Retire in Mexico on Social Security? 8 Towns, Real Costs & the Visa Catch

Mexico is the number one place Americans look at when they think about retiring abroad – close to home, warm all winter, and big American communities. But the peso has gotten stronger, Medicare doesn't pay a cent south of the border, and Mexico's residency income requirement is more than twice the average Social Security check. In this video we measure eight real towns against an average check of $2,086 a month: Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Mérida, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Ajijic and San Miguel de Allende – with current rents, all-in monthly budgets, the State Department travel advisory for each place, and the legal snowbird route thousands of retirees use every year. Plus: how to drive down in your RV and spend the winter in a campground. 👉 If you're thinking about retiring abroad, subscribe – every video gives you real costs, real maps and no sales pitch. And tell me in the comments: which town would you pick? ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Is Mexico still affordable? 0:55 Ground rules: the $2,086 yardstick 2:05 Why Americans retire in Mexico 3:04 Cancún 4:00 Playa del Carmen 4:50 Tulum 5:34 Mérida 6:26 Safety first: state by state 6:58 Puerto Vallarta 7:51 Mazatlán (read the warning) 8:47 Ajijic 9:42 San Miguel de Allende 10:43 Visa, health care & taxes 12:32 By RV: the campground route 13:45 My honest verdict ⚠️ DISCLAIMER This video is for general information and entertainment only. It is not tax, legal, immigration, insurance or financial advice. All figures (rents, cost of living, residency requirements, IMSS, travel advisories, vehicle permits) were researched carefully as of October 2026 but can change at any time. Budgets are estimates for one person, health insurance not included. The average Social Security figure is the SSA's average retired-worker benefit (July 2026). Please check with the Mexican consulate, the U.S. State Department, Medicare and a tax professional before you make a move. — LEGAL NOTICE (Impressum, § 5 DDG) Moritz Lebuser Julia Gebauer c/o SourceArt · VM-00000531 Fritz-Thiele-Straße 3 28279 Bremen-Obervieland Germany Email: Winkekatze888@gmail.com contact form available Small business according to § 19 UStG – no VAT shown. — #RetireAbroad #Mexico #SocialSecurity