Looking for American Expats in Mexico City?

Thinking about moving to Mexico City as an American? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider 2026 survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year. The points below reflect what US American expats in Mexico City wrote in their own words, backed up by survey percentages from all expats living there.

• The food and culture are extraordinary. Mexico City tops the survey here — 98% of expats rate culinary variety positively and 96% culture and nightlife, with endless museums, art, and activities.

• People are warm and it's easy to belong. 91% feel welcome, 86% rate locals as friendly, and 65% say making local friends is easy — well above the global average of 39%.

• The weather and outdoor life are a draw. 84% rate the climate and weather positively and 95% opportunities for recreational sports.

• It's affordable and easy to pick up. 55% rate the general cost of living positively and 75% say Spanish is easy to learn (vs. 39% globally).

• Air quality is the biggest problem. Just 12% of expats in Mexico City rate air quality positively — one of the lowest scores anywhere — with traffic and noise adding to it.

• Safety takes adjusting. Only 60% rate personal safety positively (vs. 81% globally), and crime is a recurring concern.

• Bureaucracy and politics frustrate. Just 26% find dealing with authorities easy and 40% rate political stability positively.

• The city is crowded and noisy. Congestion, noise, and some note a rising number of Americans come up as everyday frictions.

For Americans, Mexico City offers world-class food and culture, warm people, and an affordable, creative, welcoming life. The trade-offs are air quality, safety, and the crush of a huge city. For culture and community over calm and clean air, few places match it.

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys for expats — Expat Insider — where we ask people living around the world about every aspect of expat life. We’ve rounded up key facts about the typical American expat: what motivated them to move to a new country, what they enjoy about life abroad, as well as what they struggle with the most.

We have prepared a list of quotes from our American members, where they have shared their positive and negative opinions about expat life in Mexico City. Let's begin with the positives.

• Browse our network of members to get to know American expats in Mexico City and connect with others.
• Take part in our expat forums to get firsthand tips and information from fellow Americans in Mexico City.
• Meet other American expats and global minds at 600 monthly official events and share your interests at more than 4,600 monthly activities in Mexico City and across the globe.

InterNations provides an easy, casual way to get to know expats from the USA and further afield in your local community. Sound good? Then let us welcome you into our Mexico City Community today!

Our community in Mexico City is also very active offline. Our InterNations Ambassadors organize regular events and various expat activities, e.g. a dinner in Mexico City’s hippest restaurant or an outing with other American expats to explore the Yucatán peninsula. These activities are a casual way to get to know expats from the USA in your local community as well as Americans in Mexico nationwide. Interested? Simply become a member and we’ll be happy to welcome you among our Americans living in Mexico City!