The Best Communities for Digital Nomads
One of the biggest misconceptions about a digital nomad lifestyle is that we live, travel, and work alone. The reality couldn’t be more different. By opting into a digital nomad lifestyle, you’re joining a vibrant community of global remote workers who go out of their way to connect with, support, and uplift those around them.
What's more, finding a community as a digital nomad is easier than ever: there are so many nomad travel programs, online groups, and coliving spaces, all designed to build community.
Below, we’ve put together a curated list of IRL communities, top hubs, coworking/coliving spaces, and online groups…plus how to find the right one for you.
In-Person Communities for Digital Nomads
Hacker Paradise
Hacker Paradise has been running for over five years, meeting across 24 different countries and boasting friendships, business partnerships, and even marriages and babies coming from their retreats. They bring global citizens together on themed local adventures, thinking of themself as a boutique travel company with the simple aim of bringing people together.
Don’t worry if you’re not a software engineer either, Hacker Paradise is for all digital nomads hungry for a new adventure. They offer signature trips for remote workers where your accommodation and coworking needs are covered, or adventure-style retreats to put your laptop aside for a few weeks and enjoy living in the moment.
- Ideal For: Newer digital nomads
- Price: From $1,490 per month
Wifi Tribe
Wifi Tribe is a community of work-first, play-second group of location-independent nomads who arrange four, six, or eight-week retreats that they call chapters. On these trips, Wifi Tribe organizes the location, accommodation, and activities to bring the group of nomads together in a sort of stepped-up workation.
There are upcoming chapters to places like Hoi An, Tbilisi, and Edinburgh, and although you’ll be there as a part of Wifi Tribe, everyone’s experience will be unique to them. You’ll have the option to have a shared or private room with an open invite, but no pressure to join any of the activities or group dinners.
- Ideal For: Career-focused nomads
- Price: Annual membership is $490. Chapters range from $1,200-$2,800.
Unsettled
Unsettled began with a few nomad friends taking a single fishing trip together, but today has become a community of 2,500+ digital nomads coming together from 80 different countries.
Unsettled puts on two-week or month-long retreats and workshops designed around building meaningful connections. Their retreats take place in often undiscovered places like Tahiti and the Basque Country, and are jam-packed with incredible activities and experiences chosen to bring nomads outside of their comfort zone.
- Ideal For: Solo nomads looking to connect
- Price: From $2,700 per retreat
Nomad Base
Nomad Base is both an online and in-person digital nomad community focused on uplifting the location-independent entrepreneurs among us. They promote networking, collaboration, and partnership through career-focused global events like workathons, retreats, and adventures with their sister-company, Nomad Cruise.
- Ideal For: Remote entrepreneurs
- Price: From $250/week
Digital Nomad Hubs with Strong Communities
Madeira (a.k.a. The Digital Nomad Village)
Madeira’s main island is a nomad paradise in every sense of the word: sandy beaches, watersports, and an unrivalled community of location-independent workers. In 2021, Madeira became home to the world’s very first Digital Nomad Village, where you’ll find coliving spaces, the completely free Ponta de Sol coworking space, and an incredible community of nomads.
You can visit Madeira on Portugal’s digital nomad visa, with life on the island proving to be relaxed and filled with inspiration. Getting around by bus, car, or taxi is easy, and there are plenty of mid to long-term accommodation options if coliving is not your preference.
- Ideal For: Beach and nature lovers
- Average Cost of Living: €1,300-€1,800/month
Chiang Mai, Thailand
In Chiang Mai, you’ll find rich culture, incredible food, and a diverse and established group of expats who are always open to connection. Thailand has welcomed remote workers for decades, even before launching their official Thai digital nomad visa, with Chiang Mai in particular fostering a creative, laidback, and accepting community.
The city is filled with coworking spaces like Punspace and Yellow Coworking, as well as so many co-living and long-term rental options. Thanks to the low cost of living and relative safety, Chiang Mai also makes for a great destination for digital nomad families. There’s a solid network of necessities like international schools and clinics, as well as other expat families to connect with.
- Ideal For: Digital nomad families
- Average Cost of Living: $500 - $1,000/month
Medellín, Colombia
Medellín has often been called an up-and-coming star in recent years, but we’re here to tell you that this digital nomad hub is officially here to stay. With breathtaking mountain views, lovely climate, and affordable cost of living, it’s hard to find something not to love about this Aburrá Valley destination. And we haven’t even gotten to the community.
From crypto meetups to entrepreneur bootcamps and wellness workshops, you can find a little bit of everything in this super active community of nomads. There are plenty of cowork spaces, a thriving Facebook group, and social events on almost every day of the year.
