Is Mexico safe? Mexico is home to vibrant nightlife, breath-taking natural spots, and culture with a strong influence from ancient civilizations. However, even with all of the many benefits digital nomads can get from visiting Mexico, there are still fears about safety. Especially for those new to travel and living abroad, going to Mexico can feel like a risk. But does that need to be the case? Let’s dive into why Mexico should be on your travel list and break down the safest cities for digital nomads.

In 2021, the Expat Insider survey ranked Mexico second out of 59 countries as the best destination for expats in 2021. The country has been on the list since 2014, and it has just moved up from the 2017 edition of the same survey when it was considered the third best destination for expats. 

Mexico has also rated the number one country in the survey’s Ease of Settling In Index. Overall, 85% of the people surveyed find it easy to settle down in Mexico and 78% say it is also easy to make local friends. It also does really well in the Personal Finance and Cost of Living indices, with 80% of expats saying they are satisfied with their financial situation while living in the country.

However, like any other country in the world, there are places―mostly rural and those close to the U.S. border―that have a reputation for not being as safe as they could be. The survey mentioned above also found that 20% of expats in the country are concerned about their personal safety. Despite that, 89% of expats in Mexico are happy with their life in general and place the country first worldwide for personal happiness. 

When it comes to safety, it is usually not a country as a whole that is unsafe, but rather, certain areas of certain cities. So while Mexico does have some risks overall, many cities are safe, secure, and great options not only for expats and tourists but also digital nomads.

Top Three Safest Cities in Mexico

How can we know what are the safest cities in Mexico? Well, the National Survey of Urban Public Security is carried out by the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) to determine the public’s perception of personal safety in several cities across the country. This survey gauges people’s safety concerns regarding different threats, from robbery and drug dealing to vandalism and drunk driving.

The latest study, whose results were released in January, 2021, was carried out in the fourth quarter of 2020 and surveyed more than 25,500 homes in 70 different cities. It ranks the safest places in Mexico based on how unsafe their residents feel in the city they live in; that is, the greater the percentage, the more dangerous a city is. Here are the top three cities in Mexico with the lowest percentage of inhabitants feeling unsafe:

San Pedro Garza García

San Pedro Garza García is a “suburb” of the capital of Nuevo León, Monterrey. It is home to lots of international businesses, expats, shopping, and more. It’s characterized by its modern architecture, the presence of regional offices, and is recognized as one of the Mexican cities that generates the highest income per capita in the country.

In 2020, only 11.7% of San Pedro Garza García’s population aged 18 years old or more felt unsafe in the city. This significantly low perception of insecurity gives the place the title of the safest city in Mexico for both long-term digital nomads and temporary tourists. 

The numbers on crime back that up. According to another study published in 2020 by INEGI, the Mexican state of Nuevo León had 987 homicides in 2019, which translates into a rate of 18 homicides―a kind of violent crime―per one thousand inhabitants. At the same time, Sunnyvale, the safest city in the US according to the 2021 SmartAsset study, has a violent crime rate of 167 for every 100,000 residents. And what’s more, the numbers presented in the INEGI study for San Pedro Garza García are projected to fall significantly for the years to come.

These positive safety stats combined with all the amenities the city offers makes it a perfect destination for the digital nomad community. One of the main attractions of this Mexican city is the Chipinque Ecological Park, which offers a great opportunity for outdoor activities. The city’s nightlife combines a variety of high-quality restaurants that create the ideal lifestyle for those who want to complement their work with some fun.

Los Cabos

The second safest city in Mexico for digital nomads is Los Cabos, located in the state of Baja California Sur. Out of its residents, 17.3% of them feel unsafe in the city, and in the years of 2018 and 2019, the state had only 26 and 13 homicides per one thousand inhabitants, respectively. These numbers are still significantly lower than those of Sunnyvale, California, as well as other well-known places in the US, such as Columbia and Minneapolis, which had violent crime rates of 775 and 926 per 100,000 residents, respectively, in 2019.

The fact that Los Cabos is the second safest city in Mexico combined with all the things the city has to offer makes it a great option for digital nomads. Here you can choose between widely different but equally exciting municipalities, from the major international tourist destination of Cabo San Lucas to the quieter and more traditional San Jose del Cabo, all of them with excellent conditions for digital nomads.

According to Ousite, you’ll find coworking spaces in Los Cabos, including Koral Desk, which has desk spaces, air conditioning, and free events for members, and Coffee Lab, an open-air cowork cafe. Similarly, you’ll find several coffee shops with WiFi in both Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Some of them include Cafe Cabo, Doña Nena Coffee Shop, and The Cabo Coffee Company. The internet connection in Los Cabos is fairly stable throughout the city, but some resorts may charge for their WiFi―do your research in advance!

