What is the best coliving en la Ciudad de Mexico?

June 22, 2023

Coliving, Mexico City, is a (somewhat) newer way for digital nomads and long-term travelers to stay for extended periods of time in CDMX.

Instead of renting a hotel or Airbnb or other long-term accommodation, you can stay in a home with other long-term travelers and experience a sense of community — all while staying productive while working at the included coworking space. 

Discover what coliving in Mexico City is all about, its advantages, and the best coliving spots available.

This post may contain affiliate links, so if you buy something after clicking on a link, I might (fingers crossed!) just get a little commission. Good news: I only recommend products that I love! Which means you can feel good about all of my recs.

What is coliving?

Coliving is where you live with other travelers (usually strangers) and share common spaces, such as a kitchen, living room, terrace, and coworking space.

Most coliving spaces only rent out private rooms, but a few are considered “coliving hostels” and rent out beds in dormitories, too. You can usually book suites in a coliving house, which just means you’ll get a private bathroom in your bedroom. 

If you need to share a bathroom, you’ll generally do so at a rate of one bathroom for every two rooms. 

I spent a lot of time at coliving space while making my way through my Central Mexico itinerary. 

Staying at coliving spaces can help you when you’re making your travel budget. These spaces tend to be cheaper than staying at an Airbnb or a hotel but offer better amenities and are more community-oriented. 

5 Coliving Mexico City Tips

My five best coliving Mexico City tips? 

Always double-check the coliving space’s location, its amenities, coworking reviews, room design and function, and community-building activities. 

Coliving is especially convenient if you’re planning solo travel in Mexico City. 

1. Always Check Location, Location, Location

Ugh, I know. I hate myself too for saying that. But location is kind of important when it comes to coliving in Mexico City. 

If you’re not in a good location, it will be more difficult to get to the bars and restaurants you want to visit most.

The good news is that rideshare apps are really inexpensive in Mexico City. You can take an Uber from Polanco to San Miguel Chapultepec for around $3 to $5 USD. The metro is also very inexpensive and very convenient, costing only $0.30 USD per ride. 

Most of the activities are spread throughout the city, so you’ll need to walk or ride the metro or an Uber to get to them anyway. But you’ll want a good selection of coffee shops, bars, and restaurants nearby, which you’ll be able to find in most neighborhoods, including:

• Polanco
• Roma (plus Roma Norte and Sur)
• La Condesa
• Historic City Center
• San Miguel Chapultepec

Roma, Condesa, and San Miguel are by far my three favorite neighborhoods in Mexico City to stay in. 

2. Don’t Forget Amenities

Most coliving Mexico City apartments offer some common amenities. These include:

• Coworking spaces
• Fully stocked kitchens
• Gyms/exercise equipment
• Common living & dining areas
• Outdoor spaces (patios & rooftops)

Outsite and Selina offer coworking spaces and coliving areas, but no gyms or outdoor spaces. Sonder offers all of the above amenities but no real sense of community.

3. Check Coworking Reviews

All Mexico coliving spaces offer some type of coworking setup. 

These companies guarantee fast Wi-Fi connections, use of printers, and comfortable spaces with desks, power connections, and sofas or plush chairs.

Selina and Outsite sell daily passes to their coworking spaces, so you may be sharing a desk or table with someone not staying there. I’ve coworked at both Selina and Outsite in Lisbon using day passes, and both coworking spaces were incredibly crowded and a little noisy.

There are no phone booths in these coworking spaces, so you’ll need to get used to the idea of listening in on work calls. 

In Oaxaca and San Miguel de Allende, I was often the only person working in the coworking spaces, so it really depends on the coliving location.

4. Look at Photos for Room Design/Function

Whether you’re staying at a hotel, Airbnb, or coliving Mexico City location, you’ll want to pay attention to the room design.

I found Outsite to have the best room and common space designs — and everything was well thought out, from the storage units to the kitchen design.

Sonder left a little to be desired when it came to design and function. Think: a lot of random “modern” artwork that you’d find in budget hotels. I appreciate the thought, but the execution just wasn’t there.

What I loved about Outsite is the minimalist design with small local touches. The suite was completely white but featured a wooden desk, sisal armchair, and brightly colored throw pillows. The decor “suggested” Oaxaca without screaming it. 

Though I have yet to stay in Selina, from the website photos, it looks like the decor is slightly chintzier and not as stylish. I felt like it was trying too hard to make a design statement without adding necessary functionality. 

Overall, Outsite Mexico City seems to offer the most stylish design and consistent functionality. 

5. Ask About Community Building Activities

There are two coliving Mexico City locations that stand out when it comes to community building: Outsite and Selina.

