Leaving Merida to live in Playa or Cancun ?

Hello

I am new on here but I have read this forum over the yrs and the Playa forum too.
I am a single mum with 2 kids and we moved from Europe 4 yrs ago to live in Merida but I am sadly sick of the place now.

I am seriously thinking of moving however I cant choose between Cancun or Playa ( or I might just go back to Spain but thats in a meltdown)

We are all bilingual and I am a qualified English teacher who teaches from home normally and I have a small income from overseas.
We have a health insurance with a Mexican company Allianz so what I am trying to say is that I am more or less organised and not going into this totally blind.

I just wondered if anybody had any advice to add about where is preferable to live out of Playa and Cancun ?????????

I need to be near good hospitals for piece of mind !!!!!

(I do have experience of Hospiten in Playa, 16000 USD for a straight forward appendectomy on my son, thankfully we had insurance, then the same appendectomy in Merida for my daughter cost 2000 USD but thats another story)

I have to say that my favorite places on the Riviera are Tulum and Akumal but there are not the facilities for a mum with kids..........

So any idea folks would be appreciated over my choice of Cancun or Playa, thanks in advance.

 

I always think Playa is more European in feel but its such a personal choice . Think about why you are sick of Merida and ask if Playa or Cancun can make up for what Merida is missing.
I too would love to move to Spain having spent 5 years in Mexico .
Good luck in your choice.

 

If you are somewhat "cosmopitan" I think you will find more options in Cancun. More malls, movie theaters, private schools, public transportation and restaurants to name a few.

I find it easy to head down to Playa for a day or weekend. Living in Cancun, I prefer to go to the beach at Puerto Morelos, than the more touristy beaches in Cancun's Hotel Zone. It is easy enough to live in Cancun and avoid the tourists, if one so chooses. I, for one, so choose. I have a car but public transportation is quite good.

That's my two pesos worth.

 

To be honest I am fed up of the intense heat in Merida, plus its a boring city that is very insular, the locals go on about how safe Merida is but really thats all they can say about it, its getting dirtier, I cant bear the racist white Mexicans and the way they treat their own people here, its so obvious, the white Mexicans think they are the elite yet they are the most ignorant bombastic uneducated people I have met in all my travels, I have lived in Spain for 8 yrs plus travelled all over Europe and afar and even in India the people were more polite !!!!!!!!!!!
So all in all I am up to my neck with Merida.........forgot to add they have excellent hospitals but the beaches are horrible, we have better ones in Cornwall and the only reason people come to Merida is because its safe and cheap.

I get the feeling from this board that most expats living in Cancun are not that happy in Cancun or would go somewhere else if they could, am I right ??????

 

Maria: I am very happy in Cancun. I think what you're seeing is that this forum is where we all come to vent about the negatives haha There are many frustrations about Cancun (and Mexico in general), but overall I love living here. I would venture to say most people on this forum chose to live here and choose to stay here because they enjoy it.

As far as racism goes, that is also present in the population here in Cancun. Not sure if it's better or worse than in Merida, but there's definitely an elitist feel among the lighter-skinned locals... although it's not something I noticed until I really got to know the people here.

 

Gringation, thanks for that.
What about rentals ? I have been looking on Vivastreet and there seems to be a few privadas for example Jardines de Bonampak and Villa Marino ( i think )..........does anybody have any suggestions for rentals, sort of 6000 pesos, 3 beds, with a communal pool would be nice......thanks

 

Hi, Maria, we took a close look at Merida ourselves when we were deciding where to live- along with Playa, and Isla Mujeres. The heat and narrow streets downtown Merida were a big turnoff, plus the fact that it was not near the sea. Couldn't see any particular advantage to Playa, and Isla wasn't convenient for those expecting to work in Cancun.

On balance we happy with the living conditions and opportunities we've found here, in Cancun.

 

thanks for all your replies, they are really appreciated, if anybody has any advice about where to live then that would be great, I cant afford hotel zone lol......

I would like to be near hospitals and obviously in a safe zone more so cos I am single and with 2 kids, one dog and a crazy tortoise.

I am going to say that in all my travels and in all my life I have never been so lonely and miserable as I am here yet my kids love Mexico butI dont see a future for them here anymore, but then where in the world has a good future at the moment with the crisis as it is ????

My train of thought is to perhaps give Cancun or Playa a few months and if my quality of life is not better then throw the towel in, end the Mexican adventure and then perhaps return to Valencia...............mind you it will take me 6 mths to find my way around Cancun the way I get lost

I am going crazy here, its too hot to go for a walk, or to have a quality of life, it takes 30 mins to get to the beach and Progreso beach is ugly when you get there.

The only thing I will miss of Merida is the wonderful doctors and Star Medica here, thats it.

Sorry but I am in a real downer here at the moment, its worse because I have just had 2 weeks in Akumal and then came back to THIS !!!!!!!!

 

The beach in Progreso is definitely disappointing. Love the atmosphere, but not the water.

For housing, posters on this forum usually recommend coming to the city first and looking around when you get here.

Are you looking for a house or an apartment? I used to rent a 3-bedroom apartment in Edificios California on Avenida La Luna. Cost $6600 (3 years ago) and had a beautiful pool shared by about 35 apartments. It's a safe and central area. You can walk to several malls, grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants.

 

So I totally hear you on what you DON'T want and Cancun and Playa are definitely much more diverse, but what specifically are you hoping for (other than good doctors) in your move? There may be some other places in Mexico that would suit you better outside of the peninsula.

I wouldn't want to live in Merida precisely because of the things you mentioned. I did a homestay with, and kept in contact for years with, one of the loveliest, kindest, down to earth women I have ever had the pleasure to meet. She was originally from Mexico City but had relocated to Merida decades before so she and her husband could raise their son in a calmer environment. She said that, even after twenty years living in Merida, the Yucatecas STILL wouldn't accept her. And she was just the sweetest, coolest woman!

Best of luck, and perhaps once you find that place that may fit the bill for you, give it a year before moving back to Europe. Just curious though, what keeps you in Mexico in general?

Gringation, I'd go out on a limb and say that what you mention about racism may be much more apparent in Merida though perhaps equally prevalent (but the second part I'm not sure about). I just found that in Cancun, though it exists, that sentiment is balanced by so very many cool, educated, sometimes well-off, people that you can get away from it to some degree. I've just found Cancun to be far more diverse and it was easier to get away from the classism.