Acclimation Playbooks
Step-by-step guides for your first two weeks in a new city. Not tourist advice — operational intelligence for people who need to live and work, not just visit.
Every playbook covers 8 steps
Available Playbooks
Detailed, verified, community-maintained guides ready to use.
Coming Soon
These cities have data but playbooks are still being written. Want to contribute?
Know a city inside and out?
Our playbooks are community-maintained. If you have lived somewhere for 30+ days, your knowledge is exactly what the next nomad needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a nomad acclimation playbook?
An acclimation playbook is a step-by-step settlement guide for a specific city — it walks you through everything from day one through fully operational: getting a local SIM, opening a bank account, finding a coworking space, learning which neighborhoods are safe and which to avoid, connecting with the nomad community, and handling local admin like registering with authorities if required for longer stays.
How long does it take to settle into a new digital nomad city?
Without a guide, most nomads take 4–8 weeks to feel fully operational in a new city — finding a reliable workspace, figuring out transportation, and learning which neighborhoods suit their lifestyle. With a playbook, the same orientation typically takes 1–2 weeks. The biggest time sinks without a guide are finding trustworthy coworking, deciphering local SIM plans, and figuring out safe areas from scratch.
Which cities have nomad acclimation playbooks?
Playbooks exist for cities with established nomad communities where the setup process has clear, verified steps. Current cities include Lisbon, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Medellín, Mexico City, and others. Each playbook is built from firsthand nomad experience — not tourist information — and covers the practical details that blogs skip: exact coworking costs, which SIM to buy at the airport, and what the first week actually looks like.
Are the playbooks free?
Yes — all nomad acclimation playbooks on Settled Nomad are completely free with no account required. The playbook format is designed to be followed on your phone during your first days in a city. We earn revenue through affiliate partnerships in the playbooks (Booking.com, Wise, SafetyWing), which lets us keep every guide free permanently.