How to Find Affordable Accommodation as a Digital Nomad

How to Find Affordable Accommodation as a Digital Nomad

For digital nomads, one of the biggest challenges you are going to face is finding cheap accommodation anywhere in the world. No matter if you are a fresh digital nomad or a pro traveler/remote worker looking for great spots to stay, affordable and nice accommodation is a must for keeping your work-life balance in line while traveling.

In this article we will explain how to get some cheap accommodation as a digital nomad, how to find the cheapest ones and the tools and resources to help you save more money. After reading this article, you will understand how to get the best hotels during your travel for a very cheap price.

1. Know Your Budget and Requirements

a. Do not forget to establish a realistic accommodation budget
  • Setting a budget : When looking for accommodations you need to ask your self how much your going to spend on it as your first step before any kind of accommodation search. Accommodation costs: Your accommodation costs will depend on the world, type of accommodation you prefer and how long you want to stay in one place.
  • Average Cost Per Day or Month: Some destinations are extremely cheap while others can be expensive. In general, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe are cheaper and cities in Western Europe, North America and Australia are more expensive. Find an accommodation budget: Be aware of the prices for the cost of living in the country or the city you want to go to, make sure to set a decent amount of money for the kind of accommodation you want for a day or a month.
  • Think About More Expenses: Utility fees, Wi-Fi, cleaning, and security deposits should not be overlooked. Note: Some of those “cheap” options could end up costing your more with a fine print so be very careful to stay on your budget.
b. Know what types of accommodation you need

Your accommodation needs are a bit different, and as a digital nomad you likely chooseto stay long term in a given location rather than just visiting for a few days. Things to think about:

  • Wi-Fi: Good internet is essential for remote work. This meant ensuring they had high-speed internet in their accommodations, or at least finding rental accommodations that were close to co-work spaces or cafés with reliable Wi-Fi.
  • Being in your accommodation, prefer it to have a noiseless and comfortable place to work from. Like in the case of backpacker hostels or other guesthouses, you would want to know if your accommodation will come with a private space for working or if working in common areas would be comfortable to you.
  • Long Term Accommodations: If your travel plans take you somewhere for a while, you might want to look into long-term housing arrangements; these are many times offered at a better deal than short-term arrangements.

2. Selecting the Right Kind of Hotel

Digital nomads have different types of accommodation options, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Selecting the correct one according to your budget and requirements is vital in saving cash and having a stress-free stay.

a. Co-Living Spaces

Digital nomads love co-living spaces. These colocations cater to remote workers and offer private rooms or shared dorms, fast Wi-Fi, communal workspaces, and social events that help you meet other nomads.

  • Advantages: Co-living brings in community, co-living provides flexibility, and co-living helps provide reliability This is perfect for anyone wanting to network, work together or just bond with other travelers on the road.
  • On the negative side: They are usually pricier than renting an apartment, and, if you are sharing a room or bathroom, privacy can be limited

Well-known providers of co-living spaces:

  • Selina
  • Outsite
  • The Collective
b. Holiday Rentals (Airbnb, Booking. com, etc.)

Airbnb is an online marketplace that allows people to list, discover, and book short-term lodging, such as a holiday apartment or a room for rent. These can all be for an entire home, private room or shared space. Lots of Airbnb hosts provide per week (or month) decreases, so it is a cheap choice for electronic nomads.

  • Advantages: Multiple options including budget friendly rooms, rooms with kitchenette or buy whole apartment. Airbnb also allows you to filter by amenities: Wi-Fi, a desk, or a quiet workspace, for example.
  • DISADVANTAGES : Short term rental accommodation can be pricey if you do not pre book, particularly in traveller hot spots.

Remember to always check the Wi-Fi speed and reviews before you book, so that you know the internet will be up to scratch.

c. Hostels

If you are a solo traveler or don, t mind sharing a room, hostels are usually a cheap choice for nomads. Some hostels have began opening their doors to remote workers by offering shared workspaces with good wifi.

  • BENEFITS: Hostels are among the least expensive methods in terms of accommodations. They are also a good way to meet other travelers and digital nomads.
  • Drawback: Privacy is non-existent and the noise can get a little too much in a shared-dorm setting. The quality of the wifi is another thing that can differ from hostel to hostel.

Tip: Choose hostels that have “work friendly” spaces, ie.quiet areas with good Wi-Fi.

d. Local Apartments or Houses

If your stay is going to be on the longer side, consider renting an apartment or house, which can be a less expensive alternative. Try affordable local rentals on sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and rental sites like Zillow and also Idealista (in Europe).

