Expat Living In Mexico

[girlx]

just curious in these unstable economic times if mexico might not be an option for me to go stay in for awhile, as it is close enough to my home country if the s*** hits the fan that i can just run across the border to my mommy, but is still not the US (which i recall being rather unbearable).

has anyone lived there before? if so, any tips you can give me on the following would be great! (i will also look it up elsewhere):

-where is there a town near the beach, with a good mix of expats and locals, with public transportation, good infrastructure (need internet connection to work), and that is generally safe for an american female? should also be near a large city with an international airport and cosmopolitan lifestyle if poss... (am i dreaming?!)

-is it expensive to stay long term there? how much is the average monthly rent for a 1-bedroom house? how much would i need overall per month for a comfortable lifestyle?

-what is the visa situation like for americans? would i need to do visa runs?

-is it possible to get backup work at bars or the like if i hit a rough patch? (i do speak pretty good spanish)

-anything else i should know?

thanks

[girlx]

p.s. the most important question i forgot! is there a thaivisa equivalent for mexico???

[Jingthing]

You would probably like Puerto Vallarta but its more expensive than Phuket. If you are not going for Mexico's equivalent of a retirement visa or officially working or opening a business (which is easier than Thailand ) you would have to make visa runs. The more globalized beach areas are now very expensive. Have you considered Buenos Aires? Easy to work underground, easy tourist visa/6 month visa run situation, trashed currency, great food, interesting, cultured people, and definitely cheaper than Puerto Vallarta, but the beach is a big river. Also, overstaying in Argentina is decriminalized, you could overstay 5 years and just pay a small fine at the airport, no questions asked, no blacklisting.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Jingthing

[girlx]

hmm where would you do visa runs to from mexico?

and yes i did also consider buenos aires. i spent a month there last year and it is definitely a lovely live-able city... but not really so cheap, and i like the tropical feel (which it doesn't really have). i didn't realize it was easy to work underground there? would that be in bars and the like? still feeling out my options.

Edited February 12, 2009 by girlx

[Jingthing]

I think most of the casual expat workers are English teachers in Argieland, sound familiar?

For Mexico:

The last I checked you get 6 months on a 6 month tourist card visa. But they don't have to give you 6 months, you have to ask for it. Then cross a border and start over. I don't know about different treatment on land vs. air. I do not think you can do that for years before they stop giving you the visa. My info isn't recent, check the Mexican forums (there are a bunch of them, not one dominant one like thaivisa).They get a lot of snowbirds but not as many young underground visa runners living there for years. They want you to do something official like start a small business.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Jingthing

[ronz28]

We live in central Texas and hear about the thousands of murders along the Mexican side of the border with the U.S. carried out by the drug cartels. Actually, they call them crime cartels now since they have branched out into kidnapping, extortion, etc. as well as drugs. The Mexican government occasionally comes in to support the Mexican border town police departments but it has been a losing battle from what I have read. I have not heard that inland expat communities have been targeted but it may not be as safe to make a border run by car or bus as it is in Thailand. Texas law enforcement has been monitoring the problem but so far their violence has not spread into Texas, however some victims in Mexican border towns have been from the U.S.

[girlx]

hmm not too worried about the dangers- i travelled solo in south america and was terrified at all the stories people told me beforehand, only to find it felt safer than thailand to me.

[dantilley]

p.s. the most important question i forgot! is there a thaivisa equivalent for mexico???

www.mexicovisa.com would be the obvious URL to start with!

[pluto_manibo]

Belize could be an option...Ambergris Caye!

[girlx]

didn't either peaceblondie or justwannateach (always get them mixed up) live in mexico for awhile?

[PeaceBlondie]

Whom, I? Reporting for duty...

My daughters have lived within a few km of the border since 1999, and I lived at both ends of the Republic. It is dangerous, and Mexican men do hassle white women, whom they consider to be less moral or 'easier to seduce.' Just a fact.

mexconnect.com cost about 5 US$ per month to subscribe. Much of the expat scene is way more expensive, in Lake Chapala, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Cancun, even Veracruz. If you can live on US$2,500, fine. I know of no decent places to live that are within 500 km of any US border crossing, and the border towns themselves can be some of the worst.

If you wish to do volunteer work that resembles a Burmese refugee camp in Mae Sot, there are places like where I worked. No running water, no electricity, a hour's walk over rough trails to get to civilization. When my Maya friend told me about the twin towers on 9/11/2001, it took me an hour to get to an internet cafe. But real cities had reasonably cheap, fast internet cafes when I left in 2001.

