Low-Key Passive Income Ideas for Digital Nomads

May 2

Let’s be honest—most passive income advice online is... tired. We’ve all heard the “write an eBook,” “invest in real estate,” and “start a YouTube channel” tips a thousand times.

So let’s skip the obvious stuff.

Here are 6 low-key, creative passive income ideas you probably haven’t seen on every blog—and they’re perfect for digital nomads looking to diversify income without burning out.

1. Sell Digital Guides for Niche Topics

No, not generic travel guides. I’m talking hyper-specific guides like:

“How to Find Pet-Friendly Apartments in Buenos Aires”
“The Digital Nomad’s Guide to Coffee Shops with Fast Wi-Fi in Cebu”
“A 3-Day Food Crawl in Oaxaca for Under $60”

People will pay for specific solutions they can’t find for free. Build once, sell forever.

2. Create & License Printable Travel Planners

Think beyond Etsy. There are marketplaces, like Creative Market or niche Facebook groups, where you can license printables like:

Travel expense trackers
Border run calendars
Packing checklists for remote workers

Design in Canva, list once, and collect sales while you sleep.

3. Rent Out Local Storage Space (Yes, Really)

In many countries, expats and tourists are looking for safe local storage while they travel. If you’re living somewhere long-term, consider:

Renting an extra closet or storage unit
Partnering with hostels or Airbnbs
Listing on platforms like Neighbor (U.S.) or through local expat Facebook groups

It’s the Airbnb of storage—and it works globally.

4. Curated Affiliate Pages for Local Services

Skip Amazon. Instead, partner with relocation services, local SIM card sellers, co-working spaces, or international insurance companies.

Create a landing page like “My Toolkit for Moving to Vietnam” with your affiliate links and earn recurring commissions when people sign up.

5. Host Micro-Courses or Audio Workshops

Not a full-blown course. Think smaller:

$9 audio files like “How I Found an Apartment in Mexico City in 48 Hours”
Mini video series on “Finding Cheap Flights with Hidden City Trickery”

You can host on platforms like Gumroad or Heights and promote them with email or Pinterest.

6. Local Language Resource Bundles

Put together cheat sheets and phrase packs with audio pronunciation for expats or travelers. Example:

30 phrases to rent an apartment in Portuguese
Market haggling phrases in Bahasa Indonesia

Hire a native speaker on Fiverr to help if needed—and bundle them into a downloadable product.

Final Thoughts: Passive ≠ Effortless, But It’s Worth It

None of these ideas are “get rich quick.” You’ll need to build once with intention—but once they’re set up, they run with minimal upkeep.

And the best part? You’re creating value for a niche community you already belong to.

Start small, test what works, and let your creativity and travel experience do the rest.

Rebecca Edgett