💭 It's been raining almost every afternoon lately, and I still haven't gotten used to the pattern. Mornings here have been gorgeous. Sun out, warm, blue sky, the kind of day that makes you want to cancel your plans and just sit outside. Then sometime after lunch, the clouds roll in fast. Like someone flipped a switch. Within twenty minutes it's dark, thunder's rumbling, and the streets are flooding. I've started planning my whole day around it. Errands before 2pm. Anything outdoors, morning only. It's a small thing, but it's very much rainy season in Mexico City right now. — Adam, in Mexico City 🇲🇽
⚠️ Mexico Tightened Work Visa Paperwork, No Extra Wait Time
Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Relations and Ministry of Interior updated the rules for the Temporary Resident Visa with work authorization. If you have a job offer from a Mexican company, you now need to submit more detail about your role and work setup. This includes whether the job is on site, remote, or hybrid.
This affects anyone applying for legal work authorization through a Mexican employer. It does not affect retirees or remote workers on foreign income.
Your employer's HR or legal team needs to prepare a more detailed support letter for your consulate appointment. Build in extra prep time before you apply.
The change took effect May 15, 2026.
Chilaquiles Verdes
🍳 Chilaquiles Verdes
Nationwide · Home Cooking / Breakfast · $3-6 USD
The quintessential Mexican breakfast and one of the best hangover cures known to humanity. Day-old tortillas are cut and fried until crispy, then simmered briefly in green salsa until they absorb the sauce and soften slightly. Topped with crema, queso fresco, onion, and your choice of egg or chicken. Every household and restaurant makes them slightly differently.
What's in it: Fried tortilla pieces, green salsa (tomatillo, serrano, cilantro), Mexican crema, queso fresco, white onion, cilantro. Optional: fried or scrambled egg, shredded chicken, avocado.
📝 What your first week in Mexico actually looks like
Nobody tells you about the SIM card.
You land, you get through customs, you grab your bags, and then you stand outside the airport with no working phone, no data, and a vague memory of the address of the Airbnb you booked. This is the first fifteen minutes. It gets more organized after this, but not immediately.
The first week is a series of small logistical puzzles that you solve one at a time. Getting a SIM card from an OXXO and figuring out how to activate it. Locating the nearest place to buy drinking water because you cannot drink from the tap and you will be very thirsty. Understanding which stores take cards and which are cash only, and finding an ATM that does not charge you a fortune. Figuring out whether the stove uses gas and, if so, where the tank is and how to tell if it is empty.
None of this is difficult. All of it takes longer than you think it will.
By day three or four, the initial logistics start to settle. You find a coffee place you like. You figure out the neighborhood. You stop getting lost on the same corner. A small routine begins to form around the chaos.
By the end of the first week most people feel two things simultaneously: genuinely proud of themselves for figuring it out, and more tired than they expected from the effort of navigating everything in a new language and a new system.
Both of those feelings are completely appropriate. The first week is not supposed to be easy. It is supposed to be the beginning.
💰 A week of groceries for one person, shopping like a local
Item | Peso Price | USD |
|---|---|---|
🥚 Eggs (dozen) | $42 MXN | $2.40 |
🍗 Chicken breast (1 kg) | $153 MXN | $8.75 |
🍞 Bread, rice, milk | $106 MXN | $6.05 |
🍅 Produce basket (tomatoes, onions, potatoes, bananas, apples, lettuce) | $178 MXN | $10.20 |
🧀 Local cheese (200g) | $38 MXN | $2.15 |
Total | ~$517 MXN | ~$29.60 |
A full week of solid groceries for one person runs under $30 USD, and that is at supermarket prices. Shop the tianguis or mercado instead of the chain store, and produce and meat typically run 10 to 20 percent cheaper still. The one thing that will surprise you: packaged goods like bread and cheese barely move in price whether you buy them at a corner store or a big chain, so the real savings come from buying fresh.
Based on today's exchange rate of 17.48 pesos per dollar — July 25, 2026. As the peso/dollar rate fluctuates, your real USD cost will vary.
✅ Open a US dollar account you can use internationally
Before you move, set up a bank account that works well internationally — low or no foreign transaction fees, easy international transfers, and accessible ATMs in Mexico. Your regular US or Canadian bank account is likely costing you 3% or more on every transaction abroad.
