Clear search
๐ŸŒ Go nomad ๐Ÿ‘‹  Log in
General
Nomad List Frontpage ๐ŸŒ—  Dark mode โค๏ธ  Your favorites ๐Ÿš‘  Nomad insurance ๐Ÿฅ  About
Community
โค๏ธ Dating app ๐Ÿค  Friend finder ๐Ÿ’ฌ  Chat on Telegram ๐Ÿ’ˆ  Host meetup
new
๐Ÿน  Attend meetup ๐ŸŒŽ  Members map
Tools
๐Ÿœ  Explore ๐ŸŽ’  NomadGPT ๐Ÿ“ธ  Vote on photos ๐Ÿ—“  Residence calendar ๐Ÿ’ธ  FIRE calculator ๐ŸŒค  Climate finder ๐Ÿ’ฅ  Fastest growing ๐Ÿ“Š  Nomad stats
new
๐Ÿงช State of remote work new ๐Ÿ“œ  History of nomads
new
๐Ÿ•ธ  Network graph ๐Ÿ”Œ  Fastest internet ๐Ÿ†  Best place now ๐Ÿ”ฎ  Random place ๐Ÿ”ฎ  Random good place
Misc
๐Ÿ“ˆ  Pageviews (648K/mo) ๐Ÿ—ณ  User rating 9.0/10 (n=5,882) ๐Ÿ›ฐ  Remote jobs โœˆ๏ธ  Best airlines ๐Ÿ—บ  Neighborhoods ๐Ÿก  Rebase ๐Ÿ  Coworkations Interior AI Photo AI ๐Ÿ†˜  Support
๐Ÿ‘‹ We've discontinued the forum. You can still read the posts archive but not post. To ask questions, please use the Nomad List Chat
Title
Be specific and imagine youโ€™re asking a question to another person. You can also post non-question posts of general interest

Body
Include all the information someone would need to answer your question or reply to your post
Cancel

You won't be notified by email when a reply is posted, to change your notification settings. Posts must follow the TOS: No ads, self promotion, commercial posts, surveys etc. For customer support questions, don't post here but use the feedback box in the bottom right of this page instead.

๐Ÿ‘
5k
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Is it just me or are Airbnb prices getting way out of hand?

 

by @srg_b 8yr  | 37 comments

I had this impression for a while now, but now it seems impossible to find a monthly stay over airbnb for a decent price. Just now I was looking at Utrecht which averages at 2500 euro per month for a studio. People seem to provide only small monthly discounts. In my last few trips I relied on Facebook groups for finding stay. I do have decent budget but paying โ‚ฌ1500+ for a studio in a European city simply seems ridiculous. How is everyone else finding accommodation?

๐Ÿ‘
5k
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
14
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@them 7yr

New regulations and restrictions, such as in Berlin for example, make it increasingly difficult to rent out whole flats on airbnb. Hosts can not just sublet the appartments they rent themselves anymore that easily without the suspicious eye of tax authority and quite high fines. (Its another discussion but Airbnb certainly has/had quite an impact on local rental prices and availability of flats).
With lower competition and a lot of places run by (semi-)professionals the availability is lower and prices increase.

๐Ÿ‘
14
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
2
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Yeah, getting shocked with their recent prices too. :frowning:

๐Ÿ‘
2
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
4
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@elirdF 7yr

90% True, but depends on a location.
In most cases a private room in booking.com would be cheaper, but I am now in Malaga, and have to say Airbnb is much cheaper and better than anything else. I wish it would be the norm.

๐Ÿ‘
4
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@cs340 7yr

I used to use airbnb all the time, it used to be great for avoiding scams when you arenโ€™t in the area you are looking to rent long term. Now though a lot of the prices are more expensive than hotels in many cities. Even in US you have places where rent is much cheaper with prices similar to cities such as NYC of SF.

When I started as a nomad I would sublet a place of someone leaving just hoping to get someone to cover their rent. Now everyone is looking to profit, but the demand is there and that is why prices keep rising. When I was looking for a place in SF no one even wanted to rent for a month unless I took it at weekly rate since they would be losing money discounting it to me.

๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
24
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@eot_fly 7yr

Airbnb prices are definitely getting more expensive, as lots of people have started using the platform to create a new source of income.
Theyโ€™re looking at it as a business, and theyโ€™re trying to maximize their earnings. Youโ€™ll see hundreds of hosts renting houses for the sole purpose of subletting their apartments on Airbnb.

