A snapshot of Mexican coffee production

Mexican coffee production is widespread, with more than 300,000 mostly small growers dedicated to its cultivation across 15 of Mexico’s 32 states, and despite the country being the 10th largest coffee producer in the world, the crop makes up only a small fraction of the country’s agricultural output.

Most of the coffee grown in Mexico is of the arabica kind, and more than a third is grown at high elevation which yields the higher quality, and more expensive, varieties of beans.  Much of it is grown in the shade, which adds to the quality of the coffee.

Quality and yield improving after ‘leaf rust’ blight

Coffee yields have recovered in recent years after a blight of ‘leaf rust’ devastated crops and caused production to fall by half between 2012 and 2016.  However, as the recovery emerges, regions most affected by the blight appear now to be producing some exceptional coffee beans with improving yields. In the 2019-2020 season, producers harvested about 3.7 million 60-kilogram (132 pound) bags, and that is forecast to increase to 3.9 million bags in the 2020-2021 season.  Although less acreage is expected to be planted, efforts have been made to increase the number of plants per hectare and to plant with more disease resistant trees.

Mexico’s coffee-growing regions

Mexico has four principal growing regions, and the coffees that emanate from each one carry distinct flavors and aromas, influenced by the local terrain, rich volcanic soils, the climate, and elevation.

Chiapas: distinct, highly sought-after coffee

Mexico’s southernmost state of Chiapas is the country’s biggest coffee producer, accounting for more than 40% of the annual crop.  The high rainfall in this region keeps the volcanic soils moist which is ideal for coffee growers.  The best arabica coffees from Chiapas carry a smooth, medium-bodied taste, with bright yet moderated acidity, and hints of cacao.  The aroma from these coffees is strong, often chocolatey, but they tend to be smooth and creamy on the palate and often have hints of a caramel-like sweetness to them.  Some coffee connoisseurs consider Chiapas’s coffee to be the among the best of all Mexican coffees.

Veracruz: dark and bold volcanic influences

The state of Veracruz situated along the shores of Mexico’s Gulf coast produces about a quarter of the country’s coffee. Veracruz’s topography climbs steeply from the coastal plains into an elevated mountainous terrain that provides ideal growing conditions for arabica coffee beans.  The coffee from this region is known for its distinct combination of being smooth and full-bodied, with a balanced acidity that carries undertones of nut and chocolate in its flavors.  The nutrient-rich, dark volcanic soils of this region imbue their influence into the taste of this region’s coffee.

Oaxaca: noticeably milder, and refreshing

Mexico’s state of Oaxaca, bordering Chiapas on the south side, Veracruz to the east, Puebla on north side, and descending from its central highlands to the shores of the Pacific Ocean in the west is also a terrain permeated with volcanic nutrients and plenty of moisture.  The Pluma region is the most renowned for coffee growing in Oaxaca, and beans here are grown at lower elevations that produces a range of distinct flavors.  Milder than most other Mexican coffees, Oaxacan beans carry a sweeter caramel overtone, a light citrus acidity that gives them a refreshing taste, a creamy body and, like many Mexican coffees, they also carry base notes of cacao.

Puebla: the dark horse of Mexico’s coffee regions

The Sierra Norte region in the state of Puebla, southeast of Mexico City, produces around 15% of the country’s coffee.  This highland region is the least well-known of Mexico’s coffee growing regions and coffees produced here are strongly influenced by the elevation and diversity of nutrients from this terrain that is watched over by Popocatepetl, Mexico’s most famous —and active— volcano.  The beans harvested from this region create a complex coffee flavor that includes notes of vanilla, citrus, nutmeg, and cacao.

Imported coffees continue to thrive in Mexico

Notwithstanding the wide availability of fine home-grown coffees, around half of the coffee consumed in Mexico is imported.

This is partly because Mexican producers focus on growing the finer quality arabica varieties, instead of the lower grade robusta beans employed for making the instant coffee that remains popular here, and is likely also driven by demand for specialty beans and brands among coffee drinkers in Mexico’s urban areas who can afford to be choosy.

Imported coffee brands, which include erstwhile names like Lavazza and Illy, elaborated using arabica beans —whether from Colombia, Costa Rica or even parts of Africa— are invariably more expensive than similar quality Mexican coffee.  A touch of malinchismo might be at play, or simply a yen for variety.

In this third part of the series we explore the need to develop negotiating and bargaining skills, for use everyday.

Negotiation, trade, and bargaining are woven into the fabric of Mexican culture. In 1520, Hernán Cortés wrote to Emperor Carlos V of Spain describing Tenochtitlán as a city with “many plazas, where there are continuous markets and dealings in buying and selling”. These and other records show how Mexicans have been avid traders for many centuries.

Five hundred years later, whether you’re buying a piece of land, a home, a car, or a kilo of limes at the local market, you will need to exercise some negotiation skills, lest you may pay more, and possibly a lot more, than you need have.

