I Tried 6 Coworking Memberships in One Month. Only 2 Were Worth Keeping.
The first coworking space I walked into had a kombucha tap, a motivational quote painted in cursive on a brick wall, and WiFi that disconnected every eleven minutes like clockwork. I stayed for two hours, got almost nothing done, and paid $28 for the privilege. That was in Chiang Mai, which every digital nomad blog describes as coworking heaven. It was a decent place to meet people who also weren’t working, which I guess counts as networking if you’re generous with definitions.
Coworking memberships are the gym memberships of remote work. Everyone signs up full of intention. Most people stop showing up after three weeks. The difference is a gym is still useful for an hour of cardio even when the community sucks. A bad coworking space is just an overpriced desk with worse coffee than your Airbnb.
I’ve now tried memberships across six cities on three continents. Two are still on my card. The rest taught me what to look for, what to avoid, and why the marketing almost never matches the reality. This article is for nomads who want a place to work, not a place to be seen working.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, I earn a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend spaces I’ve actually sat in.
#1 - Croissant: the one membership that actually travels with you
Croissant works differently. It sells a pass that gets you into over a hundred of them. You pay a flat monthly fee, book a desk through the app, and show up with a QR code. For someone who changes cities every two weeks, this is the closest thing to a portable office.
The model is simple in theory. In practice, the quality of spaces varies wildly. I’ve used Croissant in Lisbon, Berlin, and Mexico City. The Lisbon experience was excellent (quiet, fast WiFi, actual natural light). The Berlin one was basically a coffee shop with a printed sign saying “Croissant Members Sit Here.” The Mexico City space was decent but so crowded that showing up after 10 a.m. meant sitting on a sofa that smelled like someone else’s lunch.
Why I keep paying for it:
Flexibility. At $39 per month for the Lite plan, you’re not locked into a single space that might turn out to have construction noise or a founder giving a pitch in the open area every afternoon. If a space is bad, you book a different one tomorrow. That’s the whole value proposition and it mostly delivers.
The app is also genuinely well-designed. You can see photos of each location, read reviews from other members, and filter by amenities like phone booths, standing desks, or bike parking. The booking process takes about fifteen seconds.
Where it gets annoying:
The Lite plan limits you to four visits per month. If you’re working full-time, that’s one visit per week. The next tier is $99 per month, which is a big jump. I split the difference by using Croissant for the premium spaces and working from cafés or my apartment the rest of the time.
Not every city is well-represented. Croissant does well in North America and Western Europe. If you’re in Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe, the network is thin. I had to skip it entirely during a month in Vietnam.
Non-affiliate alternative: Passporta is a newer aggregator with a smaller but growing network, particularly strong in Latin America. If your route is Mexico City to Buenos Aires to Medellín, it’s worth comparing prices.
#2 - WeWork All Access: expensive, but the WiFi never breaks
I know. WeWork is the butt of every joke about failed tech optimism. Adam Neumann. The $47 billion valuation. The communal beer taps. I’ve heard all the punchlines and I’ve made some of them myself.
Then I spent a week trying to upload a 4 GB video file from a boutique coworking space in Barcelona whose internet cut out every time someone microwaved popcorn. I switched to WeWork the next day. The upload finished in twelve minutes.
Why it works despite the mockery:
The infrastructure is real. WeWork’s internet is enterprise-grade fiber, backup generators are standard, and every single location I’ve used (seven across four countries) has had stable, fast, consistent connectivity. That’s not true of most independent spaces.
The consistency also extends to ergonomics. The chairs aren’t Herman Miller, but they’re adjustable and not torture devices. Desks are clean. Phone booths actually block sound. Air conditioning works. These details sound minor until you’ve spent six hours in a converted warehouse with one oscillating fan and a plastic chair that creaks every time you shift your weight.
All Access starts around $149 per month for regional access and $299 for global. That adds up if you’re doing it year-round. For nomads who work from a different city every month and need a reliable environment without a research project attached, the cost is justified against Airbnb fees or coffee shop tabs.
The honest downside:
The “community” aspect is a ghost town in most locations. WeWork used to push networking events and free coffee meetups. Post-bankruptcy, most of that programming is gone. You’re buying a desk and internet, not a social life.
The app is also weirdly buggy for a company that’s otherwise operationally solid. I once showed up to a booking that didn’t register in their system and sat in the lobby for twenty minutes while the front desk made phone calls.
Who should skip it: If you stay in one place for more than three months, a local coworking membership or a private office rental will cost less and probably be more interesting.
Non-affiliate alternative: Regus offers similar global access with a more corporate, less startup aesthetic. If you prefer quiet professionals with briefcases over people in Allbirds, it’s the better fit.
#3 - Selina CoWork: the hostel that happens to have desks
Selina is primarily a hostel chain that figured out digital nomads have money. Many of their locations have dedicated coworking areas with day passes and monthly rates. I tried the one in Lisbon and the one in Playa del Carmen.
The good news: the spaces are beautiful. Exposed brick, lots of plants, good lighting. The coffee is actual coffee, not a Keurig situation. And because Selina also runs accommodation, the locations tend to be in walkable neighborhoods near interesting food.
