Many Canadians vacation in Mexico to escape the harshest winter months, but comparatively few choose the country’s capital as their destination. So, when we announced that we were going to spend February there working remotely, we got a few questions. Why not Cancun or Playa del Carmen? Will you be safe? Anyone who had visited CDMX (as the locals refer to it), understood our choice immediately.
What makes a place function well for remote work?
Working remotely from a hotel room for a few days or a week while on a business trip is one thing, but if you’re going to plant yourself elsewhere for longer than that, you want to make sure you’re going to be comfortable and productive. What works for vacation, might not work at all for getting work done.
Cost of Living
Mexico City is not the least expensive region in Mexico, but when we investigated Airbnb options and recalled the prices we paid for other items on a short visit a couple of years ago, it was affordable.
The one-bedroom apartment we found had one-and-a-half baths, a spacious kitchen, dining, and living room, as well as a doorman (nice!). It also had an appealing decor, which is important if you’re going to be working there all day. Most important, it was located in our favourite neighbourhood, La Condesa–a leafy, upward-trending enclave bustling with coffee shops, galleries, and restaurants. At 80 CAD per night, we booked it immediately. You can find a nice place for less than that, but we had our hearts set on La Condesa, which is a popular area.
For other cost comparisons consider that you can get a couple of delicious, filling, homemade tacos at a little restaurant for 1.80 CAD or less. A bottle of beer at a corner pub is less than 2 CAD and a 30-minute Uber ride is about 7 CAD.
Urban Setting
Instagram is full of images of people working on a laptop at the beach or poolside, but that’s just not realistic. Not for us, anyway. Steve is frequently on video calls, and I’m a horrible worker when faced with distractions.
On the other hand, we wanted a location that had a lot to offer during evenings and weekends when we were not working. Mexico City has that in spades. We ate at fabulous restaurants, took in art exhibitions, cycled through parks, visited street markets and museums. Mexico City is flush with world-class attractions. We had a rich and varied leisure experience.
Time Zone
When I tag along on business travel with Steve, I often have to time-shift so that for the most part, I’m online when my clients are online. I don’t feel comfortable responding to emails a day later or trying to collaborate with others while on a different schedule. The six- to seven-hour European time difference is workable, Asia is impossible. Mexico is in our central time zone. For a month, that’s perfect.
Weather
I am longing to visit Estonia, but I’m not going to go there in February when I’ve got the same frosty weather back home. When considering where to work remotely for a month, the temperate climate of Mexico City was attractive. Daily highs ranged from 22-27C, which is pretty much perfect in my books.
Safety
For a month, I want to feel as safe on the streets as I do at home. As a female, I don’t want to be dependent on having Steve with me to feel comfortable to go outside. There is a misperception that Mexico City is a dangerous place. I’m sure there are areas that are sketchy, but where we stayed most of the time, we never felt afraid.
Midway through our stay, Steve had to travel to Fort Lauderdale for a few days and I stayed behind. I felt perfectly secure and went about my life as I would at home. Note that we’re middle-aged and introverts (aka no fun) so we weren’t out till 2 a.m. partying. I can’t say whether nightlife would feel safe or not, but I suspect it would.
Convenient Airport
Because it’s a rare month that Steve doesn’t have to travel for work, we chose a place with a convenient international airport. The CDMX airport is about a 30-minute drive from the city centre when avoiding rush hour.
Mexico City a Top Choice for Remote Working
Our first experience working remotely for a month was a huge success. It was different from tagging along on Steve’s business travel for a few days or a week. Our apartment in Mexico City felt like home, we fell into a routine, and it was nicely equipped for being productive. We chose well!
Have you ever worked remotely for an extended period? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments.
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I have a love/hate relationship with Mexico City…but mostly love. Some great neighborhoods, nice cafes and restaurants (which is a surprise to a lot of people who have a 3rd world image of the city), great food, friendly people, and very comfortable temperatures.
What I hate is getting around and having to move between neighborhoods. Lots of big, ugly boulevards and crazy traffic.
My mom lives in San Miguel de Allende so I’m by now used to passing through Mexico City.
Beautiful apartment!
Yeah, I can see developing that love/hate feeling over an extended time. We got around mostly on bike, which had a few harrowing moments but overall it was efficient. I agree — the food and people are outstanding.
Interesting read, as always. It is hard to believe life can change so much in the blink of an eye!
Thanks, Cheryl! Indeed, suddenly life takes a turn and everything is different.
and the dogs. you forgot to mention that you got to see a million dogs every day! I appreciate how much planning goes into any type of vacation, never mind a remote working vacation! You obviously did your homework beforehand and I am so glad it was a positive experience!! I get what you mean about feeling safe. When we went to london for a couple of weeks, we wanted that mix of walkability but not suburbia. Not sure how all of this COVID is going to affect airbnb…next couple of years should be interesting!
Yes, the dogs were a huge bonus! I think it’s going to be quite a long time until Airbnb is back in full swing. In the meantime, we can dream and plan.