We hear all kinds of crazy news about safety in Mexico in the media. If we were to believe everything that is said, it would be understandable to think it is an extremely dangerous country. But if that’s true, how come more than 300,000 people from all over the world are currently spending their retirement years there?. And bot just that. The number keeps increasing every year.
Let’s skip things for a bit and answer the central question. What is the safest place to retire in Mexico?
The safest place to retire in Mexico is the municipality of San Pedro Garza García, in the city of Monterrey. It has the highest perception of safety in the country with an 85% positive rating. This municipality is also considered the most expensive place in Mexico to live.
Ok, that´s great if your budget allows for it. But what about the rest of Mexico?
Well, take it from someone who has been living here for over a decade.
Is it safe to retire in Mexico?
The answer is yes in my opinion. Mexico is safe to retire on. This is a very big country. And while it is true it has challenges when it comes to security, those issues are concentrated in certain hot spots, and “civilians” are isolated from it.
There are plenty of towns and cities where people just go on about their lives without having to worry too much about their safety except for the occasional pickpocketer or con artist. The same kind of crimes that you have to be careful about in any other place in the world.
In fact, some cities in Mexico have much lower crime rates than comparable cities in the US or Europe. For example, the graph below compares the safety numbers for the beach city of Puerto Vallarta with those of Miami. They are similar in size, conditions, and population so it is a fair comparison.
As you can see, Puerto Vallarta ranks better in most areas.
Next, here’s another comparison between two similar cities. Let’s take the city of Puebla. This is a mid-sized city that is home to many car manufacturing facilities. So let’s compare it with Detroit, the motor city.
Data reference: numbeo
Even though neither city ranks particularly well in the safety department, the graph gets the point across. Plenty of cities in Mexico are safe and are great options if you are considering retiring abroad.
On the other end, that doesn’t mean every place in Mexico is safe. There are places where I would definitely not recommend even visiting or driving by. Even in daylight. The most obvious example is the intersection of the states of Sinaloa, Durango, and Chihuahua. Known by the locals as El triangulo dorado (“the golden triangle”), it is one of the areas with the highest levels of cartel activity.
As long as you stay out of those areas and apply common sense and caution, Mexico is one of the best places to retire. For more advantages (and also some disadvantages) of retiring in this country that might help you make an informed decision check out our article on pros and cons of retiring in Mexico.
Safest places to retire in Mexico
6. Queretaro
Pronounced as Ke-rae-ta-roh, this city doesn’t get mentioned too much when you talk about traveling to Mexico. That is because it is located in the middle of the country and has almost no tourist attractions or access to the beach. But that doesn’t mean it is not a great place to live.
Queretaro is one of the up-and-coming cities in Mexico. It has grown a lot in the past decade. People and companies are moving here looking for the benefits of a big city without the heavy traffic or rapid lifestyle of Mexico City.
Despite sharing a small frontier with Michoacan, Queretaro has remained one of the safest states in the country, partially thanks to its growing economy and consistency in the governing party.
The city is also seeing an increase in new real estate developments and gated communities where security is even tighter.
Queretaro shares nice, sunny weather with the whole region all year round with a few months of rainy afternoons between June and October.
5. Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
Los Cabos, or simply “Cabo” as is also known to Americans, is a municipality formed by two small towns: Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. It is located in the state of Baja California Sur, right at the very bottom of the peninsula.
It is a very popular tourist spot for Americans because of its closeness to the US border. Some people like the place so much they have just decided to stay and retire there.
When it comes to safety in Los Cabos, let’s clear something up. If you look up the statistics for the crime rate in the whole municipality, things are not going to look very good. However, when you specifically talk about the cities of Cabo San Lucas, or San Jose del Cabo, the numbers drop dramatically due to all the security around the tourist areas. These two towns are extremely safe to retire on.
Cabo is a vibrant resort town with lots of things to do. Whether you enjoy fishing, golfing, dancing, or taking a break in one of the many spas, there’s something for everyone.
Cost of living is also an important factor when considering a retirement destination. Los Cabos is very affordable despite being a resort/tourist town. In fact, it made our list as one of the best places to retire in Mexico on a budget. You can find a breakdown of the expected costs of living in there.
4. Mexico City
Mexico City, or CDMX as it is called here, is a monster of a city. But in a good way. It is the biggest city in Latin America, and the fifth-biggest city in the world.
Talking about Mexico city as one single entity is difficult because the truth is it is so big, it feels like many different cities blended together. Each alcaldia (municipality) can feel like a completely different place. You will find everything from upscale, trendy neighborhoods to areas with lakes, canals, and eco-tourism parks.
This place is huge and even locals that have lived here their entire lives haven’t seen all of the city.
There are a few areas where many expats have decided to set roots and retire or live long-term. It is not uncommon to walk by a park in Condesa or Polanco and hear people talk as much English as Spanish. It is also one of the cities in Mexico with the highest percentage of people who can speak English. The language barrier is not as much of a challenge as in other places.
