This article highlights significant practical aspects to consider when you’re preparing your short-list of potential places to live in Mexico.

Accessibility, transport, and telecom links

Mexico has excellent transport links including roads, tolled highways, bus stations and airports; most Mexican towns and cities where foreign residents invest are well served by these.

If you’re dependent on internet services for work, then you should check the availability of internet services if you’re scouting for a home situated in (semi)rural or remote areas; reliable high speed internet via satellite is available, but it costs more.

Small towns and villages in rural areas may appear like idyllic lifestyle choices, but local roads may be challenging to navigate; street lighting may be limited or non-existent, and a remote rural home requires you to consider your security arrangements as these houses can make easy pickings for burglars—especially when you’re away.

Consider also how often you intend to travel, as well as how your location is served by transportation in respect to friends and family (possibly living outside of Mexico) who want to visit you. Rural and semi-rural areas in Mexico may be served by local roads which take longer to travel across and the nearest airport or bus station might be a significant distance away—requiring more time and effort for you to get around and for others to visit you.

The effects of local topography

Mexico is a mountainous country, and some excellent places to live in are built —quite literally— into the side of a mountain.  The colonial cities of Taxco and Guanajuato are good examples of this.

Consider how you will negotiate walking up and down steep, possibly cobbled, streets—sometimes wet from the rains.  Some beautiful colonial homes may be built on several levels due to the local mountain topography they are situated on.

If your current health requires you to live in a relatively flat area, or you sense that steep hills and cobblestones may pose physical challenges as you age, consider the location’s topography in your deliberations.

Coping with the year-round climate

There’s a significant difference between going somewhere for a short vacation and living in that location’s climate throughout the year.  Some places that are warm in the summer can get quite cool or cold in the winter; and others which offer perfect weather in the winter can become oppressively hot and humid in the summer.

Consider the differences between the sea-level coastal and high-altitude mountain climates Mexico offers—and consider the year-round climate cycles, not just those experienced in any given month or season.

Climate influences us every day: it would be a pity to invest in a property purchase and discover afterwards that you’re just not suited to its location’s climate.

Assess the local services and amenities

Consider what local amenities exist (or may exist soon) including shops, markets, restaurants, cafés, cultural centers, as well as social and leisure facilities.

Availability of, and ease of access to, helpful local services and amenities has a significant impact on the attractiveness of a location. Ready access to local amenities provides practical support every day, and meeting local people to develop new friendships requires spaces and venues to facilitate those opportunities.

Small rural towns with few amenities nearby are not likely to attract many future buyers (foreign residents or Mexicans) as most people want to be within easy reach of services, shops, and social amenities they like to use regularly.

Unless you purposely seek a reclusive lifestyle, paying attention to local amenities —not just in quantity but in quality— will share clues as to the attractiveness to others of a place; this will become especially relevant when you eventually decide to sell your house and move.

Consider your life stage and everyday needs

Our needs evolve as we grow older and our life situations change.  It’s a good idea to pause and take stock of your present lifestyle needs as well as likely needs in the years ahead.

It’s easy to mistakenly assume that what you needed yesterday you will need tomorrow, and it’s also easy to overlook emerging new needs when you are in the throes of choosing a different place to live.

Beware of the trap of placing false importance on features, amenities and services which you are not likely to make proper use of —or use only very occasionally— while simultaneously ignoring the absence of things in the locality that are genuinely important to your needs and wellbeing.

Your location ought to provide the things that are most important to you and your life situations every day; as the saying goes, “the most important thing is to know what is most important.”

Consider social, cultural, and community aspects

Local amenities and civic organizations are among the fundamental building blocks which define any thriving local community, and while practical aspects of a location including transport accessibility and the availability of local services and amenities are important, it’s also wise to consider the social, cultural, and community aspects of the location(s) you are considering as part of a lifestyle move.

Assessing whether a location will serve your social and cultural needs and the potential impact that a move there will have on you requires knowing yourself—and yourselves if you are thinking about moving with a partner or family.

Knowing yourself, considering your life stage and intentions, and comprehending your present and foreseeable needs will enable you to consider potential places in balance and help you to make a location choice based on things that matter instead of potentially misplaced notions about a location’s attractiveness.

When you’re short-listing places for potential settlement in Mexico, take some time to explore and discover the local social, cultural and community scenes and then step back to pause and ask yourself whether the location’s character and composition in regard to these facets are likely to align with your character traits and evolving lifestyle needs.

If socializing is an important aspect of your lifestyle, consider how the composition of the location’s community groups will influence this in your daily life.  For example, most rural villages and hamlets in Mexico don’t have foreign residents living in clusters that form local ‘expat’ communities of they type which can provide an immediate ‘community of interest’ and by extension social support in the locality.  By contrast, some other places (for example, Lake Chapala and San Miguel de Allende) have large and long-established communities of foreign residents—but for some, this level of concentration is overwhelming.

If you need ample cultural amenities to support your wellbeing, for example, ready access to art galleries, music halls, theater and dance, spirituality and well-being centers, as well as other cultural events, consider how the locations you’re short-listing provide for those—or how far you’ll need to travel (round trip) to access them.

For some people considering a move to Mexico, the notion of being ensconced in a rural setting far away from the crowds is attractive and perhaps even desirable. However, even the most hermit-like people discover that they need to make an effort to integrate their lifestyles amidst rural locations where local customs and traditions are keenly observed, and local residents are expected to participate and contribute when important local events, festivals, and activities take place.

Property prices and rents in Mexican towns and cities with well-established communities of foreign residents and/or with a higher concentration cultural amenities tend to be higher than places where foreign residents are less concentrated, or where the social community is less-well developed.

If you seek an established community with plenty of cultural amenities on tap but you don’t want (or can’t afford) to pay a premium for it, consider locations where the community is still fledgling, or view the location in terms of the potential it may have for growing a community—and consider also how you could be part of the catalyst that helps to develop it.

Our extensive guides to living and retirement in Mexico, contain detailed information about considering your lifestyle intentions and tips for choosing places to live in Mexico, including locations to consider.

Our series, Essential Skills for Expats in Mexico, provides some helpful insights to help you consider the practical aspects of settling-down in Mexico.

Consider your health and medical care needs

Very small rural towns and villages and hamlets won’t have medical facilities immediately on-hand.  Small towns may have a local clinic offering basic services; some mid-size towns may have a choice of local doctors and dentists; but if you choose to live in a rural or semi-rural setting, then a trip to the nearest large town or city will be required when you have significant medical or health care needs.

