New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018

Hi,

I have same situation and same question with you,
I am Kenny, i also will move here for working in a Japanese company.

How is the standard of living in Mexico?

kenny

Hi,

I have same situation and same question with you,
I am Kenny, i also will move here for working in a Japanese company.

How is the standard of living in Mexico?

kenny

thuvm08 wrote:

Hi,

I have same situation and same question with you,
I am Kenny, i also will move here for working in a Japanese company.

How is the standard of living in Mexico?

kenny

Hi Kenny,

It would be helpful to ask standard of living related to what ? General information about the country is available in the expat magazine, and expat guide, as well as articles on line. So what else do you need to know ?

Looking to connect with expats in Isla Mujeres , Mexico.  Plan to retire there in 2020 with $3,000 verified mthly SSI income.

Could someone there shoot us a message?

Thanks

Doug and Sherri Underwood

My name is Doug Underwood.   My wife and I are retired and disabled and after doing a lot of research over a few years, we are anticipating retiring in Isla Mujeres in summer 2020.  We're planning a 42 yr anniversary trip there to get last minute plans set and begin house-hunting for a lease on a 2 bdrm rental with A/C in June 2019.

jcdisci wrote:

My name is Doug Underwood.   My wife and I are retired and disabled and after doing a lot of research over a few years, we are anticipating retiring in Isla Mujeres in summer 2020.  We're planning a 42 yr anniversary trip there to get last minute plans set and begin house-hunting for a lease on a 2 bdrm rental with A/C in June 2019.

Have you visited Isla ?, If you have not, you should definitely do so soon.   See if it would be a place you can live comfortably with disabilities.  It is not someplace you can just cross a bridge to enter. People living there are dependent on the ferry, and costs are impacted by dependence on the ferry. It also has very heavy tourist traffic, and the markets do not have all of the products you might be used to. Have a good look before committing money to a plan.

Hi, all - I'm Janet from Portland, Oregon U.S.A.  I retired in January this year, and my husband and I hope to move to Mexico by the end of the year.  I'm ready for a change.

In response to those learning Spanish:  I have made four regular language practice friends through italki.com and mylanguageexchange.com. I get to practice four hours a week with a native speaker who is learning English. Theses folks have become my friends and I have met three of them in person, even vacationed with one person a few times. It's a really good way to learn both language and culture. You do have to be flexible about poor internet connections and work schedules, but overall it's a fun way to learn.

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I own two homes in Centro.  We have yet to move their full time.  Just trying to connect up with some Merida lovers.

I am in the process of retiring.  Have lived in the US my entire life (IL, OH, WI, AZ, CA). 
Rather ashamed to be an American anymore.  Looking to move from the US due to the state of our politics.   
Guadalajara looks interesting.  Have read and seen a lot of the promotional info about Lake Chapala and Ajijic, but that may be too slow of a pace for me.  Not quite ready for that.   
Mexico City is too large for me. I've lived in Los Angeles.
Any tips shared by those familiar with this type of transition--- all are appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

I'm interested in the responses you get and wonder if you have looked at San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato. It is the other place besides Lake Chapala that appeals to me.

Nope, I've toyed with moving outside the US but never very seriously. However potus is too much for me. I can't take 2 or possibly 6 more years of this type of US government.   I will keep you posted.
I'll look into it more. Thank you for the tip.

My husband and I are leaving CA to spend a month in San Miguel de Allende. We're investigating moving there permanently.

We looked at Puerta Vallarta and a couple of other places like Salyurita (spelling?) but the beauty and the artsy-fartsy community of SMA appeals to us. We're both from Chicago originally. I also lived in New York for many years before living in California for 20 years. My husband is 65 and I'll be 70 in September. But don't be fooled; we're a very lively couple.

There's a big expat community there. And recently Travel & Leisure voted SMA the best place in the world to live. There's going to be lots of activity around that, so we'll need to make up our minds in July.

It's not recommended to try to get a long term lease past October. November starts their "season."

Couldn't agree with you more re the politics here being our main motivator. Hope the Mexicans don't hate us because of Trump. There should be a t-shirt that says, "Please don't hate me because I'm from America."

Pam and John

I may just have a tee shirt printed up with that!    i will be interested in learning more about that city.  I like artsy towns too.  Best of luck.

Hi Newsnerd!

