There is no doubt that the world is changing in the wake of the pandemic. Many countries are seeing a growing trend toward remote work and nomadic living. Because there are so many newcomers to the nomadic community, now is the perfect time to highlight some of the many coliving and coworking options out there. This article introduce you to the programs available and help you find the best coliving coworking programs for remote workers and digital nomads to travel, live, and work together.
See also: The Ultimate Packing List for Full-Time Travel
Need a Remote Job or Online Career? Click here.
Want to attend a Digital Nomad Conference and level up your lifestyle and career? Click here.
Booking Accommodation? Here are 17 Alternatives to AirBnB for Digital Nomads
Just looking for a coliving space? Check out these locally-managed coliving spaces around the world.
Some of the programs in this article also offer retreats for digital nomads – which are more structured events to help you with a combination of networking, mastermind, unplugging, surfing, and more.
If you click on the links to some of the programs below, I may earn a commission if you end up signing up and using their services.
Since you probably won’t be ready to sign up right away, please bookmark this article as a resource to come back to, so it’s here when you’re ready to roll! Your support in doing this helps me greatly in keeping this website going and generating useful content for you.
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Remote Year
WiFi Artists
Hacker Paradise
WiFi Tribe
Unsettled
Selina
Outsite
Remote Work can be Lonely, Especially When You Travel
As we move away from the standard brick-and-mortar workplace, several problems arise. Consistency in connectivity is a major limiting factor. What about the value of “water cooler talk,” both from a social and professional perspective? Ideas are stove-piped, productivity is stymied, and solo travel can get expensive. We need collaboration. We need cooperation. Most of all, we need a support network of like-minded people.
Note: Chris Dyer pleads an excellent case for how remote companies can have an even better and more productive company culture than brick-and-mortar companies (learn more about that here). But there’s no substitute for good old fashioned in-person communication when it comes to satisfying our basic human social needs.
This is something I learned the hard way. I traveled the world full-time for 12 years (I’ve been a digital nomad for 16 years to date, but the last four years I have had a home base). Because I started in 2007, when remote work wasn’t commonplace and terms like “digital nomad” had yet to be coined, I lived locally around the world, house-sitting, volunteering, and renting places of my own.
This was fantastic from a cultural perspective, but a constant battle in being surrounded by people who didn’t understand my lifestyle, remote career, or motivations for travel. Trying to explain that I am not on vacation and that I am in fact balancing work with travel as a way of life was an uphill battle, and after over a decade of being an anomaly that nobody understood, I lost all sense of belonging and grounding.
This is why the programs outlined in this article exist. Can you travel the world and find your own places to stay for less money? Absolutely. But remember: you are paying for community as much as you are paying for a place to stay and work.
Coliving and Coworking
The innovative concepts of coliving and coworking have emerged to fill these gaps.
Coliving generally entails having your own room and bathroom, with common area spaces being shared with other digital nomads. The shared accommodations of coliving spaces provide countless benefits, ranging from cheaper rates on often luxury accommodations, to bringing strangers together to share experiences and ideas.
Coworking spaces are all about productivity. They provide the internet connection, professional equipment, and dedicated workspace for remote workers to use at their leisure.
Coliving and coworking facilities are vital to the growing nomadic movement! So, let’s learn about some great options.
“Done For You” Coliving and Coworking Trips
If you work remotely, want a community of like-minded people to live/work/travel with, and you don’t want the hassle of researching and booking accommodation, flights, coworking spaces, and more – then these programs are for you.
If you’re price conscious and wondering why you would do one of these programs when you could book your own flights and find your own accommodation and coworking spaces for less money, remember: there is huge value in having this work done for you, and even more so in the community aspect. After living, traveling, and working together with your co-participants, you’ll have a close-knit group of lifelong friends – and future travel companions.
To be honest, after all those years of full-time travel where I did everything myself, I burned out of the lifestyle, in large part because I had no sense of community. I often wonder how differently things might have turned out if I’d shelled out for one of these programs.
Remote Year
Remote Year is considered the OG coliving coworking program. It’s a turn-key platform that provides everything you need for remote work and travel. Each tier has multiple departure options, so you can pick the best time of year to go for you. They have a separate “retreat” program that is fairly new; what they’re most known for are their trips and year-long journeys.
