Is Coliving Just a Phase? 5 Myths About Shared Living—Explained

If you’ve ever thought, “Coliving sounds chaotic,” you’re not alone. The word still conjures images of student flats and beanbags. But for founders, digital nomads, and solo operators building real businesses, the best colivings have evolved into something very different: a focused, adult operating system for life and work.

At Circles House Coliving, we hear the same doubts again and again. So here are the five biggest myths—and what actually happens when shared living is designed for professionals.

Myth 1: “There’s no privacy.”

The fear is simple: thin walls and constant noise. Mature coliving solves for this with structure. Spaces are zoned for different energies—quiet rooms for sleep and recovery, a real coworking area with phone booths and meeting rooms for calls, and social lounges where conversation belongs. Clear etiquette (quiet hours, guest rules, calendarized events) keeps your schedule intact. The result isn’t less privacy; it’s predictable privacy. You choose when you’re “on” and when you’re offline.

Pro tip: ask for the house handbook before you book. If a space can’t show you how it protects focus and rest, keep looking.

Myth 2: “It’s just for students or backpackers.”

That may have been true years ago. Today’s high-caliber coliving is intentionally curated. The average resident is a working professional—often late 20s to 40s—who values reliability and momentum. At Circles, applications and intro calls align goals (product build, EU soft-landing, fundraising, market entry). We aim for complementary skills so that the inevitable “kitchen pitch” turns into real collaboration, not small talk. Think less dorm room, more lightweight accelerator that also happens to be your home.

Myth 3: “I won’t get any work done.”

You will—if the house is built for it. Deep-work windows, quiet zones, phone-booth norms and opt-in programming make it easy to protect maker time. Networking doesn’t interrupt your day; it lives in the margins: a breakfast teardown of a landing page, a terrace chat that unblocks pricing, a dinner where someone introduces you to a partner you’ve been trying to reach for months. The right environment turns ambient community into useful, on-demand expertise without hijacking your calendar.

Myth 4: “Coliving is a passing trend.”

Trends come and go; infrastructure sticks. Coliving has matured from “cheap room” to an integrated stack—housing, workspace, and community under one roof. Remote/hybrid work isn’t reverting, mobility is normal, and urban costs push people toward bundled solutions that save time and reduce decision fatigue. In that context, coliving isn’t a phase; it’s a practical response.

Myth 5: “It’s more expensive than renting.”

On paper, a room can look pricier than a lease. But compare total cost of ownership: rent, utilities, high-speed internet, cleaning, a proper cowork pass, meeting rooms, events—and the hours you’d spend setting all of that up. Now add the opportunity cost: warm intros, faster problem-solving, fewer context switches. When you tally the full picture, quality coliving is often cost-competitive, and for founders, the network ROI can be the difference between stuck and shipped.

So… what are the real downsides?

There are trade-offs. You share norms, so fit matters. Turnover can change the dynamic. Boundaries need maintenance. The fixes are straightforward: choose a curated house with a clear handbook, meet the community team, keep your bedroom a recovery zone, and protect your deep-work blocks. If a space can’t tell you how it handles conflicts, guests, or noise, it’s not ready for professionals.

The bottom line

According to Grand View Research, the global coliving market is expected to reach $16 billion by 2030, growing at over 13% annually. That kind of expansion doesn’t happen by accident—it reflects a maturing industry where standards, curation, and design are evolving fast.

The key is choosing wisely. Opt for spaces that are curated, transparent, and intentional. A good house will have a clear handbook, an engaged community team, and physical design that separates work from rest. Keep your bedroom a recovery zone and your deep-work hours protected. And if a space can’t tell you how it handles conflicts, guests, or noise—it’s simply not ready for professionals.

Nevertheless, joining a coliving can also be the perfect way to soft-land in a new city before committing to a long-term apartment. It gives you time to understand local life, build a network, and settle in smoothly—without the pressure of signing a lease on day one. Gives you sense of belonging, you have instant access to a community and you can explore the city where you want to relocate to. 

Book a virtual tour for our house in Barcelona here