I thought about moving back to Chiapas around 2006,and decided not to. It is an alternative for some people. If you teach English, davesl forum has a sub forum for Mexico. Mexico is an easy place to run amuck if you are gullible, or paranoid. They will steal from you, generally (at least the men often do).

I hope that helps. From what I have read in four forums there, not much has changed since I left in 2001.

[alyx]

hmm not too worried about the dangers- i travelled solo in south america and was terrified at all the stories people told me beforehand, only to find it felt safer than thailand to me.

Hey Girlx,

You must be kidding me or haven't been through South America in a while

Just take Caracas, which used to be a wonderful place to enjoy, not so long ago: well right now you need to travel in an armoured car and body guards. People tend to regroup in protected compounds. That wasn't the case two years ago although one had to be careful at the time.

Back to Mexico: compared to other South American cities it is the safest but still dangerous, and I mean dangerous

So when you tell me that you have these cities safer than Bangkok allow me to raise an eyebrow

Of course when one is looking for trouble, one is sure that trouble will find them and if you stay away from grey areas that should do the trick, but please put it in perspective

As long as you stay in the well establised resorts the risks you'll get in trouble is minimised (but still exists)

I am sorry I cannot be of much help regarding the work side

[Jingthing]

It sounds like PB is agreeing with me that Mexico is a poor choice for:

low cost at a modern beach area

modern amenities at a low cost

visa running friendliness

I don't think Puerto Vallarta is very dangerous though, but again, not cheap at all!

Mazatlan is very bad with violence because it is drug biz center.

Apparently Mexico is indeed in a severe crisis now over the drug biz violence.

Thailand with all its faults has a lot going for it.

Edited February 13, 2009 by Jingthing

[ronz28]

The crime cartel problem has escalated over the last four years to shocking levels. Factory workers are given police escorts to certain factories to prevent robbery or kidnapping. Google it but but Thailand is not as dangerous as Mexico is right now is. Here is one article:

5630 Execution Murders in Mexico in 2008: Mexican Drug Cartels

January 1, 2009

M3Report

El Universal (Mexico City) 1/1/09

During 2008, the narco-war left an historic record of 5,630 execution murders in Mexico, according to El Universal's count. In the past four years, 12,061 people have died at the hands of organized crime, 46.5% of them in this past year. Multi-executions characterized 2008. In August, a dozen decapitated bodies with signs of torture were discovered stacked in a pile in the state of Yucatan. In September, 24 bodies were discovered in a nature park near Mexico City, all with coup de grace shots to the head.

Then, in December, nine severed heads in a sack were dumped in a shopping area of Chilpancingo, capital city of the state of Guerrero.

-------

La Familia, the cartel trying to be government. The criminal group "La Familia" has suffered recent major blows through arrests of it leaders. The organization began in 2006, supported by the Gulf drug cartel, with the deceptive purpose of "defending citizens, merchants, businesses and farmers" in place of the legitimate role of the existing government. With confirmed operations established in 77 cities in the state of Michoacan and in the states of Mexico and Guerrero, including the Federal District, La Familia resorts to the pretense of offering protection, at elevated rates, and threatens with death those who do not accept their terms. As part of what they call "social work," they have consented to decapitations and executions. In areas where they have absolute control, they claim to be dedicated to fighting all crime, thus supplanting the legitimate government. Besides narco-trafficking, they have extended their criminal activities into other areas, mainly money laundering. In addition to crime, the group also controls established businesses, auto sales, nightclubs and restaurants.

--

News correspondent Carlos Cano writes from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua: "Cd. Juarez is wounded. Its streets bleed and its voice is hardly perceptible in commercial and recreational centers. Silence and indignation prevail in its atmosphere." He points out that, "this year, as never in the history of this border city, organized crime has taken it hostage and left in the wake 1,633 crimes." This figure surpasses by far those of 2007 in the city and is even larger than the total for the entire state of Sinaloa for 2008.

--

El Porvenir (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon) 1/1/09

Yesterday, the Mexican government extradited ten alleged members of organized crime to the US, among them suspected members of the Gulf and Arellano Felix drug cartels. The men have cases pending in Texas, California, Georgia and Florida. This final extradition of 2008 brings the year's total of those turned over by Mexico to US authorities to 184.

