Personal story by Salina Owens
While stumbling up the stairs to an apartment in Madrid that I had booked online, I reflected on just how wild my situation was. I’d moved to Madrid, never having visited before. I’d packed way too much, and I didn’t speak any Spanish.
2018 was a year of change, discomfort, and discovering who I wanted to become in the bustling capital city of Spain. Madrid is a city that Barcelona often overshadows. Still, over the past few years, it has slowly become an ideal spot for remote workers and entrepreneurs due to its dense professional network, slightly cheaper cost of living, and the airport is one of Europe’s biggest hubs with more direct long-haul routes than Barcelona.
However, adapting to living abroad and remote working wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Though I’ve experienced numerous ups and downs, I’m finally finding my way, working remotely, traveling around Europe, and getting to call Madrid my home.
Discovering Community
Finding your people can be one of the biggest challenges of moving and living abroad for an extended time. It’s important to put yourself out there, go to events that welcome people from around the world, and introduce yourself to others.
When I first moved, I was desperate for some sort of athletic community to be a part of. I wanted to continue playing soccer (football) and meet people, and one day, as I was printing documents off to teach a class, I eavesdropped on a conversation between two women behind me discussing a coed community where they play football regularly.
I hesitated at first, and then bucked up the courage to put myself out there, so I turned around and introduced myself. I was immediately honest and told them I was listening in on their conversation and wanted to know more about the group and how I could join. They immediately added me to a group chat with over 300 people, and I was signed up for the game that coming weekend.
7 years later, I’m still friends with many of the people I met through that group, and they have become the core of my life in Madrid. Event platforms like Luma and MeetUp are two of the best tools to use when searching for events and communities of every kind in the city.
Here are some of my Madrid community recommendations:
Sports Communities
All-female Communities
International Communities
Adapting to the Language Barrier
I thought I knew at least some Spanish before arriving in Spain. I studied it a little whilst at University, plus I’m originally from Texas, so I was regularly exposed to it growing up. Turns out, I did not know any real Spanish.
Spanish from Latin America is very different from Castilian Spanish from Spain, and learning the language is essential to living here. I learned every single day with intensive Spanish classes or by simply walking around the city. Not only has it made me feel more connected to the people and the culture, but it also makes daily life and bureaucratic processes easier.
Financial Realities
Spain isn’t necessarily a country where you come to make a ton of money, even in the capital. Madrid brings a wholesome sense of community to life, has truly an incredible food scene, and is one of Europe’s sunniest capital cities with just under 300 days of sunshine throughout the year.
After University, I moved back home to Texas and saved up for one year in order to prepare for my time in Madrid. I had around 5000 USD. Once I arrived, I secured part-time gigs at a few English academies teaching English to adults and kids. To supplement my teaching income, I began freelance writing for online communities in travel and lifestyle spaces, contributing to blogs on a semi-regular basis.
This was my first real remote working experience, and I knew I had to make this a full-time reality sooner rather than later. With rental prices rising all over the country, particularly in Madrid and Barcelona, making additional income outside a teaching salary was essential to maintain a certain quality of life.
I made the transition from education to marketing in 2023 and felt like I’d found my groove and also what I was good at. The following year, I secured a fully remote role as a copywriter at a tech company that allowed me to apply for Spain’s Digital Nomad visa. I felt like I had finally achieved my previous goal of making a fully remote career a reality. Traveling to the US, Thailand, and Iceland while keeping Madrid as an ideal home base full of friends and community.
The Bustling City Life
You’ll never be bored in Madrid. There are endless things to do and places to eat and drink, for any budget, with something for every kind of person. The city is full of art, an incredible food scene (including the world’s oldest restaurant, recognized by Guinness World Records), great people, and incredible sunsets.
Madrid has many layers and a very long history. The city’s original name was Mayrit, meaning the “land of abundant streams”. And if you ask anyone from the region, they will say Madrid has the best tap water in all of Spain.
Some of the top things to do in Madrid are:
- Walk around Retiro Park
- Eat at places like Hermanos Vinagre, Casa Macareno, La Embajada, or at any spot in Casa de Campo (if the weather is good and it’s sunny)
- Visit the Reina Sofia museum (if you’re a museum person)
- See the sunset from one of the popular rooftops or from Templo Debod (free park)
Remote Working in Madrid: What to Know
Madrid is very remote worker-friendly. You can go to one of the many coworking spaces or laptop-friendly cafes during the week for an affordable price. Several coworking spaces have all the amenities you need, including a private space to take calls, plenty of desks, and plugs to charge up. Some even come with an amazing rooftop view of the city.
Here are some of the top spots to work remotely from:
Cafes
- Lazo Madrid
- Cafelito
- Maria Peperina Cantina
- Plenti Cafe
- Tambo
- Dromme Kaffe
- God Cafe
- Mosaik
- En Bruto
- Escala House
Coworking spaces
- Cloudworks Cibeles (incredible rooftop view)
- Loom
- Impact Hub
- Talent Garden
- Blue Chair Coworking
Some things that make daily life here run smoothly:
Knowing the best time to visit
The best time to visit Madrid is during “shoulder season”, September to the beginning of November, and the beginning of April to the beginning of June. Temperatures are milder, and it doesn’t rain too much (typically).
Public transport
Madrid is very well connected within the region and to other cities in the country. You can take the high-speed train to Barcelona in 3 hours, to Valencia in 2.5 hours, and to Malaga in 4. The metro and suburban railway in the city will take you wherever you need to go for an affordable price (10-trip tourist card for about 8 euros). You don’t need to rent a car unless you intend to go to a very rural area where public transport isn’t really an option.
Coliving options
Of the numerous coliving spaces in Madrid, here are a few worth exploring if you’re considering coming:
The Adventure Abroad that Shapes You
My time in Madrid has been full of adventures: exploring the international food scene, traveling around Spain and Europe, meeting great people, making amazing friends, all while having the flexibility to work remotely from a coworking space or a nice cafe.
Madrid arguably rivals Barcelona in how international and remote-work-friendly the city has become. It’s an ideal hub to travel to the rest of Europe, where entrepreneurs are working on new ventures, and there are great restaurants on every corner that are worth exploring.
Moving abroad challenged me in ways I never imagined. There are days, especially in the beginning, when things can feel chaotic and frustrating. But over time, I realized that I am stronger and more capable than I ever thought possible. I’ve discovered not only a new culture and way of life, but also more about who I am. I’m still learning about myself every day while living abroad, and 7 years into the journey, I’m excited for what will come next.
About the author
Salina Owens is a Texas-born travel and lifestyle content creator and marketing generalist who has called Madrid home since 2018. She writes and creates content about living abroad in Spain, slow travel, food and drink, and her remote working journey on her Instagram and Substack.