I have spoken to multiple Remote Year alumni, and they all cite their Remote Year experience as being life-changing. The Remote Year “Journey” programs are all-inclusive (save for meals and excursions).
Choose between four regions—Europe, Latin America, Asia, or Africa. If you participate in the full 12-month program, you will cover all these regions.
Here’s how Remote Year works:
- Pick your preferred package
- Go through an interview process to ensure you are a good fit
- Travel the world with new friends
- Join the Remote Year Alumni community on Slack and connect with other participants and programs
Each trip is different, but you will get the same dedication and support wherever you go.
What’s included with Remote Year
Remote Year coworking spaces
Remote Year workspaces come complete with high-speed WiFi, dedicated areas with desks, bookable meeting rooms, and phone booths. You will find a mix of local residents, entrepreneurs, and foreigners busy at work. These workspaces are conveniently located within walking distance of your accommodations, cafes, restaurants, bars, and points of interest.
How much does Remote Year cost?
Remote Year programs vary in cost depending on the length of your program. Each destination is priced (and charged) at a per-month rate and requires a down payment at the time of booking.
- Retreats (1 week, 1 country): $2,000-$2,200
- Trips (1 month, 1 country): $2,850-$3,450/month
- Journeys (4 months, 4 countries): $3,000/month
- Journey (1 year, 12 countries): $2,667/month
Coliving and traveling with the same crew
Something that sets Remote Year apart is the group aspect. You will be spending the duration of your trip with the same people, which is fantastic for those looking for a tight-knit community. Also, with Remote Year, your monthly rent includes your room and board, workspace access, and immersive global experiences.
It’s all done for you, which allows you to focus your time and energy on getting work done, and experiencing your destination at hand.
Click here to learn more about and sign up for Remote Year.
WiFi Artists
Similar to Remote Year, WiFi Artists gives you the opportunity to travel to multiple locations with the same group of people. You will join a community for anywhere from one to 12 months. Because it’s still a new program, the rates are currently much lower than Remote Year. They also generally have smaller groups.
How WiFi Artists works:
- Apply to the group
- Choose your start date, countries, and duration of program (deposit required)
- Participate in a virtual meeting with the group 2-3 months prior to departure
- Arrive in host country and meet your program leader
- Work, live, and travel alongside 15 to 30 people
- Stay connected in a private platform for participants
What’s included in WiFi Artists trips
How much does WiFi Artists cost?
Your program costs will vary depending on length of stay and chosen destination. Because it’s a pretty new program, they are offering very attractive introductory rates. Here’s what to expect:
- 1-Month Program (Shared Bedroom): $700-$1,400/month (Private Bedroom add $300-$500, depending on location)
- 4-Month Program: $1,250/month
- 12-Month Program: $1,500/month
WiFi Artists program flexibility
This turn-key option is perfect for anyone who wants ease of travel and work without the hassle of organizing everything yourself. Another pro is that you can attend whenever you want, even if that means skipping a month or two in the middle. The group keeps going.
SPECIAL DEAL: Use code WiFi1510 when you apply for a program with WiFi Artists, and you’ll get a $75 discount!
Coliving Programs With Changing Locations and Specific Dates
This section is for coliving and coworking programs that have a variety of different locations to choose from throughout the year. For example, they might be in X destination for a couple of months, and you have three arrival dates and lengths of stay to choose from.
Hacker Paradise
Hacker Paradise offers an “ambitious program of location-based events, professional learning, and personal development.” At any given time, Hacker Paradise has locations in one to three different locations around the world for you to choose from.
How Hacker Paradise works:
- Pick a destination
- Pick a start date (choose anything from 2 weeks to the full length, or string multiple destinations together)
- Chat with the team to ensure it’s the right fit
- Secure your spot with first month deposit
- Pack your bags
- Become a part of the community
What’s included in Hacker Paradise
How much does Hacker Paradise cost?
The price for a Hacker Paradise trip depends on the location. Plan on paying the first month upfront, and the rest one month before you travel.
- 2 weeks: $1,550-$1,850
- 1 month (4 weeks): $2,190-$2,690
- 3-12 months: $2,190-$1,890/month (pay less per month the longer you stay)
Pro Tip: You can save by sharing a room with a friend or significant other!
Coworking, coliving, and local community activities
Each trip intentionally connects you to the local community through specially curated experiences. Your accommodations are always within 15-20 minutes’ walking distance of your coworking facility.