Some gated communities that are specially tailored and marketed to foreign retirees offer professionally managed medical facilities on-site, but you’ll pay a premium for this, and they might not be situated in a region or location in Mexico where you want to live. In acute situations you might still need to travel to a larger medical facility.

If you have a known medical condition that may require immediate medical assistance at any time, you ought to choose your location accordingly and avoid any places that will require a long road trip to the nearest suitable facility.

See our guide to healthcare in Mexico for general information and read this article on medical insurance options when you’re planning to be in Mexico longer-term.

Undertake your own local house price research

A common mistake made by foreign renters and buyers is comparing the price of a house they see in Mexico with the price of an equivalent-sized property in their home country.

Without comparison to the local market, a monthly rental or purchase price you think is reasonable or inexpensive may actually be an inflated price aimed at buyers who have not undertaken sufficient market research.

When considering price value, be mindful that your property will be situated in Mexico, it will be surrounded by amenities and services commensurate with the locale, and the investment will be subject to local or regional market trends.

You can use local property portals like MetrosCubicos, VivaAnuncios and InMuebles24 to gauge current market prices for purchase and rental; it’s common to negotiate the price and most property sales close between 10%-15% lower than the market list price; rentals are also subject to negotiation.

Our extensive guides to buying and selling real estate in Mexico provide further insights and the regularly-updated guide to the cost of living in Mexico incudes chapters with a wider perspective on housing costs.

Rent first if you don’t know the area

Unless you’re familiar with the area and know that you’ll feel comfortable there, we recommend you rent first. Renting a home will enable you to enjoy a settled presence locally so that you can get a feel for the location, discover the local amenities, neighborhoods, and community aspects, as well as get a handle on the local property market and its price nuances.

Renting also enables you to search for your new home purchase without the pressures of a time-pressured ‘scouting visit.’  Locations that have few property rentals offered, or where rentals are limited may be a disincentive to potential foreign buyers who want to rent before they buy. Read our guides to renting property in Mexico for details and useful insights.

Schooling for your children

For families with school-age children, the choice of location might be determined by the type of schooling parents seek for their offspring, and places off the beaten path in rural locations, while idyllic, might not be practical.

If you have children of school age, consider what schooling is available in the localities you research. Smaller towns might have adequate kindergartens and primary schools situated in the locale, but if you live in a (semi)rural area schooling arrangements can become more complex especially when your children move up to higher levels of education.

If your children are still young, take into consideration how the locations you short-list will serve your family’s changing schooling requirements as the children grow-up. (Some families choose to home school, but this poses its own set of challenges.)  Read more about schooling your children in Mexico.

Discover places to live in Mexico

Discover interesting and charming locations to live, work or retire in Mexico, and articles with helpful insights about choosing a place to settle here on Mexperience.

Resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Our resources include:

• Detailed guides about relocating to Mexico
• Insightful articles about living and lifestyle in Mexico
• Detailed insights for lifestyle planning and your home life in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

This article describes the typical time scales you ought to take into account when you intend to apply for a Mexico residency permit starting at a Mexican consulate abroad, as well as for residency-related procedures from within Mexico.

Principal factors that influence time scales

There are four principal factors that will influence the time scales involved in your application for residency in Mexico: from the initial application to receipt of your residency card. These are:

Supporting documentation: How long it takes you to gather the documentation required to support your application. The documentation varies depending on your situation, and may include official certificates, bank statements, investment account balances, letters of reference, etc.

Consulate appointments: If your application involves an appointment at a Mexican consulate abroad, the second factor that influences time scales is the availability of consulate appointments for your residency interview.  Availability varies by consulate and by season.  Some (but not all) consulates accept out of area applications, so if your nearest consulate has limited appointment availability, and you’re willing to travel to a consulate outside your area, you might be able to get an appointment sooner.  Our immigration associate can advise about consulates and help with appointment-making as part of their first time applicant support service.

Your arrival date in Mexico: When you have a residency visa stamp placed in your passport by a Mexican consulate abroad, you must arrive in Mexico and exchange your visa for a card before the visa’s expiry date.  Visas are typically valid for six months from the date of issue, but check the visa you are issued to be sure.

Immigration office procedures: The fourth principal factor that determines the time scales to complete your residency application is appointment availability at immigration offices in Mexico, and then the amount of time the local immigration office you file at takes to process your filing.  Some processes are completed the same day as the appointment, but can take between a few working days and 3-4 weeks to process applications at immigration offices in Mexico.  Time scales vary by location and the current workloads at that office.

More details about consulate appointments and immigration office timescales are described below.

Typical time scales at the Mexican consulate

Residency applications from outside of Mexico must begin with an appointment at a Mexican consulate.

Consulate appointments: It can take between a week and several weeks (and in some places, months) to secure an appointment for residency applications at a Mexican consulate. Lead times vary widely by location.

Procedures for consulate appointments: The procedures for booking appointments at Mexican consulates abroad varies by location:

• some consulates use an online booking system;
• others require an email request to be sent by the applicant; and
• others have walk-in dates.

Our associate can assist you with appointment scheduling as part of their application support service and in accordance with the policy and process in place at the consulate you apply at. They cannot ‘fast-track’ or get preferential treatment for any applicants.

Consulate visa time scales: Once you attend your interview at the consulate and file your paperwork, the consulate usually issues the visa sticker within 10 working days after your appointment date, if your application is successful.

Time scales at Mexico immigration offices

Mexico’s immigration offices use an online booking system for most (but not all) procedures.  Online booking is available for the most common procedures including visa-to-card exchanges and residency card renewals.

Visa-to-residency-card exchange: Although some visa-to-residency-card exchanges are processed the same day as the appointment, the ones which are not processed the same day are typically taking between 5-10 working days and may take up to four weeks in some cases to complete the visa-to-card exchange process (“canje“) in Mexico. Some offices might process the exchange the same day as your appointment, and some offices might also issue the card on the same day too—but we recommend that you allow between 5-10 working days and up to four weeks wait as part of your schedule planning, based on our associates’ recent experiences of helping others to process their visa exchange. Read more details about visa-to-card exchange time scales.

Other procedures: Time scales for other procedures, e.g. residency card renewals, vary by office location: 1-3 weeks appears to be typical at the moment; and as with visa-to-card exchanges, some offices might issue cards or complete the procedures on the same day as your appointment, but we recommend you build flexibility into your plans and scheduling as not all procedures are completed on the appointment date.

Leaving Mexico during the process

If you need to leave Mexico while you are waiting for your residency card(s) to be (re)issued, you can apply for an exit/re-entry permit after you have submitted your paperwork for the procedure and have a reference number for your filing.  There is an application form and a fee to pay for this permit.