If you’re traveling alone (or traveling with someone else and just want to meet new people), you may want to stay at either of these locations.

While there were opportunities to cowork with other Sonder guests in Mexico City, there was no focus on community at all here. Most other travelers kept to themselves or their travel companions.

I’ve also noticed that there aren’t a lot of ways to meet people in Mexico City, other than tours or Airbnb experiences. Meetup groups are pretty slim here, so staying at a coliving site could really be a pivotal way to meet new people. 

When I stayed at an Outsite in Oaxaca, a few of the other guests and I booked a temazcal ceremony in Oaxaca. This isn’t something I would have done with just anyone, and sharing this experience with people I shared a bond with was really magical.

Top 3 Coliving Spaces in Mexico City

When it comes to Coliving, Mexico City, you have a few options. 

1. Outsite 

I’ve stayed at two Outsite locations in Mexico; in San Miguel de Allende and one during my Oaxaca solo travel. I have not stayed at the Outsite in Mexico City, though the experience has so far seemed pretty consistent throughout most cities.

I’ve also spoken to other travelers that have stayed at Outsite locations across the world. 

You need to sign up for an annual membership to stay at most Outsite locations (you can pay for just one year or for a lifetime membership), which I hated at first. You get access to the “membership area” of Outsite’s website, which I honestly don’t find worth the $150 annual fee. 

But you can get $50 off your annual membership by using this referral link (and I’ll get a credit toward my next stay, too!). 

I found the annual fee to be “worth it” for my stay in Oaxaca. For a one-week stay at the Oaxaca Outsite, it cost $270 + $100 annual fee (with the $50 discount). Most of the Airbnbs in the area offered fewer amenities and were located in less convenient areas for about $370 a week.

A seven-night stay at Outsite Mexico City costs around $392 (depending on the season) for a queen room with a private bathroom and private entrance. I paid more to stay at Sonder in both Mexico City locations and wished I had stayed at the Outsite instead.  

Why You Should Stay at Outsite

There are a few things I love about most Outsites including their:

• Location
• Design/decor
• Staff and customer service
• Community programs

While not all Outsites were created equal, I love the design and decor of most of the locations, and the staff are really helpful. 

The Outsite in Mexico City is in the San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood, which is really conveniently located between Condessa and Chapultepec Park. 

I also made a lot of friends at the Oaxaca Outsite; so much so that three of us ended up doing a Oaxaca Temezcal experience together.

Why You Should Skip It

My best piece of advice when it comes to staying at an Outsite? Check the reviews first.

The good news is that Outsite seems to take its reviews seriously, and since many of its locations are brand new, it makes sense that hiccups would happen. 

You really want to see complimentary reviews of community managers at Outsite, as they can make or break your stay. The community managers at the more established locations coordinate group activities and keep guests up to date on local events. 

I should note that there is no air conditioning at the Outsite in Mexico City, but the temperature there usually hovers in the mid-70s, so even most Airbnbs don’t have air conditioning. 

3. Sonder 

Technically, Sonder doesn’t market itself as a coliving space, since you won’t share a common kitchen or living room. But you do share common spaces, such as a complimentary gym, patio, and coworking areas. 

Sonders offer private apartments (usually studios, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms). It’s somewhere between an Airbnb and a hotel. And it’s definitely geared to digital nomads and those traveling for work. 

Why You Should Stay at Sonder

If you want a little more privacy than you’d get at a traditional coliving space, you might want to check Sonder out. 

I’ve stayed at both Aria and Sonder Cielo, and I liked a lot about both locations. 

Sonder Aria has a really nice layout, including an open atrium. There’s also a beautiful rooftop patio, where I watched the sunrise with a cup of Nespresso in hand.

Sonder Cielo has a beautiful patio (though it’s not on the rooftop), spacious coworking office, and one of the best gyms I’ve seen at any hotel or Airbnb-type setup. 

The Nespresso machines are a nice touch at both, though I thought it was a little strange the staff only gives you four pods, even if you’re staying for more than four days. 

The views from my room at Cielo were also really stunning, as I was put on the top floor, and the location is great; it’s only a 10-minute walk from Insurgentes and Placa Madrid. 

Why You Should Skip It

While I loved staying at Sonder overall, I probably would stay at Outsite during my next trip to Mexico City. 

The biggest reason? There’s no community engagement at Sonder. It really feels like you’re staying in a hotel, even when you’re in the common areas, such as the coworking space or outdoor spaces. 

Sonder Cielo was by far more expensive than Aria, so my room was smaller (a studio instead of a one-bedroom). But the room had a really funky smell. It was obviously some sort of cologne or room spray that was really overpowering and beget the question: what are they hiding with this intense odor?

