Key Reasons Why People are Relocating to Mexico

As more baby-boomers retire, and the underlying reasons people choose Mexico for living full-time or part-time continue to influence decision-making, the long-term trend is for even more foreigners to come to Mexico.

We regularly talk with people who have made their home in Mexico and, while all gardens can never be rosy all the time, here are the key reasons why those who have come here and settled, say they are staying for the long-term:

“We’re enjoying a better quality of life.” It’s no secret that the cost of living is rising across most of the world’s advanced economies that is, shelter and food are costing more, and incomes are falling when compared to real inflation. Retired folks on fixed incomes are particularly affected by this process. People are moving to places like Mexico where their fixed incomes stretch further because they are not paying as much for the basic necessities and their incomes are not being hit by rising taxation that they cannot avoid, for example, rising property taxes.

“We’re eating better food and paying less for it.” There is an abundance of fresh, wholesome, food available in Mexico at affordable prices. Fresh foods are available in industrialized countries but at a premium to highly processed / non-fresh foods. In Mexico, you don’t have to spend the whole pay-check eating wholesomely.

“Our homestead costs are much lower in Mexico.” The fees and taxes home-owners have to pay in places like the US, Canada, and Western Europe have climbed steadily over the last decade to the point where these are now a significant line-item on personal budgets. Rises in house and community taxes have out-stripped inflation, and maintenance costs are steep: in summary, home ownership is becoming an expensive pastime and putting a lot of pressure on people with fixed incomes. In Mexico, home owners enjoy low property taxes as well as lower maintenance costs due to lower material prices and labor fees for house maintenance services.

“We enjoy a fantastic climate.” In terms of climate, Mexico is a land of three lands. If you enjoy a year-round temperate climate, the central highland areas are ideal; if you need to be where it’s warmer/hot beside the ocean, there’s plenty of choice and unlike the US, seaside property is still affordable here. If you prefer cooler temperatures year-round, Mexico’s highland mountain towns could suit you. Whether they come for the winter, or stay all year, foreign residents are able to find a climate to suit their clothes in Mexico.

“We can afford healthcare in Mexico.” Routine medical care, specialist services, and medications cost less in Mexico, and you don’t have to compromise on the quality of healthcare you receive. Long-term healthcare in residential homes is emerging as the next boom-industry here, and it’s not surprising as monthly cost for residential care in Mexico costs between US$500-US$1,500 in comparison to the US, where the monthly costs run between US$5,000 and US$6,500. As the limitations of the US medical care system reveal themselves, people are looking abroad for the treatments and care they need and Mexico’s geographical closeness is as attractive as the affordability. See our healthcare section for more details and the latest articles.

“We feel safe in Mexico.” In a related article, we wrote: “If what you’re seeing about Mexico on your TV screen scares and keeps you away now, your perceptions have been hijacked before you allowed yourself an opportunity to better understand these lands, and see what others here see: a country in transition, a country which is, by and large, less violent than those places where stones are so readily thrown from glass houses.” Despite the near-constant anti-Mexico news flow, foreign residents living here report that they feel safe and settled in Mexico. The drug cartels are not targeting foreign residents or tourists. People who are not involved in the drug trade have a very small chance of being affected by it.

Source: mexperience