Settling into a new country as digital nomads isn’t always easy…⁣
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…We spent our first full month in Medellin, Colombia going through a list of things to sort out for ourselves (per usual).⁣
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It might look like we just land in a country and have everything sorted by day 1 but that’s certainly not the case.⁣
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In each country as digital nomads, you have to:⁣
- Buy a local SIM card (or find an eSIM solution - @airalocom & @realnomadtravel are our faves)⁣
- Find your local grocery store⁣
- Get connected with the digital nomad community (constantly putting ourselves out there)⁣
- Figure out where to work (coworking vs cafes)⁣
- Plan the activities we want to do while visiting the country⁣
- And so much more!⁣
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We heard so much about Medellin for digital nomads, we just had to check out what all the buzz was about (especially as we run a blog for digital nomads).⁣
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This was also my (Ashley’s) birthday month and we went paragliding for the first time (2nd pic). We flew with @paraglidingmedellin 💯 I absolutely loved it - if you get the chance, it was a great experience!⁣
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#medellindigitalnomad #colombiadigitalnomad #digitalnomadlife #funnytravel #traveltheworld #catchflightsnotfeelings #workandtravel #workfromwifi #digitalnomad #travellifestyle #twoticketsanywhere
2022 didn’t start off as we expected…⁣
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…lying on the beach in Thailand, one of our favorite places in the world. 🌴⁣
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Instead, we were touring a couple more US cities: Phoenix, San Francisco and Miami! At this point, we didn’t know how our year would look but we just needed to nail down our next location as digital nomads.⁣
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How did we do that? Simply go on Google flights, enter Miami (where we currently were) and don’t add a destination! There was one place that popped up that was high on our digital nomad destination list - Medellin, Colombia! 🇨🇴⁣
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For $245.15 USD total, Matthew and I hopped on a 2 hour plane ride to a country (and continent) we’ve never stepped foot on before! 🥹⁣
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We were tired of flying and traveling (faster than usual) and we decided to make Medellin our base for a few months but that’s for the next couple of posts to come…⁣
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#travelawesome #digitalnomad #fulltimetravel #travelinglifestyle #travel #digitalnomadlifestyle #laptoplifestyle #exploretheworld #passportcollective #traveldestination #digitalnomaddiary
Well, that's the truth...🤷🏻‍♀️ ⠀ Dig Well, that's the truth...🤷🏻‍♀️
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Digital nomad life isn’t for everyone.

There are days you’ll feel excited to live in a new country every couple of months, ready to learn about other cultures & always inspired by fellow digital nomads you meet on the road. 

But there are days where you’ll feel lonely, stuck, miserable and exhausted from moving and/or always making new friends. 

This digital nomad lifestyle is no way perfect, as it may look. But…

We wouldn’t have it any other way 🤍
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#travelreels #digitalnomadlife #funnytravel #traveltheworld #catchflightsnotfeelings #workandtravel #workfromwifi #digitalnomad #travellifestyle #traveladdict #travel #twoticketsanywhere #travelblogger #travelawesome #digitalnomadlifestyle #fulltimetravel #passportcollective #travelcouple #funnytravel
there's just something about this feeling ✈️⠀
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#travelreels #digitalnomadlife #funnytravel #seetheworld #catchflightsnotfeelings #workandtravel #workfromwifi #digitalnomad #travellifestyle #traveladdict #travel #twoticketsanywhere #travelblogger #travelawesome
sunsets in zadar, croatia 🫶⠀
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#hotsummernights #midjuly #digitalnomadcouple #zadar #croatia #europesummer #zadarcroatia #digitalnomadlife #workfromanywhere #remotework #travel #travelreels
Zagreb isn’t your likely destination when visiti Zagreb isn’t your likely destination when visiting Croatia 🇭🇷

In fact, lots of people never make it up this way. But digital nomads do!

Here’s the reasons we chose Zagreb as our digital nomad hub for the month of July:

💸 AFFORDABLE COST OF LIVING
Zagreb is less crowded during the summer time which means you get more deals on things like accommodation - its much cheaper than Split or Dubrovnik! Here’s some numbers (in USD) to give you a better picture:

🚊 Public transport = $0.80
☕️ Coffee + drinks = $2 - $4
🍽 Eating Out = $9 - $12
🛶 Activities = $5 - $50

👯‍♀️ GROWING DIGITAL NOMAD COMMUNITY
We’re surprised by how strong the community is in Zagreb! We made friends during our first coworking event & found an awesome group of digital nomads to hang out with ever since.

👩🏻‍💻 DECENT CAFE & COWORKING SCENE
We cowork at cafes with our friends at least 2-3 times a week. Coworking is kind of expensive here and imo not worth it because it’s too ‘corporate’ for our liking.

⛺️ GREAT BASE TO EXPLORE CROATIA
Plitvice Lakes is 2.5 hours away & popular coast towns like Pula, Zadar or Rovinj are only 3-4 hours drive away. You get the structure that comes from having a base but you get to travel/explore on the weekends - kinda perfect!

☺️ COMFORTABLE LIFESTYLE
Public transport is a breeze in Zagreb - you can take a bus, tram or walk into the city fairly quick. It's super safe here!

We’ve lived in Zagreb as digital nomads for a couple weeks now and tbh - we didn’t love it at first. But after some time, we can now say we are seriously enjoying our lifestyle here. The community is amazing and we’re so glad we chose Zagreb! It’s just so peaceful and comfortable (which you don’t expect from a capital city)!

