The 2019 Digital Nomad Guide to Living and Working in Mexico City Mendez Follow Feb 19, 2019 · 10 min read

Welcome to the world capital of tacos, luchadors, and Coca-Cola. Mexico City, or CDMX as its colloquially known, is a bustling city of near 9 million inhabitants. If it's your first time venturing into Latin America then I wouldn't recommend any other city to pop that chili flavored cherry. Unless of course, you hate large cities then I'd recommend you get out as soon as that ADO or Primera Plus bus can take you.

One of the reasons why CDMX is a great LATAM starter city is due to their Spanish, which is known to be one of the more neutral accented ones, so understanding the locals shouldn’t be too difficult. Nonetheless, most of the under-30 crowd will be happy to converse with you in that inglés.

If you’re a digital nomad looking for a city that offers all the amenities you would come to expect in the US or Europe at half the cost then CDMX is where I’d start your Mexican journey. Now, if you’re from the US you’ve probably heard a rather bleak picture painted by the media regarding the city’s safety situation. Maybe the term ‘bad hombres’ has crossed your path in a news cycle or two. I’d like to believe you’re not an idiot and realize that Mexico City is like any other large foreign city and has its mix of good and bad. Having said that, if you exercise a healthy dose of caution you’ll be fine. Unless you’re like me and get loaded on mezcal only to ask random taxi drivers to take you somewhere “fun”, which to them, means cockfighting in the neighboring state. Don’t be like me.

Before Arrival

I know what you're feeling. You're probably all jacked because you're about to run a train on some tacos and tequila once you get in. In fact, you've probably looked for Airbnb Experiences that offer such tours. Maybe incongnito'ed Donkey Shows, who knows, I'm not you. You've packed a weeks supply of Pepto and Diamox because you've read that Moctezuma's Revenge and altitude sickness are a real thing, which they are, trust me. So to make your extended stay go a bit more smoothly I'm going to highlight some things you should know before landing:

Apps:

CityMapper — How to get from point A to point B using only public transportation.

MetroLite — Shows you every route and station of the public transportation system.

WhatsApp — Messaging used by everyone, everywhere, except the US.

Those three apps along with Google Maps will make sure you always find your way around and be in touch.

I'll get into more detail on different methods of moving around in the Getting Around section, duh.

Neighborhoods, known as Colonias (co-low-nYAs):

You could probably fill a whole guide on the idiosyncrasies of each Mexico City colonia, but fuck that, I'm just going to give a brief overview of the 4 most frequently stayed in:

Condesa — Hipster paradise. Where the young bougie Mexicans mingle with the tourist crowd. Don't get me wrong though, Condesa is also home to a myriad of local bars, cafes, and restaurants that provide a great place to hang and meet people. It just comes at a premium. Your average Airbnb stay goes for $100 USD/night for an entire place. If you're willing to walk an extra 10 minutes the price goes down considerably.

Roma — La Roma borders Condesa on 2 sides making it Condesa lite. You'll find the same vibe and accommodations in both, but the makeup of its residents tend to be a bit younger considering it's not as expensive to live and play there. Your average night will run you $66.

Coyoacán — Home to Frida Kahlo's studio and Leon Trotsky's home. This once communist enclave still shares a lot of its essence with the people who hang out there. Hippies. It's a great place to visit and stay if you're looking to experience CDMXs colonial origins. Situated to the southern end of the city the going rate of an entire home is $62 a night.

Polanco — If you don't mind paying the same prices as some US cities then Polanco is for you. A lot of these apartments and homes are priced in dollars which should tell you everything, if not, then imagine living next to a Cartier or Louis Vuitton. That's Polanco. I recommend staying here if you like malls or have business in one of the many headquarters based there, however, you will be paying $120/night for that luxury.

If staying in more touristy places isn't your bag then fret not; down below you'll find a few colonias that are spitting distance to some of the aforementioned ones. They all hover around the $65/night mark but can be booked for far cheaper. How you ask? Haggle. My success comes from trying to book a couple of weeks to a month. I average out their nightly rate and send them a direct message saying that I'd like to book their place but can only afford $X. You message enough people and you can end up staying in some of these colonias with a 50% discount. The worst thing they can do is say no.

