Casa Basilico vs Banama: A Coliving Comparison

If you're researching coliving options and Banama came up, you're probably wondering whether it's the right fit, or whether there's something better. Banama runs a fixed base in Fuerteventura plus pop-up locations, with prices ranging from €1,540 to €1,960/month. Casa Basilico is a fully pop-up foodie coliving for digital nomads, currently in Oaxaca, Mexico. The biggest difference is the vibe. Banama leans into the surf and Canary Islands aesthetic. Casa Basilico is built around food, spontaneous community, and the kind of nights you'll still be talking about in three years. Both are solid options. But if you're the kind of person who'd rather make pasta with strangers than watch strangers do yoga at sunrise, you've probably already figured out which one is for you.

What even is Banama?

Banama has been operating coliving spaces since 2020, with a permanent base in Corralejo, Fuerteventura, plus seasonal pop-up locations. Their positioning is community-focused remote work: coworking space included, organized activities, structured social programming. Pricing sits between €1,540 and €1,960/month depending on room type and season.

It's a legitimate operation with real reviews and a track record. If Fuerteventura is on your list and you want something organized, Banama will tick boxes.

Organized isn't always the same as alive.

So what's Casa Basilico then?

We're a pop-up foodie coliving for digital nomads. No fixed base, no permanent address. We drop into a destination for one chapter at a time and build something real with the people who show up. 180+ nomads have lived with us across chapters in Las Palmas, Tarifa, Madeira, Pipa (Brazil), and now Oaxaca.

Food is the core technology. Not a "we have a communal kitchen" checkbox. Actual cosa mangiamo stasera energy. Cooking together, eating together, going to the market at 8am because someone heard about a tlayyuda spot that opens early. Shared meals are how you go from strangers to family, and Oxford research on social bonding backs that up: eating together releases more endorphins than eating alone. Science said it, we just built a coliving around it.

how food builds community in coliving

How does the price compare?

Let's be direct about the numbers.

Banama runs €1,540–€1,960/month for a full-month stay. That covers accommodation, coworking, and access to their activities program.

Casa Basilico prices vary by chapter and tier. We run tiered launch pricing: Tier 0 (biggest discount, for alumni and whitelist), Tier 1 (early bird), and full price. Private rooms and ensuite options are available at each tier. Oaxaca pricing is competitive with Banama's range, and in most cases below it, especially if you grab an early spot.

What you get at Casa Basilico that doesn't show up in the price breakdown:

Check current pricing and availability

What's the community actually like?

Banama attracts a solid mix of remote workers, mostly European, with a decent churn of people coming and going. The structured activities model means you'll meet people, but structured socialization has a ceiling. There's a version of coliving where you know everyone's name but not their story.

At Casa Basilico, the community is built by the food. You learn more about someone in one hour of chopping vegetables than in three days of coworking side by side. It sounds cliché until you've been there.

Our guests tend to skew 23–40, come from the US, Poland, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Canada, and all over Europe, and are mostly working in tech, marketing, and entrepreneurship. They're not here for the Instagram content (though the food photos are great). They come back for the people.

We've got alumni who've done two, three chapters. That doesn't happen at a coliving that's just logistically convenient.

See past chapters and alumni stories

Banama is surf and sun. Casa Basilico is... what exactly?

Fair question. Banama's aesthetic is pretty clearly Canary Islands: surf, sun, beach, outdoor coworking vibes. It works for a specific type of nomad.

Casa Basilico is food-first and destination-agnostic. We pick places because of the food culture, the community we can build there, and the experience of actually living somewhere rather than passing through. Oaxaca is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Pipa had fresh fish and the best açaí I've ever had in my life. Tarifa had that wind-hammered end-of-the-world energy and the best tortilla española within 200km.

We don't do beach clubs and yoga schedules. We do: what are we eating tonight, who's cooking, and can we fit 12 people around this table if we push the chairs together.

Why we chose Oaxaca for 2026

Okay but is Banama actually bad?

No. That's not the point of this post and we're not going to pretend it is.

Banama has a functioning operation, good infrastructure, coworking included, and Fuerteventura is a nice place to spend a month. If you want a European base with good weather, reliable Wi-Fi, and an organized community structure, Banama will deliver that.

The question isn't whether Banama is bad. It's whether what Banama offers is what you need.

If your answer to "what does a great coliving look like" involves words like structured, beachfront, surf, and Canary Islands, Banama probably fits.

If your answer involves words like food, spontaneous, real friendships, cultural immersion, and wait did someone just make mole from scratch for 18 people, you're in the right place.

What do people say who've done both?

We've had guests who came to Casa Basilico after other colivings, Banama included. The most common thing we hear: "I didn't expect the food to actually be the thing."

It's not a sales line we invented. It's what happens when you build an entire experience around eating together. By week two, guests are cooking for each other without being asked. Someone's teaching someone else how to make pierogi. Someone else has claimed the Saturday morning tlayuda run. The kitchen runs on vibes and mild chaos and it works every single time.

No coliving comparison chart is going to capture that. But you'll feel it in the first 48 hours.

Ready to see what the fuss is about?

Current chapter: Oaxaca, Mexico 2026. Spots are going fast. Tier 0 pricing is for alumni and the whitelist, Tier 1 is for everyone else who moves before it sells out.

Come hungry. Leave with friends you'll still have in ten years.

Join us in Oaxaca →

FAQ

Is Casa Basilico more expensive than Banama?

Not necessarily. Banama charges €1,540–€1,960/month depending on the season and room type. Casa Basilico pricing varies by chapter and tier. Grab an early spot and you'll likely pay less than Banama's base rate, with more included in terms of the actual community experience.

Does Casa Basilico have a coworking space?

Each chapter house has a setup for remote work: fast Wi-Fi (we test the connection before we sign a lease), dedicated work areas, and the kind of focused energy that comes from living with other remote workers. It's not a commercial coworking space with hot desks and pod rentals, but it works exactly as well for people who just need a good connection and the right headspace.

Can I come as a solo traveller?

Yes, and honestly, solo travellers tend to have the best time. You arrive not knowing anyone and leave with a group chat that won't stop. We've had guests who came solo and ended up co-founding projects, travelling together afterwards, and, occasionally, other things we're legally not allowed to elaborate on.

How long do I need to stay?

Minimum one month. We're built around slowmading: actually living somewhere rather than being a tourist who also has Slack open. Short stays don't work with the community dynamic we're trying to create, and honestly, one month is barely enough.

What if I can't cook?

Even better, you'll learn. Nobody arrives a good cook and leaves unchanged. We've had people who'd never made pasta in their lives go home making cacio e pepe from memory. The kitchen is collaborative, never judgy. Show up willing to try and you'll be fine. Show up hungry and you'll definitely be fine.