Learn more about Hacker Paradise here, and use promo code PROHOBO100 for $100 off your first Hacker Paradise experience!
WiFi Tribe
WiFi Tribe offers 4-, 6-, or 8-week trips called Chapters. The Chapters have fixed destinations and dates, so you will need to plan around them. Beyond that, there are no set itineraries, and it is up to the group (12-25 people) to determine what your experience looks like.
To participate in a Chapter, you must be accepted through an application process and become an active member by paying the $500 annual membership fee.
How does WiFi Tribe work?
- Submit an application
- 30-40 minute video interview call
- Personality Test
- Pay the Membership Fee
- Pick a Chapter that works for you
- Pack, Pay, & Travel
What’s Included with WiFi Tribe
Important Note: Members are responsible for their own flights, food, and any activities while on Chapter.
How much does WiFi Tribe cost?
The annual membership fee is $500. This commitment to remain an active part of the community is required to participate in a Chapter.
Chapter costs: $1,200-$2,800
60% of the Chapters have a starting price at or below $1,400 for a shared room and $2,300 for a private room. The more chapters you participate in over time, the cheaper your costs are.
So many destinations to choose from
On any given month, you have multiple chapters to choose from, located around the world. The number of options available with WiFi Tribe is hard to beat. You have the flexibility to choose your length of stay, quality of accommodation, and how you spend your time on a Chapter.
If you click through and enter in your information (even if you’re not ready to commit – which of course you won’t likely be right away), I will get a referral credit should you decide to do a WiFi Tribe trip at some point later on. I appreciate this support if you are interested in learning more about them!
Unsettled
Unsettled has a few different offerings, including retreats and workshops for aspiring digital nomads called “Lifestyle Incubator Virtual Retreats” and mastermind-style “Remote Labs”.
But they also have “Destination Retreats” that offer one-week and two-week breaks as well as one-month co-working retreats. For the purposes of this article we will focus on the one-month co-working retreats. Think of these as opportunities to dip your toe into the world of being a digital nomad.
What’s included in Unsettled Destination Retreats
Inclusions vary depending on the destination, as each one is specifically curated to fit with the local community and available offerings. Each destination has access to a coworking area. In most cases, domestic and internal travel is included in the cost.
How much does Unsettled cost?
Unsettled’s month-long experiences range from $2,700-$3,500 depending on the destination and itinerary. In 2022 the month-long locations include Argentina, Colombia, and Bali.
Unsettled focuses on collaboration and aspiring digital nomads
Unsettled’s focus as a company is largely on people who are still in the throes of redesigning their lives and careers to be location independent. Thus, even their month-long retreats are attentive to providing both travel experiences and coworking spaces, with extra emphasis on collaboration.
Check out Unsettled’s Destination Retreats (and other stuff) here!
Coliving and Coworking with Fixed Locations You Can Visit Any Time
This is not an exhaustive list! There are a lot of boutique coliving and coworking initiatives around the world; location-based companies focused on creating an experience in one place. These kinds of places will be the topic of another article.
What you’ll find below are organizations that have a menu places to live and work around the world (rather than just one place in one location).
Selina
Selina is formerly a chain of hostels that recently rebranded to attract remote workers and digital nomads. They have a huge selection of locations around the world, and while you can book a Selina hostel for a few days as you would any hostel or hotel, the real value is in their CoLive and CoLive Flex programs, which give you discounted long stays, and even the ability to pay a flat rate and hop between Selina locations.
How Selina works:
- Choose the region that you want to explore (eg: United States, Latin America, Europe)
- Select the room type that works for you (shared, private, etc.)
- Register online and purchase
Accommodation options range from community rooms (dorms) to private suites.
With CoLive, you can stay up to 30 consecutive nights and switch destinations up to three times per month.
CoLive Flex gives you more leeway. You can stay 30 nights in up to 10 different destinations, and your stay can be continuous or broken up; you have up to six months to use your 30 nights.
What’s included with Selina CoLive and CoLive Flex
Selina has lots of different locations with established facilities, accommodations, and benefits.
How much does Selina cost?
Prices start at as low as $450/month for the CoLive program. CoLive Flex starts at $585/month. This is for shared rooms; private accommodation (obviously) costs more.
