Your Oaxaca (Oaxaca de Juárez) move checklist

As of 2026 (consulates now calculate via UMA; UMA set Jan 8 2026): Temporary Resident requires roughly ~$4,400/mo net income over the prior ~6 months, OR ~$74,000 in average savings/investments held ~12 months. Couples: the dependent adds roughly ~25-30% (varies by consulate). Permanent Resident (available directly from abroad to retirees) needs ~$7,300/mo income or ~$294,000 savings. Important: US Social Security alone usually won't clear the income bar, so the savings path is the realistic route for many; thresholds and the income/savings split vary noticeably by consulate. Apply at a Mexican consulate abroad, then complete the card at INM in Mexico within 30 days of arrival.

Decent private acute care locally at Hospital Ángeles Oaxaca and Hospital OCA; English-speaking staff exist but are limited and not guaranteed (functional Spanish or a translator strongly advised at appointments). Routine doctor visits run ~$20-50. For serious/complex or specialized care, expats fly to world-class hospitals in Mexico City (~1 hr flight, e.g. ABC Medical Center) rather than relying on Oaxaca. Private insurance ~$50-150/mo depending on age; figures climb sharply at 65-70.

Mexico's system is effectively territorial for most retirees: Temporary Residents are generally not treated as Mexican tax residents and their foreign-source income (US pensions, IRA/401k withdrawals, Social Security) is not taxed by Mexico. US Social Security is taxable only in the US under the US-Mexico income tax treaty. A US-Mexico tax treaty exists (with a saving clause); private pensions can be taxable by both, mitigated by foreign tax credits. Becoming a Mexican tax resident (e.g. permanent residents who shift their center of vital interests) can trigger worldwide-income taxation — get advice before that step. Note: there is no US-Mexico totalization (Social Security) agreement.

Oaxaca (OAX) has nonstop US service: United from Houston (IAH, ~2h40m) and American from Dallas (DFW, ~2h55m), each roughly daily/seasonal. Otherwise connect via Mexico City (~1 hr hop, very frequent). Easy single-connection access to most of the US; not a huge hub, so nonstop options are limited to TX gateways.

US State Dept: Mexico overall and Oaxaca state both Level 2 'Exercise Increased Caution' (advisory dated May 29, 2026); no Do-Not-Travel zones in the tourist areas (Oaxaca City, Monte Albán, Puerto Escondido, Huatulco are unrestricted). US-govt-employee travel IS restricted in parts of the state: the Isthmus region (Juchitán, Salina Cruz, San Blas Atempa) and Federal Hwy 200 toward Guerrero. In the city itself the realistic risks are property crime — break-ins, street muggings (increasingly with a weapon shown, though intent to harm is rare) and pickpocketing in crowded markets/festivals; express-kidnapping via unlicensed taxis is a known risk, so use registered/app taxis. Violent crime against foreigners is uncommon; cartel violence concentrates outside the tourist core.

High-altitude (~5,000 ft) subtropical highland: warm, dry, sunny days year-round (typically 70s-80s F) with cool evenings, and no real cold season. Distinct May-Sept rainy season (afternoon showers); spring can be hot/dusty before the rains. Low humidity overall — closer to 'eternal spring' than tropical heat.

A real and growing foreign community (frequently cited as 15,000-20,000+ in the state, mostly US/Canadian) plus active Facebook groups, but it skews younger/digital-nomad and creative rather than a large 55-70 retiree enclave like Lake Chapala or San Miguel de Allende. Day-to-day life runs in Spanish; English will not get you far outside tourist restaurants and some clinics. Best suited to independent, Spanish-willing retirees rather than those wanting a turnkey English-speaking bubble.