How you negotiate (or bargain) will depend upon the precise situation you find yourself in. In most circumstances effective negotiation will require the use of Spanish —a notable exception being real estate purchases— so a basic conversational level of the language, as described in the first article of this series, is a prerequisite.

There are some places and situations where bargaining is not practiced in Mexico. These include the local supermarkets, department stores, and gasoline stations. Bargaining is not generally practiced at tienditas (family-run corner stores) and it’s not practiced at pharmacies.

Restaurants and comedores don’t usually bargain, either; although they might agree to a large group discount or special offer if you talk with the manager or owner before your intended arrival.

Situations where bargaining is practiced (and sometimes expected) include shopping in open-air food markets, flea markets, art and craft markets and fairs; and buying from ambulant vendors on the street and on public transport.

If you board a local taxi cab that isn’t metered or doesn’t charge a zonal fee, you should always negotiate your price beforehand. Many people are now using App Cabs which offer fixed pricing for fares in advance of the journey.

More formal situations where price negotiations are often entered into include the purchase of a vehicle (new or used), the purchase of jewelry or very fine clothing from a specialist suppliers, the bulk purchase of almost anything from a trade supplier, hand-made furniture bought locally, as well as land and property—whether for purchase or to rent.

When you have lived in Mexico for a while —and especially when you have lived in one place in Mexico for a while— you’ll notice that the prices asked for many local things you buy every day can be very elastic indeed. There are prices for ‘locals’ and prices for ‘tourists’—whether the tourists are foreign or Mexican.

Traders everywhere are alert to an opportunity. They will always try to make hay while the sun shines. With some experience of living in a place, you’ll learn what prices should be for things like a taxi cab ride, a kilo of meat or fish, a bagful of oranges, a hat or walking stick, a stack of fresh corn tortillas, and so on.

How? You start talking with people locally, you hear and see what others are being offered and gradually you get to know. Eventually, you might become sufficiently experienced and not have to ask the price for something you buy regularly; —for example, the fee for a local cab ride to a regular destination— you know what it should be and hand over that amount of money.

The acid test is to hand over a coin or bank note that requires some change in return and see how much comes back. In fact, this level of local economic intimacy is a gauge for you—the more you buy without the need to ‘negotiate’ the price, the deeper you have become entwined in, and part of, the local community.

Resources for bargaining and negotiating

Learn more about Mexican culture and traditions, including about negotiating, bargaining and shopping in Mexico:

• Guide to social etiquette and local customs
• Latest articles about Mexican culture and local customs
• Learn about tipping culture in Mexico
• Discover Markets & Shopping in Mexico

The British set a lot of store by the quality of their tea, hence George Orwell’s eleven golden rules for ensuring a nice cup of tea, or Monty Python’s “oh they don’t make it properly here, do they?”

The British are best known in Mexico for the Beatles, and after that for “la hora del té.” But being renowned for this four o’clock refreshment isn’t enough to fill local stores with PG Tips.

Mexican tea culture is known for its traditional herbal teas —some of which are reputed to carry medicinal properties— and so the tea shelves at even the best-stocked Mexican supermarkets tend to be loaded with herbal and fruit infusions that reflect this culture:

• manzanilla (chamomile);
• tila (linden flowers);
• azahar (orange blossom);
• yerbabuena (spearmint); and
• limón (lime, or lemongrass)…

…are just a few you’ll find in a colorful array of choices, but there will be only a limited supply of black tea—and that often at a higher price than you are used to paying.

The most common locally-packaged brand of black tea is Lagg’s. Imported Lipton tea is available at some places at times, and several supermarkets sell imported Twining’s English breakfast and Earl Grey teabags.  But none of these come close to delivering the experience that can be enjoyed from a freshly brewed pot of tea made using high quality whole-leaf loose tea.

Occasionally the section of fancy goods at your local supermarket will have one-off deliveries of quality whole-leaf teas, —Darjeeling or Assam, for example— which if you want you should snap up quickly as there are no guarantees of restocking. Stumbling upon surprises like that can make the enjoyment even greater, as things are very easily taken for granted.

Devotees who attempt to seek a regular supply of whole-leaf tea for their brewing pleasure in Mexico should repair to specialist food markets that tend to offer a selection of imported gourmet brands, although there’s nothing to be gained caviling about the price as these teas trade at a generous premium in Mexico.

Traditional wisdom says that a proper cup of tea needs to be prepared with water boiling at around 100 degrees centigrade which would pose a problem for those visiting, or living in, Mexico’s highlands, where water naturally boils at lower temperatures.

However, tea expert and founder of the Rare Tea Company in London, Henrietta Lovell, says that the 100-degree rule is a myth, and that only mass-produced tea bags require this treatment, whereas better quality whole-leaf teas benefit from being brewed in water at lower temperatures: white teas 70-degrees, and black teas 85-degrees centigrade.

