A lot of people move to Playa del Carmen looking for a change, and I can absolutely relate to that.
After 8 years of living in Copenhagen, I had the amazing opportunity to get permanent residency in Denmark, and I passed it up. Don’t get me wrong, I love that country with my whole heart (and still visit as much as I can), but I was in desperate need of a reset. I was tired of the cold winters, the high cost of living, and being so far away from family. When I weighed the pros and cons, moving to Mexico was the right answer.
But why did I chose Playa del Carmen?
Proximity to family
The main reason I’m here is because my parents live 30 minutes outside the city. Being far away from family is always difficult, but it hits a little harder when you’re an only child. Now, that I live in Playa, I see my parents every weekend.
Mid-sized city
For me, Playa is in the Goldielocks Zone. Cancun is a little overwhelming, Tulum is still a little underdeveloped (for my liking), and the smaller towns like Puerto Morelos, and Akumal are a little too quiet. Playa is the perfect compromise: big enough to have an abundace of things to do, but small enough to still be peaceful and cozy.
Beach access
I swear, I’m not trying to hate on Cancun and Tulum, but man… those cities are not really designed with beach access in mind. That’s why I love Playa. You can access the beach easily at numerous points cross the city. The closet access for me personally, if a couple blocks down the street, but you can up and walk down Quinta (5th Av) and find several cross streets that lead directly to the beach. And if you just want to see the beach, there are plenty of rooftops with gorgeous views.
The weather
Look, I know that some people don’t really vibe with hot weather all the time, but I love it. While I do sometimes miss sweater weather and cool nights, I really don’t mind living somewhere that never really requires me to wear pants. Yes, the rainy season can be a bit of a pain. But I’ll take rain over shoveling my car out of the snow any day.
Lower cost of living
Yes, some things are still expensive like any other city, but I my rent is significantly cheaper than it would be Denmark or the US. I also love being able to go out get a incredible meal and nice cocktail for under 30 USD. That being said, I definitely don’t mind paying the “tourist tax” for certain things from time to time.
Expat & local communities
Playa has become super international, so you can find people from countries all over the world. There’s even a master list of What’sApp groups for pretty much anything you can think of: parties, sports, family meet ups, book clubs, etc. If you’re looking to step out of the expat bubble, the locals are also wonderfully welcoming and eager to help you practice your Spanish. Don’t let the news scare you. This part of Mexico is foreigner and tourist friendly.
Local events
There’s always something fun going on in Playa. Yes, the nightlife and club scene is popping, but you can also find food and craft festivals, concerts, dance performances, and other festivities. If you’re around for major holidays like Dia de los Muertos or Christmas, you’ll definitely see lots of celebrations and decorations.
Slower pace of life
There’s something about being near the beach that just… slows you down. In other places, I would always be feeling stressed and like I’m constantly playing catch up. But since I’ve moved to Playa, my life has become significantly calmer, and it’s done wonders for my physical and mental health. I’m not trying to saying that moving solved all my problems, because that’s not the case. It just helped me shift my perspective and appreciate the little things far more.
The most unique part of my life here is Playa is that I am both a local and a foreigner. I am truly blessed to have dual US-Mexico citizenship, so moving here was effortless: no visas, no immigration, and no lawyers. While legally, my move to Mexico was a homecoming, in reality, it’s more of a Hannah Montana situation.
I get the best of both worlds and explore this areas as local or a tourist, depending on the context.
What I love most about being here is that I get to connect to a version of myself that was never able to exist before. Being here feels like I’m piecing together little things that I never knew were missing: finally getting better at Spanish, eating foods on the street that sometimes only existed in my family kitchen, or experiencing traditions I’d only heard about growing up.
Mexico feels both familiar and brand new at the same time, and I love existing in that in-between space.
Angie Americana 