What we love about living in Riviera Maya, Mexico

We were recently chatting with some friends about the possibility of them moving to Mexico.  Although they have visited the area several times and have always enjoyed themselves, they had not thought about pulling up stakes in their home country of Canada and moving to Mexico, until recently.  The conversation turned to Mexico and all the things we like about living here.  So, here’s a list of things we like about Mexico.  They are not in any particular order, just areas that really stand out for us and make living here a blessing.


Cost of living – We live in one of the wealthiest areas in the United States.  Which also means that everything in said area is very expensive.  However, we purchased our condo in Mexico for a third of the price of our home in the United States.  Our finances go much, much, further in Mexico. For example, purchasing a fresh pineapple in Mexico is less than half of what we pay in the United States.

Lifestyle – We live in a walking community.  We walk to the local grocery store, pharmacy, the farmers market, hardware stores, barber shop, nail salon, etc.  And the colectivo (bus stop) is right outside our community front gate making it easy to go into Playa, Cancun and any other place.  It's great not owning a car here.

Weather – There is something to be said about beautiful weather year-round.  We love the heat and the humidity.  It has cut the cost of creams and lotions for dry skin, and our hair and skin love to soak up the moisture in the air.  

Greenery – Every day we fall in love with all the greenery.  We recently read an article about the health benefits of living in an area with lots of trees.  We wake up every morning looking at the trees and blooms and it’s the last thing we see when we go to sleep at night. 

Bright colors – In addition to the beautiful trees, we absolutely love all the bright, colorful flowers that the trees produce. We are always in awe that whatever time of year it is in Mexico, there are beautiful blooms everywhere.  What’s not to love.

The Joneses – We just don’t see that here.  People are just trying to live their lives and don’t seem to be worried about what others are doing.  We just don’t see the type of consumerism in Mexico that you see in the United States.  In other words,…no McMansions here.  

Friendly – We have found that people are much friendlier here in their social and family relations.  They tend to work together for the benefit of the group.  Whenever we are out and about, we are always greeted with smiles and a warm buenos dias or buenos tardes or buenos noches!

The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) – We love how Mexico celebrates and honors their ancestors, family and friends that have passed.  The passion is hard to miss or ignore.  Watching this celebratory process somehow makes one less afraid of leaving this earth.   When you get a chance, watch the Disney movie called: Coco.  It's a great story about Dia de Muertos. 

The beach – We are a short 8-minute walk to the beach, which means that you will find us there almost every day.  In addition, we also enjoy going to other nearby beaches which are just a short colectivo ride away.  With the sand between our toes and the sun on our faces, it just doesn’t get any better than that. 

The birds – My oh my how we love the sweet sounds of all the wonderful birds.  Although we are not bird watchers, we have become quite accustomed to hearing and seeing certain birds.  In fact, we have gotten good at recognizing the different sounds, so when a new bird enters the cacophony, we immediately notice its’ presence.  And sometimes, if we are quick enough, we get to see the birds nibbling at the blossoms outside our balcony; we’ve seen toucans, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, jays, just to name a few.

Dress code – Sundresses, shorts, tops, flip-flops, swimsuits, swim trunks and our wide brim hats.  We love that this is our dress code 365 days a year.  It’s just so relaxing and comforting to know that we don’t need to worry about what to wear day in and day out.  Our only and biggest challenge is which swimsuit or swim trunks will we wear today.

No junk mail – We know that probably sounds silly, but we swear we haven’t received any junk mail since moving to Mexico.  AND WE LOVE IT.  

Cost of medical, dental and optical health care – The cost is very reasonable but remember to shop around to ensure quality care and service.  

History and Culture – With ancient ruins and vibrant, multi-ethic culture, there is never a dull moment in Mexico! There are always some type of celebrations, fiestas…any excuse to have a party!

So, what do you like about Mexico? What keeps you coming back?
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