Would you consider being a digital nomad in Zagreb?

#digitalnomaddiaries #workfromwifi #fulltimetravel #workandtravel #digitalnomad #laptoplifestyle #workanywhere #digitalnomadlifestyle #travelblog #digitalnomadlife #blogger #twoticketsanywhere #digitalnomadblogger #beCEOofyourlife #digitalnomadcouple
Travel solves life's problems, right? 😅⠀ ⠀ Travel solves life's problems, right? 😅⠀
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#traveltheworld #travelreels #digitalnomad #travelinglifestyle #travelfunny #traveladdict #wanderlust #travelreels #exploretheworld #catchflights #traveling #fulltimetravel #digitalnomadlifestyle #travelcouple
And we’re LIVE 🥳 Two Tickets Anywhere is a bl And we’re LIVE 🥳 Two Tickets Anywhere is a blog with everything you wish you knew about the digital nomad lifestyle.⁣
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When we first started out, there was barely any content on this lifestyle. We just had to jump in headfirst and figured it out from there. ⁣
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That’s why we created Two Tickets Anywhere where you can learn about things like:⁣
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👩‍💻 best places to work from (coworking/cafes)⁣
💸 honest cost of living guides⁣
✈️ discover new, upcoming DN cities ⁣
👯‍♀️ join a community of people that just get you⁣
🗺 complete digital nomad destination guides⁣
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After 4 years of full-time travel, we are excited to launch our digital nomad blog to help you work online and travel the world!⁣
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Check it out - twoticketsanywhere.com⁣
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If you want to support us, the best way is to obvs read our blog posts BUT also subscribe to our newsletter which drops on Sunday 🥳⁣
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#digitalnomadblog #twoticketsanywhere #traveltheworld #digitalnomadlifestyle #travelinglife #fulltimetravel #digitalnomadcouple #travelreels #travelcouple #golittlerockstar #createalifeyoulove #remotelife #workfromanywhere #workfromwifi #exploretheglobe
Novi Sad, this charming town is the best day trip Novi Sad, this charming town is the best day trip from Belgrade🇷🇸

Looking to escape the city life? It’s easy enough to catch the train, Novi Sad is a small town perfect for chilling, wandering around and drinking coffee at the cute cafes.

HOW TO GET THERE 🚊
Take the Coco high-speed trains that get you to Novi Sad in only 36 mins. Buy tickets via the app - Srbija voz and it’s only going to cost $3.40 USD for a one-way first class ticket.

COFFEE ☕️
Sit at a cafe and enjoy a cup of coffee - Zenit Books & Loft Downtown.

FOOD 🥘
Pls try Burek - the best place in Novi Sad is 100% Burek. Kombinat is a popular place to have lunch. But we recommend grabbing food from Maxi and having a picnic at Danube Park!

SEE, DO 🏰
Visit the Petrovaradin Fortress at sunset, chill on the ‘beach’ - The Strand, walk around Danube Park & stare at the beautiful Name of Mary Catholic Church.

You can spend a day in Novi Sad or it’s also great for a weekend getaway. Whichever you choose, just don’t miss Novi Sad on your digital nomad travels through Serbia 🇷🇸

#twoticketsanywhere #fulltimetravel #serbia #novisad #visitserbia #digitalnomadserbia #seetheworld#digitalnomaddiaries #workfromwifi #fulltimetravel #workandtravel #serbiatourism #novisadserbia
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Two Tickets Anywhere

Digital Nomad Couple

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Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Guide: Everything You Need To Know

Category Digital Nomad, Mexico, Playa del Carmen Updated on January 23, 2022

playa del carmen digital nomad living
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Being a Playa del Carmen digital nomad has always been a dream of ours ever since we started this lifestyle.

The sunshine, the beach, and Mexican food?! What’s not to love about Playa del Carmen?! It seemed like a haven for digital nomads, remote workers and online entrepreneurs!

When the opportunity came about to finally become Playa del Carmen digital nomads – we bought our tickets, booked our apartment and set off for the Caribbean horizon.

Spoiler Alert: We loved it so much – we extended our stay to 3 months (the longest we’ve stayed in 1 city!).

We hope this guide gives you a realistic idea of what it’s like to be a Playa del Carmen digital nomad. We made sure to include everything from the cost of living, where to stay, coworking spaces and whether there was a solid digital nomad community.

Let’s get this started. Vamos!

In This Article: hide
Why Playa del Carmen Could Be The Next Digital Nomad Hotspot?
3 Months As A Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Was Pure Bliss
Visa Situation for Mexico
How To Get To Playa del Carmen From Cancun Airport
How to Get a SIM Card in Playa del Carmen?
When Is The Best Time To Visit Playa del Carmen for Digital Nomads?
Best Months To Visit Playa del Carmen
Worst Months To Visit Playa del Carmen
Where To Stay in Playa del Carmen?
Our Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Apartment
What’s the Wifi Speed in Playa del Carmen for digital nomads?
Cost of Living for Playa del Carmen Digital Nomads
Is There A Digital Nomad Community in Playa del Carmen?
3 Best Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Coworking Spaces
NEST Coworking
Bunker Coworking
Selina Coworking
5 Cafes for Playa del Carmen Digital Nomads to Work From
Midogo Cafe
Choux Choux
Bajo Cafe
Starbucks
Basic Foodie
Which Gym To Go To In Playa del Carmen?
The Gym Playa del Carmen
Evolve Fitness Playa del Carmen
A Day In The Life of 2 Digital Nomads in Playa del Carmen
Weekend Things To Do As Digital Nomads in Playa del Carmen
Day Trip To Tulum
Swim In Cenotes
Visit Chichen Itza & ‘Pueblo Magico’ Valladolid
Weekend Trip To Merida
Best Places To Eat Tacos in Playa del Carmen
For Birria Tacos: Birria Tacos y Consome (Birria de la 30)
For Sirloin/Beef Tacos: Don Sirloin
For Al Pastor Tacos: El Fogon
Is Playa del Carmen Safe?
Should You Become A Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad or Tulum Digital Nomad?
Being A Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Is Pretty Sweet