This said, for long-term bookings, there are ways to land extreme discounts. Iโ€™ve been traveling for a year now, and whenever I can always prefer staying in an Airbnb as it gives me the comfort and feeling of being home.

If you are flexible with your dates (and destination), I guarantee youโ€™ll be able to negotiate over 50% discount on bookings that are 2 weeks are longer.
Here are are a couple of reasons why hosts will give you discounts:

They are getting started with Airbnb and they want to rack up positive reviews as soon as possible.

โ€“ They prefer to make a guaranteed amount of money through one guest rather than an undefined amount with multiple guests.

โ€“ They care more about the guest being a good fit (good reviews, trustworthiness etc.) rather than making more money.

โ€“ It is off-season and they are unsure about their potential earnings.

โ€“ You are not targeting a prime location where demand is consistently high and hosts are showered with new offers every day.

โ€“ You are offering to stay for a longer period of time. This makes maintenance (cleaning, guest relations etc.) much easier for them. They get reminded how much work it is to screen, welcome and maintain guests.

I recently wrote a step-by-step guide with real-life examples on how I get huge discounts on every single one of my bookings. And by discounts, I donโ€™t mean the automatic discounts that have been pre-set by hosts. I mean 50% on top of that.

I hope it helps!

๐Ÿ‘
24
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
9
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@thetwopct 7yr

Yes! I have definitely found this recently, owners are focusing on short stays <7 days where they can maximise profits, and not accepting longer stays where they may have to discount. Yes you can still email owners to try and get a good deal, but increasingly this is becoming harder.

I actually got so annoyed with my last AirBNB search that I put together my process of finding digital nomad accommodation and how to find the best place to stay at the best price :sunglasses:

๐Ÿ‘
9
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
2
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@kathrynoh 7yr

I think the discounting process is great on an individual basis, obviously, but as itโ€™s become more common could be one of the factors driving prices up. If hosts expect you to negotiate a substantial discount then they will pad the price to compensate for that.

๐Ÿ‘
2
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
3
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Iโ€™m starting to see hotels cheaper now.

๐Ÿ‘
3
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Maybe Airbnb is not getting more expensive, maybe digital nomads are getting poorer :wink:

Seriously I agree, Airbnb is for the foreign market, locals jack up prices for foreigners. You need to find local market websites, usually with the .* extension of the country. Or other aggregator sites. Forget English speaking sites like Airbnb if you want to stay like a local. Despite what AirBnb says about โ€˜living like a localโ€™ you are doing so at foreigner prices!

๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@lia9255 7yr

Totally agree (on both points)! When I find an apartment I like on Airbnb, I Google Search the photo listing image and find the apartment rental company so I can rent directly from them and avoid Airbnbโ€™s fees. The rental company doesnโ€™t care, they save on their end as well.

I do the same on flight booking sites. I use them to search but book directly on the airlineโ€™s website so they canโ€™t blame the booking site for any mishaps. Works great every time!

๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
8
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@nouk 7yr

Hi Serge,
i totally agree with you. Thatโ€™s why on Quora, i asked if Airbnb used to encourage hosts to increase their price. People answered me that usually Airbnb prices are below what hosts setup. So, thatโ€™s the hosts who setup the prices high.
Before Hotels were more expensive than Airbnb, now Airbnb is more expensive than Hotel. Furthermore, the quality of Airbnb accommodations really lowered. It attracts lots of people who just donโ€™t care.
I go back and forth to Hotels and Airbnb accommodations. Before, it was always better to go Airbnb. Now, lots of time, there are problems at Airbnb accommodations: Internet does not work, it is noisyโ€ฆ
If you go to Dublin in Ireland, you will see the same thing as in NL. Overpriced rubbish places everywhere on airbnb. It is really difficult to find something decent.

๐Ÿ‘
8
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
12
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@uchepete 7yr

We hosted in New Orleans, in 2013-2015, and the AirBnB suggested prices initially were always way above what we felt was right. By the time we stopped, it was the reverse. So I would say the opposite of your Quora results, that AirBnB probably was a factor in raising the prices. But another factor in our case, maybe the biggest, was clearly that once the number of AirBnBs hit a critical mass the prices went through the roof.

๐Ÿ‘
12
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
20
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@sean_c 8yr

There are a few solutions emerging out there, which is great to see because thereโ€™s definitely a largely untapped market opportunity here. The one I know off the top of my head is horizonapp.co. Their value prop is basically what this thread is all about: short-term subletting rather than a few days on vacation.

