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Mexico may be easy option for EU expat life
| Published: | 5 May at 6 PM |
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Already popular with expats from the USA and Canada, Mexico could also be a great option for retirees from European countries.
Familiar Western comforts, reliable services and, most importantly, English-speaking locals have all made Mexico the destination of choice for a million Americans and half a million Canadians. For those wanting a predictable lifestyle, it’s seen as a half-way house between the first world and distant exotic destinations with almost as many negatives as positives.
The country’s culture is Americanised due to its proximity to the USA, and its infrastructure is update enough to satisfy all but the most demanding expat. The climate, of course, is a main attraction, property is affordable, residency is easily obtained and the cost of living is reassuringly low.
Getting around by car is via wide, well-paved highways, with Mexican drivers polite and knowledgeable on handling their vehicles, unlike their counterparts in many European and Asian retirement hubs. For the congenitally nervous, the Mexican Government’s Angeles Verdes trucks patrolling the roads provide the answer to unscheduled breakdowns and accidents.
Expat shopaholics will appreciate the glut of familiar high street names such as 7/11, Starbucks and other fast food joints, and arrivals from Europe will learn to love the American favourites of Sears, Costco and Walmart. The English language is spoken by the vast majority of city-dwelling Mexicans, and a smattering of Spanish will get you by in the countryside.
Mexico’s worldwide reputation as a hive of Kalashnikov-touting drug dealers may be partly true, but potential expats should realise this decidedly undesirable side of life is largely contained in specific regions of this massive country. Let’s face it, no country in the world is entirely crime–free.
The Caribbean coastline is all you’ve dreamed of, even taking into account the rampant tourist developments, and the Pacific coastline offers high-quality lifestyles to incomers from colder climes. If you’re willing to forego a beachside location, the central, mountainous heart of Mexico is blessed with beautiful mountain towns and cooler, less humid weather. Whatever you’re searching for, Mexico probably has it.
Familiar Western comforts, reliable services and, most importantly, English-speaking locals have all made Mexico the destination of choice for a million Americans and half a million Canadians. For those wanting a predictable lifestyle, it’s seen as a half-way house between the first world and distant exotic destinations with almost as many negatives as positives.
The country’s culture is Americanised due to its proximity to the USA, and its infrastructure is update enough to satisfy all but the most demanding expat. The climate, of course, is a main attraction, property is affordable, residency is easily obtained and the cost of living is reassuringly low.
Getting around by car is via wide, well-paved highways, with Mexican drivers polite and knowledgeable on handling their vehicles, unlike their counterparts in many European and Asian retirement hubs. For the congenitally nervous, the Mexican Government’s Angeles Verdes trucks patrolling the roads provide the answer to unscheduled breakdowns and accidents.
Expat shopaholics will appreciate the glut of familiar high street names such as 7/11, Starbucks and other fast food joints, and arrivals from Europe will learn to love the American favourites of Sears, Costco and Walmart. The English language is spoken by the vast majority of city-dwelling Mexicans, and a smattering of Spanish will get you by in the countryside.
Mexico’s worldwide reputation as a hive of Kalashnikov-touting drug dealers may be partly true, but potential expats should realise this decidedly undesirable side of life is largely contained in specific regions of this massive country. Let’s face it, no country in the world is entirely crime–free.
The Caribbean coastline is all you’ve dreamed of, even taking into account the rampant tourist developments, and the Pacific coastline offers high-quality lifestyles to incomers from colder climes. If you’re willing to forego a beachside location, the central, mountainous heart of Mexico is blessed with beautiful mountain towns and cooler, less humid weather. Whatever you’re searching for, Mexico probably has it.
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