What Is Coliving and Coliving Spaces | Digital Nomad Guides

Last Updated on June 2, 2023

You might have started to come across the term Coliving as you search for information on being a digital nomad so that you can work from Anywhere (WFA).

In this post below, I’ll explain what coliving spaces are all about and how they can be a great idea for you as a digital nomad.

What Is Co-living?

Coliving is a relatively new concept and it is where you share accommodation for communal living.

You usually have your own room and stays are flexible, high-speed Internet is included, and a sense of community is built into coliving.

Coliving is becoming especially popular with digital nomads who can work online and WFA (Work From Anywhere).

The concept is different from any other accommodation types such as Airbnb, youth and backpackers hostel, rental apartments, bedsits, and hotels, particularly because of the social element and importance of coliving.

Coliving spaces are very different because these spaces provide digital workers who are looking for flexibly booked accommodation (you can stay a week or a year or longer) of a good standard, combined with a strong sense of community and with high-speed Internet.

Coliving and the Benefits for Digital Nomads

The opportunity to work and travel the world and to have flexible and high-quality shared accommodation with a great social network is seen, these days, as very appealing.

For digital nomads, in particular, the coliving concept is especially good given that coliving tends to include a:

• good Internet or WiFi connection (essential for digital nomads)
• good social scene (and many coliving spaces organize local cultural events)
• and oftentimes a connected co-working office (such as in Sun and Co).

For global digital workers who treat the world as their playground (perhaps you are one of them or would like to be a digital nomad), you will find coliving places that you can stay in, in places including the likes of:

• exotic locations like Singapore, Costa Rica, the Canary Islands, Bali
• vibrant cities such as NYC, London, Tokyo, Sydney, London, Barcelona and more
• and interesting and unusual locations around the world

Best Co-Living Spaces around the World

We’ve written a special post on our favorite co-living spaces around the world and you can read it here.

FAQs on Coliving for Digital Nomads

Let’s look at some of the most common questions that we get asked about coliving:

Coliving vs Airbnb

You might be wondering what the difference is between just booking a nice Airbnb versus booking a room in a coliving space and it’s a fair question.

There is a definite difference though and this is that coliving spaces are designed to provide:

• a private space (i.e. room) for the person staying
• but combined with an organized community so that you meet other people easily, whilst still being able to be productive as a remote online worker (digital nomad).
• facilities will normally include high-speed Internet, a nice shared kitchen and someone managing the coliving space and who organizes the social events and aspects of the coliving.

Imagine, for example, a nice boutique hotel that has been re-fashioned into a lovely space for digital nomads where you can get your work done easily, where you have a nice bedroom, and where it is really easy also to mix with other digital nomads who are also working around the world.

Do I need a contract for a coliving space?

Normally no and that’s the beauty of it.

You will have to book to reserve a room but you will not have to sign a contract like you would if you were renting an apartment for a year.

One of the key benefits of coliving is the flexibility to travel worldwide, meet new friends, and to have a classy place to stay and that you can also work from.

Is coliving the same as ‘shared living’ and ‘shared living space’?

There are several terms that are used interchangeably when talking about coliving spaces.

In a sense, yes, it is a shared living space and shared living but the emphasis with coliving is the flexibility of the length of your stay, without a contract, and with a community (social and events) central to the coliving.

What is the minimum stay in a coliving space?

Every place will be different but it is very typical that there will be a minimum of one week’s stay.

Who cleans the coliving space?

Coliving spaces usually have a cleaner who comes in each day to clean the communal area. Bedrooms are cleaned normally once a week but it depends on the coliving space.

What is Selina coliving?

You might well have heard of the term Selina when looking into coliving (and co-working), especially if you are planning to work from Central or South America.

Selina is a very popular brand in the Central and South American market for both digital nomads and backpackers as they offer co-working spaces, coliving, and they also manage their own backpackers’ hostels.

Some of the main locations Selina offers are Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, and Brazil.

You can learn more about Selina coliving here.

Who are Roam Coliving and the WiFi Tribe?

When researching coliving, you might come across ‘Roam Coliving’ and the ‘WiFi Tribe’ so let me explain which each is:

• ‘Roam Coliving‘ is a booking agency that offers coliving in a few locations, i.e. Tokyo, Bali, Miami, and San Francisco, although they are expanding.
• ‘WiFi Tribe‘ are quite well-known in coliving circles with higher-earning digital nomads because they are a group who organize a calendar of coliving stays in various locations, going from place to place together. The membership is expensive and costs quite high so it’s great if you have a good income and want everything organized for you.

Travel Resources

I have been traveling for many years and have come to use a lot of travel sites and resources for booking my trips. They represent the companies that I often use and have served me well and they are the first ones I use when booking new trips.

• Booking.com – they tend to provide very competitive prices and the reviews are easy to view, and they normally have something available wherever in the world I am going to. They also now provide airport transfers, local attractions, and flights.
• Safety Wing Travel Insurance – Safety Wing has become one of the leaders in travel insurance, especially for remote workers and digital nomads as they provide cover that includes for long-term stays.
• Get Your Guide – is the site on which I normally book tours (I love to visit the local sports stadia, aquarium, royal palace, and some cultural attractions). With get Your Guide they have excellent customer support and have a wide range of tours.

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