Tulum, Mexico Digital Nomad Lifestyle – Does It Live Up to the Hype?

Inside Tulum: Does It Live Up to the Hype?

“That is a ninja strategy I use all the time. Whenever people ask me that are relocating to other countries, they ask me for the comps, how much rental will be, I’m like, okay, when are you arriving? How long are you staying? Because if you think you’re rolling into Tulum on December 15th and you’re going to spend $1,300 a month, you have another thing coming. But if you get there in the low season, and this goes for Costa Rica and anywhere, if you arrive in the low season or the shoulder season and you lock yourself into a long term lease, like 3 or 6 months, that goes through those holiday days, you’re good to go. ”
— Kristin Wison

After dreaming (and researching) about becoming a digital nomad for years, Darren Lamison-White quit his job to "make the leap." Now, he's finally able to work from anywhere! Darren has spent 2020 working remotely in IT and cybersecurity for a private investment bank from places like Croatia and Tulum, Mexico.

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After dreaming (and researching) about becoming a digital nomad for years, Darren Lamison-White quit his job to "make the leap." Now, he’s finally able to work from anywhere! First stop? Tulum, Mexico. But is it worth the hype? Find out in today's episode of Badass Digital Nomads.

 

Tulum, Mexico Digital Nomad Lifestyle – Does It Live Up to the Hype?

After dreaming (and researching) about becoming a digital nomad for years, Darren Lamison-White quit his job to "make the leap." Now, he’s finally able to work from anywhere! Darren has spent 2020 working remotely in IT and cybersecurity for a private investment bank from places like Croatia and Tulum, Mexico.

In this episode, Kristin and Darren sit down over a bottle of wine to discuss how he was able to make that transition, how his life has changed since he traded the office for the beach, and the pros and cons of living in Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

Is Tulum worth the hype? What is it really like living there? What are the accommodations and cost-of-living like? How do digital nomads deal with slow WIFI, infrastructure issues, and power outages? Do you need permanent residency to live in Mexico or can you stay forever with just a tourist visa/passport stamp?

And most importantly, what’s better – tequila or mezcal? (Kidding!)

Tune in today to find out if Tulum lives up to its Instagram fame or if it’s overrated.

Also learn some of Darren’s top tips and lessons learned from his first year as a full-time digital nomad, plus where he plans to go next and why.

 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why Tulum, Mexico isn’t the best destination for digital nomads.

  • Perpetual Tourism vs. Permanent Residency in Mexico.

  • Why it’s not necessary to open a bank account in Mexico.

  • What a day in the life of a Tulum Digital Nomad looks like.

  • How Darren’s experience as a digital nomad changed his life and his perspective of the world.

  • How to make life-long friends while traveling.

  • How to fit in better like a local abroad.

  • The #1 lesson Darren learned from transitioning to a digital nomad lifestyle.

  • Darren’s future travel plans for 2021.

  • The best place to live in Portugal (aka the next Bali or Tulum!).

 

QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

  • How did you get started with the digital nomad lifestyle?

  • What was your motivation for becoming a digital nomad?

  • How many countries have you traveled to and returned to since starting to work remotely?

  • Why is Tulum, Mexico trending right now?

  • Does it make sense for remote workers to move to Tulum?

  • Tulum versus Playa del Carmen – which is better to live in?

  • What are the accommodations and cost of living like in Tulum?

  • What types of people fit in with the culture of Tulum compared with Playa del Carmen?

  • Has your lifestyle of travel supported your professional skills and your role at your company?

  • What do you think your purpose is in life? What are you striving for?

 

📝 EPISODE RESOURCES & SHOW NOTES

Online Banking:

Book: The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

Videos:

Food Delivery Service in Tulum and Playa del Carmen:

Internet Speed Testing Tool: SpeedTest.net 

Destinations Mentioned:

 

Support the Badass Digital Nomads Podcast:

 

Connect with Guest, Darren: 

 

Connect with Kristin: 

 
 

👱🏼‍♀️ CONNECT WITH KRISTIN

Note: Badass Digital Nomads podcast descriptions may include affiliate links for our guests' products and services that we like, use, or want to support - at no additional cost to you :)

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