It’s one of your life’s most consequential decisions. It will tug at your sense of self, rationally and emotionally. You’ll have to run the gauntlet of disbelief and incredulity from your best friends and closest family members: the decision to live overseas. Honest information and thoughtful self-evaluation can liberate, enhance your quality of life, rejuvenate your curiosity about our world, and break you and your family out of a financial future riddled with uncertainty and doubt.
Mexico News Daily, in partnership with Jalisco-based Choosing Mexico LLC is publishing the first definitive Where to Live in Mexico 2024 Guide, a comprehensive exploration of viable long-term living locations (cities, resorts, and towns) across many of Mexico’s 32 states, using a unique six category rating system. Created by Choosing Mexico in close consultation with MND, this initiative explores everyday living essentials using a one to five “rating” designed to reveal criteria you can use in your move to Mexico deliberations. As this editorial series unfolds, you’ll have thought-provoking guidance, steering you toward a short list of viable Mexico locations (perhaps a village in the sun?) and hopefully opening your curiosity about places you are not presently considering.
While no one has the real figure, embassies estimate that 1.6 million Americans and 400,000 Canadians now call Mexico home, alongside thousands of Europeans.
Our rating system is not a “ranking” designed to convince you one place is better than another. Rather, this series will examine over 30 locations across over a dozen Mexican states. It will include old standbys like Lake Chapala, Merida, San Miguel de Allende and Puerto Vallarta — places that put Mexico on the tourism map. It may also include up-and-coming locations you’ve never heard of.
We won’t discuss the cost of living (which is dependent on your lifestyle), “safety” (which is determined by your actions and personal vigilance), or the living standards in urban areas versus resorts versus towns/villages (which is a personal preference).
So, what really matters when it comes to picking a place? Here are six ways to embrace the realities of Mexico living. All six speak to one core, existential question about moving to Mexico: “How will you live and spend your daily life?”
Climate: Perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT consideration for year-round living under a Mexican sun. Climate determines (in ways big and small) your daily routine. You’ll need to understand Mexico’s “dry” versus “rainy” cycles, the impact of altitude (over half of Mexican territory is above 4,000 feet) and how latitude determines summer highs and winter lows. Rainfall increases (generally) the further you go south. Places with a year-round, stable climate translate to minimal need for either A/C or heating, a cost of living factor. Consider also that in some locations, there are hurricanes, rising sea levels, deserts, tropical jungles, inland temperature spikes or drought. Our ratings will help you pin down the advantages and drawbacks across Mexican coastal and inland locations.
Connectivity: The relative ease of getting here and getting around can help you maximize one of Mexico’s key advantages: proximity to the U.S. and Canada. West Coast U.S. residents might find the Mexican Caribbean a tad too far, and East Coasters might write off Baja locations for similar reasons. There’s also the question of access to inter-city bus and air transportation. If you are somewhat isolated by a northern location (like is the case with the Baja and border states), distances to central Mexican cultural attractions may be a factor. Central Mexico has the country’s best air and bus transportation systems.
Culture: After climate and connectivity, culture and community are the next two key criteria for selecting your new home in Mexico. Culture and community affect the critical question, “How will you spend your time?” Whether you are coming to Mexico for retirement or working remotely, free time will accumulate and may challenge your overall happiness — unless you take time to find a place that “speaks to” you. Consider that if you’re in your 60’s and retiring you’ll likely have 25-30 years to embrace a fulfilling life. In my experience, the happiest foreigners in Mexico are the ones who find a genuine interest in local culture and express their appreciation via active engagement. Mexico excels like few nations when it comes to cultural diversity and complexity. It’s a fascinating laboratory of cultural evolution unfolding across one of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes.
Community: Community, of course, means different things to different folks. Having Spanish language skills opens a host of places where you can find commonality with locals. For non-Spanish speakers, community can mean finding areas of Mexico that have hosted foreigners for decades. These places can be home to cultural centers, service clubs, religion, performing arts, volunteering opportunities, animal rescue, sports clubs, and more ways to stay busy that you may have experienced back home! Communities of the recently migrated coalesce and congregate in surprising ways. Our rankings will reveal some surprising pastimes and socialization opportunities.
