Wander Rate

Unlock local prices, everywhere. "Smarter global living for digital nomads." "The world’s first AI platform for borderless, optimized subscriptions".

Comment

Inspiration

We’re three women with Latina heritage who love exploring not just our own beautiful countries but the entire world—while building our careers remotely. As digital nomads, we quickly realized the journey is more overwhelming than it should be: too many scattered apps, recommendations, and isolated solutions. There was no single place to compare options, discover real local prices, and plan smart, budget-conscious moves globally.

We dreamed of a platform where anyone could see all the possibilities in one view, get tailored recommendations, and make every relocation a smart, empowering experience—without running out of time, money, or energy. That dream became Wander Rate.

What it does

Wander Rate is the world’s first AI-powered platform that helps digital nomads and remote professionals:

  • Instantly compare real local prices for essentials—like coworking, gyms, mobile data, accommodation—across 50+ top destinations.
  • Optimize subscriptions and get group deals, so users never overpay as foreigners again.
  • Filter options by safety, community ratings, and personal priorities.
  • Seamlessly manage and switch subscriptions as you travel, from a single dashboard.
  • Get AI-driven recommendations for your next move based on your budget, lifestyle, and local opportunities.

How we built it

  • Frontend: Built using React Native for rapid cross-platform mobile app delivery, ensuring a slick user experience for travelers on the go.
  • Backend & AI: Integrated Google Vertex AI for smart, personalized recommendations—matching users to the best deals and safest locations, tailored to individual preferences.
  • Auth & Data: Firebase Auth secures users and supports real-time updates to their subscription portfolio.
  • Data Sourcing: Aggregated local prices and coworking data using open APIs, web scraping (where permitted), and a crowd-powered community database to ensure transparency and accuracy.

Challenges we ran into

Faced tough technical challenges integrating Vertex AI API into our React Native app. Even after configuring Firebase Auth, the integration caused unpredictable issues—debugging was time-consuming, and service reliability wasn’t always guaranteed.

We encountered difficulties accessing Google Cloud credits and faced temporary outages with Google Cloud Platform and other AI tools, which slowed development and forced us to think creatively under pressure.

Gathering reliable, real-time price data for dozens of global cities proved more difficult than expected—many “public” sources were either out of date, inconsistent, or hidden behind paywalls.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Attended a live lab to master the Vertex AI API and dove deep into Gemini Models documentation to push our recommendation engine forward.

Successfully built and launched an MVP that includes real AI coworking recommendations

What we learned

Full-stack product delivery: During this project, we built and deployed a full-stack mobile application using a modern, scalable tech stack. We gained hands-on experience integrating Python and Flask for the backend, containerizing the app with Docker, and deploying it efficiently on Google Cloud Run. Leveraging Vertex AI’s API, we delivered intelligent, personalized recommendations; by integrating the Google Places API, we provided users with real-time, accurate location data. On the frontend, we developed a cross-platform mobile app with React Native, Expo Go, and TypeScript, ensuring a responsive and user-friendly experience. This journey enhanced our collective understanding of cloud infrastructure, RESTful APIs, AI integration, mobile development best practices, and end-to-end product delivery.

Technical learning: We leveled up quickly on advanced tools like Vertex AI, Google Cloud Run, Google Maps API, and containerization (Docker)—skills that are essential for building and scaling AI-powered platforms.

Cross-skilling: One team member with a non-technical background learned to develop front-end components—demonstrating that curiosity and collaboration can break down any barrier in tech.

Peer learning: We encouraged and pushed each other to step outside our comfort zones, blending deep technical work with product design thinking and real-world user needs.

Community insights: Early user interviews confirmed a massive demand for real-time, transparent price intelligence and smarter subscription management for digital nomads—a clear market gap that motivates our continued development.

What's next for Wander Rate

Short to Medium Term:

  • Refine our AI recommendations, frontend, and backend for even better user experience.
  • Build the Wander Rate community for feedback, reviews, and peer support.
  • Establish strategic partnerships with vendors and coworking providers (focusing first on the Americas).
  • Enable seamless checkout and payments on the platform.
  • Launch group deals and negotiation features for community-powered savings.

Long Term:

  • Expand our data set: cover more cities, categories, and deepen local insights—especially group deals and safety.
  • Integrate additional subscription types (mobile plans, gyms, housing, wellness, etc.).
  • Develop advanced AI features: relocation guidance, cost-of-living forecasts, and trust scores.
  • Launch a robust community platform for peer reviews and deal sharing.
  • Grow our reach among underrepresented digital nomads (Latin America, Africa, Asia), making smart global living accessible to all.
  • Keep strengthening our network of partners to unlock more exclusive offers for our users.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates