Best Co-Living Spaces for Digital Nomads in Zurich
Words by
Lukas Zimmermann
Finding Your Base: The Best Coliving Spaces for Digital Nomads in Zurich
I have spent the better part of three years cycling through Zurich's coliving scene, testing Wi-Fi speeds at midnight, arguing with landlords about kitchen etiquette, and learning which buildings have the best rooftop views of the Limmat. If you are searching for the best coliving spaces for digital nomads in Zurich, you already know this city does not come cheap. But the infrastructure for remote workers here is genuinely world-class, and the community you build in these spaces often becomes the reason you extend your stay. Zurich rewards those who dig past the tourist surface, and the nomad coliving Zurich options below are where I would send a friend arriving with a laptop and a month to spare.
1. Coliving at Kraftwerkstrasse 23, Wiedikon
Kraftwerkstrasse sits in Zurich's Wiedikon district, a neighborhood that has quietly become one of the most practical bases for remote work accommodation Zurich offers. The building itself is a converted industrial space, and the raw concrete walls and high ceilings give it a creative energy that you will not find in the polished apartments around Seefeld. The communal kitchen on the third floor is where most of the real networking happens. I have seen freelance designers, startup founders, and crypto traders all arguing over the espresso machine at 7 a.m.
What to Order / See / Do: Grab a seat at the long communal table near the window during breakfast hours. The morning light in that kitchen is unreal, and it is where people actually talk to each other instead of staring at screens.
Best Time: Weekday mornings between 7 and 9 a.m. The weekend crowd is quieter, but the weekday energy is where connections form.
The Vibe: Industrial loft meets startup incubator. The building's heating system can be inconsistent in January and February, so pack a warm sweater for those early mornings.
Local Tip: Walk two blocks south to Bederstrasse on a Saturday morning. There is a small bakery there, Bäckerei Conditorei Confiserie, that opens at 6 a.m. and sells fresh Zopf bread before the rest of the neighborhood wakes up. The coliving residents who know about it never go hungry.
2. Coliving at Langstrasse 102, District 4
Langstrasse is Zurich's most misunderstood street. Tourists hear "red-light district" and walk right past it, but the stretch around number 102 has transformed dramatically over the past decade. This coliving space sits above a Vietnamese restaurant and a tattoo parlor, and the monthly stay Zurich residents here get a front-row seat to one of the city's most culturally diverse corridors. The building houses about 15 units, and the shared workspace on the second floor has dedicated Ethernet ports, which matters more than most nomads realize until their Zoom call drops during a client presentation.
What to Order / See / Do: Eat at the Vietnamese restaurant downstairs, Pho Saigon, on your first night. The pho bo is around 22 CHF and easily the best value meal within a five-minute walk.
Best Time: Thursday or Friday evenings. Langstrasse comes alive after 8 p.m., and the street energy is infectious if you are the kind of person who works better with ambient city noise.
The Vibe: Gritty, multicultural, and unapologetically urban. The street noise can be intense on weekend nights until 2 or 3 a.m., so bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper.
Local Tip: The rooftop terrace is technically for residents only, but if you befriend the building manager, a woman named Claudia, she will sometimes let you use the small herb garden up there. Fresh basil in November is not something you expect in Zurich.
3. Coliving at Josefstrasse 150, District 5
Josefstrasse runs through Zurich's former industrial quarter, now rebranded as Zurich-West, and this coliving space occupies a renovated factory building that still has the original freight elevator. The nomad coliving Zurich community here skews slightly older, mid-30s to early 40s, and the conversations tend to revolve around scaling businesses rather than backpacking stories. The building has a dedicated co-working room with standing desks, which is rare for coliving setups in this city.
What to Order / See / Do: Visit the communal library on the ground floor. It is a small room, maybe 12 square meters, but the book collection is curated by residents and includes everything from Swiss history to UX design manuals.
Best Time: Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons. The co-working room is nearly empty midweek, and you can claim a permanent desk for a few hours without feeling guilty.
The Vibe: Professional, focused, and slightly serious. The social events here are less frequent than at other coliving spaces, which some people love and others find isolating.
Local Tip: The building is a three-minute walk from the Toni Areal complex, which houses Zurich University of the Arts. Their cafeteria is open to the public and serves lunch for around 15 CHF, a fraction of what you pay in the city center.
