Coliving vs Coworking: Understanding the Difference

Coliving and coworking are not the same thing, even though people mix them up constantly. Coworking is about where you work: a shared office space you pay to use by the day, week, or month. Coliving is about where you live: a shared housing arrangement that typically includes your bedroom, communal areas, and often a workspace too. The confusion makes sense because many coliving spaces include coworking facilities, and some coworking spaces have started adding sleep pods or short-term housing to their offer. The core difference: coworking ends when you close your laptop and go home. Coliving is the home you go back to. For digital nomads specifically, coliving bundles accommodation, community, and (usually) a place to work into one monthly payment, which is why it's exploded since 2020. Coworking alone doesn't solve the loneliness problem. Coliving addresses the whole thing.

Wait, aren't they basically the same thing?

Honestly, we get this question a lot. And the answer is no. But it's an understandable mix-up.

Coworking started around 2005 when a guy named Brad Neuberg rented a desk in San Francisco and called it a "coworking space." The idea was simple: freelancers and remote workers needed somewhere professional to sit that wasn't a coffee shop. You pay for a desk, you get wifi and maybe a coffee machine, you do your thing, you leave. The space closes at 7pm. You go back to your apartment alone.

Coliving came later, driven by the same remote work wave but solving a different problem. Not just "where do I work" but "where do I live, who do I eat dinner with, and how do I not go insane in a city where I know nobody?"

The global coworking market hit roughly $26 billion in 2023 and is still growing (Grand View Research). There are now over 35,000 coworking spaces worldwide (Coworking Resources). Those are big numbers. But they don't touch the loneliness problem at all. They just give you a professional backdrop for your Zoom calls.

The coliving market is smaller but growing faster. Valued at around $8.7 billion in 2023, expected to reach nearly $14 billion by 2028 (Allied Market Research). Why? Because working remotely from a nice desk doesn't stop you from feeling like you're living inside a microwave. Community does.

What is coliving?

What do you actually get with each one?

Honest breakdown, no marketing fluff:

A coworking membership typically gets you:

A coliving typically gets you:

The overlap happens at the edges. Some premium coworking spaces (WeWork being the obvious example) have experimented with "WeLive" — coliving attached to coworking. Some coliving operators run their own coworking space inside the house. At Casa Basilico, for instance, the "coworking" is wherever you want it to be: the kitchen table, the terrace, the communal living room. That's intentional. We think rigid desk assignments miss the point for slowmads.

Pop-up coliving vs fixed coliving: the full breakdown

Which one is better for digital nomads?

Depends what problem you're trying to solve.

If you already have accommodation sorted and just need somewhere professional to work that isn't your bedroom — coworking makes total sense. You're paying €150-400/month (varies enormously by city) for a clean desk and wifi that doesn't cut out during your 10am standup. Done. That's a good spend.

But if you're moving to a new city for a month and you don't know anyone, the coworking membership doesn't help you figure out where to eat, who to hang out with on weekends, or how to not feel like you're on a very boring business trip. That's the gap coliving fills.

Buffer's State of Remote Work survey has consistently flagged loneliness and communication as the two biggest struggles for remote workers. In their 2023 edition, 23% of respondents listed loneliness as their top challenge — up year on year. A hot desk doesn't fix that. A house full of people who are also figuring out Mexico City or Oaxaca or Madeira does.

The other consideration is cost. In most cities, a coliving that includes accommodation, utilities, and workspace runs between €800-3000/month depending on the destination and operator. Coworking alone might be €150-400. But if you add rent, utilities, wifi setup, and the cost of eating out every night because your Airbnb kitchen is depressing, the coliving often comes out neutral or cheaper, plus you actually enjoy your month.

Is coliving worth the money? A real breakdown

Can you do both at the same time?

Yes, and a lot of nomads do.

Some people stay in a coliving for accommodation and community, but commute to a coworking space for focused work during the day. This works especially well if your coliving's workspace is noisy (communal tables aren't for everyone during deep work blocks) or if you want some separation between "home" and "office."

Most Casa Basilico guests find the coliving gives them enough to work well. Good wifi, enough quiet corners, and the ability to cook your own lunch instead of dropping €15 at a café every day.

The nomads who end up doing both tend to be the ones who:

There's no wrong answer. Coliving and coworking aren't competing products. They're solving different things. They can stack.

What makes Casa Basilico different from a coworking space?

Short answer: we feed you.

Longer answer: Casa Basilico is a pop-up coliving, which means we don't have a permanent base. We rent entire properties in destinations we think are worth living in (Oaxaca, Pipa, Las Palmas, Madeira) and fill them with 10-20 digital nomads for a month at a time. You get a bedroom, communal spaces, fast wifi, and a community that feels more like a chaotic Italian family dinner than a networking event.

The food thing is real, by the way. It's not a marketing angle. Fabio cooks for 20+ people regularly. We do group dinners, cooking classes, market trips. The kitchen is the social hub in a way that no coworking lounge has ever managed to be.

What we're not: a coworking space with beds attached. We're a home that happens to have wifi and a bunch of people who work remotely.

More about who we are and why we do this

The bottom line

Coworking = where you work. Coliving = how you live while you work remotely.

If you've been bouncing between Airbnbs and coffee shops and accumulating expensive coworking day passes while eating sad €8 sandwiches alone at your laptop, coliving is probably what you've been missing. The desk might not be better. But the human part matters.

We've had 180+ guests come through Casa Basilico since we started. The people who get the most out of it aren't the ones with the most productive months. They're the ones who arrive not knowing what to expect and leave having built actual friendships over carbonara at midnight.

That's not something a coworking membership ever built for anyone.

Come find out what you've been missing.

Join us for the next chapter — Oaxaca 2026

FAQ

Is coliving just expensive coworking?

No. Coworking is a workspace you pay for by the day or month. Coliving is where you sleep, eat, and live — it includes a workspace, but the workspace is almost a bonus. You're paying for the whole package: accommodation, community, and an environment designed for remote workers who want more than a hot desk.

Can I use a coworking space and a coliving at the same time?

Absolutely. Some nomads stay in a coliving for accommodation and community, then work from a nearby coworking space during the day for a change of environment. Both serve different needs and they're not mutually exclusive.

Is coliving cheaper than renting an apartment?

Often yes, when you factor in everything. Coliving includes rent, utilities, wifi, and usually some meals or communal kitchen access. When you add up a furnished apartment, bills, decent wifi setup, and eating out daily because the kitchen is bad — coliving frequently comes out equal or cheaper. The math depends on the city.

Do all colivings have a coworking space?

No, and some of the best ones don't bother with a formal "coworking space." What matters is reliable wifi and enough room to work comfortably. Some colivings have dedicated desks and private booths. Others have a communal table and a terrace. If you need complete silence during work hours, ask specifically about workspace setup before you book.

How long can you stay in a coliving?

It varies by operator. Some colivings offer monthly rolling contracts with no end date. Pop-up colivings like Casa Basilico run for a defined period — usually one month — at a specific destination, then move. If you want to colive longer, you either extend at the same location (if the operator is returning) or join the next chapter in a different city.