• Expat Retirement
• Overseas Retirement Information

      by Byron Bales

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There are better, far better places. But everyone doesn't care for the seashore, and a lot of people don't care for the mountains. It depends also on how close one needs to be from an airport, or certain creature comforts.

What Americans consider to be Mexican food is totally unknown to most Mexicans. Chili, in Guadalajara, is a steak, French Fries, and a salad. No self-respecting Mexican would ever eat chili out of a can. Americans confuse Tex-Mex for Mexican food. So, if that's the kind of Mexican food you like, then South Texas is the place for you, not Mexico.

Beans and rice, a staple of Mexican cuisine, varies so greatly across that great land. So much so, that in eating certain dishes, if you didn't know you were in Mexico, you'd think you were in Guatamala.

So, Mexican food, while delicious, isn't a good reason to pack up and move to Mexico. Not unless you know what real Mexican food is. In Mexico City, you'll find few things on a menu that you'll understand, even if you speak Spanish.

The coastal areas - some great, some not - are just as varied. Costs also vary greatly by region. Greatly, that is, for the peso spending population, but for U.S. dollars, the variation can be as much as 15%. The same with health care: very good (never great) in some areas, abysmal in others.

To retire properly in Mexico, I believe, it's necessary to first know Mexico. Really know the country. Generally, Mexico is a good country for retiring couples, and not so good for the single male. To my way of thinking.

Medical care: Improving, a lot. In our business, we had the opportunity to canvass over 30 cities and towns throughout Mexico and found a variation of prices ranging as high as 30%. But 30% in pesos. For a Gringo, expect to receive a higher quote. Mexicans view Americans as wealthy, you see. But the really good thing about Mexican health care is that you can actually negotiate for medical and health services! Still, while medical conditions are improving rapidly, remember that the wealthy still fly up to the States!

Mexico is much like Texan; not much machismo lingering in the loins there, and most towns and cities are safe. There are kidnappings, lots of those, but they're not random, and Gringos aren't singled-out.

Generally speaking, If you have a US$ 1,000 per month pension, you'll live in Mexico as though you had three or four thousand dollars in the States. Mexico is a cheap date, all in all, and good value for the Yankee dollar. Just don't even think about doing business there, and don't stash your retirement money there. Use what you need and leave your bucks in U.S. accounts.

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