An Insider's Guide to Moving, Working, and Living Abroad in Mexico

Article and photos by Ted Campbell
Resources updated 11/2/2023 by Transitions Abroad

Playa del Carmen.

As a foreigner living in Toluca, a Mexican city without many foreigners, I often get asked the same questions, and I have my standard responses.

“Cómo llegaste a México?” is a common one, which literally translates as “How did you come to Mexico?” My answer, “in an airplane,” usually gets a big laugh. I didn't make much of a plan before I moved to Mexico six years ago. I just bought a one-way ticket and packed my bags.

Of course, they mean why did I come here, and what did I do to be able to live here? But besides getting the laugh, my answer is the quickest way of giving the truth.

I didn't know about immigration requirements, I barely spoke Spanish, and I didn't have a job lined up, although I already had experience living and teaching English in other countries. But for the most part, I winged it, made many mistakes, and learned as I went.

Toluca’s center square, in the town where the author lives.

Despite romantic notions of moving to a foreign country with warm people, countless beaches, colorful cuisine, and mountain towns of brightly painted homes on winding cobblestone streets, you should consider many practical matters before moving to Mexico. What will you do for work? Where will you live? How long can you stay, and what's your legal status in the country?

The good news is that compared to the U.S., Canada, and Europe, you can live well in Mexico on a small income, even with the colossal inflation spike worldwide post-2020 pandemic (PDF). A big meal at a modest restaurant costs between $4 and $10 U.S. dollars. You can get a liter of freshly squeezed orange juice on the street for about $2. You can fly across the country for $50 and get a hotel on the beach for less than $20 if not in a tourist location, where prices can shoot up to whatever you wish to pay (check Airbnb or VRBO for sample prices).

So, the first piece of advice is to save as much money back home as you can before you come. But what's more important is that you come with an open mind. In Mexico, opportunities present themselves to curious, tolerant people. Things are a little different here; after all, this is the country that Dali said was even more surreal than his paintings.

The “magic town” of Metepec in the State of Mexico.

So along with your patience, curiosity, and savings, here are some things to consider if you want to live in Mexico.

Your Immigration Status

Most travelers to Mexico get permission to stay as a tourist for six months upon arrival. Save the stamped part of the form with the period of time written on it that you filled out at the airport or on the border because you'll need it to leave the country.

Besides staying in Mexico as a tourist, your other option is to remain a temporary resident. There are several kinds of residency, but two important ones are the temporary residency with permission to work and the temporary residency without permission to work. You must apply for each type at a consulate outside of Mexico, and they must be renewed yearly.

Before you can get permission to work, you must have a job offer. You can apply for the visa with that job offer and all the corresponding paperwork. The process is complicated, but you don't need a lawyer, just someone to help if you don't speak Spanish. Simply come and stay as a tourist while you figure everything out. Once your six months are up, take a trip across the border, stay a few days, and return another six months. You may feel like a resident, but until you start working, you really are just a tourist.

Unless you're going to fly or take a long-distance bus ride, for safety's sake, don't carry your passport and stamped tourist form with you everywhere you go, and make a photocopy of both to keep in your purse or wallet.

An immigration officer gave me this advice once while she was asking me about my status in the country. I had no ID with me, but I was calm and polite with the officer, who eventually let me go. The same wasn't true for an angry American who had been stopped outside the same bus station — the officers told me that even though he had his passport, they would take him to immigration jail because he'd been rude. (See the Dealing with Authorities section below.)

Getting a Job in Mexico

The best way to get a job in Mexico is the same as almost anywhere in the world — search online or on the street for places to work, and then visit them to ask for a job interview.

If you already have a profession, such as engineering or finance, search company websites for employees with foreign-sounding names. Because your future employer will need to provide you with a sponsorship letter to take to immigration, they need prior permission from the government to hire foreign workers. If the company already has foreign workers, the process should be much smoother, as they've done it before.

Teaching English is always possible, as private and public schools are all over the country. Your chances of getting a teaching job are much higher if you have a TESOL/TESL/TEFL certificate, which is basically the same thing. It's easy to take a course online, though you could also do so in Mexico, which means that once you finish the course, the school where you did the training may want to hire you. Many common EFL (English as a Foreign Language) franchises offer teacher training in Mexico.

