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03 August 2012

Ideas for where to live in Mexico

By Benjamin Harper


Western media is notorious for smear campaigns and propaganda, which is an unfortunate reality in terms of learning about countries outside of the United States and her allies. Mexico is the perfect example of these campaigns in action, because most U.S. citizens are only familiar with this Latin country as it relates to drugs and the cartel wars that are a part of daily life in the cities in the north of the country along the border of the United States. However, Mexico is a massive country with 31 different states that make up her whole, and most of them are safer by far than their American counterparts, which means if you are looking to research where to live in Mexico you have to be able to look beyond the propaganda at the reality of the situation.

If you want to live in Cancun, for example, you are in one of the safest places in the world. While Washington D.C. has a 31 in 100/000 murder rate according to USA Today, the entire state of Quintana Roo only has 2 in 100,000, and considering Cancun is one of many cities in the state, you can see that the safety levels for this part of Mexico are significantly less than the capital of the U.S. Meanwhile, New York City is 9 in 100,000, and Denver, Colorado is 8 in 100,000. In short, Cancun is a great option on the list of where to live in Mexico.

Cancun isn't the only option you have to choose from if you are looking where to live in Mexico. The cost of living throughout the country is what drives so many digital nomads, pensioners and expats to choose to live here. For starters, the cost of the universal healthcare system is only around $250 per year, and the Mexican government only requires you to prove around $1,000 per month of income to establish your residency. This makes Mexico an incredibly cheap alternative to the cost of living in the United States.

There are far more choices in Mexico than just Cancun, as well. Another option is Tapalpa, in the state of Jalisco, perfect for individuals who prefer the quiet lifestyle of a pueblo village. The entire state of Chiapas gives you access to lush, tropical highlands along with jungle lowlands, not to mention the Mayan culture and ruins, with San Cristobal being a mountain city that puts you right in the center of the region. The reason Cancun is so popular with most Westerners when looking at where to live in Mexico is the fact that you have numerous brand names that people are familiar with, such as Home Depot and Wal Mart.

Which is another important aspect of choosing where to live in Mexico as an expat: modern amenities. While you can certainly go off the grid if you want to have a small villa or farm in the highlands of Chiapas or the coastal regions of Oaxaca, you can also have access to every modern conveniences you could ever want in a place like Mexico City, which is the 5th largest city on the planet and in the top 10 richest in the world. The sky is literally the limit considering the size of the country, the amenities offered and the extremely low cost of living.




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