Care: Medical care in Mexico means medical services and “wellness,” in the broadest sense. Private medical care gets high marks from expat residents. Where you find the best hospitals, you’ll access specialists, diagnosis, surgical procedures, disease management, medications, nursing, and post-operative recovery. Senior care is slowly getting prioritized by the private sector. Home care (including doctors who make house calls) and Mexican nursing care are available for a fraction of the cost of the U.S. Many North American migrants will often cobble together home-country services with Mexico care. Having surgeries in Mexico is by no means rare; however, many foreigners choose to do more extensive procedures under their back-home medical policy. Wellness means eating less processed food, fast food, and more seafood, vegetables, and fruits. And (let’s hope) more exercise!
Costco: Am I joking? Sort of. Decades ago Mexico was the land of sacrifices and scarcity when it came to consumer goods. Obtaining your favorite food items, personal care products, clothing brands or kitchen necessities meant packing them into a suitcase when you headed south. This all changed with the signing of NAFTA in 1995. By the early 2000’s, the US box store invasion was taking hold across cities, resorts and even smaller towns. So, if you need a semblance of your back-home lifestyle (don’t underestimate this need), today’s Mexico residents can get almost anything via either retail or online stores. Overnight door-to-door delivery has been answered by fleets of delivery vans and motorcycles that will get your new Birkenstocks at your front door fast and reliably. There are currently 39 Costco stores across Mexico.
This editorial series promises a chance to find your very own village in the sun. So buckle up and follow us as we reveal which of the 32 cities in this series is right for you.
Author Greg Custer lives in Jalisco. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.
This is fun. Thank you for putting this together. Not only is it interesting to read as someone who might be interested in moving to Mexico but it’s fun for someone who lives in Mexico in the winter to learn more about places to visit inside Mexico. One of the things I like about living in Mexico is how inexpensive it is to travel by air to other places inside Mexico. Too bad gasoline prices are now so high. I’m looking forward to learning more about places I have not been but plan to visit.
There could be one more category. Vibe. And a degree of Vibe. It’s an energy level. Sayulita has a lot of the Vibe. The energy from the surf community draws people to this town. Unfortunately people are arriving faster than the infrastructure can keep up with plus its driving up cost. Mexico City has the Vibe. You don’t have to be young to have a high young bohemian vibration level but you can feel it in a community.
Hi, your comment caught my eye. 3 yrs ago when I first got my house in Guadalajara I flew numerous places within Mexico. Booked ahead I never paid more than $100. I remember paying $75 return from Guadalajara to Cancun. Over a 2 hour flight.
The Guadalajara airport has 4 airlines flying non stop to Los Angeles. Airport would be my top requirement on this list. Second would be open roads for car and motorcycle rides which I also get in the Guadalajara area
Sayulita is one of my favorite places to sit in the plaza and take in the vibe. Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful getaway destination for Guadalajara people
MND is truly the bargain of a lifetime!
Great perspective as well as cultural, historical, economic and geopolitical information, combine with a steady beat of love and appreciation for the people, customs, culture and country. The quality of writers and staff is unparalleled. Thank you MND for accelerating our learning curb.
Thank you Randy for your kind words….much more is coming soon.
Apparently I missed the best places. Is that forthcoming?
Every Sunday over the upcoming weeks we will publish an article reviewing the 32 cities.
I hope you address the levels of water scarcity in the various locales. The tourist publications and real estate offices like to gloss that over, but I hope your paper doesn’t.
Thank you-love your publication. 🙂
I’m not finding them
Capital Idea Travis! Thank you Greg!
I have been living part time in the Lake Chapala area for the past 3 years on a resident visa, in the summers. I have grown very fond of the country and it’s people. I also love living in Lakeside, with it’s engaging & active population of expats and locals. I am learning Spanish, and it’s not easy as an older retiree. I hope to travel all over Mexico and understand it at a deeper level. Your stories should help me better understand the country through the expat lens. Thank you!
Dear MDN;
Thank you for your undertaking. I am looking forward to reading about each and every location that you will cover.
I have lived full time in Puerto Vallarta for 26 years. I would like to share your review of places to live in Mexico other than Puerto Vallarta with friends in the USA. It seems that I can’t forward articles without them having a subscription to MDN. Is there a way around this so that they can read your review without a subscription?
