From Dallas, Texas, to Playa del Carmen’s Sparkling Sea

Ron Miller and Becky Swanston did their research before moving to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Ron says, “When we started thinking about retirement, we had a list of places, including both sides of Florida, Costa Rica, Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen, Portugal, and Greece. We decided Playa del Carmen (PDC) was the most convenient, and we like it.”

The 67-year-olds moved from Dallas, Texas, in August of 2021. They’re semi-retired from the financial industry, and both still work as independent contractors.

Ron says, “Growing up in Texas, our family vacationed in Mexico at least once a year. I’ve always liked Mexico's food, people, and culture. Playa del Carmen is small enough to walk around and meet people, and it’s big enough to have everything you need. Plus, it’s close to the airport.”

Located about an hour from Cancun’s busy international airport, Playa del Carmen is a fast-growing city along the Caribbean Sea. It offers a vibrant, international community where you can enjoy a varied dining scene, including street tacos, vegan restaurants, and high-end steakhouses.

Ron does most of the cooking at home. He says, “I go to the grocery store a lot, and we dine out a few times a week. You can have any type of spending experience you want here. Sometimes the food is best at the least expensive places, and the groceries are about a third less than in Dallas. We go out a couple of times a week. Dinner with wine/drinks usually runs around $50.”

For fun, Ron enjoys cooking, writing flowery restaurant reviews in local Facebook groups, spending time in his rooftop pool, and socializing. “We feel less stressed here, and we’ve met great new friends.”

Becky says, “I didn’t count on how welcoming the expat community would be. The first thing I did was join a book club. The second thing I did was go on a Costco run. Between those two things, we made more good friends in one year than I had in 10 years in Dallas.”

Besides Becky’s book club, they go out to dinner with other people and spend time at rooftop get-togethers. As Ron says, “To meet other people, you do have to put some effort out. You have to join things and not expect people to knock on your door.”

Ron and Becky rent a modern 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom condo between the beach and La Avenida Quinta, a miles-long pedestrian thoroughfare lined with shops, bars, and restaurants. Their condo building offers underground parking, a front desk with 24-hour reception, and a large rooftop pool area overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Becky says, “We put together a budget before we moved, but the thing we didn’t anticipate was the number of visitors we’d have.” They’ve hosted numerous friends and family members since they arrived in Playa del Carmen.

While entertaining inflates their spending, she says, “Everyday expenses are mostly cheaper. Our housekeeper is about $30. A visit to the dermatologist is around $80, and the cardiologist was $100, which included an EKG right in the office. A mobile dog groomer is $20, and a dog sitter is $25 for our Yorkie mix, Heho.”

One surprise expense area was pet accessories. Becky says, “I had to buy a dog crate, and it was easily 20% or 30% more than in Dallas.” Another surprise is the recent hike in airline prices. Becky says, “Flights used to be $200 to Dallas, and now they’re $900.”

A typical day starts early for Ron and Becky. They’re up by 6:30 a.m., watching the news. Ron says, “I get up at 6:15 a.m., start the coffee for Becky, and play Words with Friends. Later, I go for a 45-minute to an hour walk every day. PDC is a big walking town, and I swim in the pool. I get more exercise here.”

They both work a few hours a day. Becky says, “I spent my career in the financial industry and am helping build a capital introduction group. It’s a lot of networking and outreach. II usually do that from 9:30 a.m. to noon. I don’t like the sun and heat, so I don’t go out that much during the day.”

Ron keeps busy with work, too, “I identify companies my client could buy, find out if they’re interested in being acquired, and make introductions.”

They do have some advice for those considering a move abroad. Becky says, “Mexico is a developed country, but it’s not the US, so you have to leave your expectations behind. For example, there’s no mail service, and the internet may be slower. There’s an inconvenience factor you have to be prepared for. If you can roll with that, you’re fine. But if not, it’s probably not a fit.”

Both recommend renting at first anywhere you may choose to go. Ron says, “My No. 1 piece of advice is to rent first, learn the local scene before you ever plop down money to buy. Get to know the people, the neighborhoods. And as quickly as possible, drop the stress and anger you may have from your previous country.”