Pros and Cons of Living in Mexico

"The language is fun to learn, the food is great, a lot of people I've met are really special and I've made some friends, although it hasn't been easy. They are a close-knit culture with their families and don't accept gringas very willingly, but I'm okay. There are astoundingly beautiful places that I could never see the like in the States," explained one expat living in Guadalajara.

"Simpler lifestyle, fresher food, lower priced food, lower price utilities and rent, ocean breezes. Fisherman live on my streets, seeing them repair their nets, getting boats ready. Love fresh shrimp and fish. So many to list here," said one expat in Puerto Penasco.

"Here, I have found people to be genuinely interested in your well being. People are more caring and the pace is more congenial and slower paced. You can enjoy life and slow down! My blood pressure has improved. I've lost weight. I get out more and I'm learning to negotiate a new way of doing things. I eat much better here and it's cheaper here. My apartment is fully furnished and I have a separate office space and patio in a 2 bedroom apartment that would cost 10 times what I pay for it if I lived in the states, that's for sure! Even the doctors are more gracious as they tend to be more concerned about your health than your bill! I enjoy the slow paced luxury of the family time from 2 to 4 on each day. I enjoy the fact that no one bothers you once they serve your meal at a restaurant. You're encouraged to linger and actually enjoy your meal and stay as long as you like. I also enjoy hearing "Thank You, Teacher" from my students. As U said before, the culture drew me here and it is what keeps me here. I have no intentions of moving back to the states," said a person living in Comitan, CHIAPAS.

"Most people that we have met have been very friendly. Some going out of their way to help us, Merida is a very historical city and very rich in Mayan and Mexican culture. We have not had any time yet to check out all the history and culture, but are really looking forward to finding all about it," explained one expat living in Merida.

"I appreciate the "family unit" the most. It mirrors the way things must have been with early migration to the U.S. during and after WWII. I love the ingenuity of the Mexican people. I enjoy seeing their appreciation when you show enthusiam for a job well done. I love that the women cook everything from scratch....little if any pre-cooked foods. Most of all, I truly enjoy the simplicity of life. I find I have a smile on my face most of the time. No Drama (except for the novelas)! Life is good," said one in Tequisquiapan.

"Ha! this is easy. The most challenging aspects are adapting to the mentality (you have to literally dumb down to fit into society, for the most part). I have to be more flexible about time too," said a person living in Queretaro.

"Pounds to kilos. :-) Power-outages for no reason. Bugs (especially black widow spiders and scorpions hitching a ride on the plant trucks). exchange rates and devaluations. (Luckily we had a USD account when they devalued the peso by 50%," explained one expat living in Guadalajara.

"For me, the most challenging part is the language barrier. Learning Spanish is not easy. Abd though it will take about 5 years to be fully fluent I've embraced the challenge," said one in Comitan, CHIAPAS.

"The constant sound of explosives going off IS awful. Not just fireworks but M-80s at 5 am on a Sunday. There is a competition between the Colonia's and their Churches when it comes to fireworks, firecrackers, and mostly M-80's which are NOT firecrackers but sound more like a bomb detonating. This is not just a Mexico thing. San Miguel is way worse than Oaxaca City, Mexico City, Merida, etc. for blowing stuff up. For every Catholic or Cultural holiday be prepared for massive noise and there are TONS of these holidays every month. It's horrible," explained one expat who made the move to San Miguel de Allende.