Note that you cannot apply for this exit/re-entry permit before you have filed your paperwork at the local immigration office and been issued with a file reference number—known as a “Pieza.”  Also, you cannot apply for an exit/re-entry permit if your procedure is classified as a ‘regularization’ process.  You must also return to Mexico within 60 days or your process becomes void.

Learn more about Mexico visas and residency

Mexperience publishes extensive information about visas and immigration to Mexico, including:

• Our free and regularly-updated Guide to Mexico Immigration Guide encapsulates detailed information about applying for visas and residency permits
• Learn about exchanging your residency visa for a residency card
• Discover the principal routes for obtaining legal residency in Mexico
• Read our latest articles about residency and visas in Mexico

Detailed guides and helpful connections that enable you to plan and realize your relocation to Mexico

Mexperience provides in-depth insights and local knowledge with extensive articles, guides, and cross-references and connections to help you discover more of Mexico, consider your lifestyle options, define your intentions, make a plan, and help you to avoid making material mistakes with your Mexico lifestyle plans.

Our guides are written by people who know Mexico intimately, are continually revised and updated—and are free to access.

Mexperience helps you through every step of the journey

Our detailed guides and insights offer you complete information throughout every step of your journey:

• Discovering the benefits and opportunities Mexico offers to live and work or retire.
• Detailed insights that help you to consider whether Mexico is right for you and your partner—and family if relevant.
• When you’ve determined that Mexico is right for you, we offer lots of practical advice to help you plan your lifestyle in Mexico.
• Mexperience also helps you to plan your move, settle-in to Mexico, cultivate your social and community networks and helps you learn how adapt to the country and its culture.
• When you’re settled here, our up to date articles and monthly newsletter help you to cultivate a fruitful home life in Mexico.
• Our homestead articles offer practical advice to help you manage your home in Mexico and its dwelling spaces.
• Our insights and local knowledge also help if you’re living in Mexico now but want to revisit your intentions and need guidance to help you settle, adapt, and reform your plans.

Take the next step: start here

Mexperience offers extensive insights, local knowledge, and connections to help you plan and realize a relocation to Mexico, whether you’re single, a couple, or a family.

Begin your journey

Our Mexico Living & Lifestyles guide connects you to in-depth articles and information about living in Mexico. It’s continually updated, helping you to make considered choices and useful connections.

Help with lifestyle planning

Our regularly-updated section about Lifestyle Planning in Mexico shares insights to help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle choices in Mexico.

Calculate your living costs

Our detailed guide to the cost of living in Mexico helps you calculate a personalized budget based on your life stage and lifestyle choices.

Consider places to live in Mexico

We publish guides to help you consider places to live in Mexico, whether you come to live, work or retire.

Obtain your Mexico residency permit

Our detailed guide to applying for residency in Mexico shows you every step needed to qualify and apply for legal residency in Mexico

Real estate and property rental in Mexico

We publish a detailed guide to real estate in Mexico that shares practical insights when you’re buying, owning, renting, and selling property here.  We recommend you rent a house first before you buy, unless you’re familiar with the area you’re moving to.

Learn how to keep in touch when you’re in Mexico

Our comprehensive guides describe how you can keep in touch when you’re in Mexico.  Our local insights include learning about Mexico cell phone plans, how to dial phones, connecting to internet services including satellite services, and also learn about post and couriers… and the cost of utilities and communications.

Cultivate your home life

When you’ve made the move and you’re living here, our regularly updated articles about cultivating a fruitful home life in Mexico will give you insights, inspiration, and ideas to make the most of your everyday lifestyle.

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

We publish detailed, updated, information about managing your finances in Mexico, including bank accounts, money exchange, and money transfers.

Homestead care and management

Whether you’re renting a home or have purchased a property here, our regularly updated guides help you manage your home and dwelling spaces in Mexico, with tips and local knowledge to keep them well maintained and secure for you and your family.

Learning and improving your Spanish

We encourage you to learn Spanish to help you make the most of your experiences in Mexico.  We connect you to language courses, and our in-depth PinPoint Spanish series helps you to learn about the nuances of language usage in Mexico.

Driving, road trips and running a car in Mexico

Our guides and articles about driving and taking road trips in Mexico help you to prepare your longer road trips as well as dealing with everyday driving matters.

Free Monthly Mexico Newsletter

Sign-up to our free monthly newsletter about Mexico that is filled with inspiration, meaningful knowledge, helpful connections, and tips for better living, lifestyle, and leisure in Mexico.

Discover even more of Mexico

Our Discover Mexico section provides a constantly updated stream of articles and guides that share knowledge and keep you updated about opportunities in Mexico.

Factors that influence commitment levels

As we describe in our continually updated guides about living and retirement in Mexico, how much time you spend living in Mexico, and how much commitment you make to cultivating a lifestyle here will depend on many things and is ultimately a personal choice that you will probably have determined when you were defining your intentions and identifying the key factors and other matters that will influence your choices about moving to Mexico.

As noted in our guides referenced above, the key factors that influence these choices include:

• social and family ties you have in your home country;
• the attachment (or otherwise) you feel to your home country;
• the physical distance between Mexico and your home country;
• your financial resources and personal energy levels required to move twice a year; and
• your offspring’s perceptions if you have children.

These factors are addressed in detail in our guide to living and retirement in Mexico, and although they are not the only influencers, they are the principal ones which most foreign residents face as they make their choices regarding a move.

Practical matters to consider as you prepare to return to Mexico

If you are one of many foreign residents that shuttles between your home country and Mexico each year —or if you intend to do this as part of your planned lifestyle— there are several practical matters to consider as you prepare for your re-arrival to Mexico.

Your visitor or residency permit

If you use a visitor permit to reside in Mexico part-time, note that border officials appear to no longer be giving 180 days stay by default.  They can still give 180 days maximum (by law) but in many cases people are begin given fewer days—sometimes as few as 10.

If you reside in Mexico even for a few months a year, we recommend you consider applying for a residency permit that will make your border crossing smoother and prevent you from having to leave the country if your visitor permit is not issued for the length of time you intend to overwinter in Mexico.

Renewing your temporary residency

If you hold temporary residency in Mexico and you intend to keep your residency status in Mexico, you will need to renew it before its expiry date.  Residency card renewals must be done in person, in Mexico—they cannot be filed by proxy.

Your arrival in Mexico is an ideal moment to check the expiry date on your residency card(s) and file your renewal (or exchange to permanent residency) as appropriate.  If you need assistance with your renewal process or exchange to permanent, our associate can help.