4. Coliving at Badenerstrasse 310, Altstetten
Altstetten is not the neighborhood most digital nomads think of first, and that is precisely why this coliving space works. Badenerstrasse 310 sits in a residential building that was converted into a monthly stay Zurich option about four years ago, and the rents here run roughly 20 to 30 percent lower than comparable spaces in Kreis 1 or Kreis 2. The trade-off is a 12-minute tram ride to the main station, but the Wi-Fi is fiber-optic and the walls are thick enough that you will never hear your neighbors.
What to Order / See / Do: Walk to the nearby Lindenplatz on a Sunday morning. There is a small farmers' market with local cheese and seasonal produce that most tourists never encounter.
Best Time: Sunday mornings for the market, weekday evenings for the co-working space. The building's shared workspace has large windows facing west, and the late afternoon light is perfect for video calls.
The Vibe: Quiet, residential, and practical. The nearest grocery store, a Coop, closes at 8 p.m., so plan your shopping accordingly.
Local Tip: Tram 2 and tram 17 both stop within 200 meters of the building, and the ride to Hauptbahnhof is direct with no transfers. Buy a ZVV monthly pass for 87 CHF if you plan to stay longer than two weeks. It covers every tram, bus, and train in the city zone.
5. Coliving at Hardturmstrasse 137, District 5
Hardturmstrasse sits in the shadow of the old Hardturm stadium site, now being redeveloped into a mixed-use neighborhood. This remote work accommodation Zurich option is one of the newer coliving buildings in the city, opened in 2021, and it shows in the finishes. The desks are height-adjustable, the chairs are Herman Millers, and the kitchen has an induction cooktop that actually works. The building houses about 20 residents at any given time, and the management organizes a weekly dinner on Wednesday nights that is included in the rent.
What to Order / See / Do: Attend the Wednesday dinner at least once. The rotating menu features dishes from whatever country the current residents represent, and I have had everything from Ethiopian injera to Brazilian feijoada in this kitchen.
Best Time: Wednesday evenings for the dinner, early mornings for the co-working space. The space is shared with a small design agency that occupies the ground floor, and the professional energy is motivating.
The Vibe: Modern, well-funded, and slightly corporate. The building management is responsive but formal, and the rules about quiet hours and guest policies are enforced more strictly than at other coliving spaces I have stayed in.
Local Tip: The nearby Hardau swimming pool, about a 10-minute walk south, has an outdoor lap pool that opens in May. Entry is around 9 CHF, and it is one of the cheapest ways to spend a summer afternoon in Zurich.
6. Coliving at Zwickystrasse 7, Affoltern
Affoltern is Zurich's northernmost residential district, and Zwickystrasse 7 is a coliving house that feels more like a shared apartment than a commercial operation. The building is a three-story house with a garden, and the monthly stay Zurich price here includes utilities, Wi-Fi, and a biweekly cleaning service. The community is small, usually six to eight residents, and the turnover is low because people tend to stay for three to six months.
What to Order / See / Do: Use the garden in the summer months. It has a small grill and a picnic table, and on warm evenings the residents cook together and talk for hours.
Best Time: Summer evenings in the garden, weekday mornings inside. The house has a dedicated office room on the second floor with two monitors available for resident use.
The Vibe: Homely, intimate, and slow-paced. The trade-off is distance. Affoltern is a 25-minute S-Bahn ride from the city center, and the last train runs around 12:30 a.m.
Local Tip: The nearby Affoltern lake, Affolternweiher, is a five-minute walk and is one of Zurich's best-kept secrets. Locals swim there in summer, and in winter the path around it is perfect for a quiet morning run. You will rarely see another tourist there.
7. Coliving at Hofstrasse 98, Oerlikon
Oerlikon has become Zurich's second business district, and Hofstrasse 98 sits right in the middle of it. This coliving space is aimed squarely at professionals, and the building shares a block with offices for Google, Microsoft, and several Swiss banks. The nomad coliving Zurich crowd here is heavily weighted toward tech workers, and the networking opportunities are genuinely valuable if you are in software, fintech, or consulting.
What to Order / See / Do: Visit the Oerlikon shopping center, Shopping Center Glatt, which is a seven-minute walk. It has a Migros supermarket that stays open until 9 p.m. on weekdays, a rarity in Zurich.
Best Time: Weekday lunch hours. The area fills with office workers, and the nearby restaurants and cafes have excellent lunch menus for 18 to 25 CHF.