I'll be taking my husband to SMDA in October for the same reason. I think the time to take any equity we have in real property is before the next financial debacle.
My thoughts are SMDA, Panama City, Panama or some place in Costa Rica.
Although I've been to CR  and Panama, I haven't looked  at them with an eye towards living there.

Panama seems to have everything I want, physically. I'm just not sure about the service attitude.
I'll give it another shot.

Tom

I agree.  I am not feeling very steady about investments here.  When the potus bounces all over with decisions and has no real understanding of our history, how government works..... it's difficult to have confidence in the system. 
The changes that impact people, animals, land, the earth--- they all are heartbreaking. I never thought I would be eager to leave the U.S. but that day has come.
Check out the hundreds of videos on you tube about other cities of interest.  There are many interviews with expats that touch on questions the average person would be asking.  Quite helpful, I think.

Go to you tube, in the search bar but the name of the city you want to know more about.   You likely will find dozens of helpful videos posted about that area.  Also probably some interviews with expats living there. 
There is many channels that post,  but one---  "expats in mexico" they post 10-20 min. interviews with a wide variety of people who have moved there, many from the U.S. or Canada.   Taking time to listen to those is a good way to shed life on daily living in that area.  Good luck!

Look at dozens of you tube videos of interviews with expats there.  Plug in city name, you will see first hand accounts of how life is.  Good luck.

Thank you so much for the kind note, I have been to Mexico many times and plan to go again .  I am hoping to study Spanish and am looking for recommendations for schools that take 50+ students, Thanks so much,
rose

Thanks, NEWS!
Great suggestions.
My main concern is security. I just want to feel like I'll be OK until the end, whenever that comes. I've been clinically dead twice in my lifetime, so it's not death that worries me. It's the living part that I want to enjoy.

Tom

Hello Everyone,  I am coming to San Miguel DE Allende for the month of July in hopes of attaining as much information as I can about the beautiful city and people of the area.  I visited  fall before last and fell in love with the town. In light of that interest, I'm returning.  My hope is that this time I will get to interact with more folks in the expat community to learn more about the transition and perhaps get more immersed in the Spanish culture and language.  I have been doing the warren hardy Spanish course online and I heard there was an additional Spanish school that required total immersion into the language.  I hope to find some community activities for socializing and meeting the people in the area.  I will be staying just north of the Jardin.  Looking forward to the adventure and potentially my long-term new home.

Hi, I'm Linda and my husband, David and I are hoping to retire to Mexico soon. We were looking at Puerto Vallarta because we've been there several times and really like it. My husband has just decided he'd like to look at San Miguel de Allende too before we make a final decision. We've lived in many US cities and also worked at an architectural firm in Kuwait for a couple of years after the 1st Gulf War. He was an interior designer and I do marketing. I'd be curious to know from people who've been to both PV and San Miguel to get your impressions about how different living is in both cities. Obviously, one is on the Bay and one is in the mountains. I'm more interested in lifestyle differences, cost of living, etc. Thanks for any thoughts and welcoming us to this forum!

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and am looking for shared information and experiences of those living or having lived in the Riviera Nayarit area near Puerto Vallarta (from Bucerias through La Penita).  Currently, I live in Spokane, WA and HATE the long, cold winters and the snow.  My husband and I are interested in possible early retirement on a budget and are exploring moving to Mexico.

We are hoping to not have to work full-time, but are willing to look at outside the box opportunities to do things we want to do vs have to do to supplement our budget until we qualify for social security.  My initial jobs all had to do with Spanish speaking individuals in the US learning English, so I would love to work with those with an interest to learn in Mexico.  In addition, I spent over 20 years planning large and small events, so the idea of having a B&B or helping plan community events would be wonderful.

As a teen I lived in Guadalajara while my Dad went to medical school. It was such a moving experience that as a young adult my husband and I purchased timeshare property in Mexico and spent the last 30 years visiting many areas of Mexico from East to West coast. While the east coast is gorgeous, we just can't imagine living in a hurricane zone.

The beauty and vibrancy of the Mexican culture and people is what appeals to us, not the modernization of these beautiful destinations. It would be nice to have both American, Canadian and Mexican neighbors, not a lot of "clubs" and tourist activities, but proximity to local restaurants and market places would be nice.

Feel free to share your thoughts. We will be in the Riviera Nayarit area in October and look forward to looking at the region from more than a visitors perspective and would love to meet some local expats for a more in-depth view.

