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Rents climb, remote-work contracts spread, and municipalities desperate for fresh tax revenue have started dangling hard cash at outsiders. Below are seven spots—from prairie towns to Mediterranean hill villages—where the welcome basket includes bank deposits, tax holidays or even a €1 house. Fine print? Always. But if you can tick the eligibility boxes, these programmes beat any sign-on bonus.
1. Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA)
The deal: Tulsa Remote pays qualified remote workers 10 000 USD—granted as 2 500 USD up-front for moving expenses and the rest as a monthly stipend—plus free coworking space and housing-search help.
Catch: You need a job you can bring with you, live outside Oklahoma now, and commit to 12 months in the city.
Why go: Art-deco architecture, a top-five U.S. riverfront trail and rent that makes your old lease look like a prank.
Related on travelleri.com: Compare paperwork with our Digital-Nomad Visa cheatsheet.
2. Topeka, Kansas (USA)
The deal: Choose Topeka offers up to 15 000 USD toward a home purchase (or 10 000 USD if you rent) for people who take jobs in Shawnee County.
Catch: Funds are 50/50 matched by your new employer—land a job first.
Why go: Median house price under 200 000 USD, a surprisingly vibrant murals scene and one-hour drives to tall-grass prairie hikes.
3. Rochester, New York (USA)
The deal: Greater ROC Remote gives remote workers 10 000 USD plus a 9 000 USD stipend to purchase a home in Monroe County.
Catch: Minimum salary 85 000 USD and you must live 300+ kilometres away at the moment you apply.
Why go: Waterfalls in the city core, world-class photography museum and wineries on the Finger Lakes forty minutes south.
4. Albinen, Switzerland
The deal: The village council pays foreign families up to 50 000 CHF (about 54 000 USD) to buy or build a primary residence and live there for at least ten years (municipal site in German).
Catch: Minimum home value 200 000 CHF; leave early and you repay every franc.
Why go: Thermal baths in neighbouring Leukerbad, ski lifts ten minutes away and a school with total enrolment smaller than most classrooms.
5. Sambuca di Sicilia, Italy
The deal: The famous “Casa a 1 €” auction sells abandoned stone houses from 1–3 €, provided you invest ~30 000 € in restoration within three years.
Catch: A 5 000 € deposit (refunded post-renovation).
Why go: Views over Lake Arancio, zero mass tourism and cannoli that ruin the mainland version.
Travelleri tip: See how Sambuca compares price-wise to Lviv in our budget-luxury roundup.
6. Ponza, Italy (Lazio Region Pilot 2025)
The deal: Lazio’s 2025 pilot scheme (official notice here, Italian-only) offers grants up to 15 000 € for freelancers who relocate to Ponza or Ventotene and keep a business open for three years.
Catch: You must arrive between October and March—winter ferries only.
Why go: Rainbow-painted harbour, cliff-side grotto swims and tomato-anchovy pasta that makes Capri weep.
7. Morgantown, West Virginia (USA)
The deal: Ascend WV lures remote workers with 12 000 USD cash spread over two years plus unlimited outdoor-recreation passes (white-water, ski, mountain bike).
Catch: Must move within six months of acceptance and stay two years.
Why go: Appalachian trailheads 15 minutes from craft-beer bars; cost-of-living index under 80 (compared with USA 100 baseline).
Bottom line: City-sponsored relocation cash isn’t a myth, but do the math, read the clauses and—always—visit first. Signing a ten-year stay-put clause sight-unseen can burn through any bonus.
Looking for a more temporary escape? Browse seven remote-worker visas that approve in weeks, or weigh costs with ten cities cheaper than Bali.
