How to Actually Live Like a Local

Nomad Edition, or better, NOMAG Edition

Aug 21, 2025

Everyone talks about “living like a local.”
Tourists mean: order espresso at the bar instead of a cappuccino-to-go.
Nomads mean: figure out where to buy toothpaste that isn’t €7 in the city centre.

The difference is huge. A tourist can afford to play at authenticity for a weekend. A digital nomad who stays weeks or months? If you don’t adapt, you’ll drain your wallet, your sanity, and your laptop battery before you finish your first contract.

So forget the travel clichés. Here’s how to genuinely blend in, not just to “tick off an experience” but to survive – and maybe even thrive – when you swap tourist mode for nomad life.

1. Plan smart (but not like a tourist)

Yes, research matters. If you leave it to chance, you’ll end up in the same overpriced cafés as the cruise ship crowd. But you’re not just looking for “top attractions” – you’re mapping where the reliable Wi-Fi hides, when the city’s quiet hours are, and which supermarkets don’t sell sad-looking avocados for €4 each.
Mix sources: travel blogs, local Facebook groups, coworking Slack channels, even that grumpy Reddit thread complaining about transport strikes. This is intelligence gathering, not “holiday planning.”

2. Don’t over-plan, or you’ll miss the good stuff

Tourists love itineraries. Nomads know better: leave breathing room. Sure, lock down housing and a SIM card, but don’t script every meal or workspace. If a barista tips you off about a cheaper coworking spot, or you stumble into a neighbourhood where rent is half what you’re paying, you want the freedom to switch.
Some of the best parts of nomad life aren’t in your spreadsheet – they’re in the detours.

3. Choose the “second best” neighbourhood

Tourists want the historic centre. Nomads who live there go broke in under a week. The hack? Aim for the “second- or third-best” zone.
In Florence, skip Piazza della Signoria and stay in San Niccolò. In Barcelona, dodge the Gothic Quarter and head to Poblenou. In Tuscany, Siena and San Gimignano are packed, but five kilometres away you’ll find villages with the same architecture and better bread.
The view might be less Instagrammable, but your groceries will be half-price and your landlord less of a shark.

4. Ask locals the right questions

“Where should I go?” is a tourist question. Nomads need survival intel:

“Where do you shop for groceries?”
“Where’s the cheapest gym with actual showers?”
“Where did you go to dinner last night?”
One pro tip: ask “Where would you take your mum?” People won’t send their mother to a tourist trap. They’ll give you the place they’re secretly proud of.

5. Move like a resident, not like a visitor

Tourists get taxis. Nomads get monthly transport passes.
That doesn’t just save money – it shows you how the city breathes. Buses, trams, and even the dreaded metro reveal the real rhythms of the place. Walk whenever possible: you’ll discover snack bars, stationery shops, and grocery stores the guidebooks don’t mention. And yes, quiz your taxi driver too – locals with wheels often have better tips than TripAdvisor.

6. Get off one stop early (or late)

One secret nobody tells you: the “tourist-tax zone” starts the moment you step outside a landmark. Cafés charge double, menus switch to English, and locals vanish.
So ride the metro one stop further, then walk back. Prices drop, crowds thin, and suddenly you’re in a different city. This trick works everywhere – Rome, Paris, Tokyo, you name it.

7. Embrace the language barrier

If every menu you see is laminated, in five languages, and has pictures? Run.
The gold is in places with chalkboard menus, waiters who don’t speak English, and locals laughing loudly over food you can’t identify. Will you mispronounce something and get a surprise dish? Absolutely. But that’s how you graduate from “tourist ordering pasta carbonara” to “nomad who found the best tripe stew in town.”
And remember: locals will always appreciate the effort, even if your accent sounds like a GPS malfunction.

8. Forget the view, chase the taste

Tourists pay for the skyline. Nomads pay for flavour.
That rooftop trattoria overlooking the Colosseum? Gorgeous on Instagram, disappointing on the plate. The side-street place with fluorescent lights, grandma at the till, and a handwritten bill? That’s where you’ll eat like a king.
Same rule for workspaces: the café with neon signs and a TikTok crowd might look cool, but the one with old tables, strong Wi-Fi, and regulars staring at spreadsheets? That’s where you’ll get stuff done.

9. Trust your gut (literally and metaphorically)

Feeling drained in your shiny Airbnb district? Move.
Neighbourhood too noisy for Zoom calls? Relocate.
That dodgy “authentic” experience making you uncomfortable? Bail.
Being a digital nomad isn’t about endurance tests. Your instincts are survival tools. Some places will never feel like home – others will click the second you sit down with a coffee. Learn to spot the difference fast.

Final Thought

For tourists, “living like a local” is an upgrade to their vacation. For digital nomads, it’s the default setting. If you don’t blend in – with the rhythms, routines, and real life of your temporary city – you’re just a visitor with a laptop.

The magic happens when you stop trying to pretend to be a local… and start building a life, even if it’s just for a season.

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