Even though CDMX is one of the most expensive cities in the country, it is still affordable when compared to many cities in the US. And the fact that it is so big helps too, as it means there are options for every all budgets.
But finding a place to rent can be tricky. The rental laws in Mexico city are very pro-tenant. Maybe even too much. So landlords have over-corrected by being extremely strict about who they rent their places to. And as a foreigner, it can be tough to meet all the requirements. Check out our guide on how to find long-rentals in Mexico for some help on how to navigate this process.
Cities so big are always a challenge when it comes to safety. But Mexico City has been doing well in that regard. It has maintained a reputation for being mostly exempt from cartel activity despite being such a big market. And while its petty crime numbers aren’t that great, they have been improving considerably over the past few years and they are on par with what you could expect from any big city like NY or LA.
Of course, just like in NY or LA, there are certain areas you should try to stay away from. Places like Tepito or Magdalena Contreras can be rough.
All in all, as long you exercise basic precautions and common sense just like in any other big city, you will feel very safe in Mexico City.
3. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Located on the Pacific ocean side of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta is one of the most well-known beach cities in the country. It is located in the state of Jalisco, in the center of bahia de banderas (flags’ bay).
Despite being in the same state where one of the largest cartels in the country was born, Puerto Vallarta is one of the safest places in the country. In fact, according to the latest numbers, it is the safest beach-facing town in Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta is one of the most vibrant beach towns in Mexico. There’s always something to do and see. And you will find options for all kinds of lifestyles.
Some of the preferred places for retirees to check out are the malecon, a huge boardwalk where you can find delicious places to eat and drink overlooking the ocean. There are also plenty of options for people that like sports fishing, golfing, going on hikes, etc. Being a popular tourist destination you can also find spas, clubs, casinos, gyms, shopping malls, and more.
If you go a bit deeper into the city away from the beach you will find many new gated communities and developments where many foreigners reside. Puerto Vallarta hosts the third-largest american retirement community in Mexico. And it is not too far away from Lake Chapala which is where the largest concentration of expats in the country resides.
Even though PV is on the more expensive side when it comes to places to live in Mexico, it is absolutely worth it if your budget allows it.
2. Merida, Yucatan
Merida has always been considered one of the best places to live in Mexico, despite being a small city. It is located in the Yucatan peninsula, but it does not face the ocean and is not too close to the Mayan riviera, which means it hasn’t seen the frantic growth in tourism that towns like Cancun or Tulum have experienced. Merida remains a calm, quiet kind of place.
The city has colonial architecture and it is in a privileged location at the center of the Yucatan peninsula. This gives it easy access to all the nearby attractions like any of the prehispanic ruins and pyramid sites in the area, the ecotourism spots and natural reserves in the jungle, and of course, the famous beach towns of the Mayan riviera.
But Merida is not only famous for what’s around it. It also has a lot to offer inside the city. For example, it is the gastronomic hub for the regional cuisine. You will find all kinds of spots, from mom-and-pop fondas to multi-star, world-renowned restaurants. The specialties of the area include cochinita pibil, papadzules, and a wide variety of seafood-based dishes.
The weather is sunny and nice most of the year with some periodic rains between June and October. Maybe the biggest con about living in Merida is the heat. Especially from spring to summer where it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach 94°F (34°C) or even cross the 100°F (37°C) line. AC in the house is a must.
Merida is also very budget-friendly. A retired couple can expect to live comfortably with a budget of $1,500. We have a full breakdown of the costs in this post.
1. San Pedro Garza García, Monterrey
Monterrey, in northern Mexico is the second-largest city in the country. Unlike Mexico City, its municipalities are a lot more defined than each other. That’s important to note because San Pedro Garza is kind of like a different city within the city.
This is the fanciest, most expensive place in the entire country. And partly thanks to that, it is also the safest area in the country.
If you were magically placed there without knowing where you were and you had to take a guess, you could mistake it for one of the nicer areas of southern California.
San Pedro has everything you could possibly need if you enjoy the city life. Excellent hospitals, shopping malls, business centers, parks, and some of the best universities in Mexico. Being in Monterrey, you also get access to all kinds of entertainment. The city regularly hosts music festivals and has two soccer stadiums that are home to Rayados and Tigres, two of the biggest (and richest) soccer clubs in the country that don’t like sharing a home because of their rivalry so they each decided to get their own.
While all that sounds great, you will need a very flexible budget to live in San Pedro Garza. The average three-bedroom property starts at $1 million dollars. And while that might be low compared with similar high-end areas in other countries, it is a gigantic difference when compared to the extremely affordable places in Mexico where you can get a very high standard of living at very affordable prices.
If your budget allows for it, San Pedro Garza is an amazing place to live.
Summary
- Mexico is a lot safer than what you hear in the media. Its bigger cities and towns are mostly excluded from the security challenges the country faces.
- Apply common sense and some basic caution, and Mexico is an excellent place to retire. It is affordable, beautiful, and has delicious food and nice weather.
- The safest places to retire in Mexico are San Pedro Garza Garcia, Merida, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City, Los Cabos, and Queretaro.