The Vibe: Corporate, efficient, and well-connected. The S-Bahn station Oerlikon is a three-minute walk, and you can reach the airport in 8 minutes or the main station in 10.
Local Tip: The nearby MFO Park, about a 15-minute walk west, is a linear park built on a former railway site. It has community gardens, a small amphitheater, and free outdoor fitness equipment. On summer evenings, locals gather there for barbecues, and it is one of the most relaxed public spaces in the city.
8. Coliving at Maneggstrasse 170, Friesenberg
Friesenberg is a residential hill on Zurich's southern edge, and Maneggstrasse 170 is a coliving space that most digital nomads overlook entirely. The building is a converted apartment block with large windows facing west, and the views over the city and toward the Alps on clear days are extraordinary. The monthly stay Zurich price here is among the lowest I have found for a dedicated coliving operation, and the trade-off is a 20-minute tram ride to the center.
What to Order / See / Do: Walk up the hill behind the building to the Manegg cemetery on a clear afternoon. It sounds morbid, but the elevated position gives you one of the best panoramic views in Zurich, and almost no one goes there.
Best Time: Late afternoons for the views, weekday mornings for the co-working space. The shared workspace is small but quiet, and the Wi-Fi speed consistently tests above 200 Mbps.
The Vibe: Peaceful, residential, and slightly isolated. The nearest restaurant or bar is a 10-minute walk, and the area feels more like a Swiss village than a city neighborhood.
Local Tip: Bus 31 stops directly in front of the building and connects to tram 14 at the Triemli hospital stop. The combined ride to Hauptbahnhof takes about 25 minutes, but the route passes through some of Zurich's most beautiful residential streets, and the ride itself is worth the time.
When to Go and What to Know
Zurich's coliving scene operates year-round, but the best time to arrive is between March and June or September and October. Summer months bring higher prices and more competition for rooms, while January and February are quieter but colder and darker than many nomads expect. Most coliving spaces require a minimum stay of one month, and deposits typically range from 500 to 1,500 CHF. Always confirm whether the monthly rate includes utilities, cleaning, and Wi-Fi before signing anything. The ZVV public transport system is the backbone of daily life here, and a monthly pass is almost always worth the investment. If you are staying longer than three months, register your address at the local Kreisburo within 14 days of arrival. It is a legal requirement, and the fines for skipping it are not worth the hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zurich expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
A mid-tier daily budget in Zurich runs approximately 150 to 200 CHF per person. This covers a coliving or budget hotel room at 80 to 120 CHF, meals at 30 to 50 CHF if you mix self-cooking with affordable lunch menus, and local transport at 8 to 17 CHF depending on zone coverage. Groceries from Migros or Coop are roughly 20 to 30 percent more expensive than in neighboring Germany or France.
How easy is it to find cafes with ample charging sockets and reliable power backups in Zurich?
Most central cafes in Zurich provide charging sockets, but availability varies significantly by location and time of day. Cafes near the main station and in the Niederdorf area tend to have the most reliable infrastructure, while smaller neighborhood spots may have only one or two outlets. Power backup systems are standard in commercial buildings across Zurich, so outages are rare.
Are there good 24/7 or late-night co-working spaces available in Zurich?
True 24/7 co-working spaces are limited in Zurich. Most dedicated co-working facilities operate from 7 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. on weekdays and have reduced weekend hours. Some coliving spaces offer 24-hour access to shared work areas for residents, but public options generally close by 10 p.m. A few spaces near the main station extend hours until midnight on weekdays.
What are the average internet download and upload speeds in Zurich's central cafes and workspaces?
Central Zurich cafes and co-working spaces typically deliver download speeds between 50 and 300 Mbps, with upload speeds ranging from 20 to 100 Mbps depending on the provider and network load. Dedicated co-working facilities and coliving spaces with fiber connections often exceed 200 Mbps in both directions. Public Wi-Fi hotspots provided by the city offer speeds around 25 to 50 Mbps.
What is the most reliable neighborhood in Zurich for digital nomads and remote workers?
District 5, encompassing Zurich-West and the Hardturm area, is widely considered the most reliable neighborhood for digital nomads. It offers a high concentration of coliving spaces, co-working facilities, affordable lunch options, and strong public transport connections. The area has a growing international community, and the infrastructure for remote work, including fiber internet and proximity to business districts, is consistently strong.
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