Some schools (and companies) will offer to do immigration paperwork if you sign a contract. It may be a good option, saving the time and money you'd spend doing it yourself, but make sure that you want to work there for the entire length of your contract. And read it carefully — do you have to work weekends? Attend frequent unpaid meetings?

As a foreigner, especially in a tourist destination, you should be able to find an under-the-table job, like bartending, waitressing, or teaching in a small, conversational English school. The pay will be low, and you can't get legal permission to work with these jobs. In this case, stay as a tourist and make border runs every six months.

To get a legit job, you'll need originals of official documents like your birth certificate and all degrees and transcripts from higher education, and possibly even high school. While back home, get official certifications called apostilles. They're typically easy and inexpensive to get — if you're from the U.S., look at the website for the Secretary of State where you live. In Michigan, where I'm from, the apostille for my birth certificate cost one dollar.

Example of an apostille.

Then, print a few copies of your resume in Spanish and put them in a manila folder. Dress nice — Mexicans can be quite formal, especially in serious situations.

Although you can look for jobs online, it's unusual for Mexicans to hire anyone by email. Before I came to Mexico, I must have sent 20 emails to universities and other schools, and I got no responses. In most cases, you'll need to visit the place where you want to work and go through several interviews before you're hired.

Getting an Apartment in Mexico

Like getting a job, the best way to find a place to stay is to walk around a neighborhood you like. You'll see signs with phone numbers for places to rent, though you need someone to call for you if you don't speak Spanish.

The process can vary from region to region, but in most places, you'll pay a security deposit equal to one month's rent at the beginning. You'll sign a contract, usually for one year, and get a receipt every month you pay. If you don't, be suspicious.

You don't need to be a Mexican resident to rent an apartment, and you probably won't have to show bank statements or proof of income or anything like that. It is common, however, to be asked for an aval, who is a person who will guarantee to pay if you don't. It could be anyone, but they must sign the contract with you.

Don't rent an apartment above a restaurant, where cockroaches and other bugs are likely, and strong cooking smells are guaranteed.

Once you move in, you need another bill showing your address to hook up any new services, like the internet. The requirement is called a comprobante de domicilio, which is also necessary for opening a bank account. The good news is that it doesn't have to be in your name but only show your address, so ask your landlord or a neighbor (in an apartment) for a recent electric bill.

Sample electric bill from Mexico.

Another consideration is whether to get a furnished or unfurnished apartment. Unfurnished apartments understandably are much cheaper. Furniture is easy enough to buy (the cheapest coming from the carpenters you'll see walking around on the street with unvarnished tables, chairs, and bed frames). Still, you will find that most unfurnished apartments also don't have refrigerators or stoves.

So, if you aren't sure how long you'll stay, look for furnished apartments, which are more common in downtown areas where people come to work temporarily or near universities where there are lots of students.

On the other hand, hostels and small hotels are inexpensive everywhere, and you can usually bargain for a much lower price if you stay longer, like for a month or more. So don't be in a hurry to find an apartment when you first move to Mexico — get a good hotel first.

Dealing with Authorities

In Mexico, 90% of officials are reasonable, polite, and willing to do anything to help. But give these well-meaning and hard-working people a hard time and expect the worst.

In the U.S., when confronted with unreasonable situations (being told "no" with no explanation, having to wait for long periods of unexplainable time), a common reaction is to throw your weight around. "You can't do this to me! I know my rights! Let me see your supervisor."

Do this in Mexico, and you'll get nowhere, or worse: Your application will be rejected, your documents will be "lost," or you'll get arrested.

No matter what, stay calm and pleasant in official situations, such as at the immigration office, at the bank, or with the police. Dress nice, smile at the person, and give the proper greeting depending on the time of day: Buenos días, buenas tardes, or buenas noches (good morning, good afternoon, or good night).

You may be given the wrong information or told to come back another time with more documents. Because of one tiny error on an application form, you might have to start over again. They may compare your signature on the form with the signature on your ID, making sure it's exactly the same. Don't show anger or impatience, which will only slow you down. Be persistent, but be patient and polite at all costs.

And bring a book — it may take a while.