Vehicles you might bring

If you intend to drive your US or Canadian plated vehicle to Mexico, consider whether you will need a Temporary Import Permit (TIP), and whether you need a TIP or not, you’ll need to purchase a vehicle insurance policy that covers your vehicle while its in Mexico.  Read our guides to driving and road trips in Mexico for insight and advice about driving here.

House and home

If you own a home in Mexico, you’ll need to talk to your local contact or agent about ‘reopening’ the property for your return if it has been left vacant in your absence.

As we remark in our guides to home maintenance and security, it’s not advisable to leave your property unattended for months.  If it has been rented out, you’ll need to liaise with your agent or the tenants to organize the checkout and hand-back, review of the property’s condition, and return of the deposit, etc.

If you rent a home while you’re in Mexico, you’ll need to liaise with the owner or the owner’s agent you are dealing with about arrangements for you to take possession of the property during the lease period.  And it’s also important to know who is renting your home while you’re away.

Health matters

If you plan to be in Mexico for a defined period up to 90-days then a short-term trip protection insurance could work well for your stay.

If your stay in Mexico will be for longer than 90 days and less than 180 days, then an extended stay emergency and medical expense coverage will help to mitigate the cost of unexpected medical emergencies, and also includes medical evacuation to your home country in severe circumstances.

Language skills

Being able to speak at least some Spanish will materially improve your lifestyle experiences while you’re in Mexico, even if you’re only living here part of the year.  There are sensible reasons for investing time and effort to learn (or improve) your Spanish, and there are courses online and in classrooms that can help you to do this.

Travel and leisure opportunities

Part-time residents in Mexico may opt to take advantage of their presence in Mexico and consider some travel and leisure opportunities that are close-by.  You can browse custom leisure tours offered by travel experts that know Mexico intimately here on Mexperience.

Miscellaneous practicalities

The guide to living and retirement sets out the plethora of practical matters and details which need to be considered as you move from one place to another. Many of these matters are relevant whether you move to Mexico full-time or part-time—the principal difference is that if you are living here only part time, you’ll effectively be managing lifestyles in at least two different locations simultaneously.

Practical matters as you prepare to leave Mexico

If you intend to leave Mexico for a defined period each year and return months later (or next season/year), the key matters for you to consider prior to your planned departure date from Mexico will likely include:

• ensuring your Mexico visitor permit has not expired if you don’t have a residency card (you’ll need to pay a fine when you leave, if you overstay your visitor permit date);
• if you have a residency permit, you need to ‘check out’ at the airport or other port of exit when you leave Mexico;
• if you own a house here, ensuring that your Mexican home is properly cared for in your absence, or if you plan to rent it out, ensure that you know who’s renting your home;
• if you drove a foreign-plated vehicle to Mexico outside of one of the defined Free Zones (and thus have a Temporary Import Permit—TIP), make sure you stop at the Banjercito border offices and cancel your TIP.
• if your insurance policies are not annual, be mindful of the policy expiry dates and create a reminder for yourself to restart them for your next return to Mexico.

Resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Our resources include:

• Detailed guides to living and retirement in Mexico that are continually updated
• Insightful articles about living and lifestyle in Mexico
• If you’re planning your initial relocation to Mexico, browse article on our Lifestyle Planning section
• Our Mexico Home Life section contains a wealth of local knowledge to help you settle-in and make the most of your lifestyle in Mexico.
• Our section about Home Stewardship is packed with practical advice for managing your home and dwelling spaces in Mexico.
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Medical insurance for short visits to Mexico

If you’re visiting Mexico for a short period —on a vacation or short business trip, for example— travel insurance policies which cover you for a limited time while you’re away from home should suffice.  These might be provided by your current healthcare provider—but double-check as many policies exclude or significantly limit out of country coverage.  Learn more about getting short-term emergency and medical expenses insurance coverage for your visit to Mexico.

Medical insurance for Extended Stays in Mexico

If you plan to be in Mexico for an extended stay —for longer than 90 days and less than 180 days— for example, you might take a sabbatical, a volunteer job, or plan to stay in Mexico part-time, then a short-term travel insurance policy won’t cover you as they are limited to 90-day stays in Mexico.  You can however obtain emergency & medical insurance for extended Stays in Mexico on a policy that will last for visits up to 180 calendar days, about six months.

Health insurance for foreign residents in Mexico

If you intend to apply for, or have, legal residency in Mexico, a travel insurance policy won’t be valid as these are designed for people who come to Mexico for a defined period and return to their country of residence, or travel back and forth between Mexico and another country.

Therefore, if you plan to reside in Mexico, you should consider health insurance coverages that will be valid and provide adequate care for your needs.  Here are the options:

Mexico’s IMSS medical coverage

Foreign residents (temporary or permanent) can apply for the Mexican public healthcare insurance system known an IMSS on a voluntary basis which provides access to certain doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico.  Some medications are also covered under this plan.

Coverage costs depend on your age; restrictions and limitations apply and, like all publicly-funded healthcare systems, patient demand is usually higher than the supply of services, so you may have to wait for care. (Note also that people who are enrolled in IMSS through an employer get priority over those who enroll voluntarily.)  This article explains the IMSS medical insurance system in Mexico.

Private medical insurance in Mexico

Most foreign residents who can afford to do so will take out a private medical insurance plan that covers their personal needs and gives them direct access to private doctors, clinics and hospitals in Mexico.

Policies are crafted to the individual situation of the person, couple, or family, and premiums depend on things like your age, term of coverage, coverages included, and the deductible you are willing to pay in the event of a claim.  Learn more about private health insurance providers in Mexico.

Medical evacuation from Mexico

If you are resident in Mexico and continue to have health coverage in your home country then you might consider a medical evacuation plan to enable you to get home for treatment and to convalesce close to your own doctors and family in the event that you experience a serious accident or health event (e.g. heart attack) while you are here.  Note that medical evacuation insurance coverages only cover evacuation costs in serious cases and so you’ll need to get routine or non-critical health matters attended to in Mexico.  Learn more about medical evacuation plans.

Comprehensive and detailed guide to living and cultivating a lifestyle in Mexico, continually revised and updated. Free—no payment or subscription needed.

Complete and detailed guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico that’s continually updated

Our extensive guides and articles offer insights to anyone exploring prospects for living, working, retirement and cultivating your lifestyle in Mexico.

They provide practical insights, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to discover opportunities, consider your choices, and make informed decisions.

Discover what lifestyles Mexico offers, identify opportunities of interest to you, weight up the compromises, consider your options, and plot a course based on the things that are important to you.