If you can’t source the better quality teas locally and can’t get used to the taste of tea from teabags here, then it’s a good idea to stock-up on your next shopping trip overseas, or ask friends and family to pack some on their next visit. Otherwise, there is nothing to be done but switch to coffee, which Mexico has plenty of, and great variety.

Affordable flavor is cooking at your local fonda or comedor

When you fancy something to eat that’s authentically Mexican, seek out a local comedor. They are sometimes also referred to as fondas or cocinas económicas.

In Spanish, comedor means dining room or dining table, and in Mexico the word is also lent to describe places where you can sit down in an informal atmosphere and order from a set menu of the day’s dishes which feature delicious home-cooked meals prepared using fresh local produce.

Simple settings that are long on flavor

Comedores and fondas don’t feature shiny doors, air-conditioned dining rooms, or gimmicks like soulless toys dispatched alongside the food. More often the traditional ‘open kitchen’ comedores are situated in private patios, converted garages or other rooms in private houses—or at local markets.

Most comedores are family-run efforts and serve at least two or three ‘specials’ each day, plus a range of home-cooked ‘staple’ options, each one offered with a bowl of the day’s soup, and Mexican-style rice and beans on the side.

Also included in the price is the agua fresca —juice of the day— freshly prepared using seasonal fruit; or you can choose from a selection of sodas from the ice box. (Some places also offer a small selection of Mexican beers.)

Some places offer sopes and tacos with various topping and fillings; and some even offer a vegetarian option; and salads in lieu of rice or potatoes on the side.

Affordable and authentic cooking on your doorstep

A home-cooked authentic Mexican meal at a comedor, including soup and a drink, trades for between $80-$100 Mexican pesos: US$4-$5.  Beers and desserts (where offered) are extra.  Always remember to leave a tip!

Every town and city features local comedores and fondas; in larger towns and cities you’ll probably walk past a few without even trying too hard.  The best places to look are at the local markets (and vicinity); or better, ask someone locally for a recommendation.

Learn more about Mexican food and flavors

Mexico a treat for the senses when it comes to food and beverages. The fresh local produce and enormous variety of fruits, vegetables, pulses, and spices that are sourced from here create a colorful and fragrant festival for your taste buds.

• Articles and insights about dining out in Mexico
• Learn more about Mexican food
• Mexican drinks and beverages
• Aromatic and delicious Mexican coffees

Signing for card purchases began to get replaced by ‘Chip & PIN’ cards in the early 2000s, but it was not until around 2015 that this technology —entering a PIN number instead of signing a slip of paper— became more commonplace in Mexico.

Contactless payment systems

Around the same time that ‘Chip & PIN’ became commonplace in Mexico and the US, debit and credit cards also began to feature a ‘contactless chip’ inside them, enabling cardholders to make smaller payments (usually less than US$50 worth) without the need to insert the card into a machine and enter the PIN number.

In 2014, Apple launched its Apple Pay service, and Google followed suit a year later with Android Pay.  These smartphone-based payment systems allow users to add one or more of their existing bank card details to an ‘electronic wallet’ on the device and use their smartphone to make and authorize contactless payments—without the small-purchase restrictions imposed by the ‘contactless payment’ system embedded on a physical bank card.

The adoption of the two principal smartphone-based contactless payment systems has been gradual as the technology depends on users having newer phones that can make electronic payments as well as stores adopting new terminals that can interface with the smartphones.

Apple Pay and Android Pay in Mexico

From around 2022, new payment terminals started appearing in stores and restaurants across Mexico that could take payment from physical bank cards with a ‘contactless payment’ chip inside them (for small purchases only), and which are also capable of accepting payment via smartphones using Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Payments using Apple Pay and Android Pay are as or even more secure than using a physical card—people are less likely to misplace their smartphone, and the card details are never revealed to the merchant so cannot be stolen or ‘skimmed’ as may happen when you present a physical bank card. The signal between the smartphone and the payment terminal is secure and you must use your fingerprint or face ID via the smartphone to authorize the payment.

Payments you make are transacted through existing bank card(s) you have that get added to your smartphone’s “wallet.”  Apple and Google do not replace your bank or credit card company; instead their devices act at a payment gateway. You can add credit and debit cards to your smartphone’s wallet, and the process to do this is straightforward.

Payment at stores in Mexico using your smartphone

Lots of stores, supermarkets, and restaurants across Mexico have already upgraded their payment terminals and now actively accept payment via your smartphone set up with Apple Pay or Android Pay (aka Google Pay).  Even some bus companies now accept payment for tickets this way when you buy at the bus terminal.

