ABOUT
Cici is French but she was born in Melbourne Australia. She is an expat child! She grew up in France and lived a bit everywhere around the world : Canada, Australia, the UAE and now Mexico.
Tell us about yourself
I studied at a Business school and found my first job as a marketing manager in Dubai. After I moved to Mexico, I changed careers and started working as a freelancer for e-commerces.
When and why did you move to Mexico?
I moved to Mexico last September. The reason is that I was in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend, he was in the south of France and me in Dubai. In March 2022 he learnt that he would have to relocate to Mexico for his career so I decided to come with him! 🖤
Moving to Mexico City
What surprised you about life there when you first arrived?
I live in the capital of Mexico, Mexico City. And I was surprised by how huge it is! It has 25M inhabitants (but surprisingly it’s not that crowded). I was surprised by how bad traffic is and how Mexicans eat at any time of the day!
What should people consider before deciding to move to Mexico?
I think learning Spanish is a good start, even if in many regions/cities people can speak and understand English.
People should also understand that Mexico is huge and moving to Mexico City or the Yucatán region has nothing in common! It’s not the same type of life, or not the same budget for instance.
How did you get set up? (phone plan, bank ..)
So far I kept my French number because the plan is more interesting but you can buy a sim card in any Oxxo or Seven eleven and charge your SIM card with data every month.
To pay your bills it’s also super easy, they will get to you by post mail and you can pay online or in seven elevens.
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
No because I am « pacsed » (not married but almost) so I depend on my boyfriend’s insurance. I am very privileged to be honest.
Do you need to speak Spanish to live in Mexico?
It really depends where you live. I would say that in more touristy regions you don’t need Spanish. But overall to connect with local people, yes I would say you need it.
What did you bring with you?
4 suitcases haha, a bit of French food and some pictures of my family.
How did you find an apartment?
There are several websites you can use : vivaanuncios, inmuebles24 .
Once you get in touch with the agents, they will help you find other offers.
It’s very difficult to find an apartment as a foreigner…
You need a fiador, in our case we had the company of my boyfriend as a fiador.
But sometimes you can use a « poliza juridica » if you don’t have a fiador. It’s like insurance you pay in case you don’t pay your rent.
However there are more and more owners that ask for both!
Living in Mexico City
What is Mexico famous for?
Mexico is famous for its food! It’s also very famous for the regions of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, with Cancún, Tulum, the cenotes and Isla Mujeres (while other parts of Mexico are clearly underrated). It’s also a huge country : the size of Europe! So there are so many different types of landscapes, climates etc.
What are the main differences between French people and Mexicans?
I would say the main difference is that French people are very straightforward whereas Mexicans would never tell you something that might offend you. Some say it’s « hypocrisy » but I think it’s just a different culture.
I don’t know what it’s like to be a tourist in France but in Mexico, I feel like people are always very smiling and extra polite here.
What are your favorite things to do in Mexico?
Mexico City has a lot of cultures : museums, exhibitions, historical monuments to visit!
It’s also a good place to go out to party!
I also love discovering new restaurants. Because it’s the capital, it has a lot of foreign food!
And finally I love the fact Mexico has a lot of places you can travel to that are so diverse : the beach, the mountains, tropical forests, the Caribbean sea, the Pacific Ocean!
It also has a big international airport from which you can discover Central and Latin America 🙂
When’s the best moment to visit Mexico?
As I said, Mexico is huge! So it really depends on where you want to go.
The Yucàtan and Quintana Roo regions are best between December and May, as after May it’s the rainy season. However they are some activities you can do during this season (for example whale sharks snorkeling in Holbox is only available during the rainy season).
I feel like Mexico City is very nice in January because there is no rain. December is not a good idea because the city is packed right before Christmas preparation!
Did you feel safe as a woman?
I think I am biased because I do a lot of things with my boyfriend so I feel safe probably because of that. When I am on my own or with other girls, I can feel some looks but haven’t felt unsafe.
Where is the best area to live in, in Mexico City?
This really depends on your budget.
The most expat popular « colonias » as we call them are : Condesa, Roma, Polanco, Escandon, Centro, Juarez, Navarte, Napoles, Del Valle. I know those places are also considered safe.
But there are so many more I probably don’t know about yet!
How much money do you need to live comfortably in your city?
It really depends on which colonia you live in, what’s your way of life. You can live like a Mexican or like an expat. So I can’t really answer 😂
To give you an average price, a 2 bedroom apartment in an « expat » colonia will be around between 25,000 (1,300 USD) and 30,000 (1,600 USD) pesos per month. But this is very very expensive for a local.
Overall expenses like gas, electricity and water are way lower than in France. My last electricity bill was 200 pesos for 2 months (10€).
What are some underrated places in Mexico?
I think Oaxaca and Chiapas (which I haven’t visited yet) but both states look underrated compared to Yucatán and Quintana Roo. Also the whole pacific Region and Veracruz state are underrated.
What are your favorite restaurants and bars in your area?
Comedor de Los Milagros : a place that gathers 6 restaurants from 6 Latin American countries ! And you can order from all of them at the same time.
Best cocktails so far are from Gin Gin !
How can French people immigrate to Mexico? In terms of visas etc.
You must get a temporary residency visa. This one lasts one year and you must renew it every year for four years. After 4 years you can be eligible for permanent residency. To get your temporary residency visa you must get sponsored by a local company, in my case I was sponsored by my boyfriend’s company.
Final Thoughts
Was it easy making friends and meeting people?
So far our group of friends was introduced through the childhood friend of my boyfriend who lives in Mexico. This group is a mix of Mexican and French people 🙂
I started using Bumble Friends in order to meet people so let’s see where it goes!
But it is difficult to start life over, yes! Especially when you come with your partner, you don’t feel pressured to create a new social life right away.
What has been the hardest aspect of living in Mexico?
Starting a life from zero, finding a place to stay (we stayed a month at a hotel), and… food poisoning.
I got food poisoning 3 times in the span of 2 months! My body was not used to the food. I was so sick to the point I would faint. I was totally dehydrated, also because I was drinking water from bottles and here they have no minerals in it! So my advice is drink electrolytes and take vitamins! Once I started this, everything was better!
Can you tell me something about local culture that people might not know?
I think that people might think that Coco the movie is a cliché but it’s true. The Day of the Dead is very important. People are very religious and praying is an important part of their life (well for a vast majority of Mexicans). You will see statues of the Virgin Mary everywhere.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan is to find more clients as a freelancer 🙂
Also grow my traveling Instagram page and hopefully start selling products through this channel (my travel planner, also I would like to sell notebooks).
Thank you Cici for our chat about Mexico City! Quite fun what you can do for love sometimes! I will definitely be looking at those notebooks, that’s sweet! I wish you the best! Cici’s IG here
