Spend Your Retirement in Mexico

Here is a list of just a few activities to demonstrate my point:

Those last few activities serve as a segue to the topic of, “Where are you going to spend your retirement?” and your retirement budget typically constrains that. That is a significant retirement consideration, “Where can I get the best quality of life within my financial means?”

There are quite a few popular choices that are all highly recommended, for example, Portugal, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Malaysia, Spain, and Mexico. Each of these countries has unique pros and cons. And even within each country, there are considerable differences between regions or even cities.

Covering all those countries and their regional differences would turn into a small book, not an article. So let’s go with the author’s favorite, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, and cover it in greater detail. 

What Is Being Said About San Miguel De Allende?

Travel + Leisure magazine said it well, “It’s no wonder that San Miguel de Allende has topped their list of the world’s best cities for four years in a row; with its colorful, flower-festooned architecture and cobblestoned streets, San Miguel has the feel of a village, but its large population of artists lends it a cosmopolitan air.”

New York Magazine – A Love Note to San Miguel.

https://nymag.com/urbanist/article/san-miguel-de-allende-mexico.html

https://nymag.com/urbanist/2019/10/san-miguel-de-allende-mexico-travel-guide-things-to-do-where-to-stay.html

Travel + Leisure – Voted that San Miguel de Allende is the best city in the world four years in a row as of 2019.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/san-miguel-de-allende

https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/san-miguel-de-allende-best-city-in-the-world

Condé Nast Traveler – Has listed San Miguel De Allende itself and also its restaurants and hotels numerous times.

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/san-miguel-de-allende-mexico

Time Magazine – A somewhat brief but further endorsement of San Miguel De Allende as the best destination in the world.

https://time.com/4852153/best-city-to-visit-san-miguel-mexico/

It is truly an extraordinary Spanish colonial city. Located in the colonial highlands, San Miguel De Allende boasts a year-round temperate climate. UNESCO has declared San Miguel to be a World Heritage Site in 2008. Travel + Leisure has voted San Miguel as the best city in the world. There are literally 100’s of Web articles, reviews, guides, tours, and blogs about San Miguel de Allende. Ses the resources listed at the end of this article for some of the more popular and useful sites.

The city is so unbelievably charming, beautiful, enchanting, and welcoming. There is a lot of art and culture, and yet, a strong US and Canadian expatriate presence. And while the cost of living has gone up over the last 10-20 years due to the popularity of the city, it is still profoundly less expensive than living in the US, which brings us back to our earlier point about living the highest quality lifestyle within our means. San Miguel has these criteria absolutely nailed (beauty, culture, quality of life, cost, safety, health care, and so on).  

Factors when considering Mexico

In general, the cost of living in Mexico is approximately 50% of what it costs to live in the US (this varies based on where in the US you are coming from and where in Mexico you are planning to live). Certainly, the affordability is amazing, but that may not be enough to overcome some people’s concerns about safety, food differences, cultural differences, language barriers, or the complexities and logistics of expatriate living. For some, these obstacles may be too much to overcome.

Let’s consider these one at a time:

