Here are a variety of reasons that contribute to the growing population of retired and semi-retired people to our beautiful piece of paradise:

LAND OWNERSHIP: Mexico has instituted strong measures to encourage foreign investment in real estate here, and laws protecting these investments. Foreigners can now own deeded and titles land anywhere in the country, except for within 100 kilometers of national borders or 50 kilometers of the ocean where a bank trust device is approved.

The bank trust is basically a ‘legal third party’ whose beneficiary is the owner of the land (for example, you). The bank trust actually holds the deed and title to your land, and you may then do what you want with the property…build on it, rent it, sell it, bequeath it in your will, whatever…the same as any Mexican can. The trust in effect ‘leases’ the property to you. Current trusts are valid for 50 years, with a 50 year renewal.

MEXICAN ECONOMY: The economy of Mexico has been aided drastically by NAFTA, and the days of worries about another crisis with the Peso are now just a distant memory. The economy continues to flourish, and the growth of international trade with countries OTHER than the United States has helped to insure that any setback in the U.S. economy will not have disastrous effects here.

COST OF LIVING: While Mexico is no longer the comparative ‘bargain’ that it was in years past (due then to an unstable Peso and shaky national economics), it still can mean a huge improvement in your lifestyle given your available funds and income. Food, gasoline, and electricity costs are on par with those up north; home heating costs are of course non-existent; and other essentials can be vary wildly (clothing, for example, can be downright dirt-cheap here; home electronics and computers are considerably more expensive than in the U.S or Canada). Hired labor is a real bargain…many people who would never think of having a maid back home now employ one here with minimal effect on their income, and maximum effect on their enjoyment of life.

And in fact, you can spend as much as you like, if you desire and have the means for an above-average or even lavish lifestyle. However, those on a more limited income often find that living in or around Puerto Vallarta can represent a large savings over living in their current location…especially if that location is a major city, and even more so if that city is in the western part of the country where real-estate and other costs have skyrocketed over the past decade or so.

A retired city employee from Portland Oregon told us “My less-than $1000 (usd) monthly pension would require me to really scrimp back home, but down here I can get by with ease, with more amenities, and with a ten-fold increase in overall life enjoyment. The money I received from the sale of my house in Oregon was more then enough to purchase a great home here, and left me with a substantial nest egg too.”

Bear in mind that while your cost of living can be lower in Mexico, don’t expect to move here into a luxurious beach-front condo if your current income does not allow you to live in some sort of similarly luxurious accommodations in your current location. Still, ‘up-grading’ your lifestyle somewhat is a realistic expectation if you are willing to be patient and exceptionally thorough in your investigation of opportunities in Vallarta.

ATTITUDE: For most people, of course, the biggest attractions to retirement and living in Puerto Vallarta are the beautiful beaches, enjoying the envy of their friends back home, and the laid-back atmosphere. Mexican lifestyle is indeed much less hectic than the pace of life in any U.S or Canadian city. While this actually can present a problem to some who enjoy a fast-paced social life, most people find the slower speed of life to be refreshing and relaxing.

The attitude of Mexicans towards ‘gringos’ who move into their neighborhoods is initially that of curiosity, quickly turning to full acceptance, and finally (if you are so inclined) that of a friendly neighbor. Remember that Puerto Vallarta has been welcoming gringos to its town for almost 50 years now, from the time this was accurately described as merely a “village”, so the arrival of more is no big event. The Mexican people are, by their very nature, typically warm, friendly, and inviting. The personal experiences related to us by dozens of ‘ex-patriots’ confirm this, and if you are friendly as well, you’ll be treated as a friend in your new neighborhood in short order.

A MOVE TO ANY FOREIGN COUNTRY should not be taken without a considerable amount of due-diligence, any more than you would move to another state without first knowing some vital information about your destination. We invite you to consider all the information presented here…use the links on this page for more information specific to retirement in or around Puerto Vallarta, and search out more general information in our Puerto Vallarta Index, an A-to-Z guide to everything Vallarta, on the left side of each page on this site.