How safe is to live in Mexico City?

Question

Dear all

We are a little family from Sweden and last week my husband got offered a job within the same company but in the Mexico City offices. The pay is great, and the company is offering us a house in an area called Tecamachalco. We have a 4 months old baby. My husband is very excited but I have heard so many negative things about living in such a big city, especially with our little baby boy.

Could anyone help me? how safe is it to live in Mexico city?

Thank you for your help

Answer 1

yeah it is, ive lived all of my life in queretaro and my parentas are actually from there it is quite safe, of course every place  has some pros and cons but tecamachalñco is anice place to live in

Answer 2

This move can be an exciting experience for your whole family. My former husband got a chance for us to work in Hong Kong, he passed it up, and I always regretted it. Mexico City is a classic location for exploring the formation of the New World, Aztec, Spanish and French influence in architecture, art and food, you will love it. Just take regular precautions and you'll be fine.

Answer 3

Tecamachalco is within a zone of more than middle class people, is a rich neighborhood for mexican standards, try to get a house with security in your street or building.  You will probably have a house much bigger than the one that you can afford in europe and since the climate in mexico in neither too cold neither too hot in those parts you can have a good beautiful garden, you will be able to hire a maid since they are not very expensive, I´ll suggest you hire a driver for a while, since driving in Mexico City follows no rules, be sure at the begining to ask how safe is the place where you going. Avoid to go alone  to Down town( Zocalo), Polanco, Zona Rosa, and be sure to ask for reference to the people you hire for service in you house. Never go to the east part of the city.

Try to get Taxis from places called "SITIOS"  do not just flag one that is passing by in the streets.

You will love it if the cultural change do not affect you.

Answer 4

I moved to Mexico City for a three year assignment.  That was 15 years ago.   I chose to stay longer because I like it.

Mexico City is a great cosmopolitan experience.  It is truly a mix of just about everything.  Before you decide, think about some things:  is your family the type that can live an adventure?  Do you travel well?  Are you used to trying new things?  Do you speak a little Spanish?

The crime and problems with the city are exaggerated.  Come look at the city.  It is not beautiful, but the people are.  It is a warm community that will gladly embrace you.  This is a big city.  Expect what the same in Berlin, Rome or Chicago.

Tecamahalco is an upper middle class neighborhood that will surely be comfortable.  Your money will go further here - especially if your husband earns in Euros.  You can easily hire a nanny to help with the baby and a maid to clean up. Costs for these people are only a couple hundred dollars per month.

Contact me through my link on my user profile and I will be happy to share some more insight with you.

Answer 5

Does'nt matter how great the pay woult it be ,I wouldn't live in such big city with so bad reputacion. Family safety frist amigo.

Answer 6

I am guessing that your husband was offer an executive position.  Tecamachalco is a very affluent neighborhood in Mexico where some of the best privates school are located, negotiate with the company to pay the tuition fees, they usually do, also they pay the fees for a nice country club and the salary for a chauffeur and maids.  I know many executives from abroad and usually live in Mexico for free, so is a great chance to save.  Mexico city is a very cosmopolitan city with one of the greatest restaurants in the world where u will find almost everything u like, the cultural life is terrific from opera to Broadway productions to sport events.  What you will not be available to do are winter sports.  Mexico City is very closed to great tourism attractions and almost every one who can afford it get out of Mexico city for the week ends, to many places to name them.  People in Mexico are very friendly and you will no have a problem making friends for life.  Just remember like every big city take extra precautions and used common sense to avoid being in a bad situation.  If u move there probably at the beginning you will hate the city because of it traffic but i bet u that in time u will not want to leave it, u will fall in love with not only Mexico city but all the country.  One last thing the people culture is very different so it will take time and patience to understand it, but with time u will feel Mexican too..

Answer 7

Well, Tecamachalco is a nice area in the city. Its not tht juss u put a foot out of ur house, ur gonna suffer the insecurity  but u have 2 b much more caefol thn in Swe (dont leave the car opened or the dor of the house unlocked, dont trust in strangers in the streets, dont walk alone at night, b careful with ur handbag, dont count money in the street juss where everyone can c u, dont go alone or at night 2 the atm, prefer the atms located inside the malls, dont carry a lot of cash with u...things like this)

On the oher hand, its not juss about how safe the city is...u also have 2 think tht the culture is soooo different and ull have 2 come with an open mind 2 accept it and get addapted, specially in such a big city where keeping in order 21 million ppl is an imposible job.

Im mexican, if u have more questions abt anything juss contact me :D

Answer 8

That area is very nice, it's like any nice suburb of any american city, shopping malls, restaurants, supermarkets and everything nearby. I think that the worst problem of Mexico City right now is traffic, peak hours are terrible. Other than that you'll love the city.