Getting cash from ATMs using your smartphone

The next likely step for this technology is for smartphones to facilitate cash withdrawals from ATMs instead of using a physical bank card. This is already possible today in some countries, but Mexico’s banks have not launched this service at their ATMs yet. If you intend to withdraw cash from an ATM in Mexico, you must still use your physical debit or credit card to do that.

Learn about managing your money in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a wealth of information about Mexico’s money, banking services, and banknotes.

• Learn more about managing your money in Mexico
• Articles about Mexico’s banknotes
• Latest articles about the Mexican peso
• Latest articles about Money and finance in Mexico

The information published in this article is provided for general information in good faith and is not intended as personal, legal, financial or investment advice.

Books’ row in Mexico City

In the south of Mexico City, where Miguel Angel de Quevedo avenue crosses Avenida Universidad —about five minutes from the Bohemian hangout of Coyoacán— is a mini paradise for bookworms.

Three major bookstores, Gandhi, El Sotano, and Fondo de Cultura Economica, and a dozen or so smaller ones, line both sides of the street. Outside are wooden trays with books at throw-away prices, and inside you’ll find special offers on those less likely to be thrown away.

Mexico City remains the place where the widest selection of books and bookshops can be found, and some well-known chains have most of their branches in the capital.

Bookshops are still popular in Mexico

But while in many developed countries bookshops have been closing, Mexican chains have been opening new stores. Like bookshops everywhere, they have also added small gifts, toys, games & puzzles, and other paraphernalia to their offerings to make the business work.  This may annoy some purists, but somehow it’s hard to get worked up about a model that means the book business can continue going.

• Cafebrería El Péndulo —coffee shop-bookstore— boasts several branches in Mexico City, including in trendy neighborhoods such as Polanco, Condesa, Roma, and San Ángel.
• Librerías Gandhi has expanded with new stores in Mexico City, and also has branches in 24 of Mexico’s 32 states.
• El Sótano and Casa del Libro have more than a dozen branches.
• Gonvill Librerías is the biggest chain in Guadalajara, Mexico’s third most populated city and which is also host to a major international book fair each year.

These chains tend to stock the best selection of books, often beyond the capacity of the shelves so that many are neatly piled up.  You can find most books in Spanish at these stores.

And while many, especially Gandhi and El Péndulo, have one or two shelves of books in English and French, here it tends to be hit and miss.  You might find occasional books of interest, but you are less likely to find a specific title. (For some you can check availability online.)

Buying eBooks in Mexico

Since eBooks are virtually borderless, there are as many options in Mexico as anywhere else.

Amazon’s Mexico shop sells Kindles, and you can usually find almost any book published in English or Spanish in the local Kindle store.  Apple Books are an option for those who use Apple devices —iPhone or iPad— although they don’t have a dedicated eReader like the Kindle.

There’s no accounting for taste, and online reviews show some people are impressed with the Apple Books app, others not so much. For those using Android, Google Books is an option, and again, it has the disadvantage of not having a dedicated eReader.

In Mexico, the Gandhi and Porrúa book chains have an agreement with Kobo Books and sell Kobo eReaders, which are popular in Canada and parts of Europe like France and Italy. (The Canadian digital bookseller Kobo was acquired by Japan’s Rakuten Group in 2012, so the app says Rakuten Kobo, although people still widely refer to Kobo books).

Both Gandhi and Porrúa sell eBooks on their own websites, which can be downloaded onto the Kobo reader or using the Kobo app installed on devices, and you can also download eBooks directly from the Kobo website.

Depending on how budget conscious the reader is, it can be advantageous to keep open several options, as sometimes a title will be available on one platform and not another, or cheaper on one than another.

The Kindle, Kobo, and Google Books apps are available on Apple and Android, but the Apple Books app isn’t available on Android.

Finding books not published in Spanish

When you are looking for a particular physical copy of a book not published in Spanish —such as a new release— the options are to stock-up on a trip abroad, or order it from a book seller online—most of which will ship books to Mexico with no problems, but not necessarily that quickly. If you want a particular book right now, eBooks are the way to go.

Mexico’s department stores and big box stores have book sections, but these vary widely in selection and quality. There are about 150 Sanborns stores with magazine sections offering international titles published in English, but not much in the way of books published in English beyond current best-sellers.

Fancy browsing

Even the most bourgeois of us like to dig around for books in a bohemian atmosphere, and for that there are plenty of elegant bookshops—although that isn’t where most Mexicans go to buy reading material.  This collection of independent bookshops lists a selection of niche bookstores in the capital, curated by a local expat blogger.

Mexicans don’t eat that much ice cream

The proliferation of fancy brands —Häagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s, Santa Clara— might lead you to the wrong conclusion about just how much ice cream Mexicans consume.

According to some reports, Mexicans only eat on average 1.5 liters of ice cream a year, a small fraction of what Americans and New Zealanders —the world’s top consumers— guzzle down.