- Ideal For: Remote workers and outdoors enthusiasts
- Average Cost of Living: $600 - $1,200/month
Community-Driven Coworking and Coliving Spaces
Kohub
Located on the dreamy island of Ko Lanta in Thailand, Kohub is a lot more than just a coworking space. It has a full restaurant and café, where you’ll be invited to communal lunches in their beautiful 1,500 sqm tropical garden. Work needs are also taken care of with super-fast wifi, breakout rooms, and ergonomic furniture that makes working in this space super comfortable.
Nomads of all ages are welcome, including families, with Kohub members being invited to take advantage of partnerships with other local businesses.
- Ideal For: Nomads prioritizing work-life balance
- Price: A Day pass is ฿400, a 1-month pass is ฿6,500, and a 3-month pass is ฿16,000
Coworking Bansko
If the mountain and nature are more your thing, then you have to check out this coworking space in Bansko. It is located in one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful ski towns and has a ton of weekly events included in its membership. They have areas designated for work, play, and relaxation, with activities like raves, hot spring visits, and board game nights among others.
You can join their coliving program for anywhere from one week to an entire decade. Every member gets access to great wifi, a shared professional kitchen, and even a DJ and recording studio.
- Ideal For: Younger nomads and snow-lovers
- Price: From €599/month
Nomadico
Instead of temporary retreat or short-term events, Nomadico is committed to building longstanding nomad communities that live locally. Nomadico works with domestic partners in areas like Cape Town, Liddes in the Swiss Alps, Medellín, Taghazout in Morocco, Hoi An, Tarifa, Madeira and many more, in a sadly rare collaboration between local communities and global nomads.
Each location has its own community manager dedicated to onboarding new members and organizing events, as well as running family meetings and meals to keep the community conversation ongoing.
- Ideal For: Nomads looking for an authentically local experience
- Price: From $560/month
Online Digital Nomad Communities
Freaking Nomads Community
Yep, Freaking Nomads has its own online digital nomad community. If you didn't know yet, you'd better check it out as it's one of the most comprehensive spaces to find and connect with other nomads.
Not only that. You can also find places rated and reviewed by other digital nomads, find workspaces, and even digital nomad events to attend worldwide. And the best thing is that it's all crowdsourced, which means that you can submit events and workspaces, rate and review places and share your experience with other nomads. If you have not signed up yet, you can just create your account in a few minutes and start engaging with the platform.
Nomads Talk
Nomads Talk is a Slack channel dedicated to connecting digital nomads across industries, walks of life, and countries. Yes, you can use the channel for general nomad advice, but the community support goes a lot deeper. We’ve seen nomads organize local meet-ups, find free accommodation, and even get hired into new remote roles all through Nomads Talk.
There’s no fee for joining the Slack channel, however, you will have to wait a while to receive an invitation after signing up. Alternatively, you can skip the queue by paying $10 to get your channel invite within 24 hours.
- Ideal For: Detailed advice and connecting with nearby nomads
- Price: Free (optional $10 quick signup fee)
Female Digital Nomads Facebook Group
Gen Z might think Facebook is completely uncool, but when it comes to online communities, Facebook is where it’s all happening. The Female Nomads group has 90,000+ members and a genuinely active community of women looking to make friends, answer questions, and simply support one another.
- Ideal For: Solo female nomads
- Price: Free
r/digitalnomads
Here’s the thing…you can find the answer to almost any question on Reddit…and when it comes to location-independence, r/digitalnomads has really seen it all. If you’re looking for crowd-sourced advice or recommendations, then it’s hard to beat the sheer scale of this subreddit page.
There are 2.3 million users, monthly megathreads, and even remote job postings all on this one page. It might not be the best place for making nomad friendships, however, if you need to lean on a community for information or guidance, then r/digitalnomads should be your first stop.
- Ideal For: Quick questions and recommendations
- Price: Free
How Do You Choose the Right Community for You?
Long gone are the days when your only option for a digital nomad community was the random people you met in your hostel. But with a wealth of resources comes a lot of choice. Here are some things we think you should ask yourself when finding the right digital nomad community for you:
- Do you want structure or freedom? Adventure or stability?
- What’s your work style? Solo focus or group productivity?
- Are you seeking business growth, impact, wellness, or all three?
- Do you want in-person or online interactions?
- What’s your digital nomad community budget?
- Are you looking for an introvert or extrovert experience?
Whatever is the answer to these questions, make sure you choose the community that is right for you. It can be online or in person, there is no wrong way to join the movement. Just make sure to engage with the community and you never know which amazing friends you are going to meet while on the road!
Ready to join your favorite digital nomad community?
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