I believe it works by connecting you with friends of friends (FB) and allowing you to join interest/location groups. Looks like thereโ€™s a โ€œglobal nomadsโ€ group here: https://api.horizonapp.co/groups

๐Ÿ‘
20
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
12
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Hereโ€™s something else that seems to be in the works:

๐Ÿ‘
12
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
28
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@jtompl 8yr

Thereโ€™s also a website called uniplaces.com which I just used in Barcelona to rent an apartment for 3-4 months - seems like they try to be something like airbnb but for longer stays (1 month is minimum). Itโ€™s actually them that are making all the photos, and the interface & offers descriptions are clear , which is cool, because avoids looking through all the bullshit agencies, badly-photographed apartments, hidden fees, and so on.

They describe themselves as โ€˜student accomodationโ€™ but I think they forgot about us, digital nomads? =D

It only works in a couple cities in Europe for now though.

๐Ÿ‘
28
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
22
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Iโ€™ve noticed this too. Iโ€™m trying to make only very short-term bookings via Airbnb now, and find local accommodation in the same way as the locals, which is pretty easy to do if youโ€™re happy sharing a flat and have at least some command of the local language (it doesnโ€™t take a lot). I also plan to do more house-sits in future.

๐Ÿ‘
22
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
23
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@reganha 8yr

The problem with AirBnB for 1 month or more is that most listings are optimized for a few days stays.

So if a bedroom rents for 300 eur / month in long term, if occupancy is around 60%, The apartment will likely be >600 for short term.

What I usually do is look for listings with decent monthly discounts, and if none available then start negotiating for long term stays, clearly showing them that renting for 30 days will give them 100% occupancy and save A LOT of hassle from moving people in and out.

For even longer stays (3 months or more), because I usually look for bedrooms, I contact the hosts if theyโ€™d like a mid-term housemate and if they can make a fair (regular) price.

@johndbritton and @WanderingJo get a Revolut credit card, free transactions, free card, free withdraws (!!!), and at fair exchange rates.

๐Ÿ‘
23
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
49
๐Ÿ‘Ž

This strategy wonโ€™t work for all places, but when I was looking for apartments for a 3 month stay in Berlin, I decided on a whim to just check out Craigslistโ€ฆand found a ton of great options that were pretty significantly cheaper than the options on AirBNB. They also tended to be in the less touristy spots. We ended up going with a space in a neighborhood called Friedrichshain for 1200 euros/month. Still not cheap by normal Berlin standards at the time, but it was very nicely furnished, centrally located, and short-term โ€” and cheaper than AirBNB listings, most of which would have cost us ~2000 euros or more per month.

๐Ÿ‘
49
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
11
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@kathrynoh 8yr

Yep, the first time I lived in Tokyo, I found my place via Craiglist. Did have to sort through a lot of crap though, mainly commercial advertisers who had a ton of hidden charges not mentioned on the site. If you can find someone who is looking for a housemate or got a genuine sublet then itโ€™s sweet.

Iโ€™ve also used Sakura House in Tokyo. They are one of the biggest agencies and are upfront about charges.

It might be good to get a list together of what works where. I might start another thread for that.

๐Ÿ‘
11
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
9
๐Ÿ‘Ž

I just make my own idea of the market price and the average occupancy rate a guest may have in a given city at a given time. From this I intuitively decide a price window that should indicate a host could rationally match my budget after negotiation. I then send a very straightforward and polite email stating my budget, requirements and the upsides of hosting us to any flat we like within this price window.

๐Ÿ‘
9
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
30
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@ocnormad 8yr

I totally agree! My husband and I have been staying in Split for over a month. We are staying in a three bedroom apartment (80msq) 5km outside of the town for $1750 USD per month on AirBnB. It is quite funny actually because the apartment was initially listed for $185 per night (and we thought it was ridiculous) but after our multiple negotiations, the owner came down to $58 per night because of its off peak season. But we are beginning to accept the fact that we will have to pay $1700-$2000 per month (for an entire apartment) in Croatia even during off peak seasonโ€ฆ

We are going to Australia next. If I must mention, by the way, AirBnB rental prices in Australia and NZ are outrageous! For an one bedroom apartment in Sydney/Brisbane, hosts are charging $3000-5000 per month and we couldnโ€™t find a decent apartment for less than $2500 per month. So I did some more research out of frustration and found out that new and modern serviced apartments in the heart of the city (with weekly housekeeping) were much cheaper than AirBnB. And these serviced apartments can be booked through any third party travel agency sites (etc expedia, priceline or others) so you can cancel up to a few days prior to your arrival (Unlike AirBnBโ€ฆeven if you get refunds, AirBnB service charge is non-refundable).

