Moving to a Small Town in Mexico

When someone says they are moving to Mexico, it usually means to one of the popular destinations like the Riviera Maya, Puerta Vallarta, San Miguel, or Cabo. These destinations are popular for a reason, often because they have a lot to offer in a beautiful setting. They are also considered easier to move to because many people before you have made the move and made it easier for others to follow. But are there other areas you should consider when moving to Mexico? What if there were places that many don’t think about, but offer more than the typical tourist spots to move to?

Imagine waking up to the gentle sounds of nature, surrounded by vibrant colors and rich culture. Moving to a small town in Mexico offers a unique opportunity to embrace a slower, more fulfilling lifestyle. From the warm hospitality of the locals to the beautiful landscapes, these quaint communities are brimming with charm. You’ll find a sense of belonging while enjoying the affordable cost of living, authentic regional cuisine, and a strong sense of community. Whether you’re seeking a greater connection to a place, tranquility, or a place to retire, a small town in Mexico could be the perfect place to call home! We will explain below how this is possible. 

What Are the First Things People Say When Thinking About Small Town Living?

We will address the comments, misconceptions and worries here about living in a small town. So here are the main comments that tend to be more negative. 

• You won’t have anyone to talk to. Making friends will be hard because you come from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences in life. 
• You cannot find things in small towns. This refers to things you normally buy for food, clothes and other supplies. 
• Medical care is not good or nonexistent. 
• There is not enough to do in small towns. 

These are the most common things people say about moving to a small town. Now let’s take each one of these and expound on why these might not be that much of an issue as you think. 

Making New Friends in a Small Town

Most foreigners moving to Mexico do so as a couple and sometimes as a single person. We all need friends and a social network that can give us connections and friendship. With far less people living in towns, how is it possible to even have a social life? Well, as most discover, people are people, all over the world. There are people in towns that have aspirations just like many other people in the world.   There are those that have traveled a lot and now live in a small town, there are people that study in college, Dj’s, artist, parents, and about every type of person possible. If you focus on the commonalities instead of the differences, you find yourself meeting new people and clicking because you have things interests in common. 

If you live within an hour or two from a larger city, you can always connect with people and use your small town as a way to invite people to come visit. Many people enjoy getting away from the cities and visiting places for the weekend. 

We live in one of the easiest times to communicate with friends and family. A simple video call, email or WhatsApp message can connect us instantly to friends and family. Technology has made the world a smaller place and it has made living ina small town even easier. 

Finding Things in Small Towns

When you arrive to a small town, you might think there is hardly anything there. There are no big stores, not many stores, and a lot of things that cannot be found there. This all changes once you get to know the rhythm of the town, where to find things and what is available. Often most things you need can be accessed. Below are items that people look for or need and how to deal with finding these things in small towns. 

Building Supplies

If you are going to be building or renovating a home, you are going to need a lot of products. Most of the time there is a basic construction store that has concrete, blocks and things that are used in almost all construction. So, most of what you need can be found, and with a little creativity you can build a house with things bought locally. Most of the time you do need to look in bigger cities for quality electrical, plumbing, roofing, and hardware supplies. This can take some coordination. You also can order things and have things delivered. Amazon or other store can deliver things to your door often without leaving your town. 

Clothing

Most small towns have very limited options and this is one thing that will have to be ordered online or bought in a city. The one local alternative is having things made for you. In small towns there are always seamstresses and people that sew. It can be cost-effective to have things made for you. It might be something you never imagined because it is cost prohibited where you live, but often you can get thing made for under $20 USD. 

Home furnishings

Artisans live more in small towns, and this can be a good source of having things made for your home. Not only will it save you money, but it will also be something unique and something you will value more. Often, just showing a picture of what you want, local artisans are able to make it for you. See our article about working with local carpenters for more details. 

Spices, Food Supplies

You can find many of the basic things for your diet in small towns. Some things might surprise you like free-range chickens and eggs, locally made cheeses. However, there are going to be some products that are just not available. So, what do you do? Having a city nearby allows you to stock up once a month or so on spices, imported favorite foods, and harder to find fruits and vegetables.

You will mostly like also have more space to grow things in your yard, so this opens another possibility to have fresh herbs and produce.

Medical Care

Since many foreigners moving to Mexico are retirement age or close to it, many are thinking about medical care. So, what is medical care like in small towns? 

A short story first. I was helping a friend sell a house in a small town. I posted on some Facebook groups, and the number one question was about hospitals and medical care. I was rather surprised by this but was able to address this in many responses. This is how I responded. 

• Often it takes 15-20 minutes to get across a city to a hospital. Even Ambulances can take time getting to you and getting you care.  So even in a city, transportation time is an issue. 
• Depending on where your town is, there can be midsize towns 30-50 minutes away where there are hospitals. 
• Small towns sometimes have ambulances on call that can take residents to hospitals, most of the time free of charge. 
• In small towns you often have a doctor’s office or two just a few blocks from your house. Often there is an older doctor in town that knows all about issues that affect locals in the area. This can be intestinal worms, rashes, and insect related issues. 
• Small towns have clinics for testing for blood and urine that can cover most test. If there are not the full facilities, they can send these out to get tested for you. 
• Most pharmacies in Mexico have a doctor’s office on the side where people can consult for about 50 pesos. They you can go to the pharmacy to get your medication. These doctors are not the best but do provide and easy access for basic care. 
• Pharmacies in Mexico are connected by couriers. You can order a medication and have it delivered to your local pharmacy the next day. 
• In some small towns there is a health center. These are not a hospital, but more like a local clinic that treats basic things. This can be an option for some care. This also means there are nurses and doctors working there. In small towns it is easy to make friends with a nurse and offer to pay to have homecare visits if you need some basic care. 

