|
|
A lot of digital nomads when they first start out kind of “do it on their own”. You travel alone or with a partner, you work from your accommodation and cafes with good internet rather than coworking spaces, and you pretty much figure it out for yourself when it comes to transport, visas, and accommodation. This can be challenging, but that is part of the joy of being a digital nomad; figuring out just what you are capable of.
But just because you are embarking on an adventure doesn’t mean that you have to do it all yourself. There are many experienced digital nomads out there who are happy to share what they have learned to help you. One example is RemoteBase.
Remote Base started with a digital nomad called Chris who began working remotely in 2017 and traveling the world in 2018. Like most digital nomads, he started learning as he went. He soon discovered ways that he could find cheap rent in popular digital nomad cities if he stayed for 1-2 months. This was a major breakthrough since accommodation is one of the biggest expenses for most digital nomads.
Chris started sharing what he had discovered with people in his personal network but then decided to launch a newsletter for all digital nomads and remote workers.
RemoteBase Newsletter
The RemoteBase newsletter specifically looks at how remote workers can save money on accommodation when traveling. When you sign up for the newsletter, you get emails twice a month sharing the best digital nomad accommodation deals.
RemoteBase takes advantage of digital nomad-friendly Airbnb hosts who are willing to give discounts to reliable tenants willing to book “long-term” accommodation, which means more than 28 days.
Chris and his team know how to find these deals and are sharing offers available three months in the future. So, in September, you’ll be receiving information about accommodation deals available in December. This is a great cycle for most digital nomads on the move.
RemoteBase also focuses on finding you options that are realistic to “live in” for weeks at a time. So instead of remote treehouses and converted underground bunkers, you’ll be getting listings with good Wi-Fi, washing machines, air conditioning or heating, and so on. Deals also focus on neighborhoods that tend to be attractive for digital nomads due to their proximity to coworking spaces, transport links, and great nightlife.
In the past, they have offered opportunities such as 50% off resort-style accommodations in Koh Samui in Thailand, 50% off accommodations in Medellin in Columbia, 64% off Chiang Mai stay options, and 42% off Sydney, Australia apartments.
According to their own figures, in the last 12 months, they have helped free members save $95,410 in accommodation spending, and premium members $948,542 in accommodation spending. So how is premium different from free?
RemoteBase Premium
Well, first off, premium membership costs $118 per year. For this, you can search available property deals based on location and your budget. You can also get notifications when deals that meet your specified needs come up. You will hear about available properties before other people so that you can get in first, and there are some other perks.
RemoteBase best deals
So, what do some of Remote Base’s deals look like?
In one of their recent publications, Remote Base shared a one-bedroom apartment in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, which is right off the main strip and walking distance from the beach. The apartment, which would usually cost $1,800 to rent for a month through Airbnb became available for $669 for a full calendar month.
Similarly, a one-bedroom apartment in Perdika, Greece was recently made available at 80% off. The sea view apartment usually rents for $2,525 per month via Airbnb but is available for $562 per month through RemoteBase.
How is RemoteBase able to offer such good deals? They build relationships with Airbnb hosts with great properties who are happy to make deals to ensure a steady stream of reliable tenants. Long-term stays mean less work for the host between tenants and fewer vacant days. Some hosts have even been known to install facilities and improve their Wi-Fi coverage to take advantage of this partnership.
How expensive is accommodation for digital nomads?
While digital nomads often head to parts of the world where to cost of living is more affordable, remote workers can miss out on a lot of that benefit due to the cost of accommodation.
Renting an Airbnb can cost ten times as much as it would to rent in the local rental market. Nevertheless, it is sometimes the only option for digital nomads since it is hard to find a rental contract for less than six months in many local markets.
A recent study compared what landlords could charge for an Airbnb for a month against what they would make if they were renting on the local market.
In London, you can expect to pay $2,300 for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center. They can rent that same flat on Airbnb for $16,000 per month. Amsterdam has similarly wide margins. Rent for a flat on the local market is around $1,900 per month, while the same flat can cost $10,000 per month via Airbnb.
Even in affordable cities, there are big differences. In Bogota in Columbia, while you might pay $290 for a one-bedroom apartment on the local market, you can get an Airbnb for around $380 per month, In Tallinn, Estonia, locals might pay around $500 per month to rent a one-bedroom place, while the same accommodation will cost $725 per month on Airbnb. In San Jose, Costa Rica, you might pay $725 on Airbnb for what locals will pay around $400 for on the local rental market.
While Airbnbs have made the digital nomad lifestyle more accessible since they are more affordable than hotels and more liveable than hostels, they still make a big dent in the monthly budget of a digital nomad. Deals like those available through RemoteBase can make a big difference.
Sign up for RemoteBase
The RemoteBase newsletter is free, so there is no risk involved when signing up and seeing some of their best available deals. Once you have started to benefit, you may find yourself motivated to sign up for a premium membership to get first access to new deals and the ability to search for accommodation exactly where you are planning to head next.
