Friendly Locals & a Welcoming Culture in Mexico City
Mexico City ranks first worldwide in the Ease of Settling In Index, as well as all subcategories in this index. Expats feel at home (82% vs. 62% globally) and welcome (89% vs. 66% globally) there, and 87% describe the local residents as generally friendly (vs. 66% globally). “People here have not forgotten to live, laugh, and be friendly,” shares a Slovak expat. Perhaps it is because of this that 69% of expats say that making local friends is easy (vs. 42% globally). Mexico City performs equally well in the Personal Finance Index (1st). It is the city where expats worldwide are the most satisfied with their financial situation (73% happy vs. 60% globally). Moreover, 87% report that their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to lead a comfortable life in Mexico City (vs. 72% globally).
Though the city has an average performance in the Working Abroad Index (24th) in general, the index still includes some highlights. Expats rank Mexico City eighth in the Career Prospects Subcategory — more than seven in ten expats are happy with both their personal career opportunities (71% vs. 58% globally) and their jobs overall (73% vs. 64% globally). Results are more mixed when it comes to the Expat Essentials Index (30th). Mexico City ranks very poorly for Admin Topics (44th), with 69% of expats finding it difficult to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 39% globally). On the other hand, housing is both easy to find (9th) and to afford (6th).
Despite its high overall ranking, Mexico City ends up in the bottom 10 of the Quality of Life Index (44th). Expats are especially disappointed with the Environment & Climate Subcategory (41st), even ranking the city last globally for both the government support for policies to protect the environment (50th) and its air quality (50th). The Safety & Security Subcategory (47th) is another area where expats struggle with life in Mexico City: 35% are unhappy with their personal safety, about four times the global average (9%). A Colombian expat cites a “certain feeling of insecurity” as the aspect he dislikes most about life in Mexico City. However, when it comes to culture & nightlife and the culinary variety & dining options, the city is back at the top (1st for both).