Guides to lifestyles in Mexico, for all life stages

Our continually-updated guides help you to begin weaving together the key components which create a workable and realistic lifestyle plan in Mexico, whatever planning stage and life stage you are in presently:

• To those considering a move to Mexico, whether you are single, with your partner, or a family with young children, Mexperience helps you to discover the country and evaluate living and lifestyle choices available here.  Our guides also offer thoughtful guidance about setting out your intentions and reshaping your situations.
• To those planning their retirement or seeking a place to retire, Mexperience guides provide specific guidance about matters related to retirement planning and retirement lifestyles, as well as the practicalities of retiring in Mexico.
• When you’re already living in Mexico, our guides and articles provide practical insights that help you to settle-in, adapt, and cultivate your new lifestyle here day-to-day.
• Regardless of your life stage, the information we publish provides meaningful insights about the essential day-to-day practical matters of living in Mexico, adapting to the country, the climates and culture, and more—with extensive cross references and links to further information and helpful contacts who can help you to realize your Mexico plans.

Planning or redefining your lifestyle in Mexico

Obtain practical insights, get incisive local knowledge and meaningful guidance that helps you to consider opportunities, weigh up your choices, and make informed decisions about planning or redefining your lifestyle in Mexico.

Mexico as a place for your retirement

We publish comprehensive information to help you plan a retirement here, whether you’re planning ahead or already retired and considering Mexico as a potential retirement haven.

Exploring locations and finding a place to live in Mexico

Our extensive articles help you to consider key aspects as you explore your options and make choices about your lifestyle and potential location types in Mexico.

Getting your residency permit for Mexico

Mexico’s immigration laws are reasonable and allow non-Mexicans with the financial means or family roots, and/or skills, to live here legally. We publish extensive knowledge to help you, including:

Moving and settling-in to life in Mexico

When you’ve decided to move to Mexico and made key decisions about where and how you’ll live, there’s the move a period of adapting and settling-in.  We publish extensive guides and articles to help you settle.

Learn how to keep in touch when you’re in Mexico

Our guides include detailed information about how to keep in touch when you’re in Mexico: by phone, by internet, as well as using postal and courier services here.  Our local knowledge helps you to choose a mobile phone plan, explore choices for high speed internet in Mexico (even if you live in a remote area) and our cost of living guide includes a section about the cost of communications services.

Detailed insights into the practicalities of living in Mexico day-to-day

Our articles and guides also include comprehensive insights about day to day living in Mexico that help you to plan your lifestyle, settle-in, and make the most of your life and activities in Mexico.

Mexico’s living costs and managing your finances

Financial considerations are an important aspect of any move.  Mexperience helps you to calculate your cost of living in Mexico and offers practical tips for managing your money and finances here.

Mexico as a place for working-age professionals

Working-age professionals, especially those plying a trade in the knowledge economy, are also considering Mexico as a base to live and work.

And more… resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Our resources include:

• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free
• Regularly-updated articles about lifestyle planning  in Mexico
• Insights about day to day living with Mexico Home Life

There are lots of good, sensible reasons for moving to Mexico, but it takes consideration, research, and a plan to make your move a success.

When you’re seeking a change of lifestyle in Mexico you’ll find a wealth of knowledge here on Mexperience to help you consider your choices along with helpful connections that can assist to make your plans a reality.

Research and plan your move to Mexico

Stories of foreign residents who have moved to Mexico successfully are most often characterized by people who made an effort to research and make considered choices.

For those willing to make a plan and see-through the ‘sales pitch’ promises of pipe-dream lifestyles abroad, the benefits of meaningful residency in Mexico are real and tangible. Mexperience living and lifestyle guides and articles show you how.

Mexico lifestyle planning

Mexperience can help when you’re exploring prospects for living and working or retirement in Mexico.  Our extensive resources help you discover practical insights, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to consider opportunities, weigh up your choices, and make informed decisions.  Start by reading these key articles, and connect to our free and comprehensive guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico for more detailed insights…

• Motivations for moving to and living in Mexico
• Approaches to choosing or changing your lifestyle
• Living costs in Mexico
• The journey to finding your place in Mexico

Free Guide: Guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico 

When you plan to retire in Mexico

Mexico continues to be one of the most popular countries in the world for American and Canadian retirees, and there is an increase in people from other parts of the world considering Mexico fore retirement too.  We publish comprehensive information to help you plan a retirement here, including:

• How to know if Mexico is right for your retirement
• Key benefits Mexico offers retirees
• Approaches for retirement lifestyles in Mexico
• How much money you need to retire in Mexico
• Regularly updated articles about retirement in Mexico

Free Guide: Guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico includes sections about planning and realizing your retirement in Mexico.

When you plan to work in Mexico

Working-age professionals, especially those plying a trade in the knowledge economy, are also considering Mexico as a base to live and work.

Free Guide: Read our guides and articles about Working & Self-employment in Mexico

Mexico visas and residency permits

Mexico’s immigration laws are reasonable and allow non-Mexicans with the financial means or family roots, and/or skills, to live here legally. We publish extensive knowledge to help you, including:

• A detailed summary about how to apply for residency in Mexico.
• Learn about routes to obtaining legal residency in Mexico
• Regularly updated articles and insights about obtaining and maintaining your residency status in Mexico.

Free Guide: Guide to Immigrating to Mexico

Finding a place to live in Mexico

When you move here, you’ll need somewhere to live. Whether you plan to rent or buy a home here, Mexperience offers a wealth of helpful insights and practical local knowledge.

Our extensive articles help you to consider key aspects as you explore your options and make choices about your lifestyle and potential location types in Mexico.  Key articles to read about this include:

• Influencing factors as you search for a place to live in Mexico
• Matching your location with your lifestyle needs
• The charms & compromises of living in the Mexican countryside
• Discover places for living, working or retirement in Mexico

Free Guide: Our Guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico includes sections about short-listing locations, guides to places for living in Mexico, and helpful insights to help you choose your location based on your life stage and lifestyle needs.

Free Guide: Our extensive Guide to Real Estate in Mexico includes insights about buying, renting, selling, and managing your residential home in Mexico.

The practicalities of living in Mexico

Our articles and guides also include comprehensive insights about day to day living in Mexico, including:

• Renting, buying, owning and selling a home in Mexico
• Driving and bringing foreign plated cars to Mexico
• Moving your personal goods to Mexico
• Living with pets in Mexico
• Learning or improving your Spanish
• Managing your health and well-being
• Getting essential insurance coverages

Home Life: Regularly updated articles in our Mexico Home Life section offer tips and insights about day-to-day living here.