Whoever is stocking Sonder spaces hasn’t ever lived in a small space before (nor have they ever used a kitchen before, either). I’ve also stayed at a Sonder in London, and I noticed similar issues there, too. Though I have to say the Sonders in Mexico City were much better designed than the one in London. 

Another Sonder annoyance is that you need to pay a $25 fee to check in before 3:30 p.m. 

And while I get charging the fee if a guest makes a special request to check in early (and Sonder needs to prioritize cleaning that room first), when I checked in to Sonder Cielo at 11 a.m., I was told my room was already ready if I wanted to pay $25 to get early access.

I said no thank you and opted instead to store my luggage for 3.5 hours while I got lunch and rode the ho-ho bus. 

But my question was this: it didn’t cost Sonder anything extra to let me go up to my room early and dump my luggage. In fact, it was more effort on the staff’s part to store my luggage for a few hours than to just let me place it in my room. 

It would have cost Sonder nothing to offer a free early check-in, and the simple act of doing so would have increased my customer satisfaction exponentially. It is truly a pet peeve of mine when companies don’t take advantage of the low-hanging fruit that will make customers happy. 

3. Selina 

Selina is more of a coliving hostel than a traditional coliving space. 

Total disclosure, I haven’t stayed at a Selina location, but I have used their coworking space in Lisbon, and I did sign up for a food tour through this company.

Selina definitely gives off more “hostel” vibes than the other coliving places I’ve stayed at. The crowd seems a little younger here, and the rooms don’t seem as nice as the ones at Outsite. And while I obviously can’t truly attest to this: it seems to have more of a party vibe.

If you’re looking for nightlife or a great bar scene, Selina may be the Mexico coliving spot for you. 

Why You Should Stay at Selina

Selina has a younger vibe (maybe thanks to its option to stay in dorm rooms instead of private suites), so you may want to stay at this coliving Mexico City hotspot if you want to be in the center of the party.

This coliving space is also located in the Historic City Center. Personally, I wouldn’t want to stay there (it’s sort of akin to staying in Times Square in New York City), but there are plenty of bars and restaurants and activities nearby. 

Why You Should Skip It

Selina is similar to Outsite, though it costs more and the design seems a little gaudy compared to its biggest competitor’s minimalist decor. 

If you don’t love a party crowd, are above the age of 29, or simply want an affordable private suite, I’d skip Selina. This spot is also not ideal if you want lots of privacy. If that’s the case, you may want to opt for a hotel, Airbnb, or Sonder instead. 

Alternatives to Coliving in Mexico City

Don’t think coliving in Mexico City is for you? There are a few alternatives to sharing community spaces with others, including hostels, Airbnbs, and hotels.

Hostels

When it comes down to it, coliving isn’t always cheap. 

If you want to travel throughout Europe, the U.S., Canada, or other “pricier” areas of the world, you may spend upwards of $2,000 a month on a room in a coliving space.

Even if you want to colive in Mexico City, you’re going to pay at least $1,400 a month to stay at an Outsite or Sonder and even more to stay at Selina. 

If you really want to save some money, you may want to check out hostels.

I’ve gotta say: hostels have really stepped it up in the past few years. Many hostels now have “pods”, which are sort of like mini bed capsules within each dormitory. This increases your privacy (or at least offers the illusion of it) and creates a small sound barrier.

Many hostels also have coworking spaces that you can use for free (if you’re staying on-property). 

Airbnbs

Airbnb’s popularity has risen and dipped a lot over the past decade.

Its downsides? This platform has contributed to rising rent costs all over the world as well as the housing crisis. 

Developers have bought up affordable housing and started renting those once normally-priced apartments to tourists and travelers (like us). 

Since the cost of housing is getting so dang crazy lately, a lot of developers have been purchasing large apartments and homes and transforming them into coliving-type spaces and renting them on Airbnb.

Depending on your desired location, you’re still going to pay the same amount that you would any other coliving space. And the biggest downside is that you don’t get the community benefits (background checks, community rules, organized events, etc.) that you’d get with an established coliving brand, like Outsite or Selina.

Hotels 

Your other option is to stay at a hotel. 

In many Latin American cities, such as Mexico City, you’re going to pay way less for a room than you would in a city like New York or Los Angeles.

Depending on the hotel and its amenities, you’ll pay anywhere between $800 and $3,000 a month for a room.

Where to Go After Mexico City

From Mexico City, you can easily fly or take a bus to other points of interest in Mexico.

The flight from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido takes about an hour.

There, you can relax on a beach or at a pool with a Puerto Escondido day pass. Or, you can enjoy activities, such as bioluminescent boat rides and the Bacocho Beach turtle release.

Or, take the bus to San Miguel de Allende or Puebla for a completely different Mexico experience.