Why Playa del Carmen Could Be The Next Digital Nomad Hotspot?

You’ve got the digital nomad trifecta cities – Chiang Mai, Bali and Medellin. But what about Playa del Carmen? While we were in Southeast Asia as digital nomads, we always heard about how great and under-rated Playa del Carmen was. We knew it could be a great place for digital nomads because of the sunshine, the seemingly low cost of living and most importantly – wifi seemed to be at top speeds.

playa del camen mexico flag

With coworking spaces popping up around town – we knew Playa del Carmen could become the next digital nomad hotspot. Especially since Chris the Freelancer went and spent a month there! And off we went to become Playa del Carmen digital nomads for a month (or so we thought) and see what all the hype is about.

We believe Playa del Carmen will continue to rise to the top of the list of digital nomad destinations for a lot of the reasons you’ll read below.

3 Months As A Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Was Pure Bliss

We initially thought we would spend one month in Playa del Carmen then move around Mexico. We are definitely slow travelers which means we spend 1-3 months in a place to help us build a routine, get settled and *actually* get some work done.

matthew ashley lido beach club playa del carmen
matthew ashley indigo beach club playa del carmen

We ended up being Playa del Carmen digital nomads for 3 months and we don’t regret it a single bit! We enjoyed eating tacos (almost) every single day, sipping on margaritas by the beach and getting to know fellow Playa del Carmen digital nomads.

To be honest: it’s easy to get stuck and comfortable in Playa del Carmen. You’ll see why by the end of this blog!

Visa Situation for Mexico

Mexico’s visa situation is quite unique. You get 180 days (6 months) visa on arrival!* This is such an attractive option for those that like to slow travel.

mexican fmm visa
Important: Keep your FMM card safe! You need this card to get out of Mexico or you will be fined around $500 pesos.

*Immigration officers in Mexico ultimately decide the number of days they’ll give you. It’s not guaranteed you’ll get 180 days (I’ve heard some get 90 days), every person we met in Playa seemed to have gotten 180 days. They will write the number of days you get on your FMM card.

How To Get To Playa del Carmen From Cancun Airport

The closest airport to Playa del Carmen is Cancun International Airport and it’s about a 1-hour drive away. Getting from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen is fairly straightforward.

Here are 2 of the best travel options:

  • ADO Bus – Taking the bus will be the cheapest option. You might wait a little longer than compared to getting a private transfer but it’s the most cost-effective option. The ADO bus costs $216 pesos ($10.62 USD).
  • Private Transfer – We chose this option. As it was our first time in Mexico, we wanted a smooth connection all the way through. We booked online in advance, found the guy right outside the terminal and hopped into the car. Fast, easy, and reliable! The company we went with is eTransfers and it cost us a total of $45 USD.

How to Get a SIM Card in Playa del Carmen?

Thankfully, there are plenty of options in Mexico for data/sim cards. Getting a sim card in Playa del Carmen was easy. We went to a stall beneath the MEGA Soriana grocery store and the lady helped us out.

There are three sim card options for Playa del Carmen digital nomads:

  1. Telcel
  2. MoviStar
  3. AT&T Unidos

I asked my Mexican friend, Abraham, and he said that Telcel was the best for reception around Mexico so we went for Telcel.

matthew buying telcel sim card playa del carmen mexico

Data works a little differently – you don’t just get unlimited everything. Let me explain – you’ll buy a 30-day package and you will get unlimited social media plus 3 GB of data for hot-spotting.

Check out our detailed guide on buying a sim card Playa del Carmen.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Playa del Carmen for Digital Nomads?

The best time to visit Playa del Carmen, in our opinion, is during the shoulder months (April, May, September, October). For a Playa del Carmen digital nomad who prefers fewer crowds of tourists and lower rental prices – this could be the right time for you to visit too.

outside dentist office playa del carmen

This turns out to be a more important question than we thought because it directly impacts how your stay goes.

Here’s why:

  • The prices change drastically depending on the time you visit i.e. prices can either double or triple.
  • It’s not always sunshine and rainbows in paradise! You have hurricane and sargassum season.

Make sure you take note of this before finalizing all your plans to become a Playa del Carmen digital nomad.

Best Months To Visit Playa del Carmen

The best months to visit Playa del Carmen are April, May, September and October.

beach volleyball playa del carmen mexico

While we had to deal with a few rainy days, we would prefer it!

Worst Months To Visit Playa del Carmen

The worst months to visit Playa del Carmen are December, January, February.

streets of playa del carmen

Talk about tourist central and you are usually paying 2x – 3x more for your apartment. While this is the best time weather-wise – you will pay for it.