Home Stewardship: Articles and guides in our Home Stewardship section help you manage your house, home, and dwelling spaces in Mexico.

Free Guide: House Maintenance and Security in Mexico

Free Guide: Driving & Road Trips in Mexico

Managing your finances and living costs

Financial considerations are an important aspect of any move.

• We don’t recommend you plan a lifestyle here solely based on living costs, but they are a key factor to consider and our guide to the cost of living in Mexico will help you to map-out a detailed budget based on your individual life situation.
• Learn about Mexico’s currency.
• Browse our regularly-updated articles about money, banking and finances in Mexico to get practical insights into managing your money.

Free Guide: Money, Finances and Banking Services in Mexico

Free Guide: Learn about Living Costs in Mexico

Mexico is an ideal place to spend your leisure time

When you’re living here, you’ll enjoy direct access to the enormous choice of leisure opportunities Mexico offers.

• Our guides and articles about travel experiences in Mexico provide inspiration and advice for spending your leisure time.
• Our travel partners can help you arrange custom travel tours, with itineraries created by people who know Mexico intimately.

Mexico Assistance Services bridge the gap

To help you take the next steps and bridge the gap between your planning and making those plans happen, we also offer a selection of Mexico Assistance Services that connect you to service providers and local professionals that can facilitate your endeavors and help you to realize your plans.

Resources for Living & Lifestyle in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Our resources include:

• Regularly-updated articles about lifestyle planning  in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Replacing lost or damaged residency cards

To show that you’re legally resident in Mexico, you need to present your residency card, either Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente.

Many foreign residents in Mexico use this card as a form of official ID on a day-to-day basis, and the card must be presented in situations where you are asked to prove your residency status for some official reason—for example, when you open a bank account.

The card also needs to be presented at the border just before you leave Mexico and again when you return.  If you fail to show your residency card when you enter the country and instead get admitted as a tourist/visitor this may jeopardize your residency status altogether.

For these reasons, a lost residency card needs to be attended to in short order.  How you go about doing this depends on whether you are in Mexico when you discover the loss, or traveling outside of Mexico.

Procedure varies depending on whether you’re in Mexico or outside of Mexico

The procedures for replacing a card vary depending on whether you are in Mexico or abroad.

• If you’re in Mexico, you can attend your local immigration office and file for a replacement card;
• If you’re outside of Mexico, you must first visit a Mexican consulate before you return to Mexico to get a visa sticker in your passport and exchange that sticker for a replacement card when you return to Mexico.

Replacing a lost card when you are in Mexico

If you discover that your residency card is lost, or becomes damaged to the point of being unusable, when you’re in Mexico, you will need to attend your local INM office to get it replaced.  If you are outside of Mexico when you discover the loss, see the next section about replacing a lost card from outside of Mexico.

This section describes the procedures.

Damaged card only

If the card is damaged and you still have the card, you’ll need to hand it in as part of the card replacement process.  The process is identical to the lost card process (see below), except that you won’t need a police report.

Lost/stolen residency card

If the card is lost, you will need to enter a specific process to get your card replaced.

• First, you must report the loss at the local Ministerio Público, or local police, and get an office report reference number for the loss.  After filing the loss, you’ll get a stamped copy of the report on paper, which you will need to take with you to the INM office.
• The replacement request process begins online, using an electronic form, which you also download and print out, sign on paper, and take with you in person to your local immigration office.
• You also need to write a letter requesting a card replacement and explaining the loss, referencing the official loss report and its file number.
• You’ll need to take the original and copies of your passport and, if you have them, copies of the front and back of the residency card you lost/damaged.
• There is a card replacement fee to pay.  Most immigration offices accept payment by bank cards; if your local office doesn’t, or you don’t have a bank card, you’ll need to pay this in cash at a local bank instead.
• The officer at the immigration office will probably interview you to ask more about the circumstances surrounding the loss of the card(s).  If they don’t issue the replacement card the same day, they will give you a receipt and the system will send you an email when the replacement card is ready to pick-up—this can take 1-4 weeks.
• You cannot leave Mexico while this replacement process is in train.  You must stay until your card is replaced.

Replacing a lost card when you are outside of Mexico

If you are abroad when your residency card is lost or damaged beyond use, you will need to enter into a process to begin to get it replaced before you return to Mexico.

If you are abroad, there is a two-stage process that begins at a Mexican consulate abroad and completes when you return to Mexico.

• Report the loss to the local police and get a report number.
• Visit or make an appointment at your nearest Mexican consulate.  (Most consulates can issue a visa for a residency card replacement, but not all, and you might have to travel to the nearest one that does.)
• The consulate will ask you for details about the loss, ask you to complete some paperwork, and you’ll need to pay a consular fee for a replacement visa sticker.  Be sure to have the police report with you.
• You will need to leave your passport with the consulate so that they can place a residency visa sticker in the passport. It can take up to two weeks to get the visa.
• You will use this visa to re-enter Mexico and afterwards request a new card via your local INM office when you return to Mexico.
• When you arrive in Mexico, you must present this sticker to the border official.  Do not enter Mexico as a visitor/tourist.
• You must then attend the local INM office where you are registered (before the visa’s expiry date, usually 30 days after its issue date) and begin the card replacement process, that is similar to the process for exchanging a visa for a residency card.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Dealing with expired Mexico residency cards
• Renewing your Temporary Residency card in Mexico
• Find the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Our free Mexico Immigration Guide encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

This service saves you time and helps avoid common mistakes made by applicants. Accompanied Assistance provides a combination of tele-support and in-person accompaniment at the immigration office in Mexico.

Accompanied Assistance at immigration offices in Mexico

Accompanied assistance provides the same features and benefits of our associates’ tele-assistance services, with the added benefits of:

• Printing out and organizing all the paperwork and forms ready for you to sign and file the application.
• Meeting with you in person to guide you through the procedures.
• If the immigration office raises any issues with forms or letters, the associate can swiftly correct and reprint papers for you, minimizing the disruption time.
• If you need to return another day to complete the process, they will meet you in person again at no additional charge.

Accompanied Assistance is currently offered at the following locations:

How the Accompanied Assistance service works

Accompanied Assistance provides a combination of tele-support and in-person accompaniment at the immigration office in Mexico. This section describes the application stages and support offered at each stage.

Accompanied Assistance Service Plans & Fees

Our associates charge a fixed fee per person for the accompanied service at immigration offices in Mexico.  Fees vary depending on the location.  You must pay the government fees separately.

