I currently live in the USA and am thinking about living abroad. I’ve a lot of negative coverage about Canada that made me want to look elsewhere and Mexico is close that I can still visit family more often than potentially living in Europe or Asia. I wanted to ask though if Mexico is a really good place to live as I have heard some good things about it

  • RetirementAce@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I’ve lived and worked in Mexico for over 25 years and am now retired here. It is certainly far more expensive than before with supermarket prices comparable to those in the UK and Italy. Numbeo however still shows Mexico as being cheaper than many North American and European cities - but there is a good reason that visa salary requirements are nearly three times higher than a decade ago. Yes it is possible to live cheaply here - most Mexicans have to - but a middle class family lifestyle is not cheap as most will pay for schools, healthcare etc… . Security is a concern - car jacking and business extortion are very common but you can with care minimise risks - and certainly if you don’t have a business and don’t drive much then you are unlikely to experience anything other than petty crime.

    Major roads, internet and mobile services can be excellent although autopista tolls can make long journeys pricey. Providing you don’t live in an area where aircon is essential (unfortunately most costal areas) then energy costs can be very low - I have solar over and water heating and spend about US$200/year on gas and electricity - (no aircon needed) for a 500m2 house.

    Private medical services are first rate, but free government health services are very patchy - best for use if all else fails. Not a problem for the young as private insurance is cheap for them and most won’t have many serious health issues. For the more elderly such as me health costs start to dominate expenditure. Health insurance starts to become very expensive and if you come from a country with free heath care these costs must be carefully considered - health insurance, medicines, doctor’s appointments etc. now represent about 30% of my expenses - and as of yet I don’t have any serious health conditions.

    Taxation can be high or can be low! There are tax regimes with very low rates to encourage people out of the black economy but in general as an employee or fee based worker taxes can be surprisingly high with very limited state services in return. Tax evasion is more and more difficult as banks have to report all deposits and credit payments to the tax authorities who then compare these to your declared income. So if a digital nomad receives income from outside Mexico and this is deposited in Mexico the tax authorities will want to see that on the annual tax declaration (living in Mexico it’s difficult to not to be resident for Mexican tax even if all income is from overseas - Mexico taxes global income). Mortgage rates are high (11%+) , and property prices can be high in the popular ex-pat areas. and of course Mexico is very, very bureaucratic, there are so many transactions that need to be done in person - just an address change for a bank account has to be done in person - so it’s a lifestyle with lots of queuing!

    Is Mexico a good option? I guess the answer is it can be - I’m still here!

    .

  • Lemoneh@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Torontonian here, echoing sentiments of “too much for too little.”

    Prices have been “artifically” inflated by droves of immigrants and competition in population dense areas like GTA, Vancouver, Calgary, etc. is unteneble. CoL is nearly comparable to a A tier city in the states like a NY or LA without half of the cultural and historic extravagence that make them unique.

    The trajectory doesn’t look pretty and I’m seeing many looking for a move out to Europe. Just food for thought - a flight from London to the east coast is merely 6 hours, Mexico wouldn’t be much shorter.

    I’m seeing much more long-term potential in places like Berlin, France, London, etc.

  • Ebella2323@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Mexico has been amazing for us, a family of 5. We have met both locals and immigrants here, and have had nothing but good experiences with both. The people make the place, and everyone seems happy to be here. However, no matter where you end up, you’ll ride the ups and downs of immigration. Finding yourself and your purpose in your new place is going to be key to your success. Here’s to hoping you find both south of the border!

    • Snowedin-69@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Where in Mexico are you living?

      I am in Mexico touring the silver cities and certainly looks like a great place to move to.

  • I_PARDON_YOU@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Strike Canada off the list especially bigger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. You see Canada has become very adept in parting you from insane amounts of money in the name of overpriced housing, food, transportation etc. Hell, everything is priced off the tits here. In return you will get a lifestyle that many expats in Mexico will laugh at while sipping margaritas on the beaches of puerto Vallart and playa del Carmen.

  • PibeauTheConqueror@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I enjoy it. It’s a massive country with a lot of different types of places to be, things to do.

    It is very easy to move tonmex as us citizen also.

  • Professional_Ad_3631@alien.top
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    1 year ago

    Long story short Mexico is one of the few places where I only look the left side of the menu without look at the right side. Maybe with super peso and inflation is might no longer valid

  • Quirky-Camera5124@alien.top
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    1 year ago

    it all depends on where you live. being on a cartel drug route is horrid, living in a small interior city can be charming. personally, i am fond of tlaxcala

  • Max__Rebo@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I’m Canadian, living in the US, but currently in Canada visiting family. Echo the comments about Canada being unaffordable and falling apart. Things have really deteriorated here the last five years. I don’t see much prospects for improvement if the current government stays in power, and despite all the polling against the Liberals, I still think they’ll squeak by the next election. This isn’t the Canada from the 80s-90s.

    Regarding Mexico, I know some people living there part-time. They all have remote jobs and make US salaries. They can afford to live a really good lifestyle there. But that’s because they’re making what would even be considered good salaries in the States. Things have gotten more expensive in Mexico lately, but it’s still affordable with a US or even Canadian salary. All of them are in Mexico City, which has good infrastructure, but is more expensive than the rest of the country. If you go to a smaller city, you probably won’t get the same level of service as you would in Mexico City, so keep that in mind. They like the locals. Don’t really speak much Spanish, but learning. None of them are sure if it’s a permanent move, however.

  • spicy_pierogi@alien.top
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    1 year ago

    Been living here for over 4 years. If I didn’t have any other passport other than the US one, I’d consider staying here long-term. But since I have an EU passport, I’m looking to switch this to our vacation spot and move to Europe.

    It’s not that cheap anymore but it’s still a lot more affordable compared to the other alternative (Canada). Lots of items have doubled in prices since 2017 which may not impact the average immigrant/expat, but it’s not great for the locals.