In order to help you balance work and personal life, Los Cabos offers plenty of facilities and outdoor activities as well. You’ll find gyms and yoga studios spread throughout the area, such as ‍Seis24 CrossFit and Los Cabos Yoga, as well as several grocery stores, from the big guys, such as Walmart, to the local “MiniSupers”.

Furthermore, Los Cabos becomes even more attractive when you factor in the relatively inexpensive cost of living. According to Nomad List, you could pay as low as $258 per month to rent a one-bedroom studio in the center of the city. Also, you could spend as low as $650 on all your living expenses combined (rent, food, transportation, etc.) in Cabo San Lucas. 

Mérida

As the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, Mérida is not only a financial and cultural center of the Yucatán Peninsula, but also the third safest city in Mexico. Again, the numbers back that up. According to the two INEGI studies, almost 1 in 4 residents (24.6%) feel unsafe in the city, and the state of Yucatán has had the lowest number of homicides in the entire country since 2009, reporting only 3 and 2 homicides in 2018 and 2019, respectively. At the same time, there were 46 murders in Minneapolis in 2019 and the robbery rate in Akron, Ohio, was more than double the US national rate in the same year. As a consequence, Mérida was number 21 in the World’s Safest Cities Ranking 2019.

The cost of living in Mérida as a digital nomad is basically $400-800 per month for everything, depending on your lifestyle and where you choose to live. For instance, a relatively large studio with a rooftop patio usually costs $450 per month, including electricity and air conditioning―which you’ll probably need. Depending on your eating habits, you can combine eating the cheap but not very healthy Mexican street food that costs as low as $5 with buying healthy food and cooking at home, which amounts to a total of $150-250 per month on food.

Méridas’ WiFi is on the faster end of that internet speed range, even though it can still get complicated if you have to work on large video files or need a really fast internet connection. In the latter case, you might want to have a portable WiFi device to assist you. 

The city has a few coworking spaces located in the north, which is a more contemporary region with modern shopping malls, movie theaters, well-equipped gyms, and much more. It also has different cafes spread throughout the city that do not mind if you sit there and work for hours. Some of them include Márago Coffee, Voltacafé, and Pan & Kof.feé. 

If safety matters to you and you’re not looking for a loud and extremely active nightlife, then Mérida is the right place for you. Even though there’s not too much activity when it comes to bars and clubs because the digital nomad community there is in their 30s-50s, the Yucatán peninsula has both breath-taking natural spots and culturally rich places for those who enjoy slow-paced traveling.

Safety Stats of the Most Popular Mexican Destinations

Since Mexico has been one of the most sought-after countries by digital nomads from all over the world, some Mexican destinations have become incredibly popular, and consequently highly populated. However, with the arrival of more foreigners and more money often comes a bit of trouble and headache.

Using the same INEGI studies on crime and safety in Mexico mentioned above, let’s take a look at the safety stats of the most famous digital nomad destinations in the country and check if they’re still safe at all.

Mexico City

As the densely-populated capital of Mexico, this is not only a financial and cultural center in the country but also in the world. Its significantly lower cost of living when compared to major cities in the US and Europe, combined with all the leisure activities and work flexibility it offers, makes it the perfect destination for digital nomads.

As reported by the INEGI study published in 2020, Mexico City―which was recognized as the 32nd state of Mexico’s federation in 2016, known as Mexico City state (CDMX)―had a crime rate of 16 and 14 homicides per one thousand inhabitants in 2018 and 2019, respectively. This makes the city relatively safer than most internationally recognized US cities and also one of the safest cities in Mexico.

Mexico City becomes even more alluring when these safety stats are combined with all the city has to offer digital nomads. According to Digital Nomad World, the coworking spaces in the city allow you to lower your fixed expenses, have an office, and network with other people. Some of the main coworking spaces include The Pool, Público, and Centraal. Similarly, you can easily find cafes with good coffee, fast internet, and comfortable seats to work from. Some of them include Dosis, Homie, and Borola cafes. 

Mexico City also has a lot of options for a healthy lifestyle. Cycling is increasing in popularity among riders of all ages, and the many different running tracks crossing the city are more than worth the physical effort. If you’re into yoga, you’ll find great yoga studios throughout the city, such as the famous one AgoraLucis. You’ll also find a good number of gyms with equipment to help you with strength training as well as cardio activities, such as Gold’s Gym and Sports City Club. 

Living expenses in different regions of Mexico City are significantly lower than in other places of the world, especially in the US and Europe. Rent will certainly be your largest monthly expense, and it can vary between $400 for a flat in a normal part of the city and $900 in the expensive portion of it. When it comes to food, it can cost you $5 at any bar in the city to $15 for a good meal at a mid-range restaurant.