All Accompanied Assistance service plans include:

• An initial consultation by phone/videocall/email/chat.
• Confirmation of the required procedures.
• Helping you to make an appointment at a Mexican Consulate abroad, if relevant. (They cannot accompany you to the Consulate.)
• Making an appointment for you at the Immigration Office in Mexico using the INM’s online appointment system.
• Completion of the forms and letters required for your filing.
• Custom checklist of documents you’ll need to carry.
• In-person accompaniment at the immigration office in Mexico.

Make a service request for Accompanied immigration assistance

To hire our associate to assist you with the facilitation of your Mexico immigration application or renewal, please complete the request form below.

What happens next?

• After you complete the form, Mexperience will send you an email that confirms your request and introduces you to the associate who will assist you.
• The immigration assistance associate will respond to you directly and request payment for their service. When you’ve paid, they’ll schedule-in your initial consultation and the service will begin.

Arranging coverages for your activities, assets and health in Mexico

Getting quotes and arranging insurance is straightforward using online services.  Use the table below to connect to insurance brokers who can give you a no-obligation quote and arrange policy coverages to suit your needs and lifestyle.

Learn about insurance services in Mexico

We have published guides to help you learn about the different insurances available to support your lifestyle including:

Auto Insurance: If you’re bringing a US or Canadian-plated car to Mexico, your home country insurance policy will not cover you for third party liability.  Getting suitable coverage for your vehicles (car, ATV, RV, motorcycle, and towed units) is straightforward and affordable, and includes services that will support you in the event of an accident.  Learn about Auto Insurance for Mexico.

Health Insurance: If you plan to stay in Mexico longer term, a health insurance plan that will give you access to health services at Mexican clinics and hospitals is an ideal way to mitigate medical expenses that can arise from accidents and illness. Learn about health insurance options for Mexico.

Medical Evacuation: If you have a good medical healthcare plan in your home country, a comprehensive Medical Evacuation insurance that will transport you from a hospital in Mexico back to your hospital, doctors and network of choice is available.  Learn about Medical Evacuation from Mexico.

Property Insurance: When you own a home in Mexico, it’s wise to keep the property insured against common risks including theft of your personal goods in the home, third party liabilities (e.g. a tree falling onto your neighbor’s property), fire, and natural disasters.  Learn more about insurance for your home in Mexico.

Travel Insurance: If you’re only visiting Mexico for a short period, travel and trip curtailment insurances are available to cover unforeseen travel and medical expenses while you’re away from home.  Learn more about travel insurance.

This article describes what a travel medical insurance plan is, and how you can use this type of insurance to obtain coverage when you’re in Mexico for shorter trips and extended stays not lasting more than 180 days.

What is a travel medical insurance plan?

Most trip protection insurance plans limit coverage to a maximum of 90 calendar days —three months— and if you stay over this, the insurance plan’s cover ceases to continue.

If you stay, or intend to stay, in Mexico for longer than three months, then an extended stay travel medical plan will cover you in Mexico for up to 180 days (6 months), and provide emergency medical expense coverage, including medically-warranted evacuation, during that time.

Our associate offers extended stay travel medical insurance plans to protect you from the costs of unexpected medical emergencies while you’re in Mexico.

What an extended stay travel medical plan covers

• Unexpected medical expenses while you’re on an extended stay in Mexico not exceeding 180 days.
• Emergency medical expense coverage in Mexico for physician’s fees, lab/x-rays, prescriptions, anesthetics, clinic/hospital costs up to US$100,000. Coverage for emergency dental expenses is also included up to US$750.
• Medically-warranted emergency evacuation to a hospital of your choice and covering up to US$500,000 of medical evacuation costs. Includes transporting a visitor from abroad to join you, and repatriation of minors.
• The plan extends coverage beyond Mexico to nearly all countries when you travel.
• If you unexpectedly pass away in Mexico, this insurance plans covers the cost of repatriation of your mortal remains.
• This plan does not cover prepaid trip costs (flights, hotels, cruises, tours & excursions, etc.) that you would typically find in a single-trip comprehensive protection plan.
• Premiums are based on the number of days you intend to stay in Mexico (maximum 180 days).
• Coverage limitations apply—terms are clearly provided by our associate, TME Insurance, when you get a no-obligation quote.

Is travel medical insurance plan right for me?

This plan is ideal for those who visit Mexico for extended stays up to 180 days and primarily seek protection from unexpected medical emergencies, with medically-warranted evacuation, and without seeking coverage for trip interruptions and other non-medical benefits that single-trip insurance typically offers.

If you take single trips or short visits to Mexico that will not last more than 90 days (three months), consider opting for short-term visit coverage options which offer emergency medical expense coverages in Mexico, trip-protection if your voyage is cancelled or interrupted in some ways, as well as medically-warranted evacuation to the nearest suitable facility.

If you live or stay in Mexico for over 180 consecutive days and have a medical plan that covers you in your home country, a Medical Evacuation plan for longer-term stays might suit your situation.

This series of articles introduces you to a curated list of locations throughout Mexico that foreign residents consider to live, work or retire in Mexico.

Emerging places to live in Mexico

This article in the series introduces you to locations in Mexico that do not have significant numbers of foreign residents already established and are generally places ‘off-the-beaten-path’.  These locations may be of interest to potential foreign residents and retirees seeking someplace more traditional, unusual, and with a lower concentration of foreign residents living there.

Acapulco

Acapulco continues to attract a certain type of foreign resident; usually those who know Mexico well and enjoy the old-world charms of these lands. Acapulco offers coastal living in a port city with an authentic and traditional Mexican feel featuring a wide range of local services and amenities.

Some head to the ‘old town’ of Acapulco —more or less west from the downtown areas— where, in the 1950s and 1960s (and for most of the 1970s) the rich and famous had homes. Those properties, now looking dated and some also severely dilapidated and in need of restoration, may be acquired at value prices.

If you want something more modern and up-scale (with prices to match), head south-southeast around the bay to the Diamante area. On this coast road from downtown Acapulco toward Diamante, you’ll also pass residences overlooking the outstanding Acapulco Bay (it’s said that only Hong Kong can better it for style), but you’ll need deep pockets for those mansions—if one happens to be for sale when you’re looking.

Acapulco’s heyday is long past, although the new Diamante area, near the airport with a relatively new international expo center adjacent, high-end hotel resorts, and contemporary residential developments, is proving a popular choice with potential new residents seeking modern facilities, tranquil living, and easy access to the traditional downtown and old town areas of Acapulco.