I have a couple of suggestions, (1) what if we buy properties as community properties like a timeshare. We can find 12 or 24 people to buy an apartment, then each owns it for a month or two weeks per year, respectively.
(2) Or we find rental owners who are not computer savvy and we help them make their apartments more rental friendly for nomads and bring in customers (from our community). The owners will be happy because itโ€™s better to have the room occupied (even for a cheaper price) than vacant.

What are your thoughts?

๐Ÿ‘
30
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@africajam 8yr

Wow, this thread sure is a hot one :wink: I quite like @OCnormadโ€™s idea about finding people to work with nomads. Iโ€™m not entirely sure how it would work but Iโ€™m pretty damn sure there is a gap in the market for something like that: a group of trusted renters who work together to help each other out.

๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
5
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Definitely much more realistic. Could be a freemium (or even free) โ€œproductized serviceโ€. But of course youโ€™ll compete with airbnb who pays more. Youโ€™ll have to sell the nomad profile to people who wants longer term / safer / cleaner (???) /quieter (???) people. And youโ€™re still competing with airbnb :stuck_out_tongue:

๐Ÿ‘
5
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
4
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Iโ€™ve been wanting to find a like co-working / co-living network - where you pay a certain monthly โ€œrentโ€ to the consortium, which has properties all over the world (clean, comfy, good wifi) and you can move around / book your stays in them as you please.

๐Ÿ‘
4
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
7
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@ericb 7yr

That would be perfect. That most certainly would be a blessing for all Nomads, Iโ€™d sign up for that, a subscription for places to stay.
I think it was stated by someone else earlier, basically a timeshare type of deal for all nomad that have subscribed

๐Ÿ‘
7
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
9
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@kathrynoh 8yr

Tbh, when I started seeing bloggers posting about how to get cheaper Airbnbs, though negotiating lower prices, I wondered if hosts would start padding their prices to counteract that. If you expect that a high number of guests are going to hit you up for say a 20% discount then it would tempting to add 20% to your original price and then look like youโ€™re offering a discount.

Airbnb must be making a killing though. Charge the guest fees, charge the host fees and get the payment sometimes months in advance!

๐Ÿ‘
9
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@srg_b 8yr

I assume hosts use airbnb auto pricing tool which suggests and changes the price based on supply and demand. Itโ€™s questionable whether that algorithm takes into account the benefits of long term letting, or just attempts to maximise short term gain for the host.

๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
24
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@lia9255 8yr

Wow, I thought Airbnb prices were getting too high too, even with the 10-50% monthly discounts offered. Iโ€™ve been traveling 100% for 2 years now and my experience with Airbnb has been great, except for the prices! (Hint: business opportunity to rent at slightly lower prices that someone needs to capitalize on, if Airbnb doesnโ€™t put the brakes on)
Assuming youโ€™re looking to rent the entire home and not a private room or shared, try this:
I started copying the photo image and searching online to find the host source (in many cases, itโ€™s an agency not an individual) and found other listings for the same place at a lower price. Then I contact the host on Airbnb and offer to rent at the lower price (not mentioning I saw it listed elsewhere). Sometimes negotiating works, sometimes not. Then you have to factor in Airbnb fees, which I consider steep, but a fair price to pay for using their platform.
Also checked out HomeAway, Wimdu, Agoda, and other platforms but none are as easy to use as Airbnb.

๐Ÿ‘
24
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@srg_b 8yr

Thatโ€™s exactly the thing. Airbnb seems to be good only for weekend trips, anything more than a couple of weeks, Iโ€™m searching for an agent over Facebook groups. I agree that it should be more expensive for less than 3 month stay, but not 3x as much.

๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
22
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@rmahugo 8yr

I used Airbnb in four different countries this year and in Budapest I felt cheated for first time using the platform. Normally I rent for 1 month completely and I try to get the home before arrive to the city.

Now, Iโ€™m in Budapest and I rented a room for 750โ‚ฌ (with a discount from the owner)โ€ฆ and my roommates have normal prices for long stay and are paying 250โ‚ฌ and 230โ‚ฌโ€ฆ so is x3 less the Airbnb prices.