Traveling Around Mexico

What’s the fun of living in Mexico if you don’t travel? Though it’s a big country, wherever you live you’ll be near a nice beach, a charming colonial town, or an ancient archaeological site.

Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Moon.

The bus is an easy option, but for any bus ride to a major city that's 10 hours or longer, you should be able to find a flight that's the same price or cheaper, especially if you start looking a few months in advance. For example, there's no reason to take a bus from Mexico City all the way to Cancun. For this trip, a typical bus ride takes 24 hours and may cost twice as much as a 40-minute flight.

Mexico has three national airlines: Aeromexico, VivaAerobus, and Volaris. They regularly offer significant discounts, so sign up for their mailing lists or follow them on Facebook or Twitter to receive notifications.

Regarding bus travel, like elsewhere in Latin America, Mexico has many bus companies that go all over the country. Mexico City, for example, has four bus stations, each containing 10 or 20 bus lines with big variations in price and quality.

Besides the price, there may be little difference between the expensive and the cheap bus, or there may be significant differences: no bathroom, a much longer travel time, and a higher chance of a breakdown.

First-class buses have wide reclining seats and are safe for traveling at any time of day, but you'll pay for it. As I said, always compare with the price of flights before buying a first-class bus ticket.

To really save money, look for independent bus companies that leave from somewhere other than "official" bus stations. You'll need to ask around to find them, especially other travelers, as locals may not know about them.

From Mexico City to the southern state of Chiapas, for example, several bus companies such as Viajes Aury leave from the sprawling La Merced market near downtown. A first-class bus is at least $100; Viajes Aury is about $20. For Oaxaca, you can take the FYPSA bus, which leaves from near the Blvd. Pto. Aereo metro stop.

Learning Spanish in Mexico

Sure, in Mexico, you can get by on a "gracias" and a smile, thanks to the generally friendly and polite people. This is especially true if you live in a well-traveled spot where many people speak English, like the Yucatan Peninsula or Puerto Vallarta, or if you live in a place with a large expat community, like Lake Chapala (near Guadalajara), San Miguel Allende, or any beach town on the beaten path.

But for places less visited by foreigners, a little Spanish goes a long way, and fluent Spanish even more — to find a better job, travel far and wide, and get into fascinating cultural situations. And there's no shortage of those in Mexico: the Day of the Dead, when people stay up all night in a cemetery visiting their dead relatives; a  serenata  (serenade), when a 10-piece mariachi band sings outside a girl's window late at night; or a  charro  (cowboy) show, often performed on important Mexican holidays.

Signing up for a Spanish class is no guarantee that you'll learn anything, though if you have the time, it can't hurt. Look for Spanish courses at prominent public universities, which often have language centers for international students.

Class or no class, you need to study on your own. Simply living in Mexico and chatting with your neighbors isn't enough either, although, of course, there's an enormous advantage to being immersed in the language. But it is most important to spend a little time studying every day.

A party in Mexico is one great place to practice your Spanish.

Learning a language is more like going to the gym than going to a classroom and studying a typical grade-school subject such as history, math, or science. If you go to the gym once a week and get no other exercise, nothing happens. If you go hard for three hours every day, you get sick of it, and nothing happens.

Learning Spanish in Mexico is the same. I'm no personal trainer, but I am an English teacher, and I know that to learn a language, you need two things: commitment and patience.

Get a grammar book with exercises in the back, and do one or two pages daily. Go on YouTube and look for videos in Spanish with lyrics, and watch a new one every day. Read newspapers and watch the news in Spanish. And repeat.

Find someone who wants to practice English and do a language exchange: a one-hour conversation in Spanish and then an hour in English. (Tip: Do your Spanish part first to establish the relationship in the language you want to practice and force yourself to speak zero English during that time.)

Whatever you do, do it every day. Twenty minutes a day is much better than a 4-hour cram session once a week. Like at the gym, you may not notice results right away — this is where patience comes in — but after six months, one year, or two years, you'll suddenly wake up fluent. Trust me, when that happens, everything gets a lot easier and a lot more interesting.

Part 2

Insider Tips for Living in Mexico: Beyond the Basics

Maybe it’s because I work in a university. When other foreigners in Mexico ask me about how I came to live here, they often ask which program I used, imagining some recruiting system for foreign teachers that provides not only a job and an apartment but timely answers to all your crucial questions.