Where To Stay in Playa del Carmen?

If you’re going to stay for only, we recommend getting a place in the center of town. This allows you to be 5-15 minutes from the beach, cafes, and restaurants.

However, if you’re looking to become a resident Playa del Carmen of 2-3+ months then you can look further out from the Centro area. There’s a bike rental app called BiciPlaya and it’s $25 for the year for unlimited rides. A good option if you decide to live further out.

neighborhoods playa del carmen google maps

These are the most popular neighborhoods amongst Playa del Carmen digital nomads:

  • Centro
  • Zazil Ha
  • CTM area

Word of warning: Stay at least 2-3 blocks away from 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida) because it’s usually noisy all hours of the night and you’ll barely get any sleep!

What’s the best way to get a place while living in Playa del Carmen?

– Facebook Groups: Lots of digital nomads find places through FB groups and/or while they are walking around the town. You can book a place for 2-5 nights and focus on securing an apartment by contacting real estate agents, calling the signs on apartments and asking friends. This takes time but you will probably end up paying a reasonable price. Here’s the best ones to join:

  • Rentals & Sales in Central Playa del Carmen – https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralpdc/
  • Playa del Carmen Insiders Guide – https://www.facebook.com/groups/PlayadelCarmenInsidersGuide/
  • Digital Nomads Playa Del Carmen Cancun Tulum – https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalnomadplayatulumcancun

– Airbnb: The easiest and most expensive option is Airbnb. Again, if you’re only going to be here a month – it might be worth splashing a little more on your apartment to save you the hassle. We chose this option for our first month then negotiated with our host (off Airbnb) to stay for the next 2 months and this worked out best!

Our Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Apartment

I have to preface this and say we got very lucky with our rental apartment.

While we were in Alaska, I was scouring Airbnb for the perfect apartment for us. Our budget was between $500-$700 USD for 1 month. There were surprisingly plenty of accommodation options within our budget and…

…We found our dream Airbnb Playa del Carmen apartment!

rooftop pool one bedroom apartment playa del carmen
cinema one bedroom apartment playa del carmen
living room one bedroom apartment playa del carmen
master bedroom playa del carmen apartment side angle

There were a lot of reasons we loved this place:

1. Location. Location. Location. We were in the heart of Centro but far enough away from 5th Avenida and still a 7-minute walk to the beach!

2. One bedroom place. It’s a big deal y’all. We are used to staying in small studio rental apartments! We actually had a real living room with a couch and a TV. Luxury!!!

3. Within our budget. We paid $684.41 USD for an entire month including all facilities, electricity, and wifi.

4. Building Facilities. Our Playa del Carmen digital nomad apartment building had a rooftop pool (sunsets were amazing up here), a billiard room, a home theater, and a meeting room. Yes – seriously all of that included in the price! Note: look for places with a building that has great facilities – this is a thing in Playa del Carmen.

FYI: Things have changed since we stayed (2020), prices have soared tremendously in Playa del Carmen. Think double or triple what we paid – no joke! So accommodation options are more limited now and you’ll have to plan ahead.

What’s the Wifi Speed in Playa del Carmen for digital nomads?

The wifi speed in Playa del Carmen was the best we had in Latin America. We went to San Cristobal de las Casas, Lake Atitlan, and Antigua Guatemala – it was still the best in PDC.

Our favorite digital nomad cafe to work from, Midogo Cafe, had speeds of 200+ Mbps. A rare and unique occurrence we later realized!

wifi speed basic foodie cafe playa del carmen

Our apartment wifi speed wasn’t the fastest at only about 10-15 Mbps but we were still able to stream Netflix and Matt could still play his Nintendo Switch.

Overall, the wifi speed in Playa del Carmen ranges from 10 Mbps to 200 Mbps. I know a big range but it’s pretty much a mixed bag depending on where you go. Check with your Airbnb host before booking so you don’t end up with super slow wifi (because you can get lower than 10 Mbps if you’re not careful).

Cost of Living for Playa del Carmen Digital Nomads

Have we convinced you yet to become a Playa del Carmen digital nomad?

Well, we understand that you might be asking yourself “What’s the cost of living Playa del Carmen?”

Just like we would wonder so we calculated every single dollar we spent while being Playa del Carmen digital nomads and it was surprisingly lower than expected!

Here’s a breakdown of everything we spent in Playa del Carmen:

  • Accommodation: $684
  • Utilities: –
  • Coworking: –
  • Groceries: $356
  • Dining Out: $403
  • Coffee: $144
  • Drinking-Water: $18
  • Transport: $48
  • Phone Plan: $22
  • Activities & Entertainment: $194
  • Gym Membership: –

Our total cost of living for 1 month in Playa del Carmen is $1, 869 USD.

If you want a more detailed breakdown, check out our cost of living Playa del Carmen post.

Is There A Digital Nomad Community in Playa del Carmen?

There is a huge expat community in Playa del Carmen but is there a digital nomad one?

We’ve heard there was a good community but being there for 2-3 weeks, we didn’t really meet anyone. It was kinda weird but we also didn’t really put ourselves out there.

We went to a popular Tuesday night activity, Trivia Night. While it was fun, we didn’t really meet like-minded digital nomads that were on the road like us (there were more expats staying for at least 1-2 years).

coworking wednesdays inti beach club playa del carmen
Photo by our talented friend, Christina Spoerer

However, I was in one of the digital nomad/expat WhatsApp groups and saw a text about a coworking meetup. So we leaped at the chance and made some pretty awesome friends there like Christina, Dave and Markus. From there, we created a pretty solid friend group!