- Community Room: $450-$780 (CoLive); $585-$945 (Flex)
- Micro Room: $810-$1,260 (CoLive); $1,050-$1,650 (Flex)
- Standard Room: $1,140-$1,620 (CoLive); $1,440-$2,100 (Flex)
- Suite: $1,800-$2,100 (CoLive); $2,250-$3,000 (Flex)
Each stay requires a $100 deposit. An additional guest can be added to the private rooms for 25% of standard cost.
Selina CoLive Flex offers optimal coliving flexibility
The CoLive Flex option is valuable to any traveler who needs more flexibility or wants to travel more often. This option gives you up to six months after your first booking date to redeem your nights. Important Note: Coworking spaces are not open 24-hours.
Check out the massive selection of Selina locations and programs here!
Outsite
Think of Outsite like an a la carte menu to whet your nomadic appetite. While there are a couple of static Retreat offerings, Outsite gives you the ability to pick and choose what you need, whether it is accommodations, a day or week pass at a Coworking Café, or both.
For the purposes of this article, we will focus on their coliving options. (We’ll look at their retreats in another article).
How does Outsite work?
The first thing to note is that you must sign up for a membership to book one of the many great coliving options in Outsite’s inventory. Annual and lifetime options are available, and you receive several benefits from membership including access to Member-Only Outsite Spaces, monthly deals, rewards, and more. (Keep reading for a $50 discount on your membership.)
Depending on where you go in the world, your Outsite coliving space will vary in terms of accommodation type, WiFi speed, and price. In most cases, you can choose from studios, private rooms, or apartments.
- Apartments – Private living quarters with a private bedroom, bathroom, lounge, kitchen, and workspace.
- Studios – Private rooms with en suites, kitchenettes, and access to common areas in shared houses.
- Private Rooms – Private room with shared lounge, workspace, and kitchens. Private bathrooms available only in select spaces.
Outsite has an internal booking tool that is simple to use to check availability and reserve your coliving stay.
What’s included with Outsite
All Outsite spaces come fully furnished with work amenities, community managers, and reliable WiFi (typically, ~100 MBPS). Check out the table below to see what’s included.
Where are Outsite coliving spaces?
Outsite has 21 different locations spread across three continents. Here’s a full list of what’s currently available.
How much does Outsite cost?
Prices vary widely between locations. Straight accommodation bookings typically range between $1,400 and $3,600 per month. Some of the more luxurious destinations are priced per night in the $340 range.
- Membership: $399 (lifetime); $149 (annual)
Side Note: Coworking spaces or private workspaces are available in all Outsite coliving accommodation options. At certain locations, you can access an Outsite Coworking Café with a daily, weekly, or monthly pass. Prices range between $20-$172 in Lisbon and $9-$117 in Puerto Vallarta depending on the pass.
Making a difference
Outsite is dedicated to responsible travel, supporting local initiatives and sustainability. With each booking, a tree is planted through One Tree Planted. The locations are well-established and support long-term and slow travel.
Check out what Outsite has on offer, and get a $50 discount with this link!
Nice breakdown here. I recall working at a space in Chiang Mai. I think that it was called Camp. Neat little spot.
Hey Ryan,
I worked at Camp as well when I was in Chiang Mai!
I’ve found also some great Coliving Spaces on https://colivingcompass.com/ which are quite helpful especially for digital nomads.
Thanks for the resource, Elias! I plan to feature colivingcompass in an upcoming article about booking accommodation for digital nomads and alternatives to AirBnB.
Where have you booked with Coliving Compass, and do you have any tips?
This is amazing! Thank you. Wondering if in your research you discovered places that are older or had a wide variety of ages – for those of us that aren’t retired, but also aren’t young and past the party phase.
Hi Lisa,
While I haven’t personally tried these services, I do know that there are a wide variety of people to come to them. A friend of mine who did Remote Year said the average age was around 40 (I think), with the oldest person in his cohort in their late 60s. Other programs skew younger, so it’s always good to enquire.
Omg. Wow! So friggen helpful. I have three calls scheduled this week and will deffo be using your promo codes 🙂
Thanks for putting this together, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices and am glad to at least have a trusted source to dip my toe into the world of coliving!
I’m so glad you’re finding it helpful, Uschi! I am regularly referring back to this and other articles on my site as resources for my digital nomad travel planning. I’m thrilled other people are doing the same!