Also somewhat surprising, for a relatively low-wage country, is the amount of business done by ice cream brands of which a single serving cone or tub can cost around four or five US dollars.

Market studies here can be incomplete in a country where there is a large informal economy, and products such as ice cream and popsicles are often made by individuals whose sales are off the marketing-experts’ radar screens.  It’s ice-cream franchises, however, that are expected to generate the growth in product consumption in the country.

Buying ice-cream in Mexico

If you visit or live in a large city or tourist resort, the most likely place you’ll find ice cream is at one of these chains, many of which are located at malls.  Local grocery stores —las tienditas— convenience stores such as Oxxo and 7-Eleven, as well as a majority of pharmacies have fridges with prepackaged ice creams and popsicles, mostly in single servings.  Multi-packs and larger presentations are found in the freezers at supermarkets.

The best known brand of ice cream in Mexico, and apparently the one with the largest market share is Helados Holanda.  These tend to be cheaper than the boutique brands, whether bought in individual servings or in larger packages.  This makes a lot of sense when buying ice cream for a family, but for those particular about quality —all natural ingredients, for example— this apparently won’t do, and those who can afford it prefer to buy the expensive stuff.

Flavored popsicles are popular in Mexico

It’s almost impossible not to come across a popsicle shop —paleteria— called La Michoacana.  These shops sell a wide range of fruit-flavored paletas as well as cream ones, paletas de crema.  A word of advice, go for the water ones.  Although originally from the state of Michoacán, apparently just about anyone can call their paleteria La Michoacana, as this interesting report suggests.

In smaller towns, and still occasionally in large cities, you can find the traditional ambulant purveyors of helados, or nieves in the case of  lime sorbets, being served from a pushcart or from a container placed in ice on the front of an adapted bicycle.  These vendors are famous for crying out “de limón la nieveeeeee!!!”

Soft ice-cream for passing refreshment

Soft ice cream from a machine is also growing in popularity, not only because of the flavor but also because of the price. McDonald’s offers a range of these ice creams at its restaurants, but also has separate ice cream counters at many of its outlets (and kiosks at shopping centers) for those who just want to pick-up some passing refreshment.  If your budget is somewhat strained and it’s hot out, this can be quite a useful option.

Changing tastes in coffee consumption

With the rising popularity of coffee-drinking for entertainment, the casual expert who knows that the good stuff is called arabica and grows on mountains is in ever-greater company, and the value of that knowledge as a conversation opener has dwindled somewhat.

The purveyors of the best coffees tend to print that kind of information all over the packages, and some even include rather sophisticated stories about how the coffee comes to be in the bag at all, almost rivaling the verbosity of the cereal companies who provide enough literature on the box to see you through a week of breakfasts without having to pick up a newspaper or speak to anyone else at the table, except to waffle something that sounds like “I’m reading” through soggy flakes.

There are many, if not infinite, combinations of roasts and grinds for the different coffees to make it impossible to say which are the best; besides, there is no accounting for taste.

Coffees grown in Mexico

Possibly the best known Mexican coffees come from Chiapas, which is the state that produces the most. But there is plenty to be said for Oaxaca state’s Pluma region, as well as coffees grown in Veracruz state’s Córdoba region.

For home consumption, a fair selection can be found at most Mexican supermarkets, although for a wider choice, the coffee shops that grind the beans on the premises are a good place to go: they also tend to have more sizes of bags, so you can try out different kinds quite frequently, ordering quarter-kilos (about a half-pound), “un cuarto,” or find one you always want, and buy a big bag of it. The handful of high-end food shops, some with branch networks across the country, also stocks ample ranges of high quality Mexican and imported coffees.

It’s probably fair to say, without being too nationalistic, that Mexico produces enough of its own good quality coffee as to make paying extra for imported grains a waste of money. Of course there is the Malinchista factor to consider, for which Colombian and Costa Rican coffees are readily available as well as the top Italian coffee brands, although generally speaking malinchismo doesn’t apply to hot drinks. That may be just as well as a majority of the coffee drunk in Mexico is still of the instant kind, and there you definitely want to stick with the Swiss company’s brand.

Instant coffee is still popular in Mexico

Not everywhere has good coffee, and some restaurants that specialize in other areas definitely fail in this. A number of taco restaurants have cottoned-on to the trend in customers’ demands for a decent coffee after a meal and now serve proper Café Americano, Cappuccino, or even Espresso, but there remain others whose only offering is “agua para Nescafé,” (they bring a cup of  hot water, a spoon and the instant coffee jar), or “café de olla,” which is coffee made in a cooking pot, la olla, and sweetened with treacle, piloncillo, and cinnamon. Tastes fine, but isn’t what you might expect.

