Do you ever feel like life has more to offer than the daily grind, gloomy weather, and endless red tape? We did—and we dared to leave it all behind. Our destination: Mexico to achieve geographic liberation . Why Mexico specifically? And what does life here really feel like?
Each year, about 270,000 Germans move abroad. Most head to places like Switzerland, Austria, the UK, or Hungary. We wanted something more exotic. Four years ago, we packed up and relocated to Mexico—with our family, kids, and dogs. “Mexico? Isn’t everyone trying to leave there?” was the incredulous reaction from our friends and family when they heard about our plans. But we weren’t deterred, and after careful consideration, our decision was made.
In this blog, you’ll learn why we chose Mexico, how you can find your own dream country for a fresh start, and whether we’ve integrated into our new surroundings or regretted the move.
Key Criteria for Choosing a Country
Once you’ve decided to emigrate, the question arises: where to? There’s probably no perfect country, and the choice depends on your personal preferences. To find your top pick, evaluate potential candidates based on these categories:
- Culture/Community: For successful integration, select a country with a culture and values similar to yours—or at least a life philosophy you can identify with, where you can live out your personal sovereignty.
- Climate: Warm or temperate? Sure, tropical beaches are stunning and great for vacations. But can you picture your everyday life there?
- Costs: What can you afford? What matters to you? How can you achieve your desired lifestyle with the lowest possible living expenses?
- Safety: Especially important with a family. Where’s the best place in terms of crime, accidents, diseases, and natural disasters?
- Language: The local language is your entry ticket to the new culture. Without skills, the adventure can quickly turn lonely.
- Immigration Rules: What are the visa requirements? The best country won’t help if you can’t stay.
How We Made Our Decision
We quickly narrowed our options to Latin America and Eastern Europe, then compared a few countries in detail. We researched online and joined country-specific expat groups on Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp. There, you get firsthand info from people who’ve made similar moves, and you can start networking locally. That way, you already have contacts in the country after the move.
In the end, we were torn between Bulgaria, Georgia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico. Mexico’s size is a big plus, offering diverse cultures, landscapes, and climates. Since we didn’t want to commit to a specific spot from afar and planned to travel around the destination country first until we found our new home, a large country like this had clear advantages.
Top Reasons for Mexico
Quality of Life
Mexicans just know how to live. No stress, always parties and music, amazing food, and time for a chat on the street. We quickly got to know and love the mindset here—the openness and friendliness of the people, even toward strangers, is overwhelming.
Cultural Diversity
Mexico is rich in history and traditions. From ancient indigenous cultures to Spanish colonial influences and modern, cosmopolitan cities like Mexico City and Puebla. There’s something for every taste.
Financial Aspects
Outside highly touristic areas, like the Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen, Cancún) or the Pacific coast (Baja California, Jalisco), prices in most regions are still much lower than in Central Europe. This applies not just to daily needs but also to buying property.
Safety
Sure, statistically, Mexico doesn’t fare well. But it varies greatly by region. If you don’t plan to move to cartel-dominated areas or get involved in cartel activities, you can live very safely in Mexico. My family and I feel secure here; my kids enjoy a lot of freedoms. I wouldn’t say it’s less safe in our region than in German cities.
Climate
Thanks to its size, Mexico offers something for everyone. There are tropical beaches, drier hot Pacific regions, the Sierras that run through the country at 1,000–2,000 meters with milder climates, and even cooler mountain areas. The beaches ended up being too hot for us. We live at 1,200 meters in a transitional zone. The climate here is perfect for us—plenty of rain and lush vegetation. It never gets really hot or really cold. Basically, it’s like spring all year round.
Language
Spanish is a relatively easy language to learn. Plus, Mexicans have a lot of patience when speaking with non-native speakers. I didn’t experience that in Spain. So, Mexico is a great place to learn Spanish and integrate into the culture.
Challenges and Surprises
Of course, emigrating comes with hurdles. Despite the incredibly nice and helpful people here, some things are just complicated. Bureaucratic processes often feel quirky—and that’s not due to language barriers. I always thought Germany was bureaucratic, but here it’s at least as bad for some issues.
The key is staying calm, even if things take longer. Most problems resolve themselves eventually.
What surprises us a bit is the sometimes very unhealthy diet. I think this is largely due to U.S. influence and lifestyle. Coke and junk food are daily staples for many Mexicans. This negatively impacts body weight and health. There’s a need for more education here. Also frustrating is how pets, mainly dogs, are treated. They often live in questionable conditions, chained up all day or on a small balcony. You need strong nerves not to get upset.
Life in Mexico: Insights into Daily Routine
We’ve settled in quickly and feel at home. I work half the day from my home office on my own projects. Afternoons, I’m often at the university teaching. I hadn’t planned that, but for some variety from computer work and to build local relationships, I decided to do it.
The kids are well integrated in their school and happy. We rarely need to plan anything—things just happen spontaneously. It never gets boring. And we’ve bought a nice plot on the edge of town. There’s still a lot of work here, especially in the garden. But as half-Mexicans by now, we know: The work isn’t going anywhere, and poco a poco (step by step), we’ll get it done. No rush.
Tips for Expats and Digital Nomads
If you’ve now taken an interest in Mexico and are still looking for an emigration destination, here are some tips to improve your decision process. Mexico is the ideal solution for us, and we’re staying for now. Whether it’s right for you, only you can find out. Importantly, whatever country you choose, it doesn’t have to be your fate. Even if something goes wrong, you can always go back or elsewhere. In the worst case, you take an extended vacation and then return to your familiar life.
Stay flexible, curious, and always ready for adventure. The world is big, and life is short. Don’t waste it on things that don’t fulfill you. If you have questions, just email us or book a free strategy call for your personal emigration and freedom planning. In this call, we can evaluate your situation and give concrete tips.
Do you have what it takes to move abroad and start your dream life? Take our Expat Mindset Test and find it out.
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