Digital Nomad Family in Mexico: Why Playa del Carmen is their Safe Haven

Last Updated on November 4, 2023 by Kirsten Raccuia

Tell me about yourself.

This is always an interesting question, and my wife and I never know how to answer. My wife and I are from Warren, Ohio, which is nothing to be excited about. I moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and after we started dating my wife moved in 2017. When we decided to leave California, we were living in San Diego. We are currently living in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We’ve been here for 5 months and plan to apply for temporary residency in Mexico.

Why did you decide to move to Playa del Carmen, Mexico?

We decided to move to Mexico because we didn’t have many other options. Our family gap year plans were canceled, so we spent months trying to figure out where we could go. After getting laid off from my job in August, we knew we had to cut our expenses. Mexico was the best option because the cost of living is in Playa del Carmen is low and the water is warm.

Before moving we’d never been to Playa Del Carmen, we just knew we wanted to be near a beach on the Caribbean side of Mexico.

What struggles did you have when you decided to leave your old life behind and become digital nomads with a baby?

We didn’t have many struggles leaving our old life. The most difficult thing was trying to get our family to understand our plans. We lived in California without any family, so it made leaving easy. We didn’t really consider it home; it was just comfortable.

What is the cost of living like in Playa del Carmen for your nomadic family?

The cost of living here is one of the reasons we’ve decided to move to Playa Del Carmen instead of going to a different state in Mexico. Our monthly budget was $800 a month as a family of three, which includes rent, taxies, groceries, and entertainment. Our expenses have increased because we hired a nanny to watch our son 20 hours a week, but even that is affordable at $400 a month.

We can send him to a private preschool for $200 a month, but we are weary because of flu season and the current pandemic situation. For now, we will stick with our nanny, because she’s awesome.

Food here is very affordable if you shop like a local. If you like to eat a lot of western food, you will pay more.

The one thing that is less expensive here than in the states in alcohol, especially Tequila. I got a bottle of Jack Daniels (honey) for $8, that would have cost me $20 in San Diego.

A quick look at our monthly budget:

• Rent – $400
• Groceries & Dining out – $250
• Taxis – $60
• Misc – $90
• Nanny – $400

Monthly Budget – $1,250 per month

Our previous budget was $2,500 a month while in San Diego

Is there is a language barrier?

There is a language barrier with many locals because they do not speak English. I can get by with my broken Spanish, but I’m also learning, and the locals help me because they see I am trying.

How have you supported yourself financially throughout your time abroad?

We are fortunate enough to have a decent savings account that can support us for a few years. Since I was laid off from my job, I received unemployment (delayed by several months) for a few weeks. Recently, I started with a new company in a job I’ve been doing for almost 10 years. I can do the job from anywhere, so I will likely work for the next year or two to build up our savings before working on our blogs full-time.

Along with working, our digital nomad family blog, It’z a Family Thing, started making money during the pandemic, which was a huge surprise.

It’s encouraging to see a family travel blog starting to make money when no one is traveling, so we’re hoping to become full-time bloggers thanks to our main site and a few other niche sites we started.

What is your favorite part of your digital nomad family lifestyle?

My favorite part about our digital nomad lifestyle is the freedom. Waking up every day and deciding what to do and how to do it. The time I get to spend with my family is amazing. The regrets I had in my previous life are gone because I can be present with my son.

We don’t have to wait until the weekend to live our lives, we live every day.

Do you need a visa to live in Mexico? Was it easy to get?

Mexico is one of the best places to visit because the tourist visa is 180 days. Keep in mind, it is up to the immigration officer if they will grant you a 180-day visa, but most of the time they do. We plan to apply for temporary residency, so we don’t have to make visa runs.

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Was it easy to make friends? Do you socialize mainly with locals, expats, digital nomads?

We’ve made a lot of different friends thanks to Facebook groups, and WhatApp chat groups. Our situation is a little different because we came to Mexico with a 19-month-old, who is now two years old.

