As lifestyle mobilities blur the line between tourism and migration, digital nomadism emerges as a form of mobile living with lasting urban consequences. This study explores its social impacts in Lisbon and Bali, two hotspots for location-independent workers. As digital nomads settle—often temporarily—in these cities, they reshape urban life by contributing to rising housing costs and increased competition for local resources. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, including in-depth interviews with residents and coworking space managers, the research highlights how this new mobility form influences urban dynamics, and add complexity to traditional host-guest relationships, and local livelihoods. While economic and cultural benefits are evident, the findings reveal deeper tensions related to urban justice and inequality. The ambivalent integration of digital nomads underscores how mobile lifestyles affect cities differently depending on local context. By comparing Lisbon and Bali, the study identifies both shared patterns and context-specific tensions, offering critical insights into how tourism-related mobility intersects with urban inequalities and drives mobility-led urban transformation.

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Digital Nomadism,Lifestyle mobilities,Urban inequalities,Social impacts of Tourism,Host-guest relations