Live Better South of the Border Book Overview
Introduction To Living In Mexico
Pluses and Minuses of Living in Mexico
In the book, Live Better South of the Border - Mexico, I write about the pluses and minuses, positives and negatives of living in Mexico. I try to honestly tell you the good and bad points about living in Mexico. Frankly, Mexico is not the cheapest country in the world to live. Yes, it costs less to live in Mexico with a better standard of living than many parts of the USA or Canada, but if money is your only motivator, there are other countries that cost less. You can live for less in Arkansas or S. Texas (I still believe this although I was taken to the woodshed by someone who disagreed) than in Mexico's gringo areas. Mexico is not paradise. Mexico is a perfect place to live for many people, but it is not perfect. While there are many reasons to live in Mexico, there are also many reasons why living in Mexico may not be for you. Negativity isn't the point. Reality is.
Safety of living in Mexico is most people's first concern. Ask any gringo living in Mexico if he / she feels safe living in Mexico. The answer will be yes. There are sensational news stories about Mexicans getting killed in gunfights or beheadings. Most of these are people involved in drugs or something illegal. Yes, an occasional bystander is affected (or in a celebrated case of a US Consular employee in Cd. Juarez, a case of mistaken identity), but mostly not. How many news stories have there been about gringos, tourists or foreign residents who were not using or involved with drugs, being involved? None. And if you don't want to believe that's fine, just don't consider moving to Mexico because you already have the wrong attitude.
Living in Mexico is a good decision for many people. The U.S. embassy in Mexico City estimates that there are more than 600,000 Americans living in Mexico. An estimated 300,000 Canadians live in Mexico, at least part-time.
The Mexican economy is tied to the US economy. In 2009, the USA economy tanked. In 2010 it may be recovering, depending on whether the person you are talking to has a job or not. Mexico did not crater like the USA, (probably because there are few mortgages and less credit card debt) but their economy is challenged too. Inflation is up. Prices are up - BUT the Mexican peso declined by 30% to 40%. That is good for you if your income is in dollars. You can live comfortably renting in Mexico now for less than you could have in 2006! I think it is fair to say you can live comfortably in well-known gringo destinations in Mexico for about $25,000 to $30,000, single, or $30,000 to $40,000, for a couple, a year in most places.
It is still possible to live on $12,000 to $15,000, single, or $16,000 to $22,000, couple, or less in some non-gringo locations, if you are really frugal. That’s about what I live on in the States. Housing in gringo areas is comparable to many parts of the United States. Rentals are more reasonable than buying. There is (generally) no discernible relationship between the value of houses for sale and the amount of rent charged.
Live Better South of the Border is a little old, with the last printing in 2005. But people who have bought it in 2010 tell me it is still relevant. The costs of stuff changes, but the priceless advice about how to choose a place to live in Mexico, or to decide if you should even move to Mexico, is what I help you with.
Don’t Move To Mexico If …
If you are moving to Mexico only because you think living in Mexico is cheaper than living the United States or Canada, you are moving for the wrong reason. My advice: Don’t live in Mexico. If you are moving to Mexico only because of the weather, you're moving for the wrong reason. If you are the sort of person who has to have things your own way, the way everything “should” work out according to you, you will be very unhappy living in Mexico. Many go-getters live in Mexico and have adjusted very well. They were ready to leave their old ways of doing things behind and have embraced new ones, where there is always an element of surprise to planned events.
If you have only been to the beach resorts or to the interior tourist destinations, you do not have an accurate picture of Mexico. If you have only vacationed there, you do not have an accurate picture of living there.
Do Move To Mexico If ...
If the lower cost and the wonderful climate are factors, but your main reason for choosing Mexico is that you love the people, are flexible, and want some adventure in your life, you are moving for the right reasons and will probably be happy there.
Much Has Changed About Living In Mexico
While much has changed about living in Mexico in the years since I first wrote Live Better South of the Border, and much has improved, Mexico is still Mexico. That means that Mexico is unique. Mexico has a culture that changes slowly, no matter how technocratic the government is. Overall, it is easier to live in Mexico today than it was ten years ago, and much easier than it was twenty years ago. By easier, I mean that Mexican banking is now more similar to American banking and less like a labyrinth; you no longer need to be a devotee of Kafka to cash a check. Internet service has also improved. You can now get DSL (common) or cable Internet service (not as common) in your home. Alas, banks seem to be moving into a reverse time-loop and are getting more like they used to be (inexplicably labyrinthine) than they were before the economy went South (so to speak).
Goods you are used to are available from Sam’s, Walmart, Costco, Home Mart (owned by Home Depot), and other international chains. Costs of imported goods have gone down. For instance, I purchased stockings for a girlfriend (“not for me,” he said hastily) that were a name brand sold in the United States for less in Acapulco than at home. Getting back through customs with twenty pairs of lace stockings took some explaining, but I figure a bargain is worth stocking up on. Electronics still cost more (about 20%) and (except in the largest cities) are generally not the latest technology.
You can now get a new phone line without waiting for Hades to freeze over. You can, thanks to a variety of calling plans, call back to the States, Canada, and Europe without taking out a second mortgage on your house. (See my page on ). You can now operate an Internet business in Mexico, but being a day-trader might be taking a chance.
Overall, it's just easier to live in Mexico today than it was to live in Mexico even five years ago.
Buy Live Better South of the Border.