Visiting a new country can be an eye-opening experience in more ways than one, and moving is even more intense. From new delights, to utter culture shock, things are different, which often causes some worrying regardless. One of the biggest concerns you should have is safety. There are plenty of places in the world where you need to be extremely cautious, and others you should avoid altogether. What about stunning international San Miguel de Allende? Are there serious concerns you need to be aware of if you plan to move? It’s natural for you to worry, mostly if you haven’t spent much time in the city. Every place has it’s own unique challenges, but not all are scary or bad. I’ll explain what to look out for, and what is just paranoia so that you can enjoy your new home in SMA without added stress.
How safe is living in San Miguel De Allende? Living in San Miguel de Allende is exceptionally safe. While any tourist town has it’s share of crime, SMA isn’t a dangerous place to move. The sheer number of ex-pats can all attest to how delightful and relaxing it is to stroll the streets and enjoy the local culture as a permanent or part-time resident of the city.
What Is the Crime Rate in San Miguel de Allende
When you think about living in San Miguel de Allende, safety is paramount. So, what is the crime rate in SMA? Well, that’s a complicated question. The actual statistics are hard to find.
Numbeo offers some compelling sounding data. Moreover, they’ve been quoted by major news organizations. However, you need to consider the source. In this case, Numbeo gets its data from the users of the site and other web pages
. Anyone can contribute.
That’s pretty limited and open to interpretation. I mention this because it is the only ‘data’ sheet that comes up when you search for information about the crime rate. So, what is the reality?
As a city with sixty thousand plus inhabitants, crime is inevitable. Even small towns in first-world countries have crime rates. Unless you’re involved with gangs or drug trafficking, then the chances of running into a severe issue are close to nil. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no risk.
Any area with a lot of tourist trade is going to have pickpockets and scammers. For that matter, any city where there are crowds is likely to experience these problems. Taxi crime is far less common than in larger cities. Unfortunately, if you’re wondering whether you’ll get mugged walking back to your house drunk at night, the answer is the same anywhere in the world, maybe.
Practical Concerns for Living in Mexico
It would be best if you had common sense. To live in most places, you need the same necessary skills and awareness. However, choosing to live outside your country of origin requires extra understanding and a willingness to re-learn some things and adapt to local methods and procedures. Naturally, speaking the language is vital. Moreover, learning about local customs and behavior is equally important.
It helps to blend in a little rather than trying to stick out as much as possible. Even a person who is a foot taller than everyone around, with different skin and hair, can make an effort to mesh with a local community. Doing so makes a big difference.
Living in San Miguel de Allende means that having an alarm on your door is a good idea. Keep in mind that this is not because it’s SMA or Mexico, but rather because it’s a large-ish community. The good news is that the leadership in both San Miguel de Allende and Mexico as a whole are putting more effort than ever to provide police assistance to communities, particularly those that have a large population of tourists and ex-pats.
Once you realize the risks of living in Mexico, especially in San Miguel de Allende, there is nothing to worry about. You can start searching for your forever home. There are always outstanding real estate opportunities in SMA.
Safety Tips
If you want to be safer living in San Miguel de Allende, then don’t do things that make you a target. The following list is a few practical suggestions for safety.
- Make friends. This may seem odd, but merely knowing people, both ex-pat and local, will help you anywhere you live.
- Don’t get drunk. Anytime you lose your inhibitions and decrease your situational awareness, you are more accessible to take advantage of because you’re not fully present in the moment.
- Stay in at night. If you must go out in the evening, make sure you call for a cab and get door to door service.
- Don’t park on the narrow streets. San Miguel de Allende has narrow, hilly, winding roads. Not only will parking there make it more likely that you’ll end up with a dented car, but it also means your vehicle is out in the open.
- If you are parked in town, don’t leave enticing items in your car. A bag, wallet, or other indication of valuable content is a target thieves look for.
- Carry self-protection. Personal alarms and loud whistles will draw attention to you if anything happens. Pepper spray is very common, and you can carry it legally.
- Most importantly, be aware of what is going on around you.
Air Quality in San Miguel de Allende
Safety is about more than just crime in San Miguel de Allende, or anywhere else. The air quality is a concern if you have asthma or other breathing troubles. Pollen in the air, dust from construction, and vehicular pollution can cause significant issues for some.
Although the particulate matter can get high in a valley such as the one where SMA is located, it’s still well below places like Mexico City. You can check in on the realtime statistics for air pollution in San Miguel de Allende using the Purple Air Map.
Skip right past that apartment you looked at in Mexico City. Instead, look at homes and investment properties around San Miguel de Allende. You’ll breathe easier.
Watch Out for the Water
You may have heard the term Montezuma’s Revenge bandied about, but what does that mean. Mexico’s water system is outdated. The pipes are often subject to pollution from small breaks and other sources. In short, don’t drink the tap water.
Many tourists and residents have had health issues, typically stomach cramps and diarrhea, from ingesting the water. Bottled water is readily available everywhere. Make sure you don’t accidentally forget about this issue and brush your teeth or wash fruit using tap water.
Where to Live in San Miguel de Allende
There are genuinely stunning homes, no matter where you live in San Miguel de Allende, but some neighborhoods are safer than others. The same can be said of any city. However, it’s still wise to opt for housing in a better area whenever possible.
- Guadiana- The Guadiana neighborhood is among the wealthiest in SMA.
- Historic Centro- The beating heart of San Miguel de Allende often has a higher police presence, so safety there is better overall.
- Colonia Los Frailes- This neighborhood is arguably the most sought after real estate. A few minutes from the Historic Centro, CLF is a visually stunning yet quiet area.
- Balcones- Balcones is located on a hillside, which gives the homeowners in this area a stunning view of the city. Predictably, you’ll see lots of balconies here, and it’s often affectionately called “the neighborhood of golden sunsets.”
Wherever you choose to live in San Miguel de Allende, you will love the sheer beauty of this historic, Spanish colonial city. The friendly people and inviting weather will provide a perfect vacation home or retirement. Moreover, you won’t be alone because lots of ex-pats live in the area.
How Many Expats Live in SMA
Currently, San Miguel de Allende has a population of 59,691 people, which makes up approximately forty-four percent of the municipality’s total population. Most of these are local people. However, there are a surprising number of ex-pats in the area.
Not all the expatriates in SMA are American, or English speakers, but many are. It would behoove you to make friends with other ex-pats when you move to the area. Naturally, it would be best if you also befriended the locals, but knowing people who are in a similar living situation to your own is incredibly beneficial.
Roughly ten percent of the population in San Miguel de Allende are expatriates. Approximately five to seven thousand foreign-born people are living within the city. Thus about one in every ten people originally moved from somewhere outside the country.
It’s no real surprise that so many people want to live in picturesque, bohemian SMA. When you’re ready to move, finding real estate in San Miguel de Allende is simple. There are always homes for sale, plus there’s plenty of new construction as the city expands.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to worry about your safety living in San Miguel de Allende. Any town with sixty thousand-plus residents is bound to have some crime, but it’s safer there than in most large cities in the USA. A lot of the negative hype about life in Mexico is precisely that, overblown nonsense.
Like any area that draws people from all over the world, you are safer in many ways than you might be in a smaller and more impoverished area. SMA is a wealthy enough place that they have adequate law enforcement. Moreover, it’s a well-cultured area where people have good manners and know how to live peacefully together.
Moving to San Miguel de Allende will change your life for the best. With a little common sense, you will be safe and sound.