It's a fair assumption. Many people do become expats this way — in fact, my international teaching career began 16 years ago when I answered a classified ad about teaching in South Korea. The plane ticket and apartment were included with the job, which allowed me to move to the other side of the world with practically no money and certainly no knowledge about Korea. I wondered, where's the sushi and sweet-and-sour chicken?

Dispelling Myths About Moving Abroad

The author and a friend Froy in Mexico.

So, although it's a reasonable belief, it also reveals a common idea about moving abroad — that you need a program, that you need help, and that doing it alone is inconceivable. This isn't true, especially for a country like Mexico, where hiring is rarely done over the Internet, and your best chance of getting a job is to interview in person.

In the first part of this article, I described how I moved here seven years ago: I packed a few bags and figured it out mostly on my own. I learned Spanish with language exchanges and grammar books, visited universities to ask for interviews with my slowly developing Spanish skills, got the runaround with immigration, and almost went broke while waiting for legal permission to work.

Another common misconception about moving abroad is that it involves a complicated citizenship process. Many people believe that you must become a citizen to live in another country, or worse, that you must renounce your own citizenship.

Slow down — it's not so dramatic. The first step when moving abroad is to save money. Don't worry about confusing immigration legalities. Instead, first, figure out how much time you can spend there as a tourist. (In Mexico, it's six months for most visitors.)

Stay for the maximum amount of time you can stay as a visitor, during which you'll figure out:

1) What are the requirements for a more extended stay (usually temporary or permanent residence)?

2) How can you work legally, for example?

3) Most importantly, do you actually want to live in that country?

It's easy to take a vacation to a beautiful tropical paradise like Mexico and decide you want to live there; it's a lot harder when you are faced with cultural differences, a language barrier, and day-to-day practicalities such as low wages, safety concerns, and options for health care.

So, while the first part of this guide deals with the basic things you need to consider before moving to Mexico, in the second part, I'll discuss what comes next — the essentials that you'll have to take care of once you're actually in the country.

Mexico is vast, and although I live in the central area that could be considered average, "regular" Mexico, the country is quite diverse. So please take these ideas for what they are, suggestions, and expect some regional variation elsewhere.

Health Care in Mexico

One the fine pharmacies in Mexico where you can get any medicine you need, inexpensively, to handle most needs. There is often even a qualified on-site doctor to help you out!

If you get a cold or food poisoning, don't worry; the solution is easy. Most pharmacies have a small doctor's office attached where you can get a consultation for free or cheap, usually 20 or 30 pesos ($1.20-$1.80).

Sure, they make their money on prescriptions, but medicine in Mexico is also typically inexpensive. Buying the medicine is optional, of course, and you may find that you only want to fill one of the three prescriptions the doctor writes for you.

Affordable medical care is the norm all over Latin America. I wish more countries were like this. If you get a bad stomach in Mexico, go to a pharmacy right away. Food poisoning can last weeks without treatment, while a few days of antibiotics will clear it up quickly. I'm always surprised when I meet travelers who say they've been sick for weeks — go to the pharmacy! Sure, it's true that you shouldn't overdo it with antibiotics, but if two weeks of diarrhea isn't a reason to take them, then I don't know what is.

For more serious ailments, there are two types of hospitals in Mexico: public and private.

Private hospitals may be immense, modern complexes, but they are often more like small clinics with capabilities for surgery and other advanced procedures. Compared to public hospitals, they're more expensive and generally offer better quality. But they're still quite affordable, especially compared with those in the U.S., which is why you can find them in major tourist areas like Baja California and the Mayan Riviera.

Public hospitals are for people covered by IMSS, Mexico's national health program; ISSSTE, the program for federal government workers; or another agency that works at the state level with an acronym like ISEM or ISSEMyM (both for the State of Mexico, where I live.) The Red Cross also operates many public clinics in Mexico that offer emergency assistance.

While public hospitals are crowded and have long lines for treatment, they may be your only option in an emergency. In that case, treatment could be free even for people (like foreigners) who aren't a part of the program. For instance, after I was bitten by a street dog in Chiapas, I received rabies vaccinations at a public clinic for no charge.