Thanks!
Amanda

About me , well ok .
My name is Dominick , I am a retired crane operator . Then I turned my hobby of building Harleys into a nice income . Now retired from that . The wife and I along with a long time friend of mine are looking at moving down to Mexico , on my sailboat . Get into a little chartering for tourists . Looking to find a marina  that we can live onboard . For the last few years I've had to take care of my grandparents , they have passed . Now we are caring for my wife's mother . Once we can leave the states for good this is our plan ..
So if anyone here knows the names of marinas along the Gulf Coast , that can dock a 50' plus sailboat . Please send me some info .
Any advice about starting a charter company .
We are thinking around Veracruz.

Planning to spend half a year in Mexico, ideally studying the accordion and improving my Spanish. I have lived in South and Central America, visited Mexico many times, so I have intermediate language skills already. I am looking for safe, walkable city setting where a single woman can find a music instructor and some community. Retired, no real need to work, but still dabble in accounting/project management/treasury functions. I would prefer the hill country I think, as a contrast to the flatness of Florida where I usually live. Any suggestions on finding music instruction and a great walkable town?

Taka.rose wrote:

Planning to spend half a year in Mexico, ideally studying the accordion and improving my Spanish. I have lived in South and Central America, visited Mexico many times, so I have intermediate language skills already. I am looking for safe, walkable city setting where a single woman can find a music instructor and some community. Retired, no real need to work, but still dabble in accounting/project management/treasury functions. I would prefer the hill country I think, as a contrast to the flatness of Florida where I usually live. Any suggestions on finding music instruction and a great walkable town?

Music is important in Mexico, but the focus is not so much on formal classes. Hopefully, these sites might help you.

https://www.musicalchairs.info/mexico/conservatoires;http://sonesdemexico.com/school/

As for flat like Florida, there isn't much of that in Mexico. Mexico City might be where you should start looking.


Buena suerte

My name is Tom. I've lived in San Juan Cosala (Lake Chapala) for three years. I retired from San Diego before moving to Mexico. Born and raised in Alabama but moved to California my late 20s and then to Florida for ten years before moving back to California.

I travel a lot as I want to see the world while I am young enough to get around easily. I am out of Mexico for four or five months of the year. I'm always out of here in May and June when it is hot and dry.

I have been working on learning Spanish using Spanish with Paul. I found him on Youtube and like that he lives in Mexico. He goes slow and steady and builds wonderfully on the material you are learning. There is no writing but the focus is on hearing and speaking.

My favorite things about where I live now is the quality of fresh food, the large number of good friends that I've made here, and the loving, gentle and fun-loving nature of the Mexican people.

My frustrations about living in Mexico is the level of noise and inability to do anything about it and the poor quality of work unless you watch over and insist on it (sort of like - people will get away with anything they can - and expect you to pay them more).

"My frustrations about living in Mexico is the level of noise and inability to do anything about it and the poor quality of work unless you watch over and insist on it (sort of like - people will get away with anything they can - and expect you to pay them more)."

Hi Tom,

I have some suggestions for those problems. What I did for the noise is get a white noise machine from Amazon. It produces a number of soothing sounds to drown out the (in my case) barking dogs. It works well for me.

As for work that is unsatisfactory, remember many do not have formal training but learn on the job and the environment is often a problem ( rusting, termites etc.) What I do is ask the locals who to trust, that isn't foolproof, but it works for me most of the time.

buena suerte

Hi all,

I'm retiring and planning to move to Playa del Carmen, Mexico from the U.S. within 2 to 3 months. I'm really glad that web sites such as this one exist to try to get advise from expats and build some connections in Mexico.

I'm single and still young so I expect to start a new career abroad. Not sure what that is yet but I'm sure I'll find it, as I follow my passions and not the money. Anyways, this is truely a new adventure for me and I'm excited about it!

Next week I'm going to Playa to look at some condos and possibly begin the purchasing process if I find the right place. I'm also starting to look into health insurance, taxes, etc. If anybody has advice on these topics for me, I'd really appreciate it your sharing it!

Esteban

i'm single guy from nigeria please i need nigeria friends here in mexico thank you

Hi!  I'm Donna, married to Ron.  We're both retired, and getting more and more fed up with US politics every day.  Ron is from Rockford, IL.  I was born in Chicago, but have also lived in NE, GA, SC, CA, AK and Jamaica, where I did 2 years as a senior Peace Corps volunteer.  We're looking in to the Ajijic/Chapala area, and also Queretaro.  I can get by with careful (and slow) Spanish; cooking, reading and traveling are my passions.  Proud parents of 2 much loved cats.

