As a traveling digital nomad or someone with a remote job, you have the freedom to choose your workspace. The opportunities are many, from work at home or in a café to joining a coworking space or renting a private office.
We believe that a coworking space is one of the best options for remote- and hybrid employees, but the service isn’t free, so is joining a coworking space worth the money?
Let’s go over some of the advantages of joining a coworking space, to make it easier for you to decide whether or not it’s a good setup for you.
The benefits of joining a coworking space
First, let’s talk about some of the benefits of coworking spaces.
The right structure for productivity
When joining a coworking space, you are guaranteed a structure that gives you the best setup and allows you to focus 100% on your work.
Coworking spaces provide you with all the necessary facilities. They will offer helpful services such as providing you with a company post address. They will also be hosting events that allow you to expand your skillset and socialize with your coworkers.
A healthy environment for habits
Having a healthy work environment is key to creating strong and long-lasting habits that will benefit your productivity. As digital nomads, we travel a lot, and when your environment is ever-changing, it becomes harder to stick to your daily routines. A coworking space can give you structure and stability and a place where your habits can thrive.
The Power Of Community
Many digital nomads underestimate the power of community when embarking on their journey. To keep their cost low, they will avoid coworking spaces and other social events that cost money. This mindset can be necessary in the beginning while you’re finding clients and building your business, but in the long run, it might be the wrong place to cut costs.
In a coworking space, you will meet like-minded individuals. It’s the perfect setting for meeting people when moving to a new place, but it can also bring new clients and expand your knowledge/skills.
Being in such an environment will generally boost your motivation and productivity and help you avoid “digital nomad burnout”. Something many digital nomads have experienced or struggled with on their journey, but this is often overlooked as the lifestyle tends to be portrayed as perfect.
A professional approach
Last but not least, renting a coworking space where you can invite clients, host meetings, etc. will make your overall appearance and business look more professional, which may lead to new types of clients and bigger projects.
Average coworking space costs?
The average cost of a coworking space varies depending on the destination. In general, you can expect to pay around $20-$50 for a day/pass and $150-$450 for a monthly membership.
Most coworking spaces also offer weekly plans for those staying in a city for a shorter period or a ten-day pass/month for those who want more flexibility and only need to use the coworking space a couple of days a week.
The monthly membership plans at coworking spaces usually differ between those who need a fixed desk and those who want a flex desk, where they can choose a different desk every day, between flex areas and common spaces.
The benefit of having a fixed desk is a more permanent setup where you can have a monitor and other office supplies.
What are the coworking alternatives?
The alternatives to a coworking space would be the more simple solutions such as working from home, working at a café or public space with WiFi, or the more complex solution of renting a private office.
Working from home
Some people love working from home as it saves costs and time. However, many digital nomads will find it hard to create a healthy work/life balance when working from home as there is no clear separation between the two. The setup also comes with an absence of social interactions.
Whether or not working from home will be a good solution for you is hard to say. The best way to find out; is to give it a try! Take notes of your productivity and mental health when you evaluate the situation.
Working at a café or public space with WiFi
Working from a café is a great way to get out of the house when you’re working from home. It will make your day more dynamic and allow for more social interactions.
But it also has its disadvantages. While it might be “free” to work from a café, you still need to buy something to use their space, and those flat whites on a daily basis and the occasional lunch will quickly add up.
Last but not least, it can be hard to focus and be productive in a café or a public space due to the noisy and busy environment. Some people will thrive and get an energy boost from working in such environments, while others experience the opposite. You probably already know if it will work for you or not.
When working from a café, you also need to keep an eye on your belongings all the time, which can be a bit annoying and stressful.
Renting your own office space
If you’re living permanently somewhere as an expat, then an alternative option to a coworking space can be to rent a private office space. This will allow you to create your environment and bring in the people/friends you enjoy working with.
However, renting an office space comes with more responsibilities and risks, and in general, it will be way more expensive than joining a coworking space.
Coworking - value for money
In our experience, a coworking space will provide excellent value for money, and it’s a good investment in yourself and your business. A coworking space is worth the money because it will bring you stability, structure, new acquaintances, and possible clients. That’s why we believe that coworking spaces are here to stay.