But by no means should you count on getting free treatment at one of these public hospitals. Be sure to have health coverage when in a foreign country — insurance for travelers at the very least. (More on this below.)

One of many clinics in Mexico that offer excellent health care.

Also, if you are like me and have avoided going to the dentist for years, then do get your dental work done in Mexico. My dentist does an exceptional job in a spotless office with all the latest technology and charges less than $20 for a cleaning.

Health Insurance

Once you start working in Mexico, you will pay into IMSS or another social health care program and, consequently, have access to public hospitals. Talk to someone at your job about how to sign up for the program. In most cases, it isn't automatic. You'll need to go to a government office with your pay stubs to complete paperwork and get your health care card.

Although I mentioned above that in an emergency, you could be treated for free at a public clinic, don't rely on it. Fees for ambulances, emergency procedures, hospital stays, and medicine add up fast. Also, when using public health services, you might have to wait a long time for a non-emergency procedure. When I had a hernia, for example, the wait would have been six months, so instead, I paid $2,000 to a private clinic and had it operated on immediately.

So, while you wait to get a job and get signed up for national health care, it's a good idea to have travel insurance that covers health care expenses. Thankfully, travel insurance is cheap, typically much more affordable than regular health insurance in the United States. Most health insurance plans for travelers won't cover you in the U.S. because it's one of the most expensive countries in the world for health care.

You can sign up for travel insurance, pay online, and renew as often as you want. I have bought from AIG several times, and many online companies allow you to compare travel insurance policies.

Banks and Financial Matters in Mexico

A branch of Santander Bank.

You only need a bank account in Mexico once you start working. But you don't want one, either. Most Mexican banks charge fees for services that are typically free in other countries, like online banking. They might even charge a "membership fee" every month for certain accounts — yes, believe it or not, in Mexico, many people have to pay to keep their money in the bank.

Additionally, the minimum monthly balance for your account might be pretty high, like 4,000 pesos ($235). When your balance is below this amount, you'll be charged a fee of around 200 pesos ($12).

On top of this, most banks pay zero interest on savings accounts. So, until you're earning pesos, you're much better off simply withdrawing money from your home account using ATMs. (Please see my tips for managing your money for more information.)

Therefore, unless you have another reason for needing a bank account in Mexico, the first step to getting a bank account begins with your job. Many employers pay by direct deposit and have a specific they use, so they will provide you with details on what type of account to open and in which bank.

If they pay you with a physical check, however, you can choose for yourself. Common banks in Mexico are Bancomer, Banamex, Banorte, Santander, HSBC, and Scotiabank. The banks are all essentially the same in quality, but as Bancomer is very popular, it has the longest lines on payday. Banorte is the only Mexican-owned bank, so choose it if you're interested in that sort of thing.

The best way to choose a bank is to find one close to your job because you'll probably cash or deposit your paycheck on your lunch break or after work. Another tip: Mexicans usually get paid every two weeks (called a quincena) on the fifteenth and final day of each month. If possible, wait a few days to visit the bank because most are insanely busy on those days.

To open a bank account, you'll need your passport and immigration documents (temporary residence card, etc.) and a comprobante de domicilio, which is a phone or electric bill that shows your address. It doesn't have to be in your name, so ask your landlord or a friendly neighbor in an apartment.

What this means is that you won't be able to open a bank account if you are living in a hotel. In that case, cash your paychecks at the bank from which your check was drawn. Whichever bank your employer uses (Bancomer, Banorte, etc.), bring your check and your passport to cash it, and then, for safety's sake, hide the money in your socks until you can stash it away in your luggage or the hotel safe.

Cell Phones

Major cellphone providers in Mexico include Telcel, Movistar, and AT&T. Each has a variety of different plans, so check their websites to compare.

I've always used pay-as-you-go phone plans, which are super cheap. Every company has them. You buy a phone — the most affordable is about 200 pesos ($12) — and the plan should already be set up. Even the ubiquitous convenience store OXXO sells them, or you can visit a provider's office.

You add minutes by paying at an OXXO or a supermarket. I always put on more significant amounts, like 200 pesos, because they give extra minutes. Also, most plans let you designate numbers you can call and text for free.