Calling and data roaming from your Mexican cellphone across North America

The Mexican cellular telephone market has undergone major reforms too, and you can now elect to buy a plan that, for a modest monthly fee, gives unlimited calling and SMS messages to all phones across Mexico, the United States, and Canada—and you can also use the mobile data included in your plan across all three countries without any data roaming costs.  These “unlimited” deals are also available on pay-as-you-go monthly plans: there is no need to sign a long term contract.

Month-to-month plans without a contract

By way of example: AT&T, Telcel, Movistar and Virgin Mobile currently offer a month-to-month plans (no contract) for MXN$200 pesos (~US$10) that includes unlimited call minutes and SMS messages across North America (Mexico, the US and Canada), and at least 3 GB of mobile data.  Unlimited use of data across some popular social media platforms is also included in these plans. Offers are continuously changing, so it’s best to visit the websites (use links above) of the mobile operators to learn about the latest offers.

Pre-pay Plans typically last for 30 days and can be renewed or not, as you wish: automatic renewal can optionally be set-up by linking a credit card to your account, or you can renew manually at the end of each 30-day billing period—paying online using a bank card, paying in cash at local stores in Mexico, or via a bank app if you have a Mexican bank account and use its online banking service.

If you don’t renew the plan, your tariff reverts to a peso-per-minute (or per-MB for data) rate.  If you use up all your data quota before the 30 days passes, you can pay-per-MB until the plan’s renewal date, or re-initiate your plan for an additional 30 days starting on the (earlier) date of the renewal.

Note that if you leave your account dormant for an extended period without renewing a plan or putting ad-hoc credit on your phone, the SIM card might be deactivated and you’ll lose the number that’s associated with it.

Annual contracts available if you want one

If you prefer a cellphone contract, you can sign-up for a year or more and get a plan that includes a phone, unlimited minutes, and set amounts of data each month (depending on the contract).  Plans that include a ‘free’ phone in the contract will tether (lock) the phone to the network operator you have a contract with.

If you have your own (unlocked) smartphone, contract plans exists that cost less per month and only include phone calls, SMS messages, and data.  Your phone will not be tethered to the network with these plans.

It’s never been less expensive to keep in touch from Mexico and across the US and Canada

When lower residential phone line tariffs came into force at beginning of 2015, many people didn’t believe it was true until they started getting their first phone bills that year and saw that calls to Mexican cell phone and long distance calls across the country —and the world— were being charged at zero rates, all included in the monthly plan, which also includes fixed-line high-speed internet.

Now with the Mexican cellular market offering great deals on no-contract “pay-as-you-go” plans, Mexico is one of the least expensive countries in the world to own and use a mobile phone: staying in touch with friends, family, and business contacts on the move in Mexico and when roaming with a Mexican cell phone in the United States and Canada has never been easier and less expensive than it is today.

Learn more about keeping in touch in Mexico

Our guides and articles about communications help you keep in touch when you’re in Mexico: by phone, by internet and by post/courier.

• The cost of communications services in Mexico
• Learn about internet services in Mexico
• Wireless high speed internet at home via mobile and satellite
• How to dial numbers to, from and within Mexico

Tipping in a variety of situations

The practice of tipping goes far beyond the restaurant table here. As our guide to tipping etiquette explains, there are many situations in Mexico where a small tip is appropriate, and keeping change on-hand, in the form of small denomination coins, is essential for this purpose when you are visiting or living in the country.

Key situations where a tip may be appropriate

There are three situations which are worth a particular mention as they are often overlooked by visitors and residents new to Mexican culture:

Chamber maids

The first relates to the unsung heroines (they are invariably women) of the hotel industry: chamber maids.   They will often travel a considerable distance to reach your hotel and spend the day cleaning and keeping guest rooms in good order, so that when you get back to your room, it’s waiting for you clean, fresh, and tidy.

It’s appropriate to leave a small tip and leave it each day because work schedules change, and the maid who cleaned your room initially may not be on duty the day you check-out.

The amount of the tip should vary depending upon the category of hotel: a sum in Mexican pesos, left in cash on the side table (next to the maid’s greeting card if one is present), equivalent to between US$1 (for economy hotels) and US$5 (for luxury hotels) per day is suggested and will be sincerely appreciated.

Supermarket bag packers and car park helpers

The second situation concerns students and retired folks working at supermarkets across the country to pack bags at the checkout counters. For students, the money they earn contributes to the funding of their education; for retired folks, the money they earn supplements their pension.

When you roll your shopping cart of out the store into the car park you might notice some people waiting and offering to help you.  They will take your cart to your car (or hail a local cab, if you need one) and load your shopping bags into the car’s trunk.  A small tip of $5-10 pesos is appropriate.

Bag packers and car park helpers are not salaried and work entirely on tips.

All-inclusive hotels and package tours

The third situation relates to “all inclusive” hotels and travel packages or tours.  A small few packages stipulate that ‘tips are included’ and in this case no further tipping is required.

