8 Years in, Life in Mexico Keeps Getting Better
From cheaper living to world-class wine, here’s why Mexico still surprises me.
I've been living in Mexico for eight years. Now, my rose-colored glasses have come off and guess what?
I'm more in love with Mexico now than when I arrived.
Culturally, creatively, and cuisine-wise I can't beat it.
Okay maybe Italy gives Mexico a run for its money on food because I do love Italian food, but the traditional foods of Mexico are mouth-watering. Plus, I can get a delicious traditional breakfast for under $2 here. I can't get that in Italy, so Mexico is still winning in my book.
Plus, over the time I've been here, Mexico just keeps getting better and better.
Take, for example, our first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum. She has been leading the country ahead in leaps and bounds.
Corruption is lower, wages are rising, and so are levels of inclusivity in terms of race, sexuality, income bracket, and cultural background. She offers a positive, stable outlook and attitude that is leading the country. And honestly, she's the first political reason I've found to love Mexico.
Of course, there are also all the usual reasons people love Mexico: warm weather, pristine white sand beaches, and great food. Who doesn't love a cold margarita while digging their toes in warm sand? I've never met anyone that doesn't.
But Mexico is more than that.
Did you know we now have Grand Gold Medal-winning wines? Mexican wines are beating those from top wine-producing countries like Italy, France, Spain, and Argentina in blind tastings.
Don't take my word for it, let me share this example.
Baja California's Guadalupe Valley is one of the top two wine regions in Mexico (there are 14 wine regions). Finca El Empecinado winery in the Guadalupe Valley produced a Grand Gold medal winner at the 2023 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB). Not only that, it was the 2023 Revelation White Wine, which basically means the top choice of the judges. The smooth canary-colored beauty won out of 7,054 wine entries, from 50 different nations.
Mexico's wine scene is starting to shine and it will only get better as our viticulture grows.
Another great reason to consider Mexico is the lower cost of living. When your dollar goes further, you can afford these world-class wines.
Or perhaps to enjoy a Friday night date night, trying a different restaurant each week. I have friends who did this and she confessed it's made their marriage stronger.
Street food and informal cafes offer some of Mexico's best bargains. A hearty comida corrida (lunchtime meal deal) costs $4 to $8 per person, while dinners at most nice restaurants are $20 or less.
Almost everything at the grocery store costs less in Mexico than it does in the US. Local products are often incredibly inexpensive, and anything that's made or grown here is likely to cost a fraction of what you would pay back home.
A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of Mexican avocados, for example, costs about $3.25, and a kilo of mangos costs $2.17—less than the average price of a single small mango in the US. A kilo of fresh tomatoes runs just over a dollar in Mexico, compared to more than three dollars per kilogram in the States.
With prices this low, your lifestyle can be a little more luxurious here.
Another development here, which might surprise you, is the easy access to modern conveniences just like those in the US.
For example, a very well-traveled friend of mine was surprised the other day when I remarked, “I'll go grab it at SAMS.” She had no idea that I would have access to a SAMS Club. That stereotype of Mexico being backward or lacking was blown out of the water.
I live on Cozumel Island in the Mexican Caribbean, and yes, we have a SAMS Club within a five-minute drive of my house. And if I need something I can't find on the island, which is rare, I pop over to Costco or Walmart in Playa del Carmen, which is just over half an hour on the modern ferry.
Speaking of modern conveniences, the healthcare available here in Mexico is also much better than you might imagine, not to mention more affordable.
Even on my island, I have access to top cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, dentists, optometrists, and many other types of medical specialists. All offering excellent care in modern facilities at a fraction of the cost of the US.
If you choose to pay privately for healthcare, plan to spend between $50 and $75 to see a specialist; follow-up appointments, if needed, are usually included in that amount. If your needs are simple, most pharmacies offer a consulatorio where you can see a doctor for less than $5.
Healthcare is so affordable that people come here from the US for their dentistry and health needs.
An acquaintance of mine is coming to Cozumel in a couple of weeks to get all of her dentistry work done. It will cost her a third of the price of getting it done back in the US, so she can afford a Caribbean holiday as well,and the total cost will still be less than the procedure alone back home.
For all of these reasons and more, now is a great time to move to Mexico. As I said, it's been eight years for me, and it just keeps getting better and better.
— Bel Woodhouse, IL’s Mexico Correspondent
Editor’s Note: If you’re dreaming of Mexico or just want to know more, here are a few pieces I think you’ll love…