Study Reveals Monthly Healthcare Expenditures in Mexico Robert Nelson - Expats In Mexico
go to original April 2, 2022

One of the benefits of living in Mexico is low cost, but very good, healthcare, including low prescription prices compared to the U.S.

An added bonus is that many medications can be filled without a prescription from your doctor. Our study finds that about three-out-of-four expats spend less than US$150 a month for all their healthcare needs.

Here is a more detailed view:

  • Less than $1,000 pesos (38 percent of all expats)
  • $1,000 to $2,000 pesos (23 percent)
  • $2,000 to $3,000 pesos (13 percent)
  • $3,000 to $4,000 pesos (9 percent)
  • $4,000 to $5,000 pesos (4 percent)
  • More than $5,000 pesos (13 percent)

The study also finds that both hospitals and doctors receive generally high satisfaction levels from expats. A majority – 62 percent – say hospitals in Mexico are excellent, very good or good. Just 3 percent rate hospitals as not very good or poor. Interestingly, over one-third of expats have never used a local hospital.

Doctors in Mexico fare even better in our study. About 86 percent of expats give medical doctors a vote of confidence by rating them excellent, very good or good. Less than 2 percent view them negatively and just over 11 percent had no experience with doctors in Mexico.

Expats also have a wide range of health insurance, with nearly one-third telling us they were covered under U.S. Medicare, and another 5 percent say they have Canadian Medicare. Additional coverage carried by expats include private health insurance from their home country (17 percent), Mexican health insurance (14 percent) and 11 percent have international health insurance policies. Many had a combination of these options or no coverage at all.

Considering that 80 percent of the respondents to this survey are retired, healthcare costs and coverage and the overall cost of living are of paramount importance to their daily lives. But not all expats in this survey say cost of living is the main reason why they make Mexico their home.

The Mexican lifestyle is a close second, with 21 percent responding that the laid-back life of this country is what makes it home. Another 16 percent loves the climate of Mexico where they live. The warmth of the Mexican people and their rich culture are also highly-valued by expats in Mexico. About 18 percent chose those two options. Healthcare is singled out as a reason for living here by less than 2 percent, followed by a wide variety of other reasons and combinations of the most favored reasons.

If you are interested in previous Expats in Mexico surveys, you can find them here.

Related: How Good Are Doctors in Mexico? (Expats in Mexico)