However in most cases, guides, porters, the concierge, meal table waiting staff, and the chamber maids (see above) will appreciate a tip—even if, for example, the price of your meals (or just breakfast) is included in the room rate.

For local guides and tour leaders: a reasonable tip commensurate with the amount of time and knowledge they shared with you is appropriate.

For hotel and waiting staff: one US dollar (equivalent in Mexican pesos) per bag for porters; a 10% tip of the bill (or what the bill would likely have been if the plan was a-la-carte instead of all inclusive) left on the table after each meal or round of drinks at the bar; and a tip for the chamber maids (see above) will be very much valued.

Further insights on tipping culture

Mexperience offers more advice about local tipping etiquette:

• Latest articles about tipping in Mexico
• Read our guide to tipping in Mexico which contains a comprehensive list of situations and suggested amounts you may consider tipping in specific circumstances
• Learn more about local customs and traditions in Mexico

Product availability can vary

One of the quirky features of the Mexican retail space is the inconsistent availability of certain products, and this especially pertinent to imported food and drinks.

You might wander along the aisles of your local supermarket or membership store one day and discover, for the first time, a brand or product you enjoyed back home.  You might also grimace at the price tag, and buy it anyway.  When you go back to buy it again next month, it’s not there—and later realize that it never returns.

This ‘batch availability’ of imported foods is surprisingly common in Mexico, which is why seasoned foreign residents might purchase more than one in expectation of it not being available again—and consider the item as a treat. This can apply to anything: your favorite brand of peanut butter, a certain variety of chocolate bar, a gourmet food ingredient, and especially varieties of teas.

Specialist food and homeware stores in Mexico

Here is a list of stores in Mexico where you are most likely to find those goods and goodies you enjoyed buying in the USA, Canada, or Europe and of the kind you certainly won’t find at your local tiendita.

La Comer and Fresko

When Commercial Mexicana sold-off its supermarket chain to Soriana, it kept some of the larger stores and re-branded them to “La Comer.”  These larger ‘hypermarkets’ offer food, drink, and a range of homeware products under one roof.  The grocery aisles feature a ‘gourmet and imported goods’ section which displays an array of fancy and specialist foods and drinks—a ‘lite’ version of its City Market outlets, see below.  La Comer has a sister-store named Fresko that offers virtually the same lines of products as La Comer in smaller stores and with a particular focus on fresh produce.

City Market

Owned by La Comer, City Market is a chic and up-scale gourmet purveyor of all things foodie and homestyle and is Mexico’s answer to Whole Foods in the US, or Waitrose in the UK.  City Market stores also feature a café, a fresh sushi bar, and a gourmet ice-cream parlor.

Their stores are situated in Mexico City’s more exclusive neighborhoods and the company is gradually expanding this retail format into the provinces. Outside of the capital there are City Market stores located in Querétaro, Metepec, Cuernavaca, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, and Monterrey.

In addition to the extensive ranges of gourmet and exotic foods available here, City Market also offers a ‘Spa’ section which further entices shoppers with fine soaps, bath salts and towels, as well as a range of aromatherapy products.

This is not somewhere you go looking for bargains, although the stocked ranges of specialist and imported foods and food ingredients as well as its selection of fine wines and imported liquors is substantial.

La Europea

As the name suggests, La Europea is a specialist purveyor of imported goods offers a comprehensive choice of imported wines, liquors, and gourmet food products.

Established since 1957, the chain has moved with the times to offer an expanding range of products across its stores.  La Europea has branches in many key cities across Mexico, and while you’ll often find things here not available elsewhere (except perhaps at the few branches of City Market), like City Market, it’s best not to cavil about the prices.

Williams Sonoma

If you enjoy home cooking and all things kitchen, you’ll be pleased to learn that Williams-Sonoma, the American purveyor of high-end kitchen tools and cookware popular in the US, has opened stores in Mexico.

They offer in-store and online shopping, with free delivery and returns within 30 days.  Their price tags are generally high, although they often run discount sales, some of which are significant and make their prices competitive with other online sellers. This store is ideal when you’re looking for a special gift, or ranges of specialized kitchenware of the kind you’re unlikely to find in other department stores.

HEB Mexico

The Texas-based HEB superstore stocks an ample range of American goods.  HEB Mexico stores are principally based in the country’s north-eastern states, as well as Guanajuato and Aguascalientes, although they continue to expand and, if there’s an HEB locally where you live, you will be able to find an extensive range of imported food and homeware products here, including well-stocked fresh produce sections.

CostCo and Sam’s Club

CostCo and Sam’s Club are “Members Only” emporiums that require you to purchase an annual membership to spend your money at them.  However, they do offer a wide choice of imported foods, drinks, and homeware goods, and through direct discounts or points that you accumulate as you buy (and later trade for other goods in-store), your annual membership may be returned when your shop here.  Many foreign residents hold membership cards to one or both stores which are situated in towns and cities across Mexico.

