Why Expats Feel at Home in Mexico

Welcome Home to Mexico

Mexico is a top destination for expats for many reasons from lower cost of living, the warm climate, quality of life or easy access to a laid-back, luxury beach lifestyle. And Mexico is not only an expat retirement destination. Over the past two years, we’ve seen people moving south because they’ve reevaluated their priorities. We’ve welcomed people who have told us they needed to make a change. They had a look at their values and decided they wanted more freedom.

They want the freedom to spend their time in a different way. They want to spend more time doing things that matter to them, with family and friends, pursuing artistic interests, learning a new language, meeting people, expanding horizons. The decision to move abroad is an all-encompassing one based on more cultural factors than economic factors. People choose to live abroad to experience a new culture, learn a language, try new foods, live a lifestyle that they haven’t yet had the opportunity to try like living in the mountains or at the beach, embracing centuries-old holidays, events and traditions.

The decision to move abroad is the decision to actively create your life in a different place. And it’s an exciting decision. There is a lot of joy in actively experiencing a new culture: new foods, new music, traditions, friendships, and extraordinary experiences that become your new everyday life.

Read our article: How to Advice if You’re Thinking of Making the Move Abroad

Why People Choose to Move to Mexico

Mexico is at the top of the list of expat destinations for so many reasons. Yes, dollars go further, and the cost of living is more advantageous. But it’s so much more than just the financials. It’s close to the U.S.  and Canada. You can drive or take direct flights. The weather is fantastic. The health care system is solid. Internet and cellular services have greatly improved over the years to a modern infrastructure today with the latest technology like fiber optic internet. Mexico’s visa requirements for settling in the country are clear and easy to accomplish.

Check out our articles here about getting a visa:

How to Get a Work Visa for Mexico

How to Get Your Visa for Working Remotely in Mexico or a Temporary Resident Permit

How to Get Your Permanent Resident Visa

To top it all off, what expats find when they’ve settled in Mexico is that they feel welcome and at home.

Mexico is where expats find it the easiest to settle in

Mexico consistently tops the rankings of destinations where expats report it is easy to settle in and to make friends.  InterNations conducts an annual survey evaluating over 37 different criteria crucial to expats related to life abroad. InterNations provides information to expats living or working abroad and to those thinking of making the move. The survey collects data from 12,000 expat respondents from 186 countries around the world.

One of the survey criteria focuses on Ease of Settling In. Respondents are asked about how easy it was to settle in, if they feel at home in their new destination, if it’s friendly, if it’s easy to make friends, and if they find the local language a barrier to assimilating.

Mexico is rated one of the best places for making friends

If you’ve been to Mexico and had the good fortune to get to know the Mexican people, you already know about their genuine warmth. As reported by Forbes, 92% of expats responding to the InterNations survey confirmed they feel Mexicans are typically friendly towards foreign residents. 89% said they were happy with the general friendliness of the population. And when you look at the ratings in this category of the other countries, Mexico clearly stands out 20 percentage points higher than the global average.

Regarding the language, 73% of expats said that they felt learning Spanish was easy compared to 39% globally.

Mexico is ranked #1 where expats feel most at home

Dan Buettner, New York Times best-selling author of The Blue Zones of Happiness, explains that lasting joy is found at the intersection of three different strands of happiness: pleasure, purpose and pride. And that people who succeed in weaving these conditions together live in countries that encourage these three principles.

Mexico is well-known for its warm, friendly society, where stress is mitigated, and joy is maximized. How is joy maximized here? By taking the time to enjoy everyday life, simple pleasures like spending quality time with family and friends, smiling and laughing. This is the pleasure component of Buettner’s work.

Secondly, Buettner explains that “happiness” in the Greek sense of the term was defined by Aristotle who believed that true happiness could only come from a life of meaning, of doing things that are worth doing.

Communities in Mexico are tightly knit. Expats who take an interest in the community, participate and use even just a few Spanish words, are usually openly accepted. It’s not difficult to live a life of purpose in Mexico. Communities usually have many ways to volunteer. Opportunities to be active in the community have a way of popping up.

The places we live are essential to feeling happiness

The places we live influence our behavior and therefore in creating our long-term well-being, Buettner’s third condition. The Gallup World Poll measures happiness annually in 140 countries.  Daily happiness is scored in Mexico at more than 75 on a scale from 0-100. People report feeling happy on a daily basis, more than in the States. And compared to Canada, Mexicans report feeling better physically than Canadians.

Mexican people approach life at a slower speed. They tend to take the time to socialize every day and enjoy the simple things in life. They have good quality food and market-fresh ingredients. They have lots of sunshine year-round. They plan and organize cultural events and holidays. They benefit from a tightly woven community and family network.

As you look at what you would like your future to look like and how you would like to feel every day, continue researching Mexico as an expat destination. If you already know you would like to create a sunny, beach lifestyle, check out our destinations: Huatulco, Puerto Escondido and Yucatan. These ideal living destinations provide a unique quality of life, a laid-back lifestyle where luxury living is still a real possibility. Our blog has many “How To” articles on how to get started in Mexico.

If you’re ready to explore your home-buying options, get in touch. We’re here to help you make your dream of owning a beach home a reality.