Yucatan Survivor

Rumor has it that you can move to the Yucatan and live like a millionaire. As with most rumors, there is a kernel of truth to the lies… find out more about the real costs of living in the Yucatan, now updated with 2013 prices, and comparisons to 2008 and 2011. Even if you live here, the trends are interesting!

Here’s a quick overview of important tax issues for American expatriates living in Mexico, including Mexican tax rates and US IRS requirements…

Many of us encounter more trouble than we’re used to taking care of everything from computers to microwave ovens living in the Yucatan. Ants, lightning and fluctuating power can cause havoc with seemingly simple appliances. Here’s how to guard against damage…

Thinking of moving to the Yucatan? One of our regular contributors, Byron Augustin, reflects on the process of moving to and settling into life in Mexico in the town of Valladolid…

Shopping for furniture to fill up that beautiful new home you are buying or renovating in Merida? Here’s an update on the lowdown on some of the best places to buy furniture in Merida and what to keep in mind when you are buying…

Whether you are new to Merida or have been here for years, you might enjoy this rundown by a local expat of the basic types of yoga classes and a list of Merida yoga studios and teachers.

It is easier to buy a car here sometimes than import one. Here are some tips from regular contributor, Dr. Steven Fry, on how and where to look for a used car in Merida, and what to check for once you find one you like…

For most of us, learning Spanish is both a chore and a treat. Here is a comprehensive and updated list of the many schools that teach Spanish (and other languages!) in Merida and Progreso…

The new Yucatan Rules of the Road is a 288-page document that will take months to digest. However, here are the highlights and important points to know now in an article that will be updated as we discover more…

So you have just bought your colonial home in the historical center of Merida, moved in all your furniture and planted a couple of bougainvilleas in the patio. You step up to the bathroom sink to wash your hands, but when you turn on the faucet, nothing happens…

Lately, we have been getting a number of requests for information about the safety of traveling to and within Mexico. We invited Dorothy and Bill Bell to give us the benefit of their experience…

Here is an addendum to our popular article, the Final Adios, which talks about end-of-life issues here in Merida. This is a firsthand account of dealing with the death of an expat in Merida…

Bridging the gap between ourselves and the local Maya culture can start by learning some basic conversational Mayan Language phrases with Dr. Steven Fry…

A first hand account of how easy it was and was not to renew her FM3 visa, by Lorna Gail, a Merida veteran expat…

When you live here, you cannot help but notice how many beautiful flowering trees there are… one or two for every season, at least! Jim Conrad, a naturalist who is currently spending time near Chichen Itza, gives us a rundown on the most common trees you see…

There are venomous snakes in the Yucatan, and even a few very poisonous ones. And there are a lot of snakes that are harmless and help keep down the rodent population… shouldn’t you know the difference?

Dialing between a cell phone and a land line in Mexico gets confusing. Add in area codes and neighborhoods and country codes, and most of us are just stumped. Here’s the instructions you need to call from anywhere to anywhere in Mexico.

Every year about this time, talk turns to paying dues. There are taxes on your house and your car that have to be paid at the beginning of the year… well, at least as close to the beginning of the year as you can manage.

Though we aren’t particularly fond of paying for insurance, we’re old and wise enough to know that we need it. Here’s what we’ve found is available and necessary for auto, home and health insurance these days…

We all get our electricity here in Mexico from the same place: CFE. We recently learned something very important about how rates are calculated and we thought we would pass on our hard-earned information…

We don’t like to think about it, but the truth is we’re going to die. And some of us might die far from home. Read ‘The Final Adios’, prepared by local expats, to be sure that you are prepared…

Everyone we know is disturbed by the garbage situation in the Yucatan and in Mexico. We knew it was only a matter of time before the country started to take this matter seriously. Here’s a new program that deals with one part of the issue: disposing of batteries. Here’s how to do it safely in Merida…

Writing checks was something we did with our eyes closed back in the States. Not so in Mexico! Here, when we write a check, we turn down the music, stop talking and concentrate…

A favorite pasttime for many expatriates in Yucatan is photography. One resident expert give us his approach to capturing those special moments and images we often find here…

Where do you go in Merida to find old doors, statues, wrought iron and other lovely things to add that special touch to your colonial home? Well, we’ve made a list…

Inevitably, as a gringo living in the Yucatan, you will probably own a pet or rescue one. Here’s our experience as pet owners in Merida…

When you are in a panic, but you don’t know the language, finding the information you need can be a problem. Yucatan Living has a solution…

After procrastinating for several years using pay-as-you-go cell phone cards, Working Gringa learns what it takes to establish a “real” cell phone account in Merida.

Like any tropical environment, Yucatan has its share of insectos. From the best to the worst, here is our list of the top ten insects in Yucatan…

If you live in Yucatan, sooner or later you’ll need to read and speak some Mayan. Here are the basics of how the language works…

Finding a school for your English-speaking child in Merida is not easy if you don’t speak Spanish. We’ve done some of the legwork for you…

Many readers who plan to visit the Yucatan ask us about our driving experiences here. It’s not uncommon to read cautions from official websites and popular travel guides, or to hear rather negative anecdotal experiences that make it sound as if Mexico eats road warriors alive…

When Working Gringa got a cast on her left foot, we started pondering all the different things that Merida will deliver straight to our door…

We promised to explain why you should not put paper in a Mexican toilet, and we’re not going to let you down…

As relatively novice expats, for the last five years we have harbored a secret little worry that if something goes wrong with us medically, the chance of disaster is higher here in Mexico than it might be otherwise…

You’ve probably heard all kinds of horror stories: long lines in the hot sun and longer waits in chilly, air conditioned rooms packed with total strangers who don’t speak your language, an endless list of invasive questions about your family, medical history and possible criminal past…

Nothing we say will ever prepare you for the unique experience of doing what it takes to get Yucatan license plates on your gringo automobile…

The seasons turn quickly here, and this sudden change of weather tells us we’re about to pay for our paradise with a little hay calor! (it’s hot!). Here are a few tips from the locals on how to beat the heat…

Many people who travel to the Yucatan or contemplate living here worry about the water. Almost every guide book and travel web site, and even the U.S. State Department, caution not to drink the water in Mexico or risk being yet another victim of the dreaded “Montezuma’s Revenge”…

The experience of banking in Mexico is nothing if not frustrating. And yet, it has improved SO much over the few years since we moved here…