3 Reasons Why You Might be Moving to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

By: David Treacy

So why might you ask could I possibly assume that YOU might be moving to Playa Del Carmen?  Well I really don’t assume that at all actually.  What I do assume however, is that after reading through this article based upon my top 3 discoveries in Playa Del Carmen you may be asking yourself why wouldn’t you be?  My goal here in this article is to clarify a few things about this city, where it’s located, and what that means for you.  So without further ado let’s get started shall we.

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1. You can afford to Live in Playa Del Carmen.

Ahhh, the million dollar question right? Can you afford to live in Playa Del Carmen, and can you afford to give up what you’ve worked so hard to build back home. Well the answer is yes you can, it is a decision that anyone is fully capable of making at any time if it is truly what they want. However these motivations have to be made based upon your own conclusions. I think the real question is can you afford financially to move to Playa Del Carmen, and what will you do for money once you get here. Well my answer to that should put you at ease and help you to realize that there are things that can be done. For one, you can become an entrepreneur and create your own path. Yes even you could go this route. My advice to you however in moving to Playa Del Carmen as an entrepreneur, is leave your restaurant ideas at home. As I discuss below there is no shortage of great places to eat here, and cheap too. It’s not that you couldn’t start a restaurant here, my point is simply that you are jumping into to the toughest racket from the start. My advice is come to Playa Del Carmen first, and spend some time here. Once you get a feel for the city ideas will start to flow. It is the advantage of your life experience in a different country that will inspire your original idea.

However maybe you decide that you want to get a job working for a company instead. Well guess what, you can do that too. Now when looking for a job there are two ways to really go about this in nutshell. The first way is the legal way. I’m talking FM-3, Mexican consulate, asking permission approach so to speak. If you are unfamiliar with what an FM-3 is I will post a useful link with more info at the bottom of this post. If you have this option I would recommend it. However for those that can’t wait to get a jump on their new life in Playa Del Carmen have no fear, there is another way. The second way is sort of in the “grey area family” I suppose but it works. What I am talking about exactly is getting paid cash wink wink. It may not be a long term solution for you, but it can get you started if you really want it. Some opportunities to be had are phone rooms for example. They will often pay cash and help you with your FM-3 when the time is right. Another thing to look for are family owned boat or tour companies. Often they can be sympathetic to your situation and find some work for you around the shop. Point is, the opportunities exist, all you have to do is look. So now that you can afford it, you might be moving to Playa del Carmen.

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2. Playa Del Carmen smells and tastes delicous.

MMMM… Oh how true this is my friends. Let me ask you, have you ever been driving down the street when you pass that random bold business that decided to bring their grill outside on the street and let you know what time it is. If you are a sucker for this tactic like I am then you probably have pulled over and decided it was time to eat. I imagine after the smell lured you in you were probably pleasantly surprised with some outdoor seating, and a great experience. Sound familiar? I thought it might. Well imagine taking that experience, and multiplying it by 100 and you will have a relatively accurate description of what it feels, and smells like every time you walk down the street in Playa Del Carmen. And the best part is, It’s all different. There are so many family run joints sitting curbside (sometimes literally on the curb) in Playa Del carmen, it’s crazy. However the best part is just about every one of them specializes in one particular recipe only, and do it well! I often find myself piecing together meals as I walk down the street, stopping from place to place trying samples as the smell draws me in. Point here is, if you are a foody you might be moving to Playa Del Carmen.

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3.  Playa Del Carmen Is not a dangerous place.

Despite what you may have heard or been led to believe by your national news media Playa Del Carmen and Mexico is really not a dangerous place to live.  Just like any countries there are areas that are best to avoid but for the most part you will find mostly good people trying to live the best life they can and usually with open arms.  I know this may come as a shocker to some of you, but it is true.  When I started my first trip driving down through Mexico I had my own doubts about what I may be driving into.  Ironically once I crossed the border and started adapting to the idea of being in a new country where everything is just different, things started to change in my mind.  Suddenly, I started to realize that people in Mexico are really no different than I am.  You start to become used to the idea that everyone is more or less moving about, dealing with the same struggles and joys in life that we all do.

Even more surprising for me about Mexico is the fact that it feels like the complete opposite of dangerous.  What I mean by that is the fact that since I have been in this country I have experienced more random acts of kindness than ever before.  To give you an example, when I was in Mexico City coming down to Playa Del Carmen me and a friend were lost in one of the largest cities with the most aggressive drivers in the world, not fun.  I spotted a woman waiting to have her breaks fixed on her car and decided to ask her for directions.  She started to explain the route I was looking for, but could see the confusion in my face.  She insisted that I wait a few minutes for her car to be finished so she could personally guide us in to our destination 20 minutes out of her way.  Believe me this is just one example of a ton of these experiences that I have had, I see no need to go into detail on them all.  My point is Mexico is a beautiful country with a beautiful culture regardless of what you may have heard.  Maybe you will just have to find out for yourself.

Oh, and here is the FM-3 Info I Promised.

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Have you ever considered moving to a new country, or acted on it? And if so, how was it different from what you expected? Share you experience in the comments area below…

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