Best options used by expats: Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking (reimburses ALL ATM fees worldwide, no foreign transaction fees), Wise (multi-currency account, excellent exchange rates), or a local credit union with international fee waivers.
Set up Wise or similar for sending larger amounts to Mexico — far better rates than wire transfers through traditional banks.
Do NOT close your US/Canadian bank account — you will still need it for US-based bills, tax payments, and as a backup.
Test your international card before you move by using it abroad on a trip or online purchase from a foreign merchant.
Puerto Vallarta
🏡 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Avg rent (1BR furnished): $700-$1,100 USD/mo
Cost of living: Mid-High
Expat friendliness: High
Expat community: Yes — large, LGBTQ+ friendly
Internet reliability: Good in main areas (30-60 Mbps)
Geography / vibe: Beach city
Pueblo Mágico: No
A mid-size beach city on the Pacific coast with a large, diverse expat community, excellent restaurant scene, and well-developed tourist infrastructure. The Zona Romantica neighborhood is particularly popular with expats. Humidity is high in summer and rainy season is pronounced. A good option for beach lovers who want real city amenities alongside the ocean.
🇲🇽 Mexico This Week
→ "El Mayo" Zambada was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $15 billion in assets after pleading guilty to multiple drug trafficking charges in a Brooklyn federal court. (jornada.com.mx)
→ Mexico's inflation slowed to 3.10% in the first half of July, edging closer to Banxico's 3% target, driven mainly by falling tomato, hotel, and personal care prices. (expansion.mx)
→ Cofepris found no trace of Cyclospora in Mexican lettuce tested after a major US outbreak, following inspections at the Taylor Farms plant in Guanajuato July 18-20. (informador.mx)
📅 August 1, 2026 — Yucatán Octopus Season Opens, Yucatán Peninsula
The annual octopus fishing season officially opens across Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo, running through December 15. It's the region's most important fishery and a genuine local tradition, worth knowing about if you're near the coast, since ports get busy with boats heading out and octopus starts showing up fresh on menus and at markets right around this date.
📅 July 27, 2026 — Guelaguetza's Second Lunes del Cerro (La Octava), Oaxaca City
The festival's final main performance day at the Auditorio Guelaguetza on the Cerro del Fortín. Two shows, 10am and 5pm, all eight regions performing. Expect heavier traffic and crowds around the Centro Histórico if you're nearby.
💬 Here’s what our Facebook community shared this week:
📌 TOP 5 Community Wisdom Comments
Everyday sounds started feeling normal because roosters, chachalacas, street vendors, gas trucks, music, and neighborhood noise became part of home.
You could handle daily life on your own because ordering food, scheduling appointments, paying utilities, buying water, and speaking Spanish no longer required help.
Mexico began to feel more like home than where you came from because you stopped wanting to leave and felt happier, calmer, and more connected.
You became part of the local community because neighbors recognized you, greeted you, invited you in, and treated you like you belonged.
Your routines became unmistakably Mexican because your wallet held pesos, your kitchen had tortillas and chiles, and you started putting lime on everything.
See the full post + comments:
👉 IMWG Facebook Group post
🗳️ Where are you in your Mexico move right now?
⭐ This week I'm recommending Traveling Mailbox — the virtual mailbox service I use personally to manage all my US mail from Mexico. You get a real US street address, they scan everything and you view it online from anywhere in the world. No more missing important IRS notices or bank statements. Essential for anyone serious about making the move.
→ Get your virtual US address with Traveling Mailbox
🤝 Know someone who's thinking about moving to Mexico? 🇲🇽
Send them this newsletter and help them get real information instead of guessing their way through the process.
Refer 3 friends → earn a free 45-minute 1:1 consult with me personally. We'll talk through anything — your visa options, which city fits your budget, what the move actually costs, or whatever questions are keeping you up at night.
Capped at 2 consults per month. First come, first served.
🔧 Tools and resources I personally use and recommend for expats in Mexico:
📬 Virtual Mailbox | |
🏥 Insurance | |
🔒 VPN | |
🇲🇽 Language |
Disclaimer - Some links above are affiliate links. If you purchase through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and services I personally use or have vetted for expats in Mexico.