The bad news: it’s still a hostel. People are checking in and out all day. Tours leave from the lobby. The music starts around 5 p.m. and doesn’t stay quiet. If you need to take a client call, you’re competing with reggaeton.
Pricing varies by location, but day passes usually run $10 to $15 and monthly memberships are around $100 to $150. That’s competitive if you also need a place to stay, since members sometimes get discounts on rooms.
When it makes sense:
If you’re traveling slowly and want a built-in social scene, Selina is basically a two-for-one. You’ll meet people at lunch who are also working remotely. That might matter more than ergonomics if you’re feeling isolated.
When to skip it:
If you have calls before 10 a.m., don’t bother. The morning check-in rush is loud. If you’re doing focused work that requires three-hour uninterrupted blocks, the environment fights you. I used it for email and light admin, then moved to a café for anything requiring actual thought.
What I learned from the four I didn’t keep
Independent space #1: Great community, terrible WiFi. The kind of place where everyone goes for drinks on Thursday and it’s genuinely fun. I got almost no billable work done there for a week.
Independent space #2: Beautiful architecture. The worst chair I’ve ever sat in. My lower back hurt for three days afterward. (I should have looked before committing to a month. That’s on me.)
Independent space #3: Advertised 24/7 access. The key fob stopped working after 8 p.m. and there was no one to call. I found this out when I showed up at 9:30 p.m. to catch up on deadlines.
Independent space #4: Good WiFi, good chairs, but located above a restaurant kitchen. It smelled like frying oil by noon every day. I started leaving at 11:30.
Every one of these spaces had great Google reviews. Four stars or higher. The lesson is that coworking reviews are mostly written by people who went there to socialize or who work two-hour days. If you’re working a full schedule as a freelancer or running a business, different things matter.
How to evaluate a coworking space before you commit
Here’s what I actually check now before I sign up for a month:
WiFi speed and stability. Ignore the advertised speed. Ask for a Speedtest screenshot from someone sitting at a desk during peak hours. 100 Mbps down means nothing if it drops every time someone opens a video call.
Chair quality. Seriously. Sit in it for ten minutes before you pay. If the seat is a molded plastic shell, walk away.
Phone booth count. Open-plan offices are fine until you have a client call. Count the phone booths per member. If it’s less than one per twenty people, you’re going to wait.
Cancellation policy. Many spaces require a one-month or three-month commitment with a cancellation fee. Start with a day pass or a weekly rate to test the environment before locking in.
Location noise at 9 a.m. Visit during your actual working hours. A space that’s quiet at 2 p.m. might have construction noise or delivery trucks at 9 a.m., which is when you need focus.
Air conditioning or heating. I’ve worked from a space in Barcelona in July that had no AC. I lasted three days.
FAQ
Is a coworking membership worth it if I have a good home office?
Not unless you need the social aspect or separation between work and living space. If your apartment is quiet, your WiFi is reliable, and you can focus there, a membership is an expensive way to commute to a worse desk. I only buy memberships when I’m traveling constantly and changing Airbnb or hotel rooms every week or two.
What’s the cheapest way to try coworking without a monthly commitment?
Croissant’s Lite plan at $39 per month for four visits is the lowest-cost commitment with real flexibility. Many independent spaces also offer first-day-free promos if you find them on Instagram or through local nomad Facebook groups.
Can I deduct coworking memberships on my taxes?
In most countries, yes, if you’re self-employed and the space is used for business. In the US, coworking fees generally fall under office expenses or rent on a Schedule C. Keep receipts and note which city each payment applies to. I’m not a tax professional; check with yours.
Is there a good coworking option for Southeast Asia?
Croissant is limited there. Local chains like Hubba in Thailand or Rework in Vietnam are excellent and cheaper than global chains. Do some searching on Facebook groups like “Digital Nomads Chiang Mai” for the current best bets.
Can I use a coworking space for client meetings?
Usually, yes, but check the policy on guest visits. Most memberships include one or two guest passes per month. Some independent spaces charge extra or require advance notice. If you’re doing client meetings regularly, factor that into the cost comparison against a Regus or WeWork that includes meeting rooms in the base price.
The bottom line
If I had to pick one coworking membership for full-time nomad life, it would be Croissant. The flexibility is the killer feature. No single space is worth committing to when your city changes every few weeks.
If I had to pick one for reliability and infrastructure, it would be WeWork All Access. The mockery is fair. The WiFi is also fair and that’s what matters for getting paid.
The rest are situational. Selina if you want friends and don’t mind noise. Local spaces if you’re staying put for a season. Hostels with desks if you’re on a tight budget.
Try whatever you sign up for with a day pass first. The worst mistake you can make is paying for a month and realizing you’ve bought a ticket to a conference room full of strangers selling webinars to each other.
Related guides: Best esim providers digital nomads, Best vpn digital nomads, Best budgeting software freelancers variable income, Best vpn remote workers tested.
Explore Croissant’s network to find spaces where you’ll actually get work done, or test WeWork All Access if you need a desk that just works, no matter which airport you flew into last night.