Moving to the Yucatan

Every day we see and hear from many people considering moving to the Yucatán. Yucatan Today and the Mérida English Library both receive numerous letters each month with inquiries about living in Mérida or on the Gulf coast. At both places, we get questions such as: "Should we live at the beach or in the city?"

Of course, the only person that can really make that kind of decision is the person or people that are going to come here to live.

People also want to know the cost of living, prices on gas, food, utilities, the availability of English speaking doctors and if the hospitals are OK. They want to know how insurance and immigration function, how to get a maid and how much they cost, and hundreds of other things.

We've seen and heard of cases where people have heard or checked out on the internet that Mérida is a safe, inexpensive place to live with a fairly large ex-pat community, so they up and sell everything in the US or Canada, and move here WITHOUT visiting first! Can you believe it? We can't! Others come and spend a winter season along the coast in one of the beach homes the Yucatecans rent and then make the decision to re-locate.

Mérida and the beach ex-pat communities are made up of a large group of retired Americans and Canadians, as well as business people, students and a large gay community.

If you are considering moving to Mérida or the surrounding area, may we suggest the following? Come on an exploratory trip, rent a furnished house on a month-to-month basis for six months to a year, and make sure to include the month of May in your visit. This way you will actually feel the heat! Many snowbirds come in the winter (January to April) and think this is the most wonderful place in the world with the greatest climate (compared to freezing cold back home up north.) Stick around through the summer so that you actually feel 90 degree temperatures and 100% humidity.

Many people love the idea of the slower pace of life, siestas and the "mañana" syndrome. If you find these factors charming, remember so when you are waiting for a plumber or an electrician or a delivery from a department store with your beds, fridge, living room furniture or whatever, and they don't show up at the hour, or even the day, they said they would. This also goes for Telmex, the phone company. Things just don't happen rapidly.

Mexico is different from the US and Canada, obviously. If you make the decision to come here, you have to keep this in mind. You have to adapt to the Mexican people and way of life, not them to you. An advantage of Mérida and the coastal area is the fact that English is widely spoken, there is an international airport, crime is not an issue, and many US consumer products are available. Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Costco, Sears, JC Penny and all the fast food restaurants almost make Mérida seem like a little USA.

You will find prices are not as cheap as they used to be. Do not move to Mexico if you hope to live on $400 US a month or if you expect services to always be up to US standards. You can no longer live here super cheaply or expect to change the Mexican culture. Do move to Mexico if you want to live cheaper than in the US and if you want to make new friends and experience new challenges.

We have seen that many people are happy living here full-time, year round. We've seen others who live here October to April and then head north for the hotter months of spring and summer.

If you are in the process of making this decision, go to the library and get all the info you can. Check things out on the Internet, and then come on an exploratory trip. The Mérida English Library has a large collection of books dealing with the topic of retiring in Mexico. And, take Spanish classes!! Good luck!

Note: For a closer look at what it's like to live in Mérida and the Yucatán visit yolisto.com