Just Landed in Mexico? Your First 7 Days

Prepaid mobile is cheap, easy and available at any OXXO, so you can be connected within an hour of landing. Telcel has the best national coverage including remote areas, while AT&T Mexico and Movistar are often cheaper in cities but weaker rurally, and Bait (Walmart's MVNO) is the budget option. Home fibre from Telmex, Totalplay or Izzi is common in urban areas at roughly MXN 400-700 a month, but installation can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, so lean on your phone data at first.

Typical cost: MXN 200-300/month for a prepaid plan with 5-8 GB plus unlimited social apps; home fibre roughly MXN 400-700/month.

Mexico is still heavily cash-based outside big supermarkets and chains, so markets, taco stands, small landlords and many tradespeople expect pesos rather than cards. Card acceptance is growing fast in cities and contactless is common in restaurants and malls, but everyday street life runs on cash. Keep a reserve of small notes at home, because breaking a MXN 500 bill at a taquería or with a taxi driver is a daily frustration.

Opening an account: Opening a traditional peso account (BBVA, Santander, Banorte) usually requires temporary or permanent residency plus proof of address, so tourists generally cannot. Many newcomers instead use app-based banks such as Nu (Nubank), Klar or Hey Banco, which onboard with just a CURP and are far less bureaucratic, offer instant SPEI transfers and issue a card within days. These apps have transformed how foreigners handle money before full residency comes through.

Cash: Carry a mix of small notes and coins, as vendors and taxis rarely break MXN 500 bills. OXXO stores double as bill-payment and cash-in points for dozens of apps and services, so you can top up a phone, pay a utility or fund a digital wallet over the counter. ATM withdrawals inside bank branches are safest and cheapest.

Tipping: Tip 10-15% at restaurants (check the bill does not already include 'propina'), MXN 20-50 for hotel porters and supermarket baggers who work purely for tips, and round up for petrol attendants and the parking helpers ('viene-viene') who guide you into a space. Tipping is a genuine part of many people's income here, not an optional extra.

There is no municipal address-registration requirement for arrivals in Mexico, so a newcomer does not need to report to a town hall or police station the way you might in parts of Europe. However, if you hold a temporary or permanent resident visa issued at a consulate abroad, you must exchange it for your physical resident card at an INM office within 30 days of entering the country, a process called the canje de visa. Once you hold a resident card, you are also legally required to notify INM of any change of address, employer or marital status. Tourists have no registration obligation beyond keeping their entry stamp safe and not overstaying.

Where: Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) local office, by appointment booked through the INM website.

Cities have extensive, extremely cheap public transport (Metro, Metrobús, light rail and buses) alongside app-based ride-hailing that is far safer than flagging street taxis. In Mexico City a single Metro ride costs just MXN 5, though carriages are packed at rush hour. Intercity travel is dominated by comfortable, reliable long-distance coaches such as ADO, ETN and Primera Plus rather than trains, with the new Tren Maya line slowly opening across the south-east.

From the airport: From Mexico City International (MEX/AICM): the authorised airport taxi, booked at the 'Taxi Autorizado' booth for a fixed fare, costs roughly MXN 250-350 to the centre; Uber and DiDi pickups are from designated levels and are often cheaper; Metro Line 5 from Terminal Aérea is the cheapest at MXN 5 but impractical with luggage. The newer Felipe Ángeles airport (NLU) sits far to the north and needs a car, the Mexibús or the Cablebús connection to reach the city.

Most newcomers start with a furnished short-term rental through Airbnb or a local agency, then sign a longer lease once they know a neighbourhood and its rhythm. Long-term leases almost always require a Mexican guarantor (aval) who owns property in the same city, or a policy bond (póliza jurídica) that costs around one month's rent. As a foreigner without an aval, you will often be asked instead for several months' rent upfront, so budget for that cash outlay.

Typical rent: A one-bed flat runs MXN 12,000-25,000/month in desirable Mexico City colonias such as Roma, Condesa and Polanco, noticeably less in Guadalajara or Mérida, and frequently dollar-priced in Playa del Carmen and Tulum where it can rival CDMX.

Deposit norm: Usually one month's deposit plus one month in advance; without an aval, landlords commonly ask for 2-6 months upfront or a póliza jurídica policy costing roughly one month's rent, so have your paperwork and funds ready before viewing.

Private healthcare is good and affordable by Western standards, with modern, well-equipped hospitals such as ABC, Ángeles and Christus Muguerza in major cities, and walk-in doctor consultations at pharmacy consultorios (Farmacias Similares, Farmacias del Ahorro) for around MXN 50-100. Public options exist, chiefly IMSS for formally employed workers and IMSS-Bienestar for the uninsured, but they are slower, busier and effectively Spanish-only, so most foreigners rely on the private system.

How to access it: For anything routine, walk into a pharmacy consultorio or book a private doctor directly and pay out of pocket, as there is no referral system or gatekeeper to navigate. Specialists and labs can be accessed the same way. For emergencies call 911 or go straight to a private hospital's urgencias, where you will be treated and billed afterwards.

Insurance: Arrange private international or Mexican health insurance (GNP, AXA or MetLife are common) before relying on the system, because private hospitals expect payment or an insurer guarantee upfront and will ask for a deposit on admission. Out-of-pocket costs are moderate for routine care but a serious hospital stay can run into hundreds of thousands of pesos, which is exactly what insurance is for.

• Greet with a warm 'buenos días' or 'buenas tardes' before getting to the point, as jumping straight to business reads as cold or rude.
• Use the formal 'usted' with elders, officials and shopkeepers until you are invited to switch to the informal 'tú'.
• Timekeeping is relaxed socially, and 'ahorita' can mean anything from now to never, but arrive on time for business and government appointments.
• Say 'provecho' to strangers when passing their table while eating out, and expect the same courtesy directed at you.
• Greet with a light handshake, or a single cheek kiss between women and between men and women once you know someone; men typically shake hands or add a back-pat.
• Accept offered food or drink graciously, even a small amount, since hospitality is a point of pride and refusing outright can seem dismissive.
• Keep criticism of Mexico gentle and indirect; locals are warm about their country and blunt foreign complaints land badly.

• Never discuss cartel or narco topics casually, and do not photograph security checkpoints, military or police operations.
• Tap water is not potable almost anywhere, so drink garrafón or bottled water and use it for brushing until you know local quality.
• Bureaucracy is slow and paperwork-heavy, so carry originals plus photocopies of your passport and CURP to every appointment.
• Safety is hyper-local, so learn which streets and colonias to avoid after dark from residents rather than assuming a whole city is fine or dangerous.
• Do not assume prices are fixed at markets and with informal services; polite haggling is normal, but never at established shops or restaurants.