Into Mexico We Go

💭 I just booked a trip to Barranca del Cobre and the Chepe train, and I’m seriously excited. Every time I think I’ve seen a good chunk of Mexico, I find another place that reminds me how endless this country feels. The Copper Canyon system is actually larger overall than the Grand Canyon, and seeing it by train has been on my list for a while. Mountains, canyons, little towns, and one of Mexico’s most famous train journeys. I can’t wait. There is ALWAYS something new to discover here. — Adam, in Mexico City 🇲🇽

The process starts by completing an overseas voter registration and absentee ballot request. Even if you’re already registered to vote back home, overseas voters should submit this form to register/request their overseas ballot.

Depending on your state, you may be able to submit the signed form electronically, while some states require you to print, sign, and mail it.

🗳️ Register or request your overseas absentee ballot here:
https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/request-overseas-absentee-ballot

Requirements and deadlines vary by state, so it’s worth getting the process started early.

Region: Oaxaca / Puebla / Nationwide · Category: Dessert / Street food · Price: $1-2 USD

Hand-cranked sorbet made in large metal canisters packed with ice and salt. The flavors are hyper-local and seasonal: rose petal, tamarind, burnt milk, mezcal, black bean, cheese, corn, avocado, and dozens more depending on the city and the vendor. Nieves from the women who sell them in Oaxaca's markets are something worth making a trip for.

What's in it: Water, sugar, fresh fruit or flavoring. No cream, no milk (unless it is a cream nieve). The flavor variety is what makes it special, not the base.

There is a version of expat life in Mexico where you learn no Spanish. You live in a bubble of English-speaking services, expat restaurants, and online communities. People do this. It works, in the way that eating the same meal every day works — technically fine, ultimately limiting.

The version of Mexico you access without Spanish and the version you access with even basic conversational ability are meaningfully different places.

With no Spanish, every interaction outside the tourist bubble involves either a translation app, a bilingual helper, or a gamble. The market vendor who does not speak English will still sell you tomatoes, but the small moment of human exchange that makes market shopping in Mexico genuinely wonderful — that does not happen through a phone screen.

With basic Spanish — and basic genuinely means basic, the ability to greet someone properly, state what you want, understand a simple response, and say thank you — daily life opens up. The plumber explains what he found. The neighbor tells you about the noise complaint downstairs. The doctor tells you what he thinks is wrong. You are a person in a place rather than a visitor who happens to live there.

Fluency is a long road and nobody expects it from you. Mexicans are remarkably patient with language learners and genuinely appreciate any effort.

Start with Babbel or BaseLang before you arrive. Take an in-person class when you get there. Aim for functional, not perfect. Functional will change your life in Mexico more than almost anything else on this list.

⭐ This Week I'm Recommending Timekettle W4 Plus

I recently came across Timekettle’s new W4 Plus AI interpreter earbuds, and these could be incredibly useful for life in Mexico. They translate conversations in real time, can help with phone calls and media, and even offer offline translation. Think doctor visits, dealing with a mechanic, or those moments when your Spanish just isn’t quite enough.

🛒 Cook at home (basic grocery basket): $5,013 MXN / $283 USD
🍲 Comida corrida lunch every day: $2,700 MXN / $153 USD
🌮 2 casual restaurant meals a day: $12,000 MXN / $678 USD
🍽️ 3 casual restaurant meals a day: $18,000 MXN / $1,017 USD

Eating every meal out costs about $12,987 MXN ($734) more per month than cooking. That gap is bigger than the national average rent on a one-bedroom outside a city center. A typical casual restaurant meal averages $200 MXN ($11), not the cheap street plate people picture. The local move is the comida corrida, a set lunch with soup and a main for about $90 MXN. Watch imported US brands at the grocery store. They often cost as much as back home and erase your savings.

Based on today's exchange rate of 17.70 pesos per dollar — Sept 25, 2026. As the peso/dollar rate fluctuates, your real USD cost will vary.

Avg rent (1BR furnished): $400-$600 USD/mo
Cost of living: Low
Expat friendliness: Moderate — growing
Expat community: Small but active
Internet reliability: Good in center (30-50 Mbps)
Geography / vibe: Colonial highlands (6,700 ft)
Pueblo Mágico: No

One of Mexico's most visually spectacular cities — a maze of colorful colonial buildings, tunnels, and hillside callejones (alleyways). Home to a major university, strong arts scene, and the famous Cervantino arts festival every October. Very affordable and genuinely charming. The city layout is confusing to navigate but that is part of its appeal.

→ Mexico may raise visa fees up to 153% in 2027 under a federal budget proposal that would set ordinary visas and long-stay visitor visas at the same fee of 1,639.80 pesos, pending approval by Congress. (El Imparcial)

→ A floating ad screen appeared off Puerto Vallarta and Vallarta Daily looks at the concerns it raises for beach views and the rules that govern advertising and boats. (Vallarta Daily)

→ Mexico hit 59.7 million international visitors from January to July, 7% more than the same period in 2025, according to Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez. (La Jornada)

→ Cash could be banned at gas stations and toll booths once Congress approves the new Digital Economy Law, according to financial sector sources cited by Expansión. (Expansión)

→ Telmex is raising Infinitum internet speeds automatically and gradually starting September 21 for fiber customers, with no change to current prices for homes and businesses. (El Imparcial)

→ Hurricane Polo regained Category 5 strength on Friday as it moved away from Mexico's Pacific coast, and forecasters say it could approach Baja California Sur early next week as a major hurricane. (Reuters)

📅 Sep 27 - Anniversary of the Consummation of Mexican Independence (1821)
The date the Army of the Three Guarantees entered Mexico City, officially completing independence from Spain. Distinct from September 16 which marks the start of the independence war in 1810.

📅 Oct 2 - Tlatelolco Massacre anniversary (1968)
On October 2, 1968, the Mexican army killed student protesters at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco, CDMX. Commemorations and marches take place in Mexico City every year. A solemn and politically significant date every expat in CDMX should know and respect.

📅 Oct 3 - Festival Internacional Cervantino begins, Guanajuato
One of the largest performing arts festivals in Latin America opens, running through October 18. The 54th edition features 2,746 artists from 29 countries, with France as the guest country of honor. Guanajuato fills completely - book accommodation far in advance.

See the full post + comments:
👉 IMWG Facebook Group post

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.