Sincerely,
Gardner
Gardner,
Thanks for being a reader….I think you will really enjoy this series. Regarding your question, yes it is true that your friends would need a subscription. That is the way that we are able to pay our people to do the great work they do and keep and maintain our website. Hopefully they would subscribe and get excited and motivated to join you in Mexico. and remember that an MND subscription makes a great gift! 🙂 Thank you for understanding and for reading MND!
This article series needs a restart!!!!!
Quote from this article’s opening paragraphs. “We won’t discuss the cost of living (which is dependent on your lifestyle), “safety” (which is determined by your actions and personal vigilance), or the living standards in urban areas versus resorts versus towns/villages (which is a personal preference).”
1. Cost of Living: The first question EVERY future ex pat considers is: Can I afford this or that place. Our informal coffee clutch estimates that 40% of expats who live in Chapala/Ajijic are economic refugees, many of whom would be living in poverty in the USA. People talk about money and affordability ALL THE TIME , (ONLY OUTDONE BY HEALTH CARE ISSUES)-AFFORDABILTY ISSUES) and especially because of their age and the lack of availability of good geriatric (health care 60 +) care unless one has enough money to AFFORD good private clinics and hospitals.
2. Every ex pat is questioned by their friends back home regarding the” safety” of Mexico in general and the specific state, city, or town they are choosing to live with. You are going to dismiss the central issue of life or death? We’re not talking about pick pockets or a petty crime; we’re talking about physical assault and murder. Get real! Start over on your premise.
3. Living standards to a great degree determines the 5-7 year average (YES, this is the reality) that most expats have who move to Cuenca, PV, Ajijiic, etc. Living standards are largely effected by access to Medical care and it’s expense especially if one has a chronic disease. Medicare’s limitations to foreign locations such as Mexico severely limits for many the money which could be used for a higher living standard .
MND, not to deal with these three is a MAJOR COP OUT. Do your homework and deal honestly with these topics WHICH YOU ARE CHOOSING TO IGNORE FROM THE START. The university in Cuenca a few years back, (they keep trying) to understand how many ex pats there are, whether they increase the cost of local housing, and the ever important question why most expats do not survive beyond the 5-7 year limit. Who ever is writing for this series should be reading the studies done.
ONE OF MY CREDENTIALS-59 YEARS IN MEXICO-17 YEARS IN ECUADOR-NOT FULL TIME IN EITHER.
Jim, your comments are spot on. It is irresponsible to leave out “Cost of Living” and “Safety” as throw away topics. We have lived in SMA for three years and love it! Bottom line is to do your homework about this kind of decision. This is a start MND, but too much of a “softball” to be considered seriously. MND, if you want more subscribers, then do the readers justice by including hard hitting topics.
Absolutely agree. Cost of living and safety are paramount to anyone considering moving to Mexico. To leave them out makes this whole endeavor a bit worthless, in my opinion. The other big item to discuss is infrastructure. I live in a town that most people rate as a highly desirable place to live…until they live here and find out the infrastructure cannot support the population.
“Cost of Living” and “Safety” are two topics that anyone with minimal internet research skills can determine on their own from numerous reputable sources.
Where I live in Ajijic, the cost of living varies greatly depending where you choose to rent or buy in a 5 kilometer radius of the village center, and how you shop and eat.
I am great with the topics MDN is going to cover… these are topics with intangibles that can make a huge difference in quality of life that are much more difficult for an individual to discern on their own.
This was my first thought as well. Cost of living and safety cannot be factored out of a serious discussion of where to live in Mexico. (Standard of living is arguably captured by cost of living, so those two can be lumped together.) This is a great initiative, but will be woefully (and apparently willfully) incomplete without a discussion of these two important points.
Jim,
Would you be willing to share the differences between Cuenca and MX? I live in Morelos and have a sister in Cuenca who wants me to visit or move there. Any insights?
Thank you,
Kathryn
I agree with this posted comment about “excluding” pretty important info for one’s decision making . . . and some of us do travel overland down to our “barrio” so I would appreciate insights into the highway infrastructure getting to and from . . . ah, just my “dos pesos” . . .
Mr Novak: hey, let’s have coffee! I’m the series author and live in La Floresta.
The series is a rating of viable places to live. That means there needs to be quantitative or anecdotal “evidence” that allows the ratings to differentiate. Is Mazatlan “safer” or “cheaper” than Oaxaca for a foreign resident? I don’t think we can draw much of a distinction. We will however point out that Merida is considered one of Mexico’s safest cities.