-------

Related Mexican Drug Cartel Activity and News from 2008

Mexican Drug Cartels Forming Alliances with American Street Gangs

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORMER BORDER PATROL OFFICERS

Visit our website: http://www.nafbpo.org

Foreign News Report

The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFBPO) extracts and condenses the material that follows from Mexican and Central and South American on-line media sources on a daily basis.

Edited February 13, 2009 by ronz28

[PeaceBlondie]

Any comparison of the two countries has to give high points to Spanish language. Minority indigenous people look almost identical (Mayas look like Hill tribes). Climates and topography are remarkably similar, and development similar, with huge variance between rich and poor Corrupt politicians, and the rule of law is often missed by a great deal. An extranjero melds into the locals better than a farang does in Thailand; less xenophobia in Mexico.

However, you must be a person who gets along well with everybody.

[popshirt]

A close friend of mine moved from California to Guadalajara the day after George Bush was re-elected for a second term.

He loves it there. Guadalajara is reputed to be the most affluent city in the most affluent state (Jalisco) in the Republic. Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco, about two hours drive from Guadalajara. As in most large cities, it can be either costly or reasonable. My friend rents a 2 bedroom plus maids quarters house in a gated community for around US $900/mo. He says the city is quite safe from crime, at least in comparison to other Mexican cities.

Guadalajara is a major cultural center as well.....it is the birthplace of mariachi music!

[tb86]

hmm not too worried about the dangers- i travelled solo in south america and was terrified at all the stories people told me beforehand, only to find it felt safer than thailand to me.

I guess i will ask the same question as everyone does here, Have you spent any time in mx? And why would you want to be there, dont forget there is currently a reverse migration going on.... Work i wouldnt count on it, unless you commute to the us but then you would have to live in a border town and good luck with that. I would highly suggest if you have the financial means look into southern baja far away from tj, theres a war on in the north nowadays. Spend some serious time there, are you a single woman? There are lots of obsticals get used to "¿Qué Onda Güera?". would be just one. If your serious i lived in baja for a few let me know.

[girlx]

too tired to really address the danger issue, but every place in the world can be dangerous, and i am pretty street smart. i am not worried too much about that. i have travelled half the world solo.

i work for US companies via the internet so work is not really an issue unless all my projects dry up, and $2500 a month is about what i spend in BKK so it seems like mexico and thailand are comparable as far as cost of living goes.

i will most likely (if i decide to) fly over after songkran here and stay in a hotel for a couple weeks to feel out the place/find longer term accomodation. i just don't know really where to start out from. i don't want to live in a super touristy area. prefer a very laid back beach town not too far from a big city. no interest at all in living in a border town, but do wonder how and where i would do visa runs? trying to think what borders mexico besides the US, but again, too tired now.

so tips on places to start out looking would be great! again, here are my requirements:

near the beach, with a good mix of expats and locals, with public transportation, good infrastructure (need internet connection to work), and that is generally safe for an american female? should also be near a large city with an international airport and cosmopolitan lifestyle

[tb86]

too tired to really address the danger issue, but every place in the world can be dangerous, and i am pretty street smart. i am not worried too much about that. i have travelled half the world solo.

i work for US companies via the internet so work is not really an issue unless all my projects dry up, and $2500 a month is about what i spend in BKK so it seems like mexico and thailand are comparable as far as cost of living goes.

i will most likely (if i decide to) fly over after songkran here and stay in a hotel for a couple weeks to feel out the place/find longer term accomodation. i just don't know really where to start out from. i don't want to live in a super touristy area. prefer a very laid back beach town not too far from a big city. no interest at all in living in a border town, but do wonder how and where i would do visa runs? trying to think what borders mexico besides the US, but again, too tired now.

so tips on places to start out looking would be great! again, here are my requirements:

near the beach, with a good mix of expats and locals, with public transportation, good infrastructure (need internet connection to work), and that is generally safe for an american female? should also be near a large city with an international airport and cosmopolitan lifestyle

cabo, fly to san diego for visas

[Jingthing]

http://www.tomzap.com/living.html

There is some visa info in this link. I think you will find living in Mexico permanently on tourist visas is not that easy. Most of the expats in Guadalajara and Lake Chapala (BORING!) are retired Americans and Canadians with legitimate long term visas based on documenting their pensions. Guadalajara does indeed have its charms. It is a very big city. A friend of mine lived there and also D.F. and had scary violent incidents happen to her in both.

