Making friends fast in a new city is a numbers-and-repetition game: put yourself in the same rooms repeatedly, initiate plans instead of waiting to be invited, and follow up within a day. Do that for a week and you'll have people to spend time with.
- Go where people show up regularly: coworking, classes, meetups, run clubs.
- Initiate — suggest a concrete plan ("coffee Thursday?"), don't wait for an invite.
- Follow up within 24 hours of meeting someone.
- Host something small yourself — it makes you the hub.
Where to meet people
- Coworking spaces and their events — the highest-density source of other nomads.
- Local meetup groups — language exchange, tech, hiking, board games, photography.
- Classes — gym, dance, cooking, jiu-jitsu, a local-language course.
- Run clubs and sports leagues — recurring, and easy to talk during/after.
- Community platforms and city chat groups — find the active one for your city.
The people you become friends with are almost always the ones you saw three or four times by accident first.
The follow-through most people skip
- Get a contact before you part — don't rely on running into them again.
- Message within 24 hours with a specific plan and a time, not "we should hang out".
- Suggest low-stakes first: a coffee, a co-work session, joining something you're already doing.
- Host once you know a few people — a dinner, a hike, a Friday co-work. Being the organiser compounds.
See who's in your next city, join local groups and start conversations ahead of arrival.
Join the community →A first-week plan
- Day 1–2: get a coworking day pass, go to one event listed for that week.
- Day 2–3: join a gym or class with a fixed schedule.
- Day 3–5: follow up with two people you met; make one concrete plan.
- Day 5–7: host or co-organise something small.
- Repeat the loop — by week two the city feels different.
Sources & further reading
Check figures and rules against the primary source before you act — they change. Last reviewed August 2026.
- US CDC — building social connection
- Our World in Data — social connections
- OECD — research on remote work / teleworking
FAQ
How do digital nomads make friends in a new city?
They go where people gather repeatedly — coworking spaces, classes, meetups, run clubs — then initiate concrete plans and follow up within a day. Hosting a small gathering yourself speeds it up a lot.
How long does it take to make friends in a new city?
With deliberate effort, about one to two weeks to have people to spend time with. Deeper friendships need a month or more of repeated contact, which is why slow travel helps.
What's the fastest way to build a social circle abroad?
Join one recurring activity with a fixed schedule (a gym or class) on arrival, use a coworking space daily, attend one meetup in the first week, and then host something small so people start coming to you.
I'm introverted — how do I make friends as a nomad?
Lean on structured, recurring settings where conversation has a built-in reason: classes, sports, coworking, hobby meetups. You don't need to work a room — you need to show up to the same small group repeatedly.
About the author. I'm Alexandre. I've been running an online business from Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America since I left a desk job, and I write the guides on Start Digital Nomad from wherever I'm based that month. This is what I actually use and do — not theory.