Normally, I understand that we need to pay more for short or medium stay but that is so expensive.

Iโ€™m thinking to start with a new strategy but I think that if we want to get a โ€œlocal priceโ€ we need to stay for long term or will be complicated.

Looking forward new websites or techniques for rent cheaper.

๐Ÿ‘
22
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
20
๐Ÿ‘Ž

We book short periods with Airbnb and then when we get there, we use local sources for finding longer term.

Youโ€™re right. Prices are outrageous.

๐Ÿ‘
20
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
24
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Iโ€™m really noticing it! And itโ€™s not helped by the rapidly dying GBP & Airbnbโ€™s insistence on paying in your home currency and charging a 3% currency conversion (when all my cards are free to use in any currency).

I feel safer using Airbnb than say finding an apartment on Gumtree, but I am struggling to find apartments I can afford. I am still getting lucky though - Iโ€™ve got a good deal in Pula at the moment, but it took a lot of searching.

๐Ÿ‘
24
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
18
๐Ÿ‘Ž

This really annoys me. They used to let you choose which currency you want to pay in, now they force you to pay in your home currency and pay the 3% on top of standard rates. For longer stays this can add up to be really significant on top of the already expensive Airbnb fees.

๐Ÿ‘
18
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
38
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@davidkeys 8yr

Weโ€™ve been using Airbnb for a few years now and have noticed some places are more expensive, but it depends on when your visiting and how you go about booking.

We were planning a stay in Split and cancelled last minute because of accommodation costs during peak. The prices were literally double off-season. Maybe you were catching the tail-end of peak?

Also, we message (donโ€™t reserve w/ CC) 2-3 hosts asking them for a discount beyond their advertised monthly rate. This usually involves agreeing with the host to book on ABB for a day/week and then pay the rest in cash to side-step ABB fees.

๐Ÿ‘
38
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
29
๐Ÿ‘Ž
@levelsio 8yr

Big cities everywhere (and especially Western Europe) are rapidly getting more expensive, both housing prices, rental prices, hotel prices and Airbnb prices.

EUR 1500 gets you a very average 1 bedroom place in Amsterdam now, if you sign a lease for 12 months.

You can usually get 25% off most Airbnb prices though, but I think you have to face the reality that Western European cities are simply not affordable anymore to live and they donโ€™t give a lot of value for their price either.

๐Ÿ‘
29
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
14
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Iโ€™ll second what Levels said. I found Netherlands very very expensive and Iโ€™ve seen prices rising in other European cities as well (same thing for US cities, only at an even more rapid pace). I donโ€™t think itโ€™s Airbnbโ€ฆI think itโ€™s the overinflated markets.

๐Ÿ‘
14
๐Ÿ‘Ž
Read and participate in 14,117 discussions on Nomad List

Suggested topics

๐Ÿ‘
1
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Anyone want to share an airbnb villa in Mexico?


in Mexico by @wouternomad 4yr 4 years ago  | 3 comments

I will be traveling/working through Mexico with my dog February to April. My plan is to stay in Sayulita for about 2-4 weeks, then travel south along the cost.

Is there anyone who wants to share an airbnb apartment? I was thinking of renting a private villa, but because these are large and have multiple rooms, I was wondering if there are fellow nomads wanting to share? Iโ€™m open to other locations as well (Puerto Vallerta, Oaxaca, and everything in between these two locations.

๐Ÿ‘
1
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
0
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Do you prefer co-living spaces or hostels or Airbnbs?


by @davda1546 4yr 4 years ago  | 5 comments

We are hoping to become nomads soon and have booked an AirBnB in September in Goa for our first destination. We are considering what would be the best option for accommodation after that. We are trying to decide between co-living spaces, hostels, or Airbnbs.

What are your experiences of accommodation in terms of the following: reliable wifi, social aspect, pricing, cleanliness, cooking facilities?

๐Ÿ‘
0
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž

How do I ensure that getting refused entry to the UK won't keep me from getting an Australian 462 (work and holiday) visa?


in Australia by @allisonkirschbaum 5yr 5 years ago  | 0 comments

On New Yearโ€™s Day this year, I was refused entry to the UK due to not having proof of funds, an outward-bound plane ticket (I was road-tripping out with a friend via car) and not being able to prove that I had indeed canceled the lease on the apartment I had leased during a prior recent trip.