I've personally stayed in all of these colonias and can attest to their comfort, safety, and accessibility. The map above shows you where exactly they are in relation to one another and the city as a whole. As you can see they're all, with the exception of Coyo, walking distance from one another.

You're probably wondering why I didn't mention hostels, which is a valid concern, and I'm going to tell you. It's because I've never actually stayed in the center where most of them are. Staying in the center is way cheaper, but a lot sketchier after dark. It also has a vibe that I don't enjoy, which is a fuckton of tourists walking around and touching you. What I can tell you is that a dorm bed in the mentioned areas average around $17.50 a night, so if you're looking to save and mingle I'd definitely recommend hitting them up, but avoid Hostelworld and book directly with the hostels. Be a bro.

Getting In

Benito Juarez International Airport is home to 2 terminals. Terminal 1 is mostly national flights with terminal 2 being made up of international. You’ll have the choice of using 3 modes of transportation, but I’ll only cover taxi and the metro since using the bus while traveling sucks Thanos chin.

Taxi: Fuck them. Take an Uber.

You’ll have to specify your gate when you book it so it’ll take about five minutes for the driver to find you. Take note of the license plate number and drivers name; you’ll come to realize that most Ubers use the same car models in Mexico so picking this habit up early will save you some confusion and hassle in the future. Here are some common fares and travel times to a few areas of the city.

Metro: Using the metro as your first foray into Mexico City’s mass transit system is basically a trial by fire. Depending on the time of day you’re either going to have a smooth ride or be stuck in a hellish sardine can. Take the time to buy a tarjeta (tAHr-JEH-tah) aka metro card. It costs 10 pesos and you can top it up in order to use the Metro and Metrobus.

To get to the metro you’ll need to exit Terminal 1 and take a left. Bear left while walking against the traffic of the cars dropping off. You’ll walk for 5–10 minutes until you see the yellow signage saying: Metro Línea 5: Politécnico-Pantitlán where you’ll be boarding station: Terminal Aérea, it has a plane as its symbol.

I’m going to hedge my bets here and assume you took my advice on where to stay, if so, make your way to platform Pantitlán — a station hub to 3 of the most commonly used lines that go through the following colonias:

One final note about the metro: there are pickpockets abound and anyone with a traveling pack stands out like a sore thumb. Keep your large pack at your feet and any daypack in front of you with your hands guarding any of its pockets. Be sure to not have anything of importance in your jean/short pockets. Women, there’s a special section at the front for women only. I believe they’re the first 4 cars. Dudes, try not to get groped.

Settling In

You've made it past customs safely and have finally made it to your Airbnb or hostel. Your clothes have been put away and you're ready to venture out. What should you do first? I always suggest walking around your colonia. Figure out what's around you. Specifically, find out what food stands and shops are on your block. If you're staying for a week or more ask where and when the tianguís (tee-AHn-geese) is taking place, a local market.

If you're needing something more then download the Cornershop app and order your groceries from there. Stock up on food and essentials and forget about walking with that shit later. If you tend to buy what you need when you need it like me then find the nearest supermarket. Superama is the most common in these colonias, but if you're looking for something on the cheaper side then look for these: Soriana, La Comer, Chedraui, or Sumesa.

Looking to save on your phone bill? Go to your nearest AT&T or Telcel. Walk in and ask to buy a chip (chEEp). Topping up on minutes and megs is as easy as going to any corner store and asking for a recarga (reh-kAHr-gah). I usually put in $200 pesos for about a months worth of data with AT&T.

Now that you're on a roll let's actually getting you rolling.

Getting Around

There are so many ways to get around this city it's insane. Do you wanna roll around in a bike? An electric scooter? Or a goddamn helicopter? Well shit, load up and find your way to your nearest helipad. Below you'll find out what your options are and their associated costs. All, but mass transportation, have their own apps. Download them and find out where your nearest one is; you've probably passed a few on your colonia tour already.