Many people here still use their 6-month tourist visas, driving to the border to renew twice a year. However, now immigration at the border is not automatically stamping the visa for 6 months. Most frequently it will be for a month or two or even just a few weeks, causing much time to be spent in the local immigration office trying to get extensions. Proof of income is required for renewal.

At one time I was reading the Mexican boards a lot and there were many cases of people having major hassles staying legally in Mexico, visa runners and workers having the biggest problems. As in Thailand, the retirees have it the best there, in Mexico they have a better program than Thailand for retirees as there is a way to better your status over time.

[swain]

I lived just across the border from San Diego in a small village called San Antonio Del Mar not far from Rossirito beach. I worked in the USA and commuted every other day or so. The food was good and inexpensive as was the Tequila and beer. I had a small A frame house on the edge of the cliff that I paid 250 dollars for a month. Life was good and the living was easy. This was in 1987-1992 though. The border since then has gotten very bad, 4-6 hours crossing is not unheard of now. Alot of the cheap housing in San Antonio Del Mar is gone because of taxes imposed on people living close to the beach. San Antonio now also has direct benefit of being close to a newish sewage treatment plant that TRYS to process Tijuana's population explosion but fails directly into the ocean and on to the beaches of San Antonio Del Mar.

It was a slice of heaven for a time but the time has past. I would not recommend Mexico now.

[swain]

Still in love with Thailand.

Edited February 13, 2009 by swain

[PeaceBlondie]

girlx, there are beach cities, but most of them are tourist towns. Cancun, Cozumel, Isla de Mujeres, etc., are on the Caribbean,. The West Coast has Pto. Vallarta, Acapulco, Zihuatenejo, Puerto Escondido, Bahia Hualtuco, Mazatlan. Perto Veracruz is on the Gulf Coast; so is Tampico, or Tuxpan. And Playa Azul, near Lazaro Cardenas - but these last two are next to nuclear power plants! Google is your friend. Cuernavaca and Taxco are between Mexico City and Acapulco. Some of the places I lived in are not worth mentioning, because I avoided farang ghettos except when working for an NGO (ONG). La Paz is not too far down the Baja peninsula, but you have to fly out to do most visa runs.

There is perhaps no place in Latin America where a single female is guaranteed safety.

[Bangyai]

A bit off topic but if you're looking for an alternative to Thailand and you speak some Spanish why not consider Spain ? Not as cheap as it used to be I know but if you keep away from tourist places you should be able to get by reasonably well. Definately a lot safer than the Americas and lots of culture to soak up. Casual bar work should not be a problem either. Great climate, thats for sure

[fnprop]

Gotta be a wind-up, but what the heck....

, as it is close enough to my home country if the s*** hits the fan that i can just run across the border to my mommy, but is still not the US (which i recall being rather unbearable).

Read a newspaper, fer chrissakes. The sh** has hit the fan.

has anyone lived there before?

8 years.

-where is there a town near the beach

everywhere

with a good mix of expats and locals, with public transportation, good infrastructure (need internet connection to work), and that is generally safe for an american female?

nowhere

should also be near a large city with an international airport and cosmopolitan lifestyle if poss...

Large cities with international airports....Matamoros, Tijuana, Acapulco, Vera Cruz, Merida, Cancun, DF. Anything like a cosmopolitan lifestyle? DF.

(am i dreaming?!)

No. You are totally bonkers.

-is it expensive to stay long term there? how much is the average monthly rent for a 1-bedroom house?

Anywhere from 2000 - 2000000 pesos per month.

would i need to do visa runs?

Yes.

-is it possible to get backup work at bars or the like if i hit a rough patch?

A gringa? Yes, but you could probably make just as much money in Patpong, Nana, or Soi Cowboy.

(i do speak pretty good spanish)

Is that what your high school Spanish teacher or your nanny told you? Buena suerte.

[siamjj]

I lived just across the border from San Diego in a small village called San Antonio Del Mar not far from Rossirito beach. I worked in the USA and commuted every other day or so. The food was good and inexpensive as was the Tequila and beer. I had a small A frame house on the edge of the cliff that I paid 250 dollars for a month. Life was good and the living was easy. This was in 1987-1992 though. The border since then has gotten very bad, 4-6 hours crossing is not unheard of now. Alot of the cheap housing in San Antonio Del Mar is gone because of taxes imposed on people living close to the beach. San Antonio now also has direct benefit of being close to a newish sewage treatment plant that TRYS to process Tijuana's population explosion but fails directly into the ocean and on to the beaches of San Antonio Del Mar.

