After running Casa Basilico for three years and hearing from hundreds of guests about their good and bad experiences at other colivings, I’ve built a mental framework for evaluating these places. This is that framework, written down.
The goal isn’t to find the “best” coliving — there is no best. The goal is to find the one that matches what you actually need, not what looks good on Instagram.
Step 1: Define your non-negotiables
Before you look at a single coliving website, write down your top three requirements. Not your wishlist — your dealbreakers. The things that, if missing, will make you miserable regardless of how nice everything else is.
Common non-negotiables (pick yours):
- Fast, reliable WiFi (if your job involves video calls, this is #1)
- Private room (some people can’t share; know yourself)
- Ensuite bathroom (sharing a bathroom with strangers isn’t for everyone)
- Quiet environment (if you can’t work with background noise)
- Walkable to restaurants/cafes (rural colivings can be isolated)
- Minimum community size (some people need 15+ people around; others prefer 8-10)
- Price ceiling (be honest about your budget)
- Specific location/climate (you need warm weather, or beach access, or mountains)
Once you have your three, eliminate every coliving that doesn’t meet all three. This cuts your options dramatically, which is the point. Making a choice from 5 options is easy. Making it from 50 is paralyzing.
Step 2: Evaluate the workspace
This is where most people don’t dig deep enough. “Coworking included” can mean anything from a proper office with monitors and phone booths to a kitchen table with a WiFi router.
What to ask
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What’s the WiFi speed? Ask for a speed test result, not a promise. You want 50+ Mbps download, 20+ Mbps upload. Mokrin House and Coconat regularly deliver 100+ Mbps. If a coliving says “fast WiFi” but won’t share numbers, that’s a red flag.
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Is there a backup internet connection? The main line will go down at some point. A serious coliving has a 4G/5G backup that kicks in automatically. Ask specifically.
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Are there private call spaces? If you have daily standup meetings, you need somewhere to take calls without disturbing others (and without a rooster crowing in the background). Phone booths, private rooms, or at least a quiet corner with a door.
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What are the desk arrangements? Dedicated desks you can leave your stuff on? Or hot-desking where you pack up every night? Dedicated desks are better for long stays.
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What are the quiet hours? Some colivings enforce work hours in the coworking space (no calls before 9 AM, no loud conversations). Others don’t. Know what you need.
Green flags
- They proactively share speed test results on their website
- They mention backup internet
- They have photos of the actual coworking space (not just the pool and sunset)
- Monitor screens available for guest use
Red flags
- “WiFi available” with no speed mentioned
- No photos of the workspace
- The “coworking” is the same room as the living room/social area
- No mention of phone booths or call spaces
Step 3: Assess the community model
Community is the whole reason coliving exists. But not all communities are built the same way, and the wrong community model for your personality will make you uncomfortable.
Community size
Small (8-15 people): Everyone knows everyone. Deep relationships form fast. But there’s less diversity — if you don’t click with the group, you have fewer options. One difficult personality has a bigger impact. Places like Sun and Co., Casa Basilico, and Fjord Coliving operate at this scale.
Medium (15-25 people): The sweet spot for most people. Enough variety that you’ll find your people, small enough that you’ll know everyone by name. WiFi Tribe and Hacker Paradise operate here.
Large (25-60 people): More like a small village than a shared house. You’ll form a sub-group within the larger community. Great for networking, less intimate. Coconat and Selina can reach this scale.
Application process
This matters more than most people realize. Colivings that screen applicants maintain community quality. Colivings that accept everyone with a credit card don’t.
Strong screening looks like: Application form with questions about your work, interests, and why you want to join. Sometimes a short video call. A rejection rate (if they accept everyone, it’s not screening).
Weak screening looks like: Booking form only. No questions about who you are. This is essentially a hotel with shared spaces.
I run an application process at Casa Basilico and have rejected people who were clearly looking for a party vacation. It’s not elitism — it’s protecting the experience for everyone else.
Turnover rate
How often do people arrive and leave? Weekly turnover (people coming and going every 7 days) destroys community. Monthly cohorts (everyone arrives and leaves together) create the strongest bonds. Staggered arrivals (people arriving at different times within a month) sit in the middle.
Pop-up colivings like WiFi Tribe, Hacker Paradise, and Casa Basilico use cohort models — everyone starts together. Permanent colivings like Mokrin House and KoHub have rolling arrivals, which means the community is always in flux but there’s always a core of long-term residents.
Step 4: Check the location honestly
Don’t just look at the destination name. Look at where the coliving actually sits within that destination.
Questions to ask
- How far is the nearest grocery store? “10-minute walk” is great. “30-minute drive” means you’re dependent on shared transport or deliveries.
- Is there public transport nearby? Rural colivings like Sende are beautiful but you won’t be going anywhere without a car or the coliving’s help.
- What’s the backup plan for food? If the coliving doesn’t include meals, are there restaurants within walking distance? If not, will you be happy cooking every meal?
- What’s the nearest city/town? Not for sightseeing — for practical things like pharmacies, dentists, SIM cards, and ATMs.
- What’s the climate during your stay? Tenerife in January is glorious. Norway in January is dark 20 hours a day. Check, don’t assume.
City vs. rural: an honest comparison
City colivings (e.g., Alt Coliving in Chiang Mai, Selina in Medellin): More options if the coliving isn’t perfect. Cafes, restaurants, nightlife, easy transport. But also more distractions, more noise, and the coliving community sometimes fragments as people explore the city independently.