  • Advantage: By renting an apartment or house, you will have a private place to live and work. Another way of saving some bucks in the long term is that you can cook for yourself.
  • Drawbacks: It could take a long time to locate a rental property in a popular city. In addition, short-term leases may be more expensive or subject to extra charges.

3. Utilize Accommodation Search Tools

As a digital nomad, there are a number of online tools and platforms you can use to find new places to call home, on occasion at budget prices. It often comes with filters that help you to filter your search to suit your budget, location and amenities required.

a. Digital Nomad Websites 

Nomad List — A platform that ranks cities according to different factors like, pricing, safety, internet speed, and overall quality of life. It is useful for discovering cities with reasonable cost of living + decent internet + digital nomad friendly communities.

Remote Year: Remote Year provides accommodation and co-working spaces for remote workers who want to travel with a group. Since they have so many programmes in cities around the world it is also a decent choice if you want an all-round solution.

b. Popular Booking Websites
  • Airbnb: As we mentioned before, Airbnb offers great affordable short-term rentals. It is possible to search based on price, area of residence, and amenities.
  • Booking. com: A great place to find budget hotels,guesthouses or hostels regarding your trip. Many places on Booking. longstay rates at com longstay.
  • Hostelworld — If you tend to stay in hostels, Hostelworld is a one-stop-shop for finding and comparing hostels anywhere in the world.
  • Furnished Finder — An online service targeting remote workers and digital nomads searching for short-term furnished apartments.

4. Consider Off-Peak Travel

Travelling during off-peak seasons can help you save on accommodation. The off-peak months of many tourist hot spots (shoulder season) are generally a lot cheaper, making them a great time for digital nomads to snap up budget accommodation.

Pros — No real hotels, few tourists, but relaxed, less crowded.

Cons: No activities or services may be available during off-peak time

Hint: Look up the off-season for the city or country you plan to stay in. Southeast Asia's off-peak season is generally during the monsoon months (May to October) and Europe’s off-season is usually in the winter months (November to March), for example.

5. Seek for local relevant connections and networking events

Sometimes the best deals on accommodations come via local recommendations and word-of-mouth. Meeting other digital nomads, locals or even expats can direct you toward available accommodations that do not have a sign up on the booking websites.

  • The key is always to network, use facebook groups or forums related to digital nomads and other remote workers. The members frequently post if they have a place to stay or recommend places to stay.
  • Meetups & Events: Join local meetups or digital nomad events. Perhaps you can meet someone who has a good, cheap place to stay in mind.
  • Co-Working Spaces: Most co-working spaces will have a community board or arrange events for nomads to meet. Through these networks, you may find accommodation at the lowest prices.

6. Think House Sitting or Work Exchanges

One inventive manner to find free or cheap accommodation as a digital nomad is to house sit or work in exchange for accommodation. These options allows you to stay at other people houses in exchange of looking after their property, animals, or doing other small jobs.

a. House Sitting

Sources such as TrustedHousesitters help in finding house-sitting possibilities across the globe. You get free accommodation in exchange for taking care of a house or pet.

Housing/shelter are typically free (or at least considerably cheaper than other options) and you have the benefit of staying in a home where you would otherwise likely not have access to all the comforts of home.

Cons: It does not always work with your travel plans, so you have to be flexible.

b. Work Exchange Programs

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and Workaway are some popular work exchange platforms that provide accommodation in exchange for work. The work they will do will be farming or teaching, or assistant warden work, or something along those lines.

Advantages: Traveling can be a more affordable option, plus you have experiences like no other as you are immersed in the local culture.

Cons: It can be hard and physical work and the accommodation may not necessarily be as nice as other options.

7. Negotiate for Longer Stays

If you are planning on staying stationary for a while, ask for a weekly or monthly rate. Landlords/hosts tend to be more open to discounts for monthly bookings.

Pro tip: If you are booking accommodations through Airbnb or similar platforms, reach out to the host directly to see if discounts are available for longer stays. You can often negotiate a better price, particularly during the off- season.

Conclusion

While accessing a place that is affordable takes some doing as a digital nomad, it is not impossible! By knowing your budget and requirement, picking the type of accommodation you want, using search tools, travelling on out of season, networking and trying creative options such as, house sitting you can find the perfect place to stay that helps out your work and lifestyle.