Carlos Bermejo Colli

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…