I havenโ€™t had any entry issues to any of the several countries Iโ€™ve visited after, but now Iโ€™m applying for a 462 visa (work and holiday) visa in Australia, and since Australia and the UK share an immigration info system, I want to make sure getting refused entry wonโ€™t keep me from getting a visa. None of the issues that cropped up in the UK (the proof of funds, the plane ticket, and the apartment) will be an issue in Australia, as Iโ€™ve never traveled there before, donโ€™t know anyone and will have proof of more than sufficient funds for the trip and an outbound plane ticket.

Anybody have any suggestions on how to make the approval process go as smoothly as possible?

Many thanks in advance! :smiley:

๐Ÿ‘
6
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Getting started: where to?


by @vforvalerio87 5yr 5 years ago  | 3 comments

Hi everybody!

I just joined this community because Iโ€™m currently in a place in life where I can live the digital nomad lifestyle and I feel like I would really be missing out if I didnโ€™t catch this opportunity. I work fully remotely, no fixed hours, I currently live in northern Italy and I basically have no partner or kids.

So, the question isโ€ฆ where to? I would love to hear the advice of more experienced digital nomads!
Laptop and internet is enough for me to work but I need decent internet for conferencing and I really have to put in the hours: some days are more relaxed, others Iโ€™ll have to work all day and night.
I enjoy more temperate climates, so no torrid heat or unbearable humidity, if possible.
I like decent food but Iโ€™m very adaptable in terms of tastes: anything is fine as long as quality is good and sanitary conditions are acceptable.
I absolutely do not enjoy the club life and would just rather go hiking during the weekends and pubs (or breweries) during the evenings. Iโ€™m a social person though and I donโ€™t particularly enjoy places where people are too introverted (been in Seattle for four monthsโ€ฆ the freeze is real); I really look forward to making friends or acquaintances wherever I end up.
I enjoy decent transportation so places where thereโ€™s a viable metro system or Uber actually works would be nice.
I prefer places with a bit more of history and culture (this is one of the reasons why I absolutely loved Portugal, for example).
Iโ€™d like to spend under $3k average per month for rent, food and going out.

For now I was thinking either:

  • Staying close to home for a first experience, so something like Vienna or Berlin
  • South East Asia; Iโ€™ve been to Hong Kong a few times before, now I was thinking either Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, or possibly Thailand
  • South America, especially Colombia. I also have some people I know in Bogota and in Medellin, which I think would be a plus

When? Ideally I would leave anywhere from mid to late March and stay away for 2 or 3 months.

Sorry for the long read, I hope to get some input. Thank you for your time, if we ever meet in person I owe you a beer (or whatever youโ€™d prefer).

๐Ÿ‘
10
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
105
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Anyone have tips for preventing or getting over jet lag? ๐Ÿ˜“๐Ÿ˜ดโœˆ๏ธ


by @artofbryce 5yr 5 years ago  | 10 comments

We just finished our first stint around South East Asia and somehow survived 3 days of way too many flights, leaving me to feel like death.

Too much shitty airplane food, not enough sleep, big time difference from Mexico to SEA.

Anyone have tips to prevent that more in the future (aside from better flight plans)? More importantly, how do I recover faster from this horror?

๐Ÿ‘
105
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
31
๐Ÿ‘Ž

When to book on Airbnb beforehand?


by @lostwithlocals 6yr 6 years ago  | 3 comments

Hi all,

So, for the last 5 years or so Iโ€™ve been working in the travel industry - which means Iโ€™ve not had to worry about things like accommodation, because my employer provided it wherever they sent me. This means that , although Iโ€™ve been hopping around the world for some time, some of the typical nomad tools like airbnb are relatively new to me now that Iโ€™ve crossed over to the world of freelancing.

I was looking forward to adopting a โ€œgo where the wind takes youโ€ mantra; never booking anything more than a few days ahead so that, if Iโ€™m in a bar and someone talks about a place really cool, I can justโ€ฆ up and go.

Well, Iโ€™m beginning to realise, that may be an unrealistic ideal! Iโ€™ve been taking a look through airbnb (granted, itโ€™s for Europe Summer), and Iโ€™m looking about 2 months in advance and everything is booked! Most searches I perform give back statements like โ€œCareful, only 5% of bookings with your search criteria are leftโ€ - in fact one of the places I planned to pass through only had 1 result left available.

It appears to me that if you want a reasonable period (letโ€™s say 2 weeks), with a few basic conditions like wifi, space to work, etc and you want it at an affordable price that you need to start hunting whatโ€ฆ 6 months in advance? Doesnโ€™t seem very spontaneous and nomadic.

