Mexico is currently one of the top destinations for digital nomads, especially those coming from the States.
It is world-famous for its warm climate, vibrant culture, attractive consumer prices, and great quality of life, but as recent migration trends have shown, there is one city in Mexico that nomads have shown a clear preference for when making the move South.
Home to over 20 million locals already, Mexico City now has a thriving community of remote workers, but why is it so popular among this subcategory of expats, and why have they seemingly embraced it as a safe haven?
CDMX Is Mexico’s Nomad Capital
According to a report by the World Population Review, the population of Mexico City has grown by about 600,000 people from 2019 to 2022 – coincidentally, or perhaps not, the period that comprised the global pandemic, and the rise of the digital nomad.
While it is not possible to establish how many of those expats are working remotely and have deliberately chosen Mexico City (CDMX) as their home base, we can infer the number is high, with as many as 150,000 nomads living in the capital ‘at any given time‘.
So what makes CDMX so irresistible?
First of all, we must take a closer look at the nomad trend itself.
Mexico City Just Ticks All The Boxes
It’s no surprise nomads have historically chosen destinations where there is a big, consolidated expat community, not only because they feel more welcome, and it’s easier to integrate and immediately feel at home, but because services tend to be better.
Cities that are used to the presence of foreigners are likely to have higher rates of English speakers, as they are more multicultural, and they usually have better infrastructure, as the influx of dollars, and the market’s overall competitivity both foster economic growth.
On Nomadlist, the leading platform for digital nomads in the web, Mexico City reaches ‘great’ status in the ‘community score’.
Quality of life is yet another factor in the decision-making process, as there is no point moving city, or even more drastically, moving country if you are not going to have access to equivalent or better services, or you will meet other significant challenges you wouldn’t have had you stayed home.
This is a sprawling capital city with a wide range of services available: whether you feel more productive in coworking spaces, cafes, or public libraries, you will have no shortage of options to pick from relocating to Mexico City.
The overall ‘Quality of Life Score’ on Nomadist is an acceptable ‘okay’, probably kept from being ‘great’ by Mexico City’s crime levels, urban pollution, and chaotic traffic, but we must take into consideration this is a city larger than New York, and big city problems are expected.
With that being said, the low cost of living, the year-round balmy temperatures, and the food safety – all categories CDMX apparently excels at – help balance the score.
CDMX Is Cheaper To Live In
In fact, affordability is one of the main reasons why nomads are flocking into Mexico City, despite recent reports of gentrification.
While prices may have increased since Americans started moving to the capital region in droves, importing their high living standards and expenditure and thus bringing up prices for locals and budget-conscious nomads alike, CDMX is still fairly affordable.
You are expected to spend, on average, US$1,914 per month residing in Mexico City.
Last but not least, nomads are actively seeking destinations where they won’t have to struggle to find that cozy nook to work from when they need some time away from their B&B, and the cultural and financial heart of Mexico has a plethora of work-friendly spots you could never exhaust.
Additionally, these long-term travelers favor cities and countries with reliable internet, seeing that having a stable connection is paramount when you’re a digital nomad.
Lucky for them, CDMX has a ‘good’ average internet speed at 11 Mbps.
As you can see, Mexico City is a textbook example of a successful, self-made digital nomad capital.
CDMX Is Easy To Migrate To
In the last three years, the number of Americans applying for or renewing residency visas in Mexico soared by about 70%, as per data released by Mexico’s Migration Policy Unit, and there’s no doubt digital nomads make up a sizable portion of that sum.
In reality, however, it is still impossible to determine how many of them are actually living in CDMX or Mexico as a whole, as the vast majority will be living South of the border only temporarily under tourist visa rules.
Mexico has one of the most generous visa policies in the world, allowing Americans to enter visa-free for up to six months – and it only takes a quick search at Facebook groups for residents in Mexico or Telegram transmission channels to see that there may be millions more than the official figure.
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