• Affordability – Living in Mexico will be tremendously less expensive than the same lifestyle and conditions in the US. This will vary by location as well. You will have the added expenses for travel, and some other things like health insurance, even so, your yearly living budget will be much lower.
• Cultural Differences – Yes, there are definitely cultural differences. However, depending on your personality and degree of experience with travel, this may not only be a non-issue, and in fact, it may be a pleasure. The Mexican people are lovely, warm, generous, and sincere. Things might move a little slower and with less intensity than we are accustomed to in the US, but that can be a good thing or frustration depending on how you decide to experience it.
• Customs and Etiquette – There is a bit to learn here. It is worth getting to know so you won’t be one more clumsy American, and it really is not that hard. Mexican’s seem to be patient with how unaware we Americans are in this area: greetings, surnames, courtesies for the ladies like opening doors, grammatical genders, protocols, the pace of business, and so much more.  
• Safety – This is made out to be a bigger concern than it deserves. There are some basic practices for safety that make sense, and most of the violence is located in certain regions and is mostly within the gang and drug cartel community. This sort of thing is going on in the US as well; it is just more unsettling because we are not familiar with how it works in Mexico.
• Food differences – Indeed, the food will be different, but you will have to put aside images of meals laced with fiery serrano peppers. Food in Mexico varies regionally, but it can be mild, or spicy plant-based meat, or seafood; there is plenty of farm-to-fork food providers and fine restaurants. While it is true that you will not be eating the same foods you were in the US, however, you will be able to find ingredients and meals that will suit your tastes if not delight your palette. The restaurants in San Miguel De Allende are world-class yet very affordable.
• Language Barrier – More and more Mexicans are speaking English, particularly those that are younger or more educated. You will still need to learn at least a little Spanish to get around more easily and as a courtesy; after all, you are a guest in their country. Plus, the added benefit of learning a new language is one of the best exercises for your brain.
• Complexities – Yes, it is a little more complex relocating yourself and whatever portion of your family that makes sense. There are visas, understanding the laws and regulations, dealing with health insurance, challenges when bringing in a car or pet, and so on. But it really is not all that complicated once you get familiar with what needs to be done, and hopefully, this guide has been at least a little helpful.
• Logistics: There are various challenges. Some people go back to the states for various reasons, a favorite dentist, working with their accountant, dealing with rental properties and upkeep. Furthermore, certain visas will require that you leave Mexico and spend a certain amount of time out of the country before returning.
• Exchange Rates – This is something to be aware of. If there some sort of issues with the exchange rate making more it or less favorable to exchange US dollars, some people have bank accounts in the US and Mexico. When the exchange rate is favorable, they bring more US dollars into their Mexican bank account, and when it is not, they use the money from their Mexican bank account. As far as knowing how much an item costs, it is not too hard to do on the fly; divide in two and taka zero off (600 pesos, in half, is 300, take a zero off, is 30 USD).
• Senior Living – This is not a concern; in fact, just the opposite. The culture in Mexico honors and respects the elder and infirm. If you were thinking you would move back to the US as you started needing care, think again. You could not receive better, more loving, more dignified, and cost-effective care than you will in Mexico. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for one facility to care for you from the point of independent living all the way through hospice and end of life.
• Worth it – So, is it worth it? This can only be answered based on your needs, desires, concerns, and values. In general, life in Mexico is charmed and a huge value. Cities like Playa del Carmen, Mazatlán, Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Álamos, Morelia, Tulum) each has their unique qualities, have large numbers of American ex-pats, and offer varying options for lifestyles.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that if you are willing or even wanting to relocate yourself and perhaps some portion of your family to Mexico, for most, the benefits far outweigh the detractors. And this is even more true than ever with all the amazing attributes of San Miguel de Allende. So hopefully, this article has made a useful and compelling case for why you should spend your retirement in Mexico.

Just when you might think your life is gently winding down, you could be entering the most thrilling and satisfying chapter yet.

Resources:

Travel + Leisure – Voted San Miguel De Allende best city in the world four years in a row as of 2019. Here is their guide.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/san-miguel-de-allende-best-city-in-the-world

National Geographic – offers a complete guide, including things to do.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/mexico/san-miguel-de-allende/

Visit San Miguel (.com) – This is a fabulous resource for those that have or are thinking about relocating to San Miguel.

https://visitsanmiguel.com/

Their Facebook Group is especially helpful for ex-pats or ex-pat wannabes. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanmiguelfriends

Afar – Offers a great list of recommended restaurants in San Miguel.

https://www.afar.com/travel-tips/what-to-eat-in-san-miguel-de-allende

House of Harper – Provides some great recommendations on breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, accommodations, and experiences to be had in San Miguel.

https://www.houseofharper.com/city-guides/san-miguel-de-allende/

Visit San Miguel (.travel) – This is another site with a different URL that provides a broad spectrum of recommendations such as food, shopping, bars, nightlife, and much more.

https://www.visitsanmiguel.travel/

US News (Travel) – Offers their guide to San Miguel de Allende.

https://travel.usnews.com/Hotels/San_Miguel_de_Allende_Mexico/

Wikipedia – Provides some overall and historical information on San Miguel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_de_Allend