- Ron Allanach and his partner Ben Lorgeranon moved from New England to Vancouver to Mérida, Mexico.
- They've found Mexico has much lower prices, better healthcare, and high-quality food.
- They immersed themselves in the local culture, which Allanach said is key to expat living.
Ron Allanach, 74, and his partner Ben Lorgeranon moved to Vancouver from New England in 2005, thinking they would stay there for their retirements. However, the city's rising prices and their desire to explore the world pushed them much further south.
After a year abroad, the couple purchased a home in 2017 in Mérida, a large city in southeast Mexico, and split their time between there and Vancouver. In 2020, they moved there permanently.
Allanach said with each day, Mérida feels more like home. The city is safer than he imagined, prices for nearly everything are much lower, and healthcare is more reliable. Allanach said they've tried to immerse themselves in the local culture instead of keeping just to fellow expats.
"Mérida has significantly improved its infrastructure, and many people are moving here. There is also a very significant gay community," Allanach said.
Moving to Canada, then Mexico
Allanach was born and raised in Portland, Maine, where he started his career as a journalist. He worked on the police beat for a local newspaper, which led him to become a police officer after a short stint at the US Postal Inspection Service.
For over twenty years, Allanach worked in the police force, eventually becoming a police chief in the Portland area. He then earned master's degrees in public policy and education psychology and held positions as an education administrator and behavioral therapist.
He met his partner in his master's program, though Lorgeranon, who is from Thailand, couldn't secure a residency in the US. Allanach suspected life in the US would be challenging as a same-sex couple, noting he became "quite disenchanted" with the country.
Ultimately, they decided to move to Vancouver. Allanach found work in the educational psychology department of various schools. Allanach and Lorgeranon agreed they lived a "wonderful life" in Vancouver with many friends and cultural opportunities.
However, living expenses started to rise, and he said his income was taxed at $12,000 one year. Even with a consistent salary, he couldn't see a comfortable future in Vancouver, knowing how rapidly the city was developing. At the time, he said healthcare was expensive, especially for dental care, and it was difficult to find open slots for medical appointments.
Additionally, he found his area's politics shifting more toward the conservative viewpoint, and he felt increasingly uncomfortable.
After retiring from the school board, Allanach put their 820-square-foot Vancouver condo on the market, selling for over a million Canadian dollars, and decided to travel the world for a year, figuring expenses would be more or less equivalent to staying in Canada. They owned another apartment that sold for almost $600,000 CAD in 2014, though it's now valued at over $1.4 million.
They traveled to many European countries, staying in France for four months, and they spent time in Thailand with Allanach's partner's family.
Allanach wanted to move to Thailand for his retirement, but Thailand only grants permanent residency to 100 people per country each year. Allanach added the country often changes its rules surrounding visas, meaning living there long-term wouldn't be feasible.
They visited Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state in southeast Mexico, a few times starting in 2015, noting it was popular among expats but still had a vibrant local community. Allanach said they felt safer in Mérida than in the US or Canada, and prices were lower. Mérida has a population of about 1.2 million as the financial capital of the Yucatán Peninsula.
In 2017, they bought a 1920 colonial home in Mérida from a Vancouver couple. They stayed there between trips back to Vancouver, and they moved to Mérida fully in 2020.
"One of the things that's just a disaster for people moving to a foreign country is going there and expecting that you're going to make it like your home where you came from, and that's just not what happens," Allanach said.
Getting accustomed to Mérida
Once Mexico opened to tourism after easing pandemic-related restrictions, Allanach met an architect from Los Angeles who moved to Mérida and brought his practice with him. The architect built them a 2,800-square-foot home, which they have lived in for three years. The home cost them $238,000 and has three bedrooms, a full bath, a dining room, gardens, and a pool in the city center. Still, Allanach said home prices have risen fast as more expats come.
Allanach and Lorgeranon bought a car to explore the city and surrounding areas — which they park outside their home without any worries. They have tried to immerse themselves in the culture and history of the Mayan people; Allanach said they became very close with a local Indigenous family and paid tuition for their kid's school.
"We meet people who say, I'm moving to Mérida, but I know nothing about it," Allanach said, noting he's valued integrating into the community instead of only staying in expat areas.
Allanach said he's been impressed by Mérida's medical system, as he's often able to see a physician within an hour without being rushed. Many pharmacies near him are open 24/7, and he often gets 30% to 45% off his prescriptions. He said doctors often make house calls in his part of the city, and seeing a doctor at a pharmacy costs just $2.50.
They often get fresh produce at the Mercado Lucas de Gálvez, though they often shop at Costco for larger purchases. He estimates their grocery bill is much higher in Mérida than in Vancouver, given many items are imported. While there are many affordable restaurants, he said some restaurants catering more to tourists are "very expensive."
He saves hundreds of dollars yearly on auto insurance, which is $500 in Mexico for a new SUV, whereas he paid over $2,500 in Vancouver. Whereas property taxes were about $1,700 a year in Vancouver, they're just $160 a year in Mexico. They use solar energy, which was a one-time expense of $5,500, though Allanach said the electric bill during the summer could cost $250 to $500, as the heat is sometimes difficult.
Other costs include $38 yearly for trash pickup, $30 monthly for 5,000 TV channels, $35 for pool service, and $60 monthly for their phone plan.
"We love the routine here. We love the predictability," Allanach said. "I see what Canada is offering for $900,000, and it's half my living room. I almost feel nauseous."
Have you recently left the US for a new country? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].