So, when you piece together all your options, most issues can be handled locally and when you live within an hour or two from a big city, you can always travel for care if needed. Care can be faster, cheaper and more personal in small towns once you uncover all your options. 

Being Bored

People often ask those living in small towns “Do you get bored?”. Most people are used to living in cities where there are lots of options for entertainment, restaurants, bars and perhaps some museums and galleries. So, people living in small towns must get bored, right?

Here is a perspective perhaps you have not thought about before. Everyone gets 24 hours a day. You spend about 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working, and about 4 hours cleaning, bathing, eating, and dressing in your home. That leaves you with 4 hours each day to do something. So even if you live in a city, you have a short amount of free time each day. Often one of the four hours is spent in transportation, so you have three spare hours a day to do something. Our modern lives keep us busy, and sometimes we don’t want to do anything except relax at home.

People living in cities often do not take advantage of everything there is to do because of lack of time and energy.  Of course, if you are not working anymore, you will have more time in your daily life. Living in a small town allows you to have lower living expenses, freeing up money for a fun weekend in the city, and then return to your nice tranquil town afterward. 

Why Choose a Small Town in Mexico to Live?

The obvious 

• You can have a higher quality of life! You can live somewhere with fresh air, more space, peace of mind, tranquility, and leave most of the stress of city life behind. Most people won’t fully understand this because they have never experienced it but not having to worry about your home getting broken into, walking alone at night and feeling perfectly safe, or not having to even think about violent things happening. The tranquility can 
• Enjoy real traditions and culture.  Most touristy towns either have bleed away a lot of traditions or relive it in a slightly sanitized version. If you are in a town and there is a parade, if there are little or no tourists, this means that the people are doing it because they like it, believe in it, or enjoy the traditions. This is how you know something is authentic. 
• Lower cost of living. Cities are where many things cost more. The costs of operating in a city, rent, supply chains, and labor are usually all more expensive in cities. Businesses in towns have less overhead, no middlemen at times, and can provide products that are more affordable. If you also consider rent, a person’s monthly budget can be as much as 50% less in a town compared to a city in Mexico. 
• Life is simpler. You don’t really have to worry that much about what you wear to the grocery store or local gym. You only have so many options to buy things, so your decision-making process can be easier. It is usually easier to do things in towns, like get building permits and deal with the administrative offices. You also have the time to enjoy the simple things in life like going on a neighborhood walk. 
• People are more equal. Living in a Mexican small town there is less division between classes. A social function might include the mayor, the trash collector, butcher, and other residents. Each person has a job that is part of the society, and everyone is part of the community. If you believe people should be treated by how they are as a person and not by the amount of money they have, smalltown living might be good for you. 

How to Find a Small Town in Mexico to Live

Many people visit some of the charming small towns in Mexico and think how charming they are, but often they have become too expensive because of popularity. You might imagine “discovering” the town 10-20 years in the past and think how cheap it was to buy years ago in the same place. Those that had vision years ago, now have a beautiful home in center of town and are rewarded with all the benefits. So how can you find a place that is not too expensive but also one that has potential? Here are some tips. 

1. Choose towns that are about 2 hours from a major city. This allows access to supermarkets, stores, airport, and a destination to go out. Being about two hours away means that the bad influences of the city don’t reach the town, but you can access the city when needed. 
2. Select a small town that has something going for it. It might be a beautiful setting, a famous church, ruins nearby, or known for traditional activities. Some towns don’t have much going for them. These places often are economically depressed and have no interesting architecture. They often are losing population as well. That would be an example of a town not to choose to move to. 
3. Look around the town, do people take pride in living there? Are some of the houses well kept? Is there a nice park? Are the streets a little cleaner than normal? All of these things are indicators that people like living in a town and have some pride. 

Conclusion

It might seem like a huge step to take to move to a small town in Mexico. But like many things that seem hard, taking small steps to make the goal happen make it a lot easier. If you are just moving to Mexico, you might choose living in a city first. This way you can adjust to the culture and everything else that is new to you. Then you can take time to explore and think about what things you really want to have in your life. It also might mean that you keep a place in the city and have a weekend home in a town or gradually spend more time in a small town to enjoy it. 

Moving to small town might seem like trying to build a house in the desert. It seems hard, inhospitable, hot and there is not much there. But once you have done the hard part of getting settled in, it can seem like the perfect place.  Often it can feel like an oasis where you have everything you want and need plus so much more. Then you can take in the beauty of the place and reap the benefits. 

Small towns can offer so much more than what you might expect. You often don’t “get it” until you do it. Talk to those that have done it and consider the rich rewards you can have by being part of a small community in Mexico. 

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Mr.Yucatan

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