For international calls or video, please only use your smartphone if your plan includes it. Use Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. instead. If you've never tried Skype or the others, download them for free. Along with email and Google Maps, these are some of the most essential communications tools for international living and travel.

Internet Service

As for cell phone companies, Mexico has several internet providers with various plans, but at the end of the day, they are all quite similar. For about 500 pesos ($30) a month, you can get a package including high-speed internet, TV, and a landline phone number.

Telmex is the most widespread, but there are other options like Totalplay and Megacable. You can compare their plans and prices online, and when you sign up for an account, they'll come to your house to set it up.

I currently use Totalplay and have never had a problem. In my previous apartment, however, my landlady used Telmex, which constantly failed. I don't attribute this to the company but to the combination of the company and the neighborhood. Some providers work better in some places than others. So, before signing up for an account, ask your neighbors what they use and if the service is reliable.

Free WiFi is becoming more common in Mexico, especially at hotels and restaurants. Or you could always look for internet cafés or cibers. They are in practically every small town or city block.

Driving in Mexico

Cars and motorcycles on a highway.

Your foreign license, or even better an international driving license, is legit for driving in Mexico, but if it expires, getting a Mexican driver's license is easy. Of course, this varies from state to state, but when I got my license, I didn't need to provide anything except my permanent residence card and a small fee — no foreign license, no driver's test, nothing complicated.

To drive your vehicle into Mexico, you’ll need to buy a temporary import permit (TIP) at the border via Banjercito website for a relatively small fee in addition to providing a refundable deposit. Also, it’s important to know that foreign-bought car insurance is not valid in Mexico, which goes for both private and rental cars. Most border towns have places where you can buy insurance that covers you in Mexico, or you can compare plans and prices at a Mexican insurance company.

Driving in Mexico isn’t as complicated or dangerous as you might imagine, although there are some major differences that you can read in what you need to know to drive in Mexico. You should be especially careful about where you park and when taking free highways.

Toll highways are generally safe, and collision insurance is included in the toll. Free highways, on the other hand, can be confusing or dangerous. There are areas in the country you should never drive in, such as parts of the north or the state of Michoacan. The best thing to do before driving a long distance is to ask locals about road conditions and safety.

Safety in Mexico: Basic Precautions

Safety is a big issue in Mexico, requiring that you read an in-depth article with background information to grasp the total picture — myths and realities fully. The short version is that, no, Mexico is generally not very safe. But major tourist areas are safe for those who take the usual precautions like keeping your wallet in your front pocket, never leaving your purse hanging from a chair in a restaurant, not carrying your camera around your neck, not looking at a map in public, not walking down empty streets at night, and not accepting drinks from strangers.

But if you live off the path beaten by most tourists, you’ll have to make adjustments to your lifestyle. You may not be able to walk outside after dark. You'll have to avoid certain neighborhoods. You probably should not wave down any taxi on the street. And, wherever you are, you should never walk with your face buried in a cellphone.

For tourists and residents, the best thing to do is to talk to locals — and listen to what they say. Many places that appear safe may not be safe at all, especially if you stand out (blonde hair, tall, wearing shorts and flip-flops).

Although getting kidnapped or caught in the crossfire of the drug war is quite rare, in many places, getting mugged is possible, even in the daytime. Never resist — the criminal isn't alone. There's always at least one more watching from a block away.

Besides the basics, the most essential way to stay safe is to avoid someone who gives you a bad vibe. All over the world, people get into bad situations because they don't want to be rude to a stranger. Don't worry about how he feels or thinks of you — firmly say goodbye and walk away. When he gets weirder afterward, you'll know you've made the right decision.

The final word is that Mexico is safe enough for those who don’t get too comfortable and let their guard down. Anything is possible, but it’s less possible for those who are aware of their surroundings and, what’s more important, listen to advice from neighbors, friends, and co-workers.

Water

In elementary school, the first thing we learned about Mexico was "Don't drink the water." And even now, this is one of the first things Americans ask me about when they ask me about Mexico.

The truth is that you can only drink tap water in some parts of the world. In some places, like China, people boil it, which may partially account for their extensive tea culture. In others, like Mexico, people buy it, although in some rural areas, the tap water is drinkable. But the notion that Mexicans can drink the water because their digestive systems are used to it, but foreigners can't, is preposterous.