The Diamante area of Acapulco is now connected via a (tolled) road tunnel that makes the trip faster and easier than the narrow (but picturesque) coastal road that has become increasingly congested in recent times, especially during weekends and holidays.

Campeche

Campeche is a picture-postcard colonial city situated along the shorelines of Mexico’s Gulf coast. Relatively unknown, even by travelers, this ancient port city holds potential for foreign residents seeking a coastal lifestyle amidst a historic and visually attractive colonial setting.

Real estate developments have already begun to emerge here as the city begins to attract some attention from Mexican and foreign investors: high-end housing and condo communities are being built and sold across stretches of the beautiful coastline in this area.

It’s a city with a low concentration of foreign residents that attracts people seeking the ‘authentic’ feel of Mexico, without the commercialization and notoriety that has characterized some other coastal towns and cities.

Campeche is well served by an international airport offering connections to Mexico City and the USA and is also within an easy two-hour drive of the important and picturesque city of Mérida

Comala and Colima

Comala offers semi-rural living in Mexico, off the beaten path, and ideal for foreign residents seeking a place to live that offers an authentic Mexican experience where you can fully immerse yourself in local culture and cultivate a traditional lifestyle integrated within welcoming and friendly communities.

This countryside idyll is situated just 20 minutes by road from the capital city of Colima; about a 2.5-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara —Mexico’s second largest city— and approximately 90-minute drive east of the commercial port and resort town of Manzanillo—on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

When you’re looking for a place that’s far removed from the usual locations potential foreign residents tend to shortlist, amidst a rural idyll with easy access to urban services and amenities and good transport links, Comala can provide a countryside lifestyle amidst one of the most fertile and colorful regions of Mexico.

Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo

Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are two adjacent and contrasting towns on the shores of Mexico’s Pacific coast, situated about 160 miles northwest of Acapulco. Most foreign residents and retirees who come here to live choose the traditional and quaint ‘village’ feel of Zihuatanejo instead of the modern ‘vacation resort’ of Ixtapa; although the latter offers a wider assortment of amenities on the doorstep. There is a good road connecting the two locations, which are only a few miles apart and the local airport offers connections to Mexico City as well as the USA (some flights are seasonal)

Puebla and Cholula

Puebla is a picturesque colonial city within easy reach of the capital by road, and well connected to the adjacent state of Morelos —home to Cuernavaca and Tepoztlán— via the spectacular Siglo XXI highway that offers unparalleled views of the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes.

The heart of the old city is the most picturesque to live in; the rest of the city extends out and around from the historic center into a series of contemporary districts and neighborhoods more akin to the look and feel of Mexico City.

Puebla is one of Mexico’s more industrial cities (large corporations have offices and factories here) and some people who want (or need) to live near Puebla but want to be away from the city might choose the adjacent town of Cholula, famous for its churches, its university quarter, impressive views of the volcanoes, and host to one of the world’s largest pyramids (by volume).  Cholula offers a more serene and provincial feel; the town is also a popular tourist attraction that becomes busy during the weekends.

Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido, a surfers’ beach town and chic oceanside town is a ‘niche’ location for foreign residents and retirees considering places to live in Mexico.

This Pacific coastal enclave attracts surfers and the bohemians looking for rustic, authentic —often remote and undiscovered— Mexico by the sea. If you’re a surfer, an artist, a romanticist, or a hippy-at-heart (or for real), consider Puerto Escondido (and nearby Puerto Angel) as you scout for places to settle in Mexico.

Puerto Escondido is one of the more remote places you can choose to live in Mexico; you can fly here, but if you intend to move around on land, it’s a seven-hour drive to Acapulco; about a 90-minute drive to Puerto Angel, and an eight-hour drive to Oaxaca City over heavy mountainous terrain.

Puerto Escondido is one of those locations that attracts and retains certain types of foreign residents; if you’re attracted to alternative lifestyles, remote places, and stunning coastal scenery, a reconnaissance visit is essential to get to know the town, its people, and the surrounding areas.

San Cristobal de las Casas

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a highland mountain town, situated amidst the thickly wooded mountain jungles in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.

Like Pátzcuaro, its strong ties to traditional cultures and indigenous roots have kept its style and character very distinct to most other places in Mexico.  San Cristóbal is a place to consider when you’re looking for highland mountain living in a relatively remote area of Mexico.

The town is about a 90-minute drive from the nearest big city, the state capital city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez; and a two-hour drive to Comitán de Dominguez, a quaint and quiet colonial town very near the border with Guatemala.

San Cristóbal has a relatively low concentration of foreign residents and retirees, probably due to its remoteness; although for those who do choose to live here, the outstanding natural scenery, the strong indigenous heritage, and the rugged mountain-jungle terrain, are all an integral part of the attractions of this place.

It’s a location to consider when you’re seeking places off-the-beaten path amidst authentic and uncommercialized culture, and when you’re seeking to cultivate a local lifestyle among traditional indigenous highland communities.

San Felipe

San Felipe in Baja California has for many years been a favorite stopping point for travelers exploring the east side of the Mexican Baja peninsula.

Today, San Felipe is a retirement haven with significant investments in real estate projects that have created new infrastructure, services, amenities, and affordable retirement homes.

One of the key attractions for Americans with homes and families situated in the southern US is that San Felipe is just a two-hour drive south from the border (Mexicali) and its location offers an agreeable climate, an outstanding mountain backdrop, and attractive waterside living and leisure opportunities on the shores of the Golf of California (formerly known as the Sea of Cortés).

Veracruz

Veracruz is an important industrial port city on Mexico’s Gulf Coast. Although it may not strike most people considering places in Mexico for living or retirement as a potential location for a shortlist, the city offers certain charms of its own which are particularly attractive to people who know Mexico well and enjoy a fusion of Mexican and Caribbean cultures.

The historic center is frequently likened to pre-revolutionary Havana, and although its colonial buildings lack the majesty of those found in the Cuban capital, this remains a charismatic port city that attracts people seeking coastal living and authenticity away from the traditional tourist and foreign resident trails.

Veracruz city is situated less than four hours by road from the colonial city of Puebla, and about a five-hour hour road trip from Mexico City.

Discover more places to live in Mexico

Connect to the other articles in this series and discover more places to live in Mexico:

• Discover popular locations to live in Mexico: includes locations that have for a long time, or in recent times, garnered considerable popularity with foreign residents (retirees and others) and have active communities of interest established at the location.
• Discover emerging locations to live in Mexico: summarizes locations that have, in recent years, been catching the attention of foreign residents and have fledgling or developing communities of interest present.