Pros and Cons of Living in Mexico

"The culture of the island is nothing to appreciate except for the hotel owner who left to work in the states. Where I live now, people say good morning or good afternoon when they ride the cambis (little buses) The children are so obviously loved and I haven't heard a swear word since moving here. This is Purepecha country, the indigenous people who farm and make crafts to sell. I appreciate being among people who have a similar take on life--don't worry, don't hurry, don't take yourself too seriously, trust in God," remarked one in Purepecha.

"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," explained one expat.

"I think language is the main challenge. Originally, we were going to move to Playa del Carmen where many of the Mexicans speak English as it is a tourist town. We changed plans and moved to Merida and have found that the majority of Mexicans do not speak English, so it is definitely a challenge daily!," remarked one expat in Merida.

"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," explained one expat living in Queretaro.

"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," said one expat in San Miguel de Allende.

"I hate the slowness of the bureaucracy. I don't like the bank fees and exhorbitant fees associated with Mexican banks and US foreign banks in Mexico. I don't like the need to negotiate with others not used to fixed prices because it means I got to figure out what the reasonable price for an item is and then negotiate down. I never liked shopping much so it is not fun to do that for me. But I love buying artistic things that bring me joy to look at it at home. I don't like men ignoring me and asking my husband the question or giving my husband the answer. It is impolite," said a person living in Merida.

"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," explained one expat living in Comitan, CHIAPAS.