So is there a Playa del Carmen digital nomad community? YES! Just be open, put yourself out there and work hard to get connected.

These are the best Facebook groups for Playa del Carmen digital nomads to join:

  • Digital Nomad Crew Playa del Carmen & Tulum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dncplayadelcarmen/
  • Digital Nomads Playa Del Carmen Cancun Tulum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalnomadplayatulumcancun/

Digital Nomad Tip: Join the groups BEFORE you land so you can hit the ground running with events, meetups and eventually friends!

3 Best Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Coworking Spaces

You are spoilt for choice with coworking spaces as a Playa del Carmen digital nomad! New ones are popping up every year but we’ve rounded our top 3 here:

NEST Coworking

You might say NEST Coworking is the OG Playa del Carmen coworking space – it is also the largest space. They have comfortable chairs, a solid digital nomad community and fast wifi.

nest coworking workspace playa del carmen

We would choose NEST coworking because the community is more our ‘vibe’ and they have created a great space to get some deep/focused work done!

Open 24/7; Monthly membership costs $180 USD; Wifi speeds of 60+ Mbps.

Bunker Coworking

BUNKER Playa del Carmen Coworking is another great option for you. It opened around 2020 when we were there.

bunker playa del carmen coworking

This coworking space wasn’t for us just because I love working with lots of natural light and unfortunately Bunker didn’t have much of it. They do boast of having the fastest wifi speeds of all spaces around 200 Mbps – so there’s that!

Open 24/7; Monthly membership costs $165 USD; Wifi speeds of 200+ Mbps.

Selina Coworking

Selina Playa del Carmen is a popular choice for backpackers. The brand is hostel/coworking space all across Latin America with a few branches opening in Europe.

selina playa del carmen coworking
Photo by Selina Playa del Carmen Coworking

It’s a good option if you still want comfortable desk and chairs. However, we found the crowd isn’t quite what we were looking for. It can get quite loud because you have many people coming in and out because it is both a hostel and a coworking space. You might just have to try it for yourself!

Open 24/7; Monthly membership costs $165 USD; Wifi speeds of 25-50 Mbps.

Can’t decide which is for you? Check out our Playa del Carmen coworking post for a more detailed guide.

5 Cafes for Playa del Carmen Digital Nomads to Work From

We do our fair share of cafe hopping as digital nomads. I especially love to work from home in the mornings and work from cafes in the afternoon.

But what makes a cafe great for digital nomads?

For us it comes down to these 5 things:

  1. Decent wifi speed
  2. Plethora of plugs
  3. Friendliness towards DNs
  4. Good seating and good coffee (duh)
  5. Digital nomad community

Here are the 5 best cafes Playa del Carmen for digital nomads to relax, work well and hopefully make some friends:

Midogo Cafe

Our ultimate favorite (and a total hidden gem) is Midogo Cafe Playa del Carmen. Matthew was walking around 10 Avenue, saw this little cafe and decided to pop inside. While it didn’t seem like much of a cafe at first, we quickly realized it was the best coffee in PDC and the chairs were comfortable to sit for at least 2-3 hours at a time.

front midogo cafe playa del carmen mexico

So we came back to work and with wifi speeds of 200+ Mbps – we were hooked! Eventually, our routine was to get coffee and spend our morning work session there.

Choux Choux

Choux Choux is a super popular cafe in Playa for good reason. With the tropical vibes, yummy pastries and awesome baristas – it’s easy to see why. It reminded us of our Bali digital nomad days!

matthew working from choux choux cafe playa del carmen

The wifi on the other hand…was a hit and miss. It seemed to have a capacity on the number of people that could be connected and so if it was at its max we just couldn’t log on to the wifi. The chairs also aren’t the most comfortable for long work sessions but if you get a seat outside – take it quickly!

Playa del Carmen Tip: The lines get very long so make sure you head there early – they open at 7 am.

Bajo Cafe

We enjoyed a yummy smoothie bowl at Bajo Cafe then we walked around and saw there was a back area full of Playa del Carmen digital nomads working on their laptops. This could be the best place to make friends and meet like-minded people.

There’s no air-con throughout the cafe which could make for some sweaty work sessions but hey you’re in paradise so who cares!

Starbucks

Yes yes… how dare I put Starbucks on this list! But hear me out…

Reliable wifi speeds of 20+ Mbps, comfortable chairs (especially in the Quinta Avenida location) and they don’t care how long you sit there! So if all the other cafes in Playa del Carmen are taken – you can always fall back on Starbucks.

Basic Foodie

Situated on the quiet street of 25 Avenida is a cute little cafe called Basic Foodie. We sat here for the afternoon to work and I just remember the cool breeze going by and feeling so tranquil.

We got wifi speeds of 10+ Mbps and while we didn’t see many plug outlets – just come with a fully charged laptop and enjoy yourself. We recommend Basic Foodie for more chill work sessions!

Which Gym To Go To In Playa del Carmen?

Playa del Carmen has a lot of gym options for you to choose from. We chose our apartment because the building complex already had a gym included. This is something you might want to consider. If you still need a gym, here are some great options:

The Gym Playa del Carmen

Yes, that’s – it that’s the name!

the gym playa del carmen membership prices

The Gym offers 4 different group classes: HIIT, aquafit, body sculpt and bootcamp. Their monthly gym membership costs $1,600 pesos ($78 USD).

