You are getting excited. Your vision of an expat adventure is taking shape, and now you need to find where to live in Mexico. We can help you answer that question and find a safe place in Mexico to live the lifestyle you want.
We are real expats that have been living in Mexico for 13 years. The information you read here is credible and true and continually updated. We show you cost of living data so you can find affordable places to retire in Mexico on a budget and upgrade your lifestyle and quality of life in the process. We answer the question; is Mexico safe in 2020? and rank the safest cities in Mexico to live. With our guidance and your vision, together, we will find your perfect and inexpensive place in Mexico. Your Mexico dream can and will come true!
Three ways you can find your best city in Mexico to live
So, Where do most expats live in Mexico? Well, use our interactive map to explore some special & safe places in paradise other expats are already enjoying. Click on the orange buttons on our interactive map for information on “living” in that place.
All of our “best places” are the safest cities in Mexico. We keep lifestyle ratings for each place.
Search through one of our many regions of Mexico, from the adventurous Baja to the majestic Riviera Maya and explore the most gorgeous beaches and delicious food in the world! We love our life in Tulum.
As you explore the many beautiful places in Mexico, we really encourage you to download our guide. You’ll it read again and again.
Find safe places to retire in Mexico using our Interactive Map
Click on the orange buttons on our interactive map below for information on "living" in that place. The blue buttons are simply for reference - to give you an idea of where our best places in Mexico are relative to larger known Mexican cities. So, now that you have the tools, sit back and start shopping for your new "place" in Mexico to call home. Below the map you can gain access to our Places To Live guide. Which consolidates the information for you to read at your leisure.
All of our "best places in Mexico" are at or near the top of the lists for safety in Mexico (as designated by the U.S. Department of State) and most have established ex-pat communities with whom you can connect for help and advice on how to get through the details and provide cultural insights.
Is Mexico safe for expats?
The short answer is, YES. We maintain detailed information by city on safety, showing you all the safest places for expats to live in Mexico with overall current safety review and stats.
So, What is the safest city in Mexico?
Statistically speaking, Merida is the safest city in Mexico (safest in Latin America) and the state of Yucatan is also the overall safest state to live in Mexico. As far as the other cities highlighted on our list, we find they all are safe, especially when employing some basic common sense. Personally we have never feared for our lives in Tulum over 12+ years of living there-despite the rising violence between cartels. Yes, there are property crimes and burglaries, petty theft and crimes of opportunity all over Mexico and in the U.S. and Canada too!
In our "At a Glance" charts on each city page you visit, you will find ratings for Lifestyle and Safety, to see how dangerous Mexico is. For the Lifestyle codes, a "-" will mean the low end of the range and a "+" will be the high end. See our updated information on 2020 safety in Mexico. Safety is also a dynamic matter, so please always check the U.S. Department of State website for the latest travel warnings and advisories. If you have a specific question about safety in an area, please reach out. We will do our best to provide you local feedback from actual expats living in those areas.
These place and city pages for Mexico living will give you some general information on what to expect. Each place article starts with a "Lifestyle" rating from our "Lifestyle Rating" chart which will give you an idea of what kind of net income it requires to live comfortably in the area. This will help you find the best places to live in Mexico on a budget.
If you haven't rated your lifestyle yet, you can do so by using our Lifestyle chart and the related forms found on the Lifestyle menu. You will read about attractions, shopping, international air travel, hospitals and medical care and the cultural distinctions that are unique to that safe city in Mexico. We also share the best places to visit, such as the mystic Riviera Maya or hot spot Tulum. We keep you up to speed on the best transportation services, and we have our directory list of resources for every city below-right column.
Explore the different regions of Mexico
Margo Goes To Merida!
Merida, Mexico by Margo Guenther I will never forget my first trip to Merida, Mexico in October of 2007, one of the most majestic and best places in Mexico to live or visit. I had been living in Tulum, Mexico for about a year and figured it was time to get serious about learning Spanish. […]
Baja Norte & Sonora
Northwest Mexico, including “Baja California Norte” and the Mexican state of Sonora are bordered by the U.S. states of California, Arizona and New Mexico. The Mexican state of Chihuahua is to the east, and Sinaloa is to the south. Although these are “border” areas, they are safe places in Mexico, inviting, and full of exciting […]
Mexico’s South Pacific Coast
Mexico’s Southern Pacific Coast includes miles of sandy beach, rocky cliffs, and mountainous tropical forests that provide surfing, sailing, fishing, scuba diving, kite boarding, hiking, birding and more which make it one of the best places for expats to retire in Mexico! Nearly year round temperate climates of 75 – 82F degrees keep Canadians and […]
Pacific Coast
Here’s where you’ll find the some of the best places in Mexico for surfing beaches in the world. And, the well-known, glamour beaches, like Acapulco, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and, of course, the surfer haven of Sayulita. The Pacific coast of Mexico is rugged terrain falling into beautiful, and sometimes dangerous, beaches. If the […]
The Mayan Riviera
The Riviera Maya area of the Yucatan Peninsula stretches from Cancun through Playa del Carmen southward to Tulum, and includes the island of Cozumel, located 20 kilometers from Playa del Carmen into the Caribbean. Many people, both visitors and residents, believe this is the best place to live in Mexico for gorgeous, sandy beaches. The Mexican […]
Central Mexico
In the central region are two of the most popular places for expats to live in Mexico: the Lake Chapala area and San Miguel de Allende. Both places have large gringo populations – large enough to affect the local economy. San Miguel de Allende has been around a long time, but after its colonial architecture was discovered in the 1930s, […]
The Yucatan State of Mexico
Unique among the mix of peoples who have become Mexico, are the Yucatecans. Once an independent country, by mutual agreement, Yucatan became part of Mexico in 1821, went independent again in 1823, and finally rejoined Mexico for good in 1825. However, the defining observation about this blend of Mayan, Spanish, Caribbean, French and Middle Eastern (yes, Middle Eastern!) cultures […]