Playa del Carmen

This coastal resort town in Mexico, famous for its beaches and located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, has become one of the main destinations for virtually everybody over the years. However, where used to have a balance between digital nomads, retirees, expats, and tourists, has now become completely packed with remote workers and digital nomads from all over the world.

In the INEGI study published in 2020, the state of Quintana Roo had crime rates of 51 and 45 per one thousand residents in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Therefore, similar to Mexico City, Playa del Carmen is also a relatively safe place for both digital nomads and tourists alike, ranking better than some widely recognized cities in the US and Europe.

As many other cities in Mexico, Playa del Carmen offers many benefits for those living the digital nomad life, from work facilities to leisure activities. The city has coworking spaces spread around the downtown area and some of them are located near the highways, including Nest, Bunker, and Selina Playa del Carmen. At the same time, the city also has its fair share of cafes with fast internet connections and free WiFi. Some of the tried and tested digital nomad hotspots are Marley Coffee, Ah Cacao Chocolate Café, and Choux Choux. 

When it comes to living expenses, Playa del Carmen is pretty affordable when compared to both highly recognized cities around the world and its neighbor Mexican city, Tulum. A comfortable living can be attained with $1,000 per month, but this dollar amount can shrink even more if you can cut a few corners here and there. Food expenses vary from $12-15 meals at a restaurant, to $5 on street food, to even less than that if you decide to cook at home.

Cancún

Considered the Spring Break capital of the world, Cancún is well-known for its beaches, resorts, and vibrant nightlife. Situated in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, it’s super easy to get to and settle in for both Americans and Canadians since everyone speaks English, and you won’t have any trouble finding any modern amenities you may need, either for your work or personal life.

Given that Cancún is located in the same state as Playa del Carmen, the safety stats above also apply here. Therefore, the crime rates in 2018 and 2019 were 51 and 45 per one thousand residents, respectively. Compared to Sunnyvale, the safest city in the US in 2021 with a violent crime rate of 167 for every 100,000 residents, Cancún is still relatively safe, even though all the buzz it’s gotten and the number of people it has attracted over the years requires you to be a bit more cautious than normal.

Divided into two distinct areas, El Centro and Zona Hotelera, Cancun is often considered to be expensive. However, it doesn’t always have to be that way. In fact, you can rent a studio apartment for $300-400 per month, and this number can reduce even more if you stay in the El Centro area rather than Zona Hotelera.

Even though the city is particularly famous among party animals and spring breakers, it does offer many opportunities for those who also have to work. Some of the coworking spaces in the city include Selina Cancun, Cowork 28, and Nex Offices Azuna. In addition, some of the digital nomad-friendly cafes with WiFi and good food include Café Nader and Ah Cacao Chocolate Café (branch in Cancún).

Places You Would Probably Want to Avoid

Just as important as knowing the safest places to go to is knowing the cities you should probably steer clear of. To give you a heads-up on which places you should probably avoid, the National Survey of Urban Public Security found the following three cities to have the highest percentage of inhabitants feeling unsafe:

• Fresnillo, located in the Mexican state of Zacatecas – 94.8%
• Ecatepec de Morelos, situated in the State of Mexico  – 89.9%
• Coatzacoalcos, located in the Veracruz state – 88.9%

For reference, the state of Zacatecas had 773 and 682 homicides in 2018 and 2019, respectively, which translates into a homicide rate of 47 and 41 per one thousand inhabitants. 

Although these rates can seem equal to―or even lower than―those of other cities mentioned above, this perception of insecurity takes into account other threats that may not be as violent as homicides but that can be equally damaging, such as drunk driving and vandalism. Therefore, these cities do offer higher risks overall that can come in many different forms and shapes for the uninformed traveler.

Conclusion

Like any other country in the world, Mexico has both its relatively safe and dangerous places. Even the cities with the lowest perception of insecurity mentioned above should not be considered risk-free by any means. The possibility of being unsafe is always present and your goal is to mitigate it. 

Therefore, use the information above to plan your next stay in Mexico accordingly. The beautiful natural spots and the Maya-influenced culture combined with welcoming people and a good financial situation significantly outweigh the risks. As a U.S. expat mentioned in the 2021 Expat Insider survey, “the culture and friendliness of the local people” is one of their favorite things about Mexico.

This post was written by Allan Cardec. Allan has been working as a freelancer for two years. He provides freelance writing services, as well as podcast transcription and show notes. His educational background in science and engineering has armed him with detail-oriented skills and an ability to use data, numbers, and research in his favor. He specifically enjoys writing about topics in the civil engineering and digital nomad lifestyle realms, in addition to working with podcasts, blogs, and businesses in these fields. You can get in touch with him by email at info.allancardec@gmail.com.