Evolve Fitness Playa del Carmen

A popular gym all across Quintana Roo with locations in Tulum, Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

evolve fitness center playa del carmen

They have 2 locations within PDC itself – on Constituyentes and 5th Avenue. Evolve’s monthly membership costs $700 pesos – $950 pesos ($34-$46 USD) depending on the location you choose.

A Day In The Life of 2 Digital Nomads in Playa del Carmen

A sample of what a weekday looks like for us. This took a while to create but we always recommend spending the first few days seeing what kind of lifestyle you want in that specific location. Below was our ideal weekday lifestyle.

7:00am – Wake Up

8:00am – Head Out For Coffee & Chill

8:30am – Start Morning Work Session At A Cafe

12:00pm – Grab Lunch, Go Home and Watch TV

1:00pm – Catch Up On Spanish Homework And Head To Class

2:00pm – Spanish Class

3:00pm – Afternoon Work Session

5:30pm – Workout / Gym Time

6:00 pm – Rooftop Pool Swim

7:00 pm – Go Out for Dinner (aka Taco Time)

8:00 pm – Billiards / Hang Time

10:00 pm – Bed Time

We kept to this schedule pretty much from Monday to Friday while our weekends looked a little more different (and more exciting)!

Weekend Things To Do As Digital Nomads in Playa del Carmen

As digital nomads, we are constantly striving for a work-life balance.

Since the start of our journey in 2018, we’ve met some of the hardest-working people that continue to push and motivate us. But those same people also prioritized fun!

two tickets anywhere blog for digital nomads

This was such a great thing to see because as much as work is important – we have to remember the reason we do this lifestyle. We want to be able to explore new cultures, meet new people and just have a whole lot of fun along the way.

For our weekends, we try to get out and do something, whether that’s swimming in cenotes or simply going on a taco food tour around the city. We’ve learned that in Playa del Carmen – there’s always something to do! Here are some of the things we enjoyed:

Day Trip To Tulum

Pack your bags and head to the ‘famous’ beach town of Tulum. The serene beaches, the aesthetically pleasing cafes and the vibrant community has made it a top Mexican tourist destination. Tulum is only a 1-hour car drive from Playa del Carmen and you can easily rent a car or take a colectivo to get there.

Swim In Cenotes

Cenotes are all over the Yucatan Peninsula and it’s one of our favorite activities to do.

swimming in cenotes playa del carmen mexico

You can spend a whole day swimming around the cenote or jumping off some pretty high cliffs for you adrenaline junkies.

Visit Chichen Itza & ‘Pueblo Magico’ Valladolid

You have to schedule at least one weekend to visit the idyllic Chichen Itza pyramid.

We rented a car for 3 days and booked an Airbnb for 2 nights in Valladolid.

matthew and ashley chichen itza mexico

We enjoyed exploring the quaint and colonial town of Valladolid including its beautiful church (Iglesia de San Servacio) and there’s an epic cenote (Cenote Zaci) right in the middle of the town.

Weekend Trip To Merida

Another popular weekend trip is exploring the safest city in all of Mexico, Merida.

Just a 4-hour drive from Playa del Carmen, you’ll be transported to a beautiful, picturesque city that’s known for amazing cafes, colonial-style buildings and safety.

Best Places To Eat Tacos in Playa del Carmen

As an avid lover of tacos myself, I was determined to find some great places to satisfy my appetite. So from day 1 of our three-month stay in Playa, I was quick to explore the many different surrounding traditional Mexican taco restaurants.

For Birria Tacos: Birria Tacos y Consome (Birria de la 30)

Want birria tacos? This is the spot!

birria de la 30 tacos playa del carmen mexico

This is more of a hidden gem as it’s located further away from the Centro area. It is a smaller local place with tight seating but delicious authentic Mexican food. The staff are very friendly and you will need a little bit of Spanish to get you by. This place is known by locals as the best birria tacos in Playa del Carmen.

For Sirloin/Beef Tacos: Don Sirloin

Matthew’s favorite spot for tacos is Don Sirloin!

chicken tacos don sirloin playa del carmen
matt eating sirloin tacos don sirloin playa del carmen

They have 3 locations spread across the Centro area. We loved the main restaurants located on Constituyentes 25 and our friend highly recommended the one on 30th Avenida. Don Sirloin is a staple in Playa del Carmen!

For Al Pastor Tacos: El Fogon

You can’t be in the Yucatan Peninsula/Quintana Roo area without trying the scrumptious al pastor tacos! El Fogon is THE spot for al pastor tacos in Playa del Carmen.

al pastor tacos el fogon mexican restaurant playa del carmen

They have a huge menu with lots of different Mexican foods you can try. The seating and decor is interesting to say the least but the food speaks for itself. It gets very popular at night and going at 7pm just before the rush would be a great idea.

Check out more of the best tacos in Playa del Carmen here.

Is Playa del Carmen Safe?

We can only speak from experience and we both felt very safe during the whole 3 months we spent there as Playa del Carmen digital nomads.

There were an uncomfortable amount of police/police cars all around the town. We saw one every 20 minutes but they never bothered us or anything. Again, just make sure while you’re living in Playa del Carmen, you are aware of your surroundings and if you ever feel unsafe – it could help to send a live location to a trusted friend on WhatsApp.

