International Living Community

Hi, I'm Bel, the Mexico Correspondent and have lived in Mexico for 8 years so I'm sorry you feel that way. My experience has been nothing but positive, both in day to day life and while traveling through Mexico. My friend and returned yesterday from completing the entire Maya Train route which spans 5 states of Mexico from Quintana Roo in the east to Chiapas in the west and loved the entire trip. People were very friendly and welcoming, in every place we stayed, and as single women no one bothered us at all.
If you notice, we here at IL only recommend safe places with large expat communities. Not the cities or border towns known for high cartel activity. Mexico has 31 states, it's a big country and a lot of it is safe, friendly, beautiful and a joy to live in. I hope this helps with your concerns.
Warm Regards,
Bel - Mexico Correspondent.

This is a response for BAMABIBBETTE's message - Hi Bel! My hubby and I are looking to live part time in Puerto Vallarta in a few years once I retire. We're pretty set on living on one of their Marina's. Your pro's and con's to each would be much appreciated. Our budget is no more than $300,000 USD for two bed two bath.

Hi, in that price range you will still be able to find a bargain, but remember the marina's are always more expensive. I was recently looking at real estate in and around PV and you can definitely find something but maybe not in the marina itself. I would recommend a quick Google search of real estate's in the area, and jump on a couple of sites for a quick look. As for my personal opinion, I live on the east coast, not the west so haven't spent any time in PV. International Living's - Escape to Mexico - book is an excellent resource and it is in the process of being updated. It has real estate agents and contacts in every area as well as a lot of information about moving to and living in Mexico so that can answer a lot of your questions as well.

Hi Shawn, I'm Bel, the Mexico Correspondent and I'm with you, Mexico has so many beautiful places to choose from. What I would recommend is going to the home page and under the countries tab you'll find Mexico. If you scroll all the way to the bottom there are nearly 40 locations listed. Each one has it's own page so you can get a good feel for the location. It's kind of fun to look at all the places and you'll find a bunch that you may want to visit.
Have fun exploring.

Hola from Mexico,
Do you have an idea of where in Mexico you would prefer? It's a very large country with over 40 places we recommend so there is a perfect place, climate, community for everyone.
If you scroll to the bottom of the Mexico page on the site - https://internationalliving.com/countries/mexico/
you will see them all listed. Each location has it's own report so you can easily compare top destinations you have in mind.
If you like beaches - Baja California Sur, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta on the west coast are popular. One the east coast the whole Riviera Maya region is popular - Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum.
If you like mountains and cooler temperatures, then the central highlands - San Miguel de Allende, Lake Chapala, Gueretaro, or Guanajuato are also popular.
All of these locations have cheap flights back to the US with most major airlines so you can use your points. I've seen flights from Dallas to Merida for as low as $39 with Viva Aerobus so be sure to use SkyScanner when looking at flights and they will give you the best deals.
Cost of living is about a half to a third depending on your lifestyle, and in every location there are Facebook group so as Bekah suggested with Costa Rica, just search for Expats in ... and you'll find a few groups.
I'm a single lady and have lived in the Riviera Maya for eight years, I love it and always feel safe. If you are interested in my little corner of Mexico please feel free to reach out and email me with specific questions - bwoodhouse@internationalliving.com.
Hope this all. helps,
Warmest Regards,
Bel.

I would recommend talking to someone from RETA as they have all of the information and can explain your investment.
Bel Woodhouse - Mexico Correspondent.

Hi Duke, San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful city with hundreds of restaurants and places to stay. It is quite hilly so what I found best is to choose a place within walking distance of the city centre, then walk into town (downhill) and either grab a local bus for 8 pesos ($0.40) , or a taxi for around 20 - 40 pesos ($1-$2) back at the end of the day.
As for cafes/restaurants, there is a restaurant called Hecho en Mexico (made in Mexico) which is very popular with expats so if you go there you'll probably make friends with some people alreaday living there. I also love the Panio bakeries .. they are amazing!
Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Bel Woodhouse - Mexico Correspondent.

