How to Make Friends as a Digital Nomad in Mexico City
The hardest part of the digital nomad lifestyle isn't finding WiFi or affordable housing. It's loneliness.
I moved to Mexico City two years ago knowing nobody. No friends, no contacts, not even a Facebook acquaintance who lived here.
Six months later, I had a solid group of friends—both digital nomads and locals. People I actually wanted to spend time with, not just surface-level "networking" contacts.
Mexico City makes it easier to build real friendships than most digital nomad destinations, but you have to know where to look and what to avoid.
Here's exactly how I went from solo to social.
Why Mexico City Is Actually Great for Making Friends
Before diving into tactics, understand why Mexico City works:
Large digital nomad community: Roma and Condesa have hundreds of remote workers. You're not the only foreigner trying to make friends.
Welcoming local culture: Mexicans are genuinely friendly and curious about foreigners who make an effort with Spanish.
Long-term mindset: Unlike beach towns where everyone's passing through in 2 weeks, many digital nomads stay in Mexico City for months or years. People invest in friendships.
Diverse social scenes: Coworking spaces, language exchanges, fitness classes, art events, food tours—multiple entry points for different personalities.
Affordable socializing: Coffee dates and tacos don't break the budget, so you can say yes to hangouts without financial stress.
The infrastructure for friendship exists. You just need to tap into it.
Where to Actually Meet People (Not Generic Advice)
Coworking Spaces (Best ROI for Friendships)
WeWork Roma Norte: Massive digital nomad presence. Regular community events, networking mixers, and a Slack channel for members. Pay for a monthly membership, show up consistently, and you'll recognize faces within a week.
Impact Hub: More local Mexican professionals mixed with expats. Better if you want to practice Spanish and meet people who actually live here long-term.
Pequeño coworking spaces: Places like Mono or La Valise have 10-20 regulars. Smaller = easier to connect. Ask the staff who the regulars are.
Pro tip: Don't just sit with headphones on. Take lunch breaks in common areas. Comment on someone's laptop sticker. Ask where to find good coffee nearby. Small talk = entry point.
Language Exchange Meetups
ConversaSpain (Parque México, Wednesdays): Free meetup where locals practice English and foreigners practice Spanish. Pair up for 30-minute conversations. Low pressure, high friendship potential.
Duolingo Events: Check their app for in-person meetups in Mexico City.
Why this works: Everyone's there to connect. It's not weird to ask for someone's Instagram or suggest coffee next week.
Fitness Classes
Yoga in Parque México (weekend mornings): Free or donation-based classes. Chat with people after class. Regulars form tight communities.
CrossFit boxes in Roma: Intense but social. Post-workout tacos are basically mandatory.
Running clubs: Corredores de Roma meets Thursday evenings. Run together, grab beers after.
Facebook Groups (Actually Useful)
"Digital Nomads Mexico City": Post asking for coffee/coworking buddies. People respond.
"Expats in Mexico City": More established expats, good for local insights and introductions.
"Girls Who Travel Mexico": For women specifically—very active, regular meetups.
Post something like: "New to CDMX, working from [neighborhood], anyone want to cowork this week?" You'll get responses.
For more context on evaluating if Mexico City's digital nomad lifestyle fits you, read our 7 questions guide.
The "3-Week Strategy" That Actually Worked for Me
Week 1: Show up everywhere Go to 3-4 different events/spaces. Coworking Monday, language exchange Wednesday, yoga Saturday. Collect names and Instagram handles. Don't expect instant friendships—just plant seeds.
Week 2: Follow up selectively DM 2-3 people who seemed cool: "Hey, want to cowork from [café] Tuesday morning?" or "Grabbing tacos in Roma, you in?"
One-on-one hangouts > group settings for actually bonding.
Week 3: Introduce people to each other Once you have 3-4 loose connections, create a group chat. "Anyone want to check out that new mezcal bar Friday?" Suddenly you're the connector, and people associate you with fun plans.
Result: By week 4, you have a small crew. Not 50 acquaintances—5-8 people you genuinely like.
Key insight: Consistency matters more than charisma. Show up to the same café, coworking space, or yoga class multiple times. Familiarity breeds friendship.
This strategy works whether you're figuring out which Mexico City neighborhood to live in or just getting started.
Making Local Mexican Friends (Not Just Expats)
The digital nomad bubble is real. It's easy to only hang out with other remote workers.
How to break out:
Learn Spanish: Even basic conversational Spanish opens doors. Take classes at a local school (not online). Your classmates become automatic friends.
Use Meetup.com for local hobbies: Photography walks, book clubs, hiking groups. These aren't expat-focused—they're Mexican-led.
Say yes to invitations: If a Mexican coworker or neighbor invites you somewhere, go. Mexican social culture is warm but you have to reciprocate effort.
Avoid the gringo trap: Don't only eat at expat restaurants or only go to English-speaking events. Stretch yourself.
Why it matters: Local friends give you real cultural depth. Plus, they're not leaving in 3 months.
What Doesn't Work (Save Your Time)
Tinder/Bumble BFF: Hit or miss. Too much flakiness.
Random DMs to strangers on Instagram: Creepy unless you have mutual friends or met briefly IRL.
Hostels (if you're 30+): Mexico City hostel scene skews young (22-25). If that's your age, great. If not, you'll feel out of place.
Waiting for people to approach you: Mexico City is big. Nobody's going to knock on your door asking to be friends. You have to initiate.
Going to bars alone hoping to meet people: Possible but inefficient. Structured events > random bar nights.
Dealing with Digital Nomad Friendship Challenges
Challenge: People leave constantly. You make a friend, they move to Oaxaca in 2 months.
Solution: Accept transience. Build a rotating friend group. Stay in touch with the good ones online.
Challenge: Surface-level conversations. Everyone asks "Where are you from? How long are you here?"
Solution: Skip small talk. Ask better questions: "What's your favorite thing you've discovered here?" or "What are you working on?"
Challenge: Loneliness still hits sometimes.
Solution: Normal. Even with friends, solo living has lonely moments. That's the digital nomad lifestyle tradeoff.
Before committing long-term, consider reading why I chose Mexico City over 8 other destinations.
Practical Friendship-Building Tips
Always carry business cards or have Instagram ready: When you meet someone cool, make it easy to connect later.
Host things: "Pizza night at my place" or "coworking from [café] tomorrow, join?" Being the organizer = automatic social boost.
Be reliable: If you say you'll show up, show up. Digital nomads flake constantly. Standing out by being dependable = friendship currency.
Give before asking: Share apartment leads, recommend restaurants, make introductions. Generosity builds goodwill.
For the practical gear side of the digital nomad lifestyle, check our complete travel backpack guide.
The Gear That Helps You Stay Social
When you're bouncing between coworking spaces, cafés, and friend meetups across the city, mobility matters.
The 8808 EXTEND (20L expandable) handles daily social life perfectly: carry your laptop for coworking sessions, compress it for café hangs, expand it when you're staying overnight at a friend's place or heading to weekend trips with your new crew.
Being able to say "yes" to spontaneous plans without going home first = more friendship opportunities.
Final Thoughts: Friendship Takes Effort, But It's Worth It
Making friends as a digital nomad in Mexico City isn't automatic, but it's absolutely doable.
The infrastructure exists: coworking spaces, language exchanges, Facebook groups, fitness classes. You just have to show up consistently, follow up with people, and be willing to put yourself out there.
Two years later, the friendships I've built here—both expat and local—are what make Mexico City home, not just a city I work from.
The digital nomad lifestyle is better with real community. Go build yours.