Should You Become A Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad or Tulum Digital Nomad?

Ah the big debate for digital nomads: Playa del Carmen vs Tulum!

If you’re serious about getting work done, having an affordable cost of living and a solid digital nomad community – Playa del Carmen wins!

We found Tulum to be just as NomadicMatt described it in his blog titled ‘Tulum Is Utterly Terrible‘…

“Hell is a town called Tulum. Watched over by Mayan ruins and buttressed by the ocean, this is a place of pothole-filled streets, overpriced taxis, terrible traffic jams, and out-of-touch yuppies, celebrities, influencers, wannabe gurus, COVID deniers, and well-to-do folks looking to “find themselves” in overpriced retreats, hotels, and bars.”

Wifi sucks in Tulum, there’s ZERO data reception when you’re at the hotel zone and it’s ridiculously expensive!! You could save money and maybe enjoy it more if you stayed in Tulum center rather than the Hotel Zone but it’s honestly not as great as being a Playa del Carmen digital nomad.

Being A Playa del Carmen Digital Nomad Is Pretty Sweet

Playa del Carmen is rising the ranks of digital nomad hotspots…

…and for good reason. We would go back in a heartbeat!

matthew dom ashley playa del carmen apartment mexico

The beautiful sunny weather, the endless amount of things to do and the friendly community have made our 3 months in PDC so memorable.

We enjoyed every minute of our time as Playa del Carmen digital nomads and it makes you grateful that you’ve taken on the digital nomads life.

In: Digital Nomad, Mexico, Playa del Carmen

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Welcome!

We’re Matt and Ashley, the American-Aussie couple behind this blog. In 2018, we realized we could take our work with us…anywhere in the world. We packed our bags, sold our stuff and bought two tickets to Bali. Today, we slow travel full-time, run our business from our laptops and embrace life one adventure at a time. We’ve completely fallen in love with the freedom that comes with this lifestyle and we hope to inspire you to join us on the digital nomad journey!

Recent Posts

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  • SIM Card Portugal 2023: Which Is The Best One To Buy? March 16, 2023
  • The Complete Digital Nomad Athens Guide For Remote Workers March 15, 2023
  • 6x Best Digital Nomad Health Insurance [2023 Review] March 2, 2023

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Settling into a new country as digital nomads isn’t always easy…⁣
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…We spent our first full month in Medellin, Colombia going through a list of things to sort out for ourselves (per usual).⁣
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It might look like we just land in a country and have everything sorted by day 1 but that’s certainly not the case.⁣
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In each country as digital nomads, you have to:⁣
- Buy a local SIM card (or find an eSIM solution - @airalocom & @realnomadtravel are our faves)⁣
- Find your local grocery store⁣
- Get connected with the digital nomad community (constantly putting ourselves out there)⁣
- Figure out where to work (coworking vs cafes)⁣
- Plan the activities we want to do while visiting the country⁣
- And so much more!⁣
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We heard so much about Medellin for digital nomads, we just had to check out what all the buzz was about (especially as we run a blog for digital nomads).⁣
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This was also my (Ashley’s) birthday month and we went paragliding for the first time (2nd pic). We flew with @paraglidingmedellin 💯 I absolutely loved it - if you get the chance, it was a great experience!⁣
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#medellindigitalnomad #colombiadigitalnomad #digitalnomadlife #funnytravel #traveltheworld #catchflightsnotfeelings #workandtravel #workfromwifi #digitalnomad #travellifestyle #twoticketsanywhere
2022 didn’t start off as we expected…⁣
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…lying on the beach in Thailand, one of our favorite places in the world. 🌴⁣
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Instead, we were touring a couple more US cities: Phoenix, San Francisco and Miami! At this point, we didn’t know how our year would look but we just needed to nail down our next location as digital nomads.⁣
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How did we do that? Simply go on Google flights, enter Miami (where we currently were) and don’t add a destination! There was one place that popped up that was high on our digital nomad destination list - Medellin, Colombia! 🇨🇴⁣
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For $245.15 USD total, Matthew and I hopped on a 2 hour plane ride to a country (and continent) we’ve never stepped foot on before! 🥹⁣
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We were tired of flying and traveling (faster than usual) and we decided to make Medellin our base for a few months but that’s for the next couple of posts to come…⁣
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Well, that's the truth...🤷🏻‍♀️ ⠀ Dig Well, that's the truth...🤷🏻‍♀️
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Digital nomad life isn’t for everyone.

There are days you’ll feel excited to live in a new country every couple of months, ready to learn about other cultures & always inspired by fellow digital nomads you meet on the road. 

But there are days where you’ll feel lonely, stuck, miserable and exhausted from moving and/or always making new friends. 

This digital nomad lifestyle is no way perfect, as it may look. But…

We wouldn’t have it any other way 🤍
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#travelreels #digitalnomadlife #funnytravel #traveltheworld #catchflightsnotfeelings #workandtravel #workfromwifi #digitalnomad #travellifestyle #traveladdict #travel #twoticketsanywhere #travelblogger #travelawesome #digitalnomadlifestyle #fulltimetravel #passportcollective #travelcouple #funnytravel
there's just something about this feeling ✈️⠀
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sunsets in zadar, croatia 🫶⠀
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Zagreb isn’t your likely destination when visiti Zagreb isn’t your likely destination when visiting Croatia 🇭🇷

In fact, lots of people never make it up this way. But digital nomads do!

