Living in San Miguel de Allende is enchanting, but it’s not the same as being in a typical American city or even a small US town. There are some adjustments to make. Moreover, there are even some downsides to consider. Before you change your entire life, it’s vital to look at both sides. You must be adaptable to leave your home country and move to another place and another climate on top of it. If you’re not yet aware, living in a different country is more than a language and some music. More importantly, there are a lot of misconceptions about life in Mexico, thanks to a biased media source. While some of the things you may have heard are doubtless based in truth, you don’t have the whole story. Moving from a first-world country that is arguably in collapse to a second world country that is on the rise doesn’t mean all things are equal. However, there’s a lot to love about life in Mexico.
The Pros of San Miguel de Allende
When comparing the pros and cons of living in San Miguel de Allende, the hardest part is keeping the list of pros down to a reasonable limit. It is not hard to wax poetic about this visually stunning, incredibly welcoming, cost-effective, bohemian beauty of a historic city. I’ll try to keep a lid on my enthusiasm and explain some of the primary bonuses.
Moving to Mexico, regardless of where is going to reduce your cost of living significantly. The food, culture, and people are some of the most outstanding you could ever ask for. That said, SMA has some unique benefits.
Everyone is Welcome
The attractions alone could keep you busy for years. From botanical gardens and natural hot springs to a vast concert hall and more art galleries than I could list if I had ten pages, there’s plenty to see. The statue garden and historic Centro area are both worthy of many visits. Plus, you can get a Starbucks coffee, of all things, in the city center while looking at the Spanish architecture, manicured gardens, and flow of city life.
One of the hardest things about being in San Miguel de Allende is deciding what to do first
. Beyond mere tourism, the locals love the many charming and unexpected places that fill their town. You could spend years wandering up and down SMA’s cobbled streets and still never see it all.
Families will find excellent schools for children of all ages, including two outstanding art colleges. The parks and other public areas are ideal for a simple walk together, and you’ll see plenty of other kids playing. However, young adults and free spirits over the drinking age certainly don’t lack for nightlife.
Whatever your age, or style, there’s a place for you in San Miguel de Allende. That’s why so many expatriates choose to buy homes here. Real estate in SMA is varied and plentiful, so you’ll have no trouble finding the right home.
Whether you want to kick back by the pool and watch the sunset or go dancing every weekend, San Miguel de Allende is the place to be for people who know how to enjoy life. The international appeal of SMA is evident from the moment you first see the cobbled streets.
For those seeking an openminded place to live in Mexico, you’ll find SMA is home to a large Pride festival. The history of the city is tied as deeply to alt-culture and artistic expression as it is to the Spanish colonial period. Ultimately, you get the best of both in a historic area that has a modern sense of joie de vivre.
The Cons of San Miguel de Allende
Even a picturesque paradise, like San Miguel de Allende, has a downside, so I’ll share a few of the cons to life in San Miguel de Allende. First, let’s talk about the tourists because you will see plenty of them. Moreover, even after living in Mexico for years, most people will still look or at least sound more like a tourist than the natives.
A notably frustrating thing for those of us who are more used to American cities is the parking. A lot of the streets in SMA are narrow, and they wind up and down the hills. If you were thinking about bringing a car, you’d find parking is a bit difficult when it’s available at all.
Dominoes, Dr. Pepper, and drinking tap water are all things you’re going to need to leave behind. Like all of Mexico, it’s not a good idea to drink sink water, which is why potable water is so ubiquitous and inexpensive. As for delivery pizzas and Pepsi brand soft drinks, they simply don’t exist in most of Mexico. Although there are a few places you can still get a slice when you’re feeling nostalgic, they won’t be easy to find, and you may need to take a bus to nearby Mexico City.
Culture shock is a very real thing. However, it’s also something most people get past reasonably quickly. Things that seem strange or confusing at first will slowly disappear into the realm of entertaining memory.
Though it’s not a serious concern for ex-pats, the popularity of the area has caused some gentrification. As property values rise, costs go with them, which can leave life-long natives a little restless. However, it also makes this an ideal time to look into buying a home in San Miguel de Allende since the value of your investment will almost certainly continue to rise.
How to Decide if SMA is Right for You
Choosing a place to live is not like buying socks online. You need to understand the pros and cons of a place like San Miguel de Allende before you set your heart on living there. After all, bad socks are a lot easier to return, or get rid of, than a whole city that doesn’t fit. Fortunately, there are some easy questions you can ask yourself before you move that will help you decide.
First, if you plan to work in Mexico, you need to be proficient in Spanish. However, the even bigger question is always about the job market. Those who want to open their own businesses will find plenty of opportunities. Still, job seekers will also be glad to know that SMA is a bustling city of sixty thousand people, with a considerable tourist trade every year.
In short, there are jobs. Moreover, it’s a fairly quick bus ride to Mexico City if you need supplies, amenities, or jobs you cannot get locally. However, for retirees, this is a non-issue.
The second question should always be about available housing. Will you be able to find a home in San Miguel de Allende? Again the answer is a resounding yes. Furthermore, buying real estate in San Miguel de Allende is a wise investment. Property values are on the rise.
Third, everyone knows the cost of living in Mexico is less than the US, but how much will you really save? The city has a huge ex-pat community driving a lot of the town upmarket. Although SMA is a well known and traveled location, your USD will still go a whole lot further.
It’s not as big a difference as you might think. Typically, things in Mexico, other than imported name brand items, cost a half to a third of what they do in the US. This includes everything from homes, cars, and private school for the kids to milk from your local grocery store.
Finally, ask if you’re ready to let go. If you can live with visiting friends and family less often and making more skype calls, that’s a start. More importantly, can you live with relaxing and learning to go with the flow of a slower-paced, and often more enjoyable life in Mexico?
Other Common Questions
Other common questions for people who are considering a move include things like, ‘how is the weather and is the crime rate high?’ In San Manuel de Allende, you’ll find warm to hot summers with an extended rainy season that begins around May. Winters are cold but never frigid. However, being closer to the equator means adapting to more UV light, so plan to wear long-sleeved light weight shirts or lots of sunscreen.
As for the crime rate, SMA is an incredibly safe city. You’d be in more significant danger visiting New Orleans, LA, New York, or Vegas anytime. What little crime there is seldom involves most people. So long as you stay away from really rough areas, of which there are very few, and ‘the bad crowd,’ you shouldn’t have to worry about it.
Final Thoughts
Whether you come for a visit, or you never want to leave San Miguel de Allende, every place has pros and cons. The biggest secret to fearless travel and relocation is information. One news story or one set of vacation photos is not enough to tell you whether you will enjoy a place.
By spending some time to get to know more about a place, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. More importantly, you can avoid missing out on some of the best parts of any area. No one should pick a place on a map and decide they want to live there. Instead, come and visit on vacation, or rent a place to stay a few weeks or even months.
San Miguel de Allende is unutterably beautiful, but you won’t honestly know that until you spend some time in this incredible city. Regardless of the differences and some ‘cons,’ most people love it, and you probably will as well.