Playa del Carmen is the most fascinating tourist center on the entire Riviera Maya. Many of those who stay here fall in love with this place and decide to settle here. So there are currently many expats living in Playa del Carmen.
Living in Playa del Carmen
The year-round pleasant climate and the beauty of the Caribbean Sea have made this fishing village a unique tourist destination in the world. Although there are many large hotels, the dozens of small, typical Mexican hotels give visitors the charm of the city. Playa del Carmen is strategically located and well connected with the surrounding cities such as Cancun and Tulum, but also with the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Transportation in Playa del Carmen is very cheap. What I do not recommend is taking a cab, as they are quite expensive. If you are forced to take a cab, always agree on the price with the cab driver, as many take advantage of the fact that you are a foreigner and inflate the prices.
Playa del Carmen has about 200,000 inhabitants, many of them Mexicans from all over the country, but also many foreigners with more than 40 nationalities.
Mexicans like to enjoy life. They are very open-minded to all, regardless of race, origin, economic status, gender and sexual orientation. Life is very relaxed. But the population is growing by 20% every year. Since it is a great place to live and do business (tourism, real estate, restaurants), new people are constantly coming in, both good and bad. This has led to an increase in crime.
If you like to party, Playa del Carmen is the place for you. The people here have the party in their blood. There are many bars and clubs where you can dance and have fun until dawn. The downside is that given the heavy influx of tourists prices are not cheap. The value for money in the restaurants also leaves a lot to be desired. This is due to the influx of tourists, which drives up prices.
Compared to other destinations in Mexico, Playa del Carmen is quite expensive. Prices increase every day, while wages remain the same. As for accommodation, do not even think about staying on Fifth Avenue, because real estate prices here are unacceptable. The closer you live to the sea, the more expensive the rent becomes. What I do not recommend is renting online before you leave because there are many scams.
Living in Playa del Carmen means that the weather is pleasant almost all year round. The average annual temperature is 25°C. The only drawback is that from June to mid-September it is very hot and the temperatures easily exceed 35°C. Not to mention the increasingly frequent hurricanes and cyclones that form in the fall.
Playa del Carmen offers a very relaxed lifestyle, beautiful beaches, tropical weather and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. However, due to the increase in tourism, violence and crime are also on the rise. However, as long as you take the usual precautions, there should be no problems.
Working in Playa del Carmen
As for work, you have a good chance of finding work if you are well prepared and at the same time have a good command of English and Spanish. It is a city where there is a lot of tourism, so of course there is work. Most of the offers are mainly in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The city always needs people to work in restaurants, hotels and tourism in general. Keep in mind that unless you have special qualifications, salaries in this sector are very low, and the only hope is to be able to count on tips from tourists. On the other hand, if you are looking for a high skilled job you should go to a bigger city to have more opportunities.
If you intend to work in the hospitality industry, submitting your CV in person is undoubtedly the best option to get a job, since for seasonal jobs in restaurants, hotels, bars, etc., the chances increase if you introduce yourself in person. There is also a way to find work already from abroad, in exchange for room and board. On this website there are a lot of offers, also for Mexico.
Living and working in Playa del Carmen, conclusion
Finally, I would like to remind you the four ways you have to stay in Mexico:
- you need a work visa to work in Mexico; you have to find find a Mexican company willing to sponsor you.
- you can stay on a tourist visa, which you can extend after expiration by leaving the country on a day trip and re-entering. However, you cannot legally work with this type of visa, although many foreigners do.
- the third way to stay in Mexico is to marry a Mexican citizen.
- the fourth way to stay and work is to find an immigration attorney to help you with all the formalities