Those of you that have more experience booking with airbnb - how far ahead are you booking to get what you need?

Thanks,

Joe

๐Ÿ‘
31
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
20
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Getting a Russian Visa while traveling


in Russia by @shaulsolomon 6yr 6 years ago  | 1 comment

I am an English/American currently in Israel, and heading in a week to Georgia/Armenia for two weeks and then want to head to Russia for a week.
As I am only in Israel for another week, would it be possible to apply for the visa in Israel and ask to receive it in Armenia (my last stop before I want to go to Russia)?
Or perhaps there is another better option that I have available?

๐Ÿ‘
20
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
302
๐Ÿ‘Ž

How to avoid getting your stuff stolen?


by @matthieudrula 6yr 6 years ago  | 8 comments

Hey guys,
My question might be blunt ahah but โ€ฆ how do you get your stuff stolen?
Do you stay in hostels, or shady hotels? Or do you get robbed?
I stopped using hostel with outsiders and I pretty much only use budget hotel now.
I have heard about an app that take screenshots of your room and send it to you if it detects movement too so you can alert the hotel staff.
I donโ€™t want to make everybody paranoiac too ;).

๐Ÿ‘
302
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
91
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Am I being silly by worrying about getting Zika in Bali? ๐Ÿ˜•


by @metamas 7yr 7 years ago  | 5 comments

Bali was at the top of my short-list of places to go DM for 1-3 months until I saw it had the โ€œZykaโ€ tag on Nomad List :scream: . Iโ€™m not super read-up on the whole state of Zyka, other than occurrences of infection being on a decline (for now), but I am a worrisome enough person about such things that it has got me reconsidering. Though, it still seems to not be stopping the rate of DMs visiting Baliโ€ฆ

Is there cause for large concern here, or I am just being a nut? โ€ฆItโ€™s been known to happen pretty frequently over such things :anguished: :face_with_thermometer: :mask:

๐Ÿ‘
91
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
225
๐Ÿ‘Ž

How do you avoid getting charged large fees by your bank when withdrawing overseas?


by @creative_nomad_ 7yr 7 years ago  | 14 comments

Hi All,

My question is about banking when it comes to being overseas/working etc. How do you avoid getting charged large fees by your bank when withdrawing overseas?

Iโ€™m originally from Australia and do my banking still in Australia. I live in the UK and most recently was living in Vietnam where I found I had to withdrawl money just to get charged very large amounts from my Aussie bank.

How do you get around this? What can you recommend.

Thanks

๐Ÿ‘
225
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
150
๐Ÿ‘Ž

How do you deal with getting data on your mobile while travelling?


by @nomads_and_drifters 7yr 7 years ago  | 15 comments

Hi,
I wondered how everybody deals with getting data on their phone in each country they travel. Is there a way around it? It is always such a pain having to buy and activate sim cards everywhere. I have tried the company โ€œworldsimโ€ and had an international sim for a while, but they where terrible and ended up to be super expensive.

๐Ÿ‘
150
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
463
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Working remotely in New Zealand and getting permanent residency?


in New Zealand by @mmorris 7yr 7 years ago  | 4 comments

Soโ€ฆ Trump is Prez. The world looks to the US as a role model. He doesnโ€™t think Climate Change is real. Weโ€™re !@#$ed.

Canadian Citizen here. Was considering Costa Rica for a long term solution, but they wonโ€™t deal with the impact as well. We were always fond of NZ and my parents spend at least 3 months of the year there along with knowing some citizens.

Questions:

  1. How can we gain a Permanent Residency Visa? It seems the Skilled Migrant Category makes the most sense as I am a Systems Analyst (by NAFTA requirments) and my wife could probably qualify as a Nutritionist/Naturopath/Counsellor. Anyone have experience with this path?
  2. I currently work for a US non-profit remotely. Does NZ allow for this? do I need a job in NZ to be considered for the Skilled Migrant Category? Can I work for the US org while my Permanent Residency is processed?

Thanks!

๐Ÿ‘
463
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
153
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Worth waiting until getting to Asia to buy gadgets?


by @skewed_corp 7yr 7 years ago  | 7 comments

Iโ€™m ticking off my lists before I venture off again and am starting to purchase stuff like 4G Routers, Wireless speakers, Mice, etc.

The only thing isโ€ฆ all of the stuff is shipped from Asia in the first place. Are all these gadgets readily available in a place like Bangkok and is it worth waiting to save on costs?

