Episodes

Erica and Jeff sat down and did something most people are too polite or too embarrassed to do: they shared their actual monthly budget, line by line, no rounding up, no conveniently missing categories. The total for a full month in Merida, Yucatan, not counting their mortgage payment, came out to $2,020. That covers groceries, a weekly housekeeper, dining out, all utilities, and getting around a city they have lived in without owning a car for nearly a year. Some of the numbers are genuinely ha...

After nearly a year in Mérida, Erica and Jeff are sharing the honest list: what they love, what they hate, and what still makes them say, “This might be a bad idea.” From bugs, heat, trash, potholes, paperwork, and slow timelines to community, history, sunshine, cenotes, and a slower pace of life, this episode is the real version of moving abroad — not the Instagram version. Would they still move to Mexico knowing what they know now? Somehow… yes.

If you're thinking about moving to Merida, Mexico, there are a few things nobody warns you about until after you've signed a lease — like the water you can't drink straight from the tap, the AC unit that will betray you the moment you leave town, and the rooftop water tank that grows algae if you ignore it for a season. Carlos Bermejo and Juan Lara of YucaFriends have seen it all, and in this episode they walk Erica and Jeff through the real cost of Mérida expat life. YucaFriends is a Mérida-based company built specifically for expats — connecting people with vetted real estate agents, trusted contractors, immigration referrals, and home management services for snowbirds and part-time residents. Carlos and Juan explain why water filtration in Mérida is non-negotiable (the city sits on a limestone shelf directly above a cenote network that was the ancient drainage system), and why skipping AC maintenance every four to six months can result in a 25,000-peso CFE electricity bill — a r…