# Choosing a City to live in.



## elliottz (Oct 28, 2021)

I'm trying to find a city to retire to in Mexico. Can you offer any good advice?

Has to have cheap prices like the "real mexico"-so that lets out tourist trap towns.
Good supply of furnished studio like apartments
Either close to the border or airport having direct flights frequently to US Cities (the shorter the better)
No extended freezing temps or temps above 90F for weeks at a time.
No super humid places such as veracruz.
Population above 300K the bigger the better, but not D.F.
No currently heavy CV restrictions such as curfews, vaccine proof, closed everywhere, etc.
Has at least one good well equipped hospital and specialists
Able to find a decent bank that I can trust that can handle transactions with my US bank.
Thanks ahead for reading and any good replies. (found a bug in the code in this forum, 
will address this later).


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Querétero might suit you. As I read your list of wants and needs, I was thinking “Querétaro, Querétaro.” It is the main city and capital of the state of the same name.
It’s not a tourist trap town although it has a certain international population due to businesses located there. The population is a little over 2 million, so I’m guessing you can find apartments, hospitals and banks to suit your needs and budget. Being in central Mexico it has the dry well-moderated climate of that region where it doesn’t get as hot as the coastal regions nor as cold as the high mountains or border states. In general, winters are sunny, so it don’t get too cold (at least in the daytime) and summer temperatures are moderated by the rainy season, so it doesn’t stay too hot for very long.
There are direct flights to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Chicago.
I don’t know the covid situation there currently, except that it’s in yellow-light status (on a 4-stage scale of green to red), meaning some light restrictions.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

maesonna said:


> I don’t know the covid situation there currently, except that it’s in yellow-light status (on a 4-stage scale of green to red), meaning some light restrictions.


The new risk status was just published, and Querétero will be classified as “green” as of Nov. 1, meaning the lowest risk level, and businesses and activities can operate normally. Masks are still required in closed public spaces, including transit.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

In fact just about all of Mexico will be green. Only two small states are yellow, and Baja is orange.

Even Quintana Roo is green, for the first time since they started doing the signal light maps. Just in time for tourist season, as it just so happens. That probably means the bars will be going all night once again, which is a pity from my point of view, I was enjoying the curfew.

On the other hand, in the last 24 hours there were 4000 new cases and 320 deaths (nationwide) - which is a heck of a case fatality rate.

I just finished a drive from Cancun to Laredo and back and I didn't run into any unusual restrictions. Masks in businesses, some taking temperatures at the doors. One hotel misted my suitcase at the door, but not me. Restaurants are open, some with reduced seating (every other table marked off), some not. Nowhere did I get asked if I was vaxed. A lot of places are still doing the silly thing where any given door is marked either out or in, but not both, even if they have to mark one side of a double door as only-in and the other side only-out.

In Cancun you are supposed to wear a mask on public transport (all we have is buses). The police occasionally stop a bus and walk down the aisle to ensure conformance, but they don't freak out if you happen to have your mask around your chin and you just raise it when they look at you. I think that's the same everywhere.

It remains to be seen how much of this will go away with the green signal starting next week.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

eastwind said:


> In fact just about all of Mexico will be green. Only two small states are yellow, and Baja is orange.
> 
> Even Quintana Roo is green, for the first time since they started doing the signal light maps. Just in time for tourist season, as it just so happens. That probably means the bars will be going all night once again, which is a pity from my point of view, I was enjoying the curfew.
> 
> ...


Here's a brief article about the current "Semáforo Covid" status for all of Mexico. Beginning Monday, November 1, almost all of the country will be "green" : Semáforo COVID: El país se pinta de verde con 29 estados


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Regardless of what they decide to mark green or yellow, Mexico's case and death rates are far higher than what is reported, the federal covid response and attitude has left a whole lot to be desired, the country's economy depends on tourism, so they will downplay the dangers. Mexico has one of the highest Covid death rates in the world, and smart people will continue to mask up in public places as long as the new infection rate is as significant as it is.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

surabi said:


> Regardless of what they decide to mark green or yellow, Mexico's case and death rates are far higher than what is reported, the federal covid response and attitude has left a whole lot to be desired, the country's economy depends on tourism, so they will downplay the dangers. Mexico has one of the highest Covid death rates in the world, and smart people will continue to mask up in public places as long as the new infection rate is as significant as it is.


I agree with your comment, surabi. In Mexico City, where I live, I think the vaccination campaigns have been successful, but masks are still required in indoor areas, at least they are in my neighborhood. In any case, I expect I'll have to deal with the minor inconvenience of mask-wearing for at least a few more months. No big deal.


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