The Home Store

A specialist homeware and lifestyle department store with branches in Mexico City as well as some of Mexico’s larger cities, The Home Store offers an impressive range of homeware items across various departments including bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and utility areas; it also offers ranges of complementary homeware products like interior décor, wellness, and home-style accessories.

Pottery Barn

This San Francisco-based upscale home furnishing and lifestyle accessories store has been operating in Mexico for a few years, with shops situated in some of Mexico City’s chic malls as well as a store operating in the city of León in the state of Guanajuato.  Pottery Barn also has sister stores in Mexico which stock its archetypal furnishings and accessories aimed at kids and teens.

The ‘big three’ department stores

Liverpool, Palacio de Hierro, and Sears—Mexico’s three biggest department stores are also among Mexico’s biggest importers, and foreign residents often repair to one of these establishments to find products they want or need which they cannot find elsewhere.  These department stores stock imported brands of fine foods, considerable ranges of homewares and furnishings, a wide assortment of domestic appliances, and clothes among many other things—and local prices vary from reasonable to cheeky in relation to prices for the same products sold in the USA.

Amazon Mexico

Products you seek might be available through Amazon Mexico. Not everything that’s available in the USA, for example, will be available through Amazon Mexico, but the company is expanding its Mexican operations appreciably to offer ever-wider ranges of imported products on offer direct from Amazon’s warehouses in Mexico.

Items available only from Amazon abroad might not ship to Mexico and where they do, delivered prices are likely to be higher in part due to import duties, Mexico’s sales tax rate, and shipping costs—all of which add to the price of any items you order online which are delivered from outside Mexico.

If you subscribe to Amazon’s Mexico Prime Membership plan, you can obtain free delivery on a range of products (not all) shipped from Mexico as well as some shipped from the USA. (If you have an Amazon Prime subscription from overseas, it does not qualify you for free shipping to/in Mexico; you have to buy an Amazon Prime Mexico subscription.)

The cost of living in Mexico

The Mexperience Mexico Cost of Living Guide offers a comprehensive resource to help you to create a detailed budget for your finances in Mexico, based on your individual circumstances and lifestyle plans.

Wide assortment of sweet and savory bread

It’s not unusual in the evenings to see people hanging around inside the shop, metal tray and tongs in hand, waiting for the next batch of hot rolls —oval-shaped bolillos or flat teleras— to be wheeled out from the ovens and tossed into the bins.

Then there are the shelves organized with a large variety of pan dulce —sweet bread— each piece with its own particular name.  Among the most popular are chocolate or vanilla coated conchas (shells), the sugar-covered bigotes (moustaches) or moños (bows), the plain mantecadas (cup cakes), ear-shaped pastries called orejas (ears), and the inevitable cuernos (croissants).

Then there are the crumbly cookies called polvorones (in various colors), the long, glazed pastries known as banderillas, and chinos, largish splodges of cake baked in wads of thick grease-proof paper, usually sprinkled with small pieces of walnut.

Bread shop scenes of a bygone era

In an era gone-by, the local panadería would often be the focal point of a bustling street corner, and in more innocent times than these, an evening meeting place for young lovers, particularly among the working classes. This was so common that the expression “¿a qué horas vas al pan?” (What time are you going for bread?) became a joke as a chat-up line.

Seldom lacking outside would be the vendor of tamales —sweet or savory corn dough served in a natural leaf wrapper— from a steaming pot settled into the front of a large tricycle; and not far away the wheeled oven-cart loaded with camotes (yams) and baked bananas would come trundling by, announcing its imminent arrival with an ear-piercing screech from a steam whistle mounted on the mobile stove, accompanied by the reassuring smoky odor from the smoldering charcoal embers inside.

A common and natural next-door neighbor to the bread shop is the grocery store —tienda de abarrotes— selling cold cuts, canned foods, soft drinks and liquor, and some have installed a rosticería: a roast chicken stand mesmerizing customers as they wait and watch inordinate amounts of grease drip from anemic-looking fowl going round and round on a spit.

Contemporary bakery stores in Mexico

Some of these scenes have been replaced over the years by the proliferation of multi-purpose supermarkets with their own in-house bakeries, particularly in the cities. The fancier supermarkets like CityMarket purvey a wide variety of sweet and savory breads baked in-store throughout the day.

Many of the old traditional corner street bread shops have closed, or their quality has gone downhill. Some are unable to compete with the variety of fancy doughnuts, and the slick presentations, or the price advantages of buying in bulk enjoyed by the large chains and many, if not most of the them, have lost their charm.

In their place, supermarkets with their own bakeries, specialist local independent bakers (most often advertising on social media), and larger bread shop chains like Esperanza have emerged to fill the never-ending demand for sweet and savory bread.