Comparing coworking passes vs local cafes cost me $400 last month

I did a little experiment in Chiang Mai where I tracked spending for a week at a proper coworking space versus bouncing around cafes. The coworking pass was like $120 for the month at Punspace, but my cafe spending added up to over $160 just on drinks and snacks to justify sitting there. Plus the wifi was way more reliable and I got way more actual work done. Has anyone else found the math works out better with a dedicated space?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jennifer22d ago

Wait, did you factor in the productivity difference too? Because I had a similar situation in Bali and the hidden cost nobody talks about is how much time you waste hunting for outlets or dealing with spotty wifi at cafes. The coworking pass might look more expensive upfront, but you're basically paying for the peace of mind that you'll actually finish your work in a few hours instead of dragging it out all day. Cafe hopping makes me feel like I'm being productive but really I'm just sipping overpriced smoothies while refreshing my email. Plus the social aspect of coworking spaces actually helped me meet people who gave me freelance leads, which definitely covered the cost. So yeah, the math works out way better for me too when you count everything.

rowan96922d ago

Oh man, you just reminded me of my time trying to work from a beachfront cafe in Portugal. The wifi was so bad I ended up tethering from my phone and draining my international data in like two days. But the real kicker was the seagull that stole my entire croissant right off the table while I was on a video call. Coworking spaces definitely sound like a better bet when you add up all the little chaos factors. Did you find the social part actually helped with work stuff, or was it more just having people around?

mark_carr722d ago

That seagull story is brutal.