We look for other families with kids around our son’s age, so our social life is much different than a backpacker or solo traveler. Our social group is a mixture of expats and locals. Our main priority is having kids around so our son can socialize and learn how to share lol.

What’s the best thing about being digital nomad parents living in Mexico?

The best thing about living in Mexico is the people. We’ve started becoming more involved in our community (we live in a neighborhood with locals, not a high-rise condo), and it’s been amazing.

Are there any negatives about living in Mexico?

The main negative about living in Mexico is having to pay the “gringo” price, especially given the current state of the world. We were ripped off by a taxi driver when we were charged 3 times the normal price for a ride to our Airbnb. We paid 200 pesos for something that should have been 60 pesos. The difference is $3 versus $10.

We were only in Mexico a few weeks and didn’t know the normal prices. Now that we’ve been here for some time, we do not accept blatant ripoffs. As “tourists” we understand locals are only trying to make a living, so we gladly pay a higher price that is reasonable.

This isn’t a negative, but the difficult part about living in Mexico is the condition a lot of people live in. We are fortunate enough to make a good living, but many people here do what they can to get by. It tugs at my heartstrings when I see kids who are small for their age because they aren’t getting enough food.

Any advice for people who want to move to Mexico as a digital nomad family or expat?

If you plan on moving to Mexico I say, go for it. Join Facebook expat groups, they are full of useful information.

There is a fear that Mexico is unsafe, but it is no more dangerous than some major cities in America. Oftentimes in life we regret what we didn’t do more than what we do. You have to ask yourself; would you rather live with a mistake or regret?

What does home mean to you?

We honestly don’t feel like we have a home. Although we are from Ohio, I haven’t lived there for almost 10 years since moving to California. Home is wherever we are together. To us home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.

What do you miss most about America?

Honestly, Chick-Fil-A is the only thing I miss about America. We don’t plan on moving back to America anytime in the near future.

What’s the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make being a digital nomad family in Mexico?

The biggest adjustment we’ve had to make since moving to Mexico is slowing down. We aren’t in a rush anymore because we actually have time now. But luckily, no real culture shock.

How is the quality of life in Playa del Carmen in terms of safety, healthcare, cost of living?

Our quality of life in Mexico is 100x better than when we were in San Diego. Although it’s great for us, our money goes further here. Many locals can’t afford the things we are able to because wages are lower, but overall a lot of things are more affordable.

My wife had an ear infection and was able to go to the doctor and get medicine for $15 total. You did not read that wrong, it only cost $15 to see a doctor and get antibiotic and pain medicine for her ear.

Overall, it’s a lot more affordable here than in the US by our standards. Daycare in the US is 4x what it would cost to send our 2-year-old to a bilingual private school here. After flu season we will likely enroll him into school, at $200 a month that’s a steal.

We walk around our neighborhood without feeling unsafe, and honestly given the events over the last couple of years in the US we felt safer in Mexico. We’ve had some scary experiences in the US as black women, so being in Mexico has been a breath of fresh air.

Do you feel like you fit in culturally?

I don’t think we fit in, but I am glad we are somewhat accepted. Since we travel with our son people are more open and friendly, especially since our little guy is so social. Babies and young kids are a universal language – you just can’t help smiling.

How does the work-life culture differ from the US?

The major difference here is the mentality that everyone not only works, but they have side hustles. The entire family helps make money for everyone, so the only day off many people get is Sunday.

Did you find any great resources when planning your move?

The best resources were expat groups on Facebook and joining WhatsApp chat groups. There are different groups depending on your interest and they are helpful.

Hindsight is 20/20. Would you have done anything differently?

I wish I would have known about prices before being willing to pay outrageous amounts.

I would not have relied on Airbnb as much as we did. It would have been a lot cheaper to find a place when we arrived, which we eventually did but we paid too much for the location we were at. Sometimes less is more. Just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you should buy it or spend the money.

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Thank you so much for sharing, Corritta! I so appreciate all your insight and thoughts on your nomad family life in Mexico.
XO, K❣️

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