to Australia to start work a stock up on those funds again.

As a digital nomad, you can travel pretty much indefinitely. I have travelled full time for nearly 4 years and that is only increasing. I have returned “home” for a few occasions in that time but never for more than a month (read: I go back to my parents place). But as a digital nomad travels slower, is working and then earning an income, I suppose it is possible to be a digital nomad forever.

Summing up a backpacker vs digital nomad

Although there are a lot of crossovers between a backpacker and a digital nomad, they are also very different as well. From their travel styles to their budgets, a digital nomad is normally set up to travel slowly for a long time whereas a backpacker usually travels for a shorter period of time.

After having done both for considerable amounts of time, I can confirm that the way I have travelled and seen the world has changed in that time. I no travel slower as a digital nomad and, despite trying to stay on a budget, I do spend a bit more than when backpacking for the simple reason that I can.

Dan

Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.