๐Ÿ‘
153
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
94
๐Ÿ‘Ž

What would the perfect AirBNB listing be for digital nomads?


by @dave_chakrabarti 7yr 7 years ago  | 8 comments

Iโ€™m toying with the idea of hosting on AirBNB, in a city that doesnโ€™t have a large digital nomad presence (Calcutta, India). What would the ideal hosting ad look like for a digital nomad?

My personal preferences:

  1. Clean (as clean / organized / decluttered as Iโ€™d expect a non-backpacker-y hotel to look like), so I actually feel like working. In India, this goes double for bathrooms; Iโ€™m willing to pay a lot more for a dry, clean bathroom.
  2. Fast, reliable wifi. Everyone seems to have a different definition of โ€œfastโ€ or โ€œbroadbandโ€, so some indication of actual speeds / bandwidth caps / reliability would be ideal, but I never see this in ads.
  3. Things within walking distance (mostly, I mean restaurants / bars, but sometimes department stores / malls / coffee shops are convenient).
  4. A couple of different places to work / read (hammock + desk, desk + coffee table on a balcony with a view of the mountains, standing desk + beanbag, etc).

I know thatโ€™s a pretty specific list, and most AirBNB hosts arenโ€™t developers, so much of this isnโ€™t likely on their radar. What would you guys ad to the list? What makes you AirBNB over a hotel, and / or what would be a must-have AirBNB feature?

Thanks,

D.

๐Ÿ‘
94
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
1k
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Renting out apartment on Airbnb while traveling


by @swechris 8yr 8 years ago  | 7 comments

What are some good strategies on taking care of Airbnb managment while on traveling mode?

//Chris

๐Ÿ‘
1k
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
738
๐Ÿ‘Ž

What are the best AirBnB houses you've been in Europe?


by @carlien 8yr 8 years ago  | 4 comments

At the moment Iโ€™m scouting AirBnB for a good place to stay for september. Which houses have you been & can you recommend? Iโ€™m looking at all kinds of locations.

Thanks in advance!

๐Ÿ‘
738
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
50
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Is getting a work visa then quitting a possibility to stay long-term? (For Colombia)


in Colombia by @matthieudrula 8yr 8 years ago  | 0 comments

In Colombia, I have heard people telling me that once you have a work visa you can enter and not care about what happen if you get fired.
Unlike the USA where if you lose your job, you are *****ed.
Is it a possibility to get a job, get in, open a bank account(not sure if thatโ€™s a good idea since itโ€™s not going to receive a consistent flow of cash from a Colombian company), then quit and work as a freelance remote.

๐Ÿ‘
50
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
22
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Should I buy a SIM card for a country before getting there?


by @idrisraja 8yr 8 years ago  | 7 comments

Does anyone know of a service where I can buy SIM cards for countries before actually getting to the country? My mobile coverage doesnโ€™t work most places out of the US (or itโ€™s an exorbitant cost). I just want to land in the country, and pop in a SIM card right at the airport.

๐Ÿ‘
22
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
43
๐Ÿ‘Ž

How do you find an apartment when there's nothing on Airbnb or Craigslist?


by @krompson 8yr 8 years ago  | 5 comments

So far, everywhere Iโ€™ve lived, Iโ€™ve been able to book an apartment in advance on Craigslist or Airbnb. Sometimes Iโ€™ll even reach out on the #nomads Slack group, on Couchsurfing, or contact the owner of a local coworking space to see if anyone knows a landlord in need of a tenant. This works great for larger towns and cities.

Iโ€™m beginning to look into living in smaller, more remote towns. Does anyone have advice about showing up in a country without a home and tracking one down?

๐Ÿ‘
43
๐Ÿ‘Ž
๐Ÿ‘
3k
๐Ÿ‘Ž

Is getting dental braces while nomading a good idea?


by @nunoarruda 8yr 8 years ago  | 13 comments

This is probably a weird question but yeahโ€ฆ I want to get dental braces to fix the gaps on my teeth but I travel each month to a different city/country and I know I would need adjustments/tightening on the braces once in a while.

I guess I would have to visit a different orthodontist every time depending on where I am. Whatโ€™s your opinion?

๐Ÿ‘
3k
๐Ÿ‘Ž
โ€น โ€บ
×
USD โ”€ $
ยฐC
Nomad cost
โœจ To see all results
Go nomad
by @levelsio
607ms