Tulum: a bit edgy, properly hot summers, winter is a rumor

Homicide rate: 26.1 per 100,000 (UNODC). World average is 5.8, so Tulum is worth doing your homework on. Numbeo Crime Index sits at 47.3/100 (lower = safer) — that's what residents actually say about walking home at night, not what the tourism board says. Learn the neighborhoods before signing a lease — every city has blocks you'll love and blocks you won't.

A 1-bed in the centre runs about $1045/month (Numbeo). Day-to-day: a cheap restaurant meal: $10.50. All in — rent, food, getting around, keeping the lights on — budget $1445–$1845/month depending on whether you cook or eat out. That's the settler number, not the tourist number.

Tulum: Summers reach around 32°C with about 13.4 hours of daylight in Jun, winters drop to around 19°C and 10.9 hours of daylight in Dec. Warm enough to regret not having AC, cool enough that some people try.

Low English proficiency (EF EPI). But that one word hides two very different realities: office English 34/100 (can you work in English?) and street English 19/100 (can you argue with your landlord in English?). The office is usually easier. The landlord is the real test.

Mexico scores 5.3/10 on the EIU Democracy Index. Functional enough, but keep an eye on the political weather. Some expats find the bureaucracy more autocratic than the government. Rent from $1045/month.

Unemployment: 2.8%. Translation: jobs exist and companies are actually hiring — a rarity worth noting. If you're planning to job-hunt locally, research your industry before booking a one-way ticket. If you work remotely, this number matters less — but your visa type might not let you.

Depends what kind of expat you are. Key facts: rent from $1045/month. The numbers above — livability score, safety, cost of living — tell you whether the city works on paper. Whether it works for you depends on what you're optimizing for. Take the quiz if you want a more honest answer than "it's great for expats."