Here’s the reasons we chose Zagreb as our digital nomad hub for the month of July:

💸 AFFORDABLE COST OF LIVING
Zagreb is less crowded during the summer time which means you get more deals on things like accommodation - its much cheaper than Split or Dubrovnik! Here’s some numbers (in USD) to give you a better picture:

🚊 Public transport = $0.80
☕️ Coffee + drinks = $2 - $4
🍽 Eating Out = $9 - $12
🛶 Activities = $5 - $50

👯‍♀️ GROWING DIGITAL NOMAD COMMUNITY
We’re surprised by how strong the community is in Zagreb! We made friends during our first coworking event & found an awesome group of digital nomads to hang out with ever since.

👩🏻‍💻 DECENT CAFE & COWORKING SCENE
We cowork at cafes with our friends at least 2-3 times a week. Coworking is kind of expensive here and imo not worth it because it’s too ‘corporate’ for our liking.

⛺️ GREAT BASE TO EXPLORE CROATIA
Plitvice Lakes is 2.5 hours away & popular coast towns like Pula, Zadar or Rovinj are only 3-4 hours drive away. You get the structure that comes from having a base but you get to travel/explore on the weekends - kinda perfect!

☺️ COMFORTABLE LIFESTYLE
Public transport is a breeze in Zagreb - you can take a bus, tram or walk into the city fairly quick. It's super safe here!

We’ve lived in Zagreb as digital nomads for a couple weeks now and tbh - we didn’t love it at first. But after some time, we can now say we are seriously enjoying our lifestyle here. The community is amazing and we’re so glad we chose Zagreb! It’s just so peaceful and comfortable (which you don’t expect from a capital city)!

Would you consider being a digital nomad in Zagreb?

#digitalnomaddiaries #workfromwifi #fulltimetravel #workandtravel #digitalnomad #laptoplifestyle #workanywhere #digitalnomadlifestyle #travelblog #digitalnomadlife #blogger #twoticketsanywhere #digitalnomadblogger #beCEOofyourlife #digitalnomadcouple
Travel solves life's problems, right? 😅⠀ ⠀ Travel solves life's problems, right? 😅⠀
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#traveltheworld #travelreels #digitalnomad #travelinglifestyle #travelfunny #traveladdict #wanderlust #travelreels #exploretheworld #catchflights #traveling #fulltimetravel #digitalnomadlifestyle #travelcouple
And we’re LIVE 🥳 Two Tickets Anywhere is a bl And we’re LIVE 🥳 Two Tickets Anywhere is a blog with everything you wish you knew about the digital nomad lifestyle.⁣
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When we first started out, there was barely any content on this lifestyle. We just had to jump in headfirst and figured it out from there. ⁣
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That’s why we created Two Tickets Anywhere where you can learn about things like:⁣
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👩‍💻 best places to work from (coworking/cafes)⁣
💸 honest cost of living guides⁣
✈️ discover new, upcoming DN cities ⁣
👯‍♀️ join a community of people that just get you⁣
🗺 complete digital nomad destination guides⁣
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After 4 years of full-time travel, we are excited to launch our digital nomad blog to help you work online and travel the world!⁣
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Check it out - twoticketsanywhere.com⁣
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If you want to support us, the best way is to obvs read our blog posts BUT also subscribe to our newsletter which drops on Sunday 🥳⁣
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#digitalnomadblog #twoticketsanywhere #traveltheworld #digitalnomadlifestyle #travelinglife #fulltimetravel #digitalnomadcouple #travelreels #travelcouple #golittlerockstar #createalifeyoulove #remotelife #workfromanywhere #workfromwifi #exploretheglobe
Novi Sad, this charming town is the best day trip Novi Sad, this charming town is the best day trip from Belgrade🇷🇸

Looking to escape the city life? It’s easy enough to catch the train, Novi Sad is a small town perfect for chilling, wandering around and drinking coffee at the cute cafes.

HOW TO GET THERE 🚊
Take the Coco high-speed trains that get you to Novi Sad in only 36 mins. Buy tickets via the app - Srbija voz and it’s only going to cost $3.40 USD for a one-way first class ticket.

COFFEE ☕️
Sit at a cafe and enjoy a cup of coffee - Zenit Books & Loft Downtown.

FOOD 🥘
Pls try Burek - the best place in Novi Sad is 100% Burek. Kombinat is a popular place to have lunch. But we recommend grabbing food from Maxi and having a picnic at Danube Park!

SEE, DO 🏰
Visit the Petrovaradin Fortress at sunset, chill on the ‘beach’ - The Strand, walk around Danube Park & stare at the beautiful Name of Mary Catholic Church.

You can spend a day in Novi Sad or it’s also great for a weekend getaway. Whichever you choose, just don’t miss Novi Sad on your digital nomad travels through Serbia 🇷🇸

#twoticketsanywhere #fulltimetravel #serbia #novisad #visitserbia #digitalnomadserbia #seetheworld#digitalnomaddiaries #workfromwifi #fulltimetravel #workandtravel #serbiatourism #novisadserbia
oops i accidentally booked a flight again 😋⠀ oops i accidentally booked a flight again 😋⠀
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#traveltheworld #funnytravel #catchflightanotfeelings #digitalnomadlife #fulltimetravel #digitalnomadcouple #travelcouple #travelreels #digitalnomadreels #travellifestyle #travel

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