You can get a garrafón, a 20-liter (over 5 gallons) bottle of water, for about 40 pesos ($2.50) in most convenience stores, with a 1.5-liter bottle costing about $1, by contrast. If the 20 liters are too much for you to carry, look out for trucks full of these bottles driving around neighborhoods, with the guys in the truck calling out, "Agua!" You can buy the bottle there, and the guy will carry it into your home.

Like for "Don't drink the water," I also cringe when I hear tourists obsessing over ice in restaurant drinks. It's pointless to ask the waitress if the ice is made from bottled water. It's like asking if a particular menu item is good (and I still find myself doing this). If it wasn't, do you think they would tell you?

It's standard for restaurants to use bottled water for making ice and fixing drinks. If they didn't do this, then local customers would get sick as well, and the place would go out of business. In my seven years living in Mexico, I've gotten sick a few times, but never from ice.

Also, the water situation means that restaurants don't give everyone at the table a glass as they do in the U.S. and other countries with potable tap water. So, if you want water, you'll have to order it specifically. You'll also have to pay for it, probably for the same price as a soda or beer. The water, incidentally, is cited as one of the reasons for the obesity epidemic in Mexico — people in poor communities drink lots of soda because it's the same price as a bottle of water of the same size.

Food

Moving to Mexico means moving to one of the greatest countries for food. Not only is the cuisine delicious and diverse, but excellent and affordable restaurants range from humble to high-class and everything in between.

But it's more than restaurants — you can get inexpensive, high-quality produce everywhere. Instead of a supermarket, buy fruit, vegetables, meat, tortillas, or whatever you need from a small corner store. It may be slightly more expensive than Walmart or the Mexican equivalent, but the quality will be much better, and of course, you'll also be supporting the local economy. See Numbeo's cost of living in Mexico for a general idea, and note the very low cost of what is generally excellent produce.

An outstanding option for fruit and vegetables is the trucks parked on the side of the road, which often have the freshest seasonal fruit.

Public markets in Mexico are also great places to shop for whatever you need and have a pleasant experience.

A typical public market.

A note about markets — haggle with care. While haggling is the norm at touristy markets selling t-shirts and shot glasses, at small markets, people usually don't haggle. While they may raise prices slightly because of your accent, it shouldn't be unreasonable.

Please don't drive a hard bargain over a few mangoes, which reflects poorly on foreigners in general. What do you expect poor farmers to think of someone wearing new boots and carrying a fancy DSLR trying to shave 50 cents off a bag of oranges? If you believe you are getting ripped off, ask for prices at a few different stands to compare.

Finally, coffee addicts like me have come to the right place. But even though Mexico produces outstanding coffee, it can be challenging to get an excellent whole-bean bag to grind and brew at home. Unless you can find a secret local spot, such as Café Villarías in Mexico City, I recommend buying bulk coffee from the coffee shop Café Punta del Cielo, a franchise found throughout the country.

The author has embraced his new life with the great people and the colorful culture of Mexico and has not looked back.

Moving to a new country is more than a geographical move; it is often like entering a new culture. Aspects of an unknown culture may be fascinating, charming, or delicious for some people and frustrating or even offensive to others.

You can't expect the country to change — you must adapt yourself. The more you learn, the better you'll adapt. And a big part of this adjustment is being open-minded and empathetic.

Fortunately, Mexico is full of friendly and tolerant people. Learn Spanish, talk to them, and get to understand their point of view. Beyond all of the details and technicalities of moving abroad, getting to know the locals is the most important thing you can do to successfully transition abroad and become a resident, not just a long-term visitor. Then, you can truly enjoy living in Mexico, and you may find that you never want to leave.

Ted Campbell is a freelance writer, Spanish-English translator, and university teacher living in Mexico. He has written two guidebooks about Mexico, one for Cancun and the Mayan Riviera and another for San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque in Chiapas, both also available at Amazon.com. For stories of adventure, culture, music, food, and mountain biking, check out his blog No Hay Bronca .

For more of the many articles written for TransitionsAbroad.com, see his bio page.