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Americans and Canadians in droves are discovering that living in Mexico has a lot of appeal. Some are snowbirds, here for about half the year, but many people have become “expats,” or people who live outside their own country. While visiting grandchildren and doing some shopping may take these expats north frequently, they consider Mexico as their place of residence.

It’s not always evident why such large numbers of us have migrated south to Mexico. After all, most of us struggle with speaking Spanish, we love to complain to our expat friends about all sorts of things in our daily lives, and the cultural differences between our own way of life and the Mexican culture are significant.

There seem to be two main reasons: climate and money. Naturally, in a country as varied as Mexico topographically, there are many different climates. The many expats who live in the area around Lake Chapala brag about its famous climate. The rain falls in the rainy season (from June to October, roughly) and winter days are warm and sunny. Yet at five thousand feet elevation, the heat is rarely oppressive. Coastal cities will be hotter and more humid, but then they have those sweet ocean breezes! The clincher is that no matter where in Mexico you live, you can leave your snow shovel in the US or Canada.

While monthly overhead is typically lower in Mexico, “your mileage may vary” as the saying goes, depending on your tastes and lifestyle. Local food is quite cheap, but imported goodies are not. Doctor’s visits and hospital stays are characteristically more reasonable in Mexico than in the US, but at this time Medicare can not be used here. Household help is much more reasonable, but rentals and house prices are not necessarily.

A third aspect of why so many North Americans like living in Mexico is that the Mexican people are generally very pleasant and well-mannered. They have ready smiles, and are willing to figure out our fractured Spanish with patience. A difference in our cultures that you should know, however, is that Mexicans would rather give you inaccurate street directions than say they don’t know where a particular place is!

While Mexicans in the areas where expats congregate do have a higher standard of living due to all the work provided by the foreigners, that is not the reason for their friendliness to us. Just watch how they interact with each other, and you will see the same kindness and warmth.

Living in Mexico is really quite different from life back home, and the best way to find out if it would suit you is to give it a try. Come for a few weeks, or if your schedule allows, come for a few months. Don’t buy a house right away, just absorb the culture and see what you think!

Tags: Travel Tips

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