Regarding “safety” and specifically for US citizens, the statistics are clear from State Department reporting. In the last reporting period, there were a total of nine homicides of US citizens in 2021 and 2022 (excluding the border states). See my May MND story about this. So, if your concern is homicide, the ratings (again) cannot draw any conclusions from one place to another (the exception being Baja California homicides, which will be covered). Folks living in Mexico overwhelmingly believe Mexico is safe for their situation and lifestyle. No amount of editorializing on this point will convince someone not living here of this fact. Safety concerns don’t stop hundreds of thousands of us from living here happily (including, I assume Mr. Novak). We all live here in defiance of the “wisdom” of our misinformed friends and family about safety. If you can’t overcome this familial criticism, overseas living might not be for you.
Regarding quality of life, I stick to my claim that it’s more the urban/resort/village decision that determines this. Mr Novak here equates “living standard” with “health care” which is (ironically) part of the ratings.
I don’t see how reading academic papers about living in Cuenca factors into Mexico living. But I’d love to see studies about Mexico, a fascinating laboratory of multiculturalism.
The series does not profess to be about the overall decision “Should I move to Mexico?” Once you’ve become comfortable with the idea (likely a uniting factor across the MND subscriber base), the series helps you be a smarter shopper. That’s all.
Thank you for submitting your views.
La Floresta is a wonderful neighborhood and close to the airport. I always ride my motorcycles around there when I come to Ajijic. That’s where I would live in the Lake Chapala area. I try to get to Ajijic a couple times a month. I like the open mic at Lake Chapala Society. Give support to those folks that maybe never had an opportunity to follow their musical dreams at a young age.
Greg, something that is not mentioned enough is that 50 something’s also are here. You start planning at 45 to retire by 55. It’s not just old people anymore. The Guadalajara airport is key to this. 3 hrs you are back in Los Angeles or Las Vegas. You buy a gorgeous home in the Guadalajara area but with the affordability your pocket is blessed with spending money to be out of Mexico 50% of the time. The Guadalajara airport becomes your best friend.
I also add that new thinking is at 65 you leave Mexico. You get your social security and move on.
In conclusion it’s nice to have some fresh ideas to Mexico living for Americans. Best to everyone with their choices.
Awesome series Greg!
I LOVE living in Puerto Morelos, The Yucatan. I have been coming here for 10+ yrs, for winter. I’m from New York City and as I got older I felt it too dangerous to walk my 2 dogs in the slushy slippery sidewalks. First I rented a great house 2 blocks from Caribbean. In 2019 I built a house (with 26 solar panels so “0” electric costs) in same area and love it. The Mayan culture is so fascinating and people are so kind. They are used to North Americans as Canadians have been coming to this little fishing town for 25 yrs. Alas now. It’s in the map and with Maya train will be even more touristy. It’s still a simple lifestyle and wonderful restaurants, and zoning currently preventing more than 5 floors however…. Safety? Yes, however I wouldn’t go out late or to Cancun or Playa (fancier and very touristy) for rock and roll events. We have a grand new museum, amazing cenotes and archaeological sites.
I forgot the awesome reef just off the beach!
Now I’m thinking I shouldn’t share this heavenly spot🤣. Oh, it’s REALLY HOT in summer!!
I love living in San Francisco, Nayarit. I never have felt threatened. The locals are loving, caring people. It is a tourist town and they can be embarrassingly rude on occasion but they are still treated with respect. (There is a need to be reminded to tip at the grocery store as it is something we don’t do in the US.)
The best place to live in Mexico is where there are no other expats.
Why?
The cost of living is much lower.
You will actually learn Spanish, because you have to.
It is much more entertaining NOT hanging around with gringos.
You have a much wider selection of places to select from.
But it takes time. Don’t expect to be welcomed into a non-gringo community until you have been there a few years.
Great Idea MND. I have lived in Mazatlan for almost a decade. My family and I love living in Mazatlan. We live in the Marina area and life is great beside the ocean in Mexico’s only Colonial City by the Sea! We enjoy a high quality of life, a great circle of friends, and a growing sense of community. I expect we will see a surge in interest from Americans (and some Canadians) who want to move abroad after the November elections and the divisive political speech and theater we are seeing leading up to the Presidential election and following…
Thank you so much for doing this series!
I totally agree that safety and cost of living are the most important things that someone cares about when moving to Mexico.