Rural colivings (e.g., Sende, Anceu Coliving, Mokrin House): Stronger community because there’s nowhere else to go. Better focus. More nature. But if you don’t vibe with the group, you’re stuck. And if you want a night out, there’s no night to go out to.
My recommendation: First coliving? Choose a city. You’ll have options. Third or fourth coliving? Try rural. By then you know what you like and you can commit to the intensity.
Step 5: Understand the money
Beyond the sticker price
The advertised price is the starting point, not the full story.
- What room type is the “from” price? Usually the cheapest shared room. A private ensuite might be 50-100% more.
- Is coworking included or extra? Most colivings include it. Some charge separately.
- Are there any meal options? Fjord Coliving includes all meals. Nine Coliving includes breakfast. Most include nothing.
- What about cleaning? Weekly cleaning is standard. Some charge extra for room cleaning vs. common area cleaning.
- Security deposit? Typical range is 200-500 EUR. Make sure you know when and how you get it back.
Cancellation policy
This is the single most overlooked factor. Read the cancellation policy before you book, not after.
Flexible: Full refund up to 2-4 weeks before arrival. Some colivings offer this, usually the permanent ones with rolling availability.
Moderate: Partial refund (50-75%) with 2-4 weeks notice. Deposit is non-refundable.
Strict: Non-refundable after booking. Common with pop-up programs that need to guarantee occupancy. Most pop-ups fall here because they’re renting a property for a specific group and can’t fill your spot last-minute.
The smart play: If the cancellation policy is strict, make sure you’ve done thorough research. If it’s flexible, you can afford to be more spontaneous.
Step 6: Do your homework
Before booking, do these five things:
1. Check Instagram (the real one)
Go to the coliving’s Instagram. Ignore the professional photos. Look at tagged photos and stories from actual guests. What does the day-to-day look like? Are people working together, cooking together, hanging out? Or is it just empty interior shots? A coliving that doesn’t have guests tagging them and posting organically either has no community or a community that’s not worth documenting.
2. Find past guests
Search the coliving’s name on LinkedIn, Twitter, or nomad forums. Read what actual residents say — not testimonials on the website (those are curated) but spontaneous mentions. Even one negative review is worth reading carefully. Pattern of negative reviews about the same issue? Believe them.
3. Ask specific questions
Email or DM the coliving with specific questions, not generic ones. Not “tell me about your community” but “how many guests do you typically have in May?” and “what’s your WiFi speed on a recent speed test?” How they respond tells you a lot. Fast, detailed answers = professional operation. Vague, slow answers = potential issues.
4. Check the surroundings
Google Maps the address. Street View it. Check what’s within walking distance. A coliving can look amazing in photos but sit in the middle of an industrial zone or on a highway. Zoom out and look at the neighborhood.
5. Talk to an alumni
Many colivings have alumni groups on Slack, WhatsApp, or Facebook. Ask to be connected with a past guest. One 10-minute conversation with someone who’s actually been there is worth more than hours of website browsing.
The decision checklist
Use this before you hit “book.”
Workspace
- WiFi speed confirmed (50+ Mbps with test results)
- Backup internet connection exists
- Dedicated desk or guaranteed workspace
- Private space for calls/meetings
- Quiet hours or work-friendly environment
Community
- Community size matches my preference
- Application/screening process exists
- Minimum stay is 2+ weeks (for community quality)
- Evidence of returning guests/alumni
Location
- Grocery store within reasonable distance
- Restaurants/food options accessible
- Climate checked for my travel dates
- Transport options understood
- Neighborhood reviewed on Google Maps
Money
- Total cost calculated (including room type I actually want)
- What’s included is clear (coworking, meals, cleaning, utilities)
- Security deposit terms understood
- Cancellation policy read and accepted
- Payment schedule clear (deposit + installments vs. full payment)
Due diligence
- Instagram checked (tagged photos, not just official posts)
- At least one independent review or mention found
- Specific questions asked and answered satisfactorily
- Location verified on Google Maps/Street View
Common mistakes
Choosing on aesthetics alone
The most beautiful coliving I’ve seen had terrible WiFi and no community management. The most impactful coliving experience I’ve had was in a simple house with ugly furniture and incredible people. Photos sell you the space. What you’ll remember is the people.
Ignoring the minimum stay
Booking a one-week stay at a coliving where everyone else stays a month means you’re the tourist in a community of residents. You’ll feel like an outsider because you are one. Match the minimum stay to the community rhythm.
Not checking the neighborhood
I’ve talked to guests who booked a gorgeous coliving that turned out to be 45 minutes from the nearest town with no public transport. The space was perfect. The isolation was miserable. Always check what’s around the coliving, not just the coliving itself.
Assuming all colivings are the same
A Selina property and a Sende chapter are both “coliving,” but the experience is about as similar as a Marriott and a bed & breakfast. Size, vibe, community model, programming, and price vary enormously. Treat each coliving as a unique product, not a commodity.
Waiting too long to book
Pop-up programs fill up. The best rooms go first. Early-bird pricing expires. If you’ve done your research and something feels right, book it. The perfect coliving doesn’t exist, and the one you’re looking at has a spot right now that might not be there next week. Pull the trigger at 70% certainty and figure out the rest when you arrive.
A final note
The coliving you choose matters less than you think. What matters is that you choose one and go. Every coliving veteran will tell you: the first one is the hardest to book and the one you overthink the most. By your third, you know what you want, you book fast, and you show up ready to make it great.
Stop researching. Pick one. Go.