It was a slice of heaven for a time but the time has past. I would not recommend Mexico now.

<deleted>,mexico has more coastline than america,one small area and you scratch the whole country off the list?very narrow minded

[retiredusn]

Take a look at the Hermosillo area and the area within a hours drive or so, in the winter you get a few snowbirds and in the summers you get good class of spanish folks. Some great beach's that are still within 600-800$ price range per month. We went down last Aug.08 and enjoyed the hel_l out of it.

Just a few place's;

Guaymas

Bahia Kino (great place)

Puerto Penasco

San Jose de Bacum

[brahmburgers]

Belize could be an option...Ambergris Caye!

I was going to mention the same. I checked out Belize 12 years ago before opting to move to Thailand.

I liked San Ignacio, which is a small hip semi-touristy town at the western middle part of the small country (used to be Brit. Honduras). Belize it the only English-speaking country in central and south America -though Spanish is often heard - because many migrants come from neighboring spanish-speaking countries seeking work.

San Ignacio is a half day's drive from the magnificent Tikal compound in Guatemala. The region is chock full of Mayan ruins. I almost bought land from a Maya-speaking farming family - right on the Belize/Guatemala border. It was 20 acres for $17k and had extensive Maya burial mounds (un-excavated!) . If a similar secluded piece is available for sale today, it's probably 6 to 10 times that value.

In the southern part of Belize are many black folks (Garifunas) who speak an odd type of pidgin English - with phrases from 18th Century British. Many are descendant from slave ships that ran aground - some lucky folks in the hold were able to swim ashore.

Belize has the 2nd biggest coral reef in the world. Ambergris Cay is popular among es-pats, as is the small island of Cay Caulker (pronounced 'kee'). As I write this, I'm feeling drawn to giving Belize another shake.

[LTGTR]

just curious in these unstable economic times if mexico might not be an option for me to go stay in for awhile, as it is close enough to my home country if the s*** hits the fan that i can just run across the border to my mommy, but is still not the US (which i recall being rather unbearable).

has anyone lived there before? if so, any tips you can give me on the following would be great! (i will also look it up elsewhere):

-where is there a town near the beach, with a good mix of expats and locals, with public transportation, good infrastructure (need internet connection to work), and that is generally safe for an american female? should also be near a large city with an international airport and cosmopolitan lifestyle if poss... (am i dreaming?!)

-is it expensive to stay long term there? how much is the average monthly rent for a 1-bedroom house? how much would i need overall per month for a comfortable lifestyle?

-what is the visa situation like for americans? would i need to do visa runs?

-is it possible to get backup work at bars or the like if i hit a rough patch? (i do speak pretty good spanish)

-anything else i should know?

thanks

I lived in Mexico last year,on both coasts,prior to moving to Jomtien last August-1st in LaPaz in southern Baja and then in Merida,in the Yucatan peninsula.The cost of housing is similar to Thailand due to the fact that the peso has dropped 40% in value since I left left year,from 10 pesos to the $ to 14.Of course you'll pay more in the big cities for everything except transportation.Food is probably a bit more expensive since Thailand has such inexpensive food.

You'll get 180 days on arrival,so that isn't an issue-no visa runs necessary .You can basically forget working there unless you have a skill that's needed-unemployment is high.

Females are safe nearly everywhere except the border towns where all the craziness is happening.Dental/medical care is similar in cost to Thailand,as are prescription costs.High speed internet connections are available in every medium/large city and less so in the smaller towns.But even the smallest town has an internet cafe!

Drop me a line and I'll include my phone # if you want specifics for locations-there are many choices.

John

Edited February 15, 2009 by LTGTR

[LTGTR]

hmm where would you do visa runs to from mexico?

and yes i did also consider buenos aires. i spent a month there last year and it is definitely a lovely live-able city... but not really so cheap, and i like the tropical feel (which it doesn't really have). i didn't realize it was easy to work underground there? would that be in bars and the like? still feeling out my options.

I too considered Buenos Aires but have decided to move to Santiago,Chile when my lease is finished in August.Not as cosmopolitan as BA,but still beautiful and close to the Pacific.Pay $131 ONE TIME for entry and that fee is good for the validity of your passport.Visa runs necessary every 90 days.Cost of living 20-25% lower than BA.