Ha ha ha me too! I always listen to these as everyone is talking and think "wow your country sounds amazing!" and then I want to go visit so I'm with you!
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

I love my Mexican Caribbean home and the water is fantastic! I'm a single lady, travel around Mexico solo and have never felt unsafe or had any issues so I'll toss Mexico's hat in the ring if you're a water baby like me. It's wonderful.
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

That's interesting, thanks for sharing that, I've neve heard that before. All the expats I have spoken to and visited are saying they can still afford it so I appreciate you sharing that.
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

My Canadian neighbor has 2 large golden retrievers and it's not an issue. Vet's are excellent, profiessional, half to a third of the price of the US and I've never heard of any issues with customs bringing large dogs from either the US or Canada. All you need is to show that your pet has up to date rabies shot and a health certificate from your vet. There's an excellent website called Pet Passport which lists all countries and the paperwork provided so just have a look on there to make sure you have all the up to date paperwork. Rentals are not a problem here in Mexico, just be up front and say you have dogs. Most people will rent no problem.
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

Yes absolutely, I have several friends that go back to the US or Canada to use their Medicare. In Mexico there is excellent health care and it's very affordable. You can use the public system, have private health insurance, or just pay as you go. For health insurance, I would recommend contacting an insurance broker that specializes in living abroad like VITALSURANCE. Gabriel has a lot of information and you can find him at www.Vitalsurance.com
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

Global warming is affecting every continent in the world so I would expect that every country will notice a difference in the years to come. I was concerned about hurricanes where I live here in the Mexican Caribbean but over the last 8 years we haven't seen that much difference. Each year there is a hurricane season but most are tropical storms and don't escalate into hurricanes. Having said that, the risk is always there. It is the same in any tropic region in every country worldwide so if this is of concern, I would recommend to just have a little Google search and see how it has affected the countries you are interested in moving to.
Bel- IL Mexico Correspondent.

In Mexico there are several places where you don't need to speak Spanish. Places like the Riviera Maya, Lake Chapala, San Miguelle de Allende, Puerto Vallarta etc where a lot of locals speak English. But it's fun to learn and always appreciated.
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

In Mexico there are several places where you don't need to speak Spanish. Places like the Riviera Maya, Lake Chapala, San Miguelle de Allende, Puerto Vallarta etc where a lot of locals speak English.
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent.

I've never been asked that before and honestly I've never looked. There is plenty of salsa and places to go dancing and dance studios offering all styles of dance so if you love dancing you'll be able to find something.

Hi Jill, I have always lived in the tropics so hurricanes are a part of life. Yes the do happen but in 8years living in the Mexican Caribbean we have had 2 that caused a little damage, not huge ones that devestate the entire island or anything. As for Puerto Vallarta, I've never been but have spoken to people living there. Very similar weather, but our water is prettier and yes hurricanes do happen over on the west coast as well. So if you're considering these locations please don't be put off, they are built for it. The houses are sturdy and able to hndle it.
Cheers, Bel.

There are plenty of way to rent in Mazatlan. A quick Google search will give you a list of real estates to contact, or you can look on VRBO, AirBnb, or something similar. Another great option is to join the expat Facebook group for Mazatlan and there are plenty of people who live there that can answer your questions and share good real estate agents.
Bel - IL Mexico Correspondent

Hi,
Okay I don't have children, nor do any of my friends, so I don't know really have a lot of information about all of the schools on the island. There are both private and public schools and an American school which is bi-ingual. I would recommend contacting them to find out if you can enrol your son for a few months. Here is the link - https://www.angelfire.com/amiga2/americanschool/
I hope this helps.
Bel - Mexico Correspondent.

Hi,
Most places in Mexico are very open to foreigners and the warmth of the Mexican people means it's easy to meet people and form friendships or something more.
As for being a writer, I myself am a writer and have never had any issues. We have excellent internet, and places like San Miguel de Allende in Mexico has a wonderful creative expat community full of writers. They also hold an annual literary festival which attracts thousands of participants from all over the world so I'm sure you would meet some amazing people in San Miguel.
Regards,
Bel - Il Mexico Correspondent.

Hi Pat,
I know there is a beautiful CCRC here in Mexican Caribbean, in Cancun. I spoke to the owners at our big annual Bootcamp in Las Vegas last month and it was also a lot more affordable. The name of the place is Kiosko and here is the link to their website - https://kioskoseniorliving.com/. I hope that helps.
Warm Regards,
Bel Woodhouse - Mexico Correspondent.