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c/freelancer-relocationblair_torres70blair_torres7017d agoProlific Poster

Warning: I picked a 'digital nomad hotspot' over a quiet town and almost went broke

Last year, I had to pick between moving to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, or a smaller town called San Miguel de Allende. Everyone online talked about Playa's fast wifi and coworking spots, so I went there. My rent was $900 a month for a tiny apartment, and the cafes were always packed with other freelancers charging $7 for a coffee. I burned through my savings in about four months because everything was priced for tourists. The noise made it hard to focus on client calls, too. I just moved to San Miguel last month and my costs are half that for a nicer place. Has anyone else picked a famous spot and regretted it because of the cost or scene?
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3 Comments
jenny_white21
Watched a buddy do the same thing in Lisbon. He paid over a thousand a month for a room in a shared flat because it was in a trendy area. He ended up having to take a local bar job just to cover his basics because his freelance work dried up from all the distractions.
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the_eric
the_eric17d ago
That's rough, @jenny_white21. Sometimes the cool spot costs more than just rent, it costs your focus too.
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charlieh74
charlieh7417d ago
Sounds like your buddy paid a grand a month just to become a professional barback, @jenny_white21. The real cost of that trendy flat was his actual career. All those cool cafes and parties are basically a trap, trading freelance hours for overpriced drinks and hangovers. He basically bought a really expensive ticket to burn out.
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