Hi!  I'm Donna, married to Ron.  We're both retired, and getting more and more fed up with US politics every day.  Ron is from Rockford, IL.  I was born in Chicago, but have also lived in NE, GA, SC, CA, AK and Jamaica, where I did 2 years as a senior Peace Corps volunteer.  We're looking in to the Ajijic/Chapala area, and also Queretaro.  I can get by with careful (and slow) Spanish; cooking, reading and traveling are my passions.  Proud parents of 2 much loved cats.

I'm documenting our move to Tulum, Mexico at my site:  USAdios.com.  Free to use and read.  I hope some of my stories and experiences help your move.  All the best!

Thanks JIm, I'll be following your progress, what I've read so far is very interesting.
Rick

Craig777 wrote:

As for Guatemala:
If i end up going there one day it will be by plane and not by car.
Also I would be landing in Guatemala City and then get a ride to Antigua or to around the lake near Panajachel or both.
Both towns are supposed to be halfway decent and safe from what the expats say that are from there.
There are lots of expats living there.
But I never went there, so I don't know the vibe yet.

Craig

Craig,

I've never been to Mexico, but I actually gave myself a trip to Guatemala as a birthday present a couple of years ago. Took my son and his girlfriend and we absolutely loved it. One reason I went is because I have a friend who has traveled all over Central and South America and Guatemala is, by far, his favorite place.

The kids and I stayed at a place called Earthlodge Guatemala, which is owned and run by a husband and wife American expat couple who have two small children. The place is just up the mountain from Antigua. It's lovely and they are lovely. They sent a driver for us to the airport in Guatemala City. He also provided us with a ride to Lake Atitlan, where we caught a boat from Panajachel to Santiago, where we stayed at Posada de Santiago for a couple of days and also took another boat for a day trip and horseback riding in San Pedro.

Bottom line, I loved Guatemala. I wasn't there for along and would love to go again. I never felt unsafe, but I'm kind of oblivious. I think my son and his girlfriend were a little more aware of their surrounding in a cautious way, if you know what I mean.

I would certainly agree that flying in and out is the way to go. Driving doesn't seem feasible, although I know i is doable. I hope you make it there someday. It's beautiful.

Be well,

Maria

Hi, Donna.

When you say "senior" Peace Corps volunteer, what exactly does that mean? I ask because I'm a senior who is currently looking into volunteering. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the experience.

Thanks,

Maria

Hi there.

I'm researching Mexico for multiple reasons, the biggest being that I'm currently living in Las Vegas with elderly parents, one of whom requires personal care, which my mother and I are providing, but it's exhausting. We'd love to be able to have someone come in and help out on a daily basis, but it's impossible here in Las Vegas.

We're all fluent in Spanish. My mother and stepfather were born in Cuba. My mother's health would fare better in a more humid climate. I grew up and raised my son in Miami, so we're all very used to the humidity and not really diggin' the desert here in Las Vegas. We also miss the ocean and greenery and bougainvilleas and flowers! Miami is too expensive and WAY too crowded, so it's not an option.

I'm curious why the only communities available on this site are Cancun, Jalisco, Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende and Yucatan. I hadn't considered any of these. I was thinking about someplace in Sonora, perhaps Puerto Peñasco, partly because it's a reasonable distance to drive from Las Vegas.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Maria

Hi Maria,

I went when I was 52, and served for the full 2 years.  There were about 60 in our group, and a full third were "seniors".  I had always wanted to do this, as I had previously had to decline 2 different postings at the very last minute 30 years earlier, when fresh out of college.

It was a wonderful experience with wonderful people in my post in Jamaica.  But the best friends - and lifelong friends, at that - turned out to be other senior (but not Peace Corps) volunteers also at my site. 

3 things they say about Peace Corps, which I found to be true:  1)  It's the hardest job you'll ever love  2)  You'll do things you had never even thought about trying  and 3) Altho you do have an "assignment", you sort of end of designing your own job.

Go for it!

""I'm curious why the only communities available on this site are Cancun, Jalisco, Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende and Yucatan. I hadn't considered any of these. I was thinking about someplace in Sonora, perhaps Puerto Peñasco, partly because it's a reasonable distance to drive from Las Vegas."

Well, Maria,
those are certainly not the only expat occupied places in Mexico, it's just that they are the most popular, so they tend to dominate. The forum is open to talking about anywhere in Mexico. So ask and we will see what we can do.