Your San Miguel de Allende move checklist

Temporary Resident via economic solvency: single applicant shows ~US$4,400/mo income over the last 6-12 months, OR avg savings/investment balance of ~US$74,000. A couple typically adds ~US$1,434/mo (or ~US$25,808 savings) for the second spouse as a dependent. Permanent Resident requires ~US$7,400/mo or ~US$298,000 savings. Figures are 2026, derived from the UMA at ~18 pesos/USD per consular guidelines published Jul 2025; thresholds rise yearly with the UMA and vary by consulate. The income bar is high for Social-Security-only retirees, but the savings path is widely used. Apply at a Mexican consulate while still in the US.

Two solid private hospitals in town — Hospital MAC (2017) and Hospital Joya (2021) — with bilingual doctors, ER/ICU, and 20+ specialties, fine for most acute care. English-speaking GPs are plentiful (consults ~$30-50, specialists ~$50-100); patient-advocacy services (e.g. Be Well San Miguel) help non-Spanish speakers navigate the system. For complex/tertiary care, world-class accredited hospitals (Hospital Ángeles) are ~1 to 1.5 hrs away in Querétaro. Most expats carry private international insurance (~$1,500-3,000/yr, age-dependent). Caveat: the truly top-tier facilities are not in-town, so a serious emergency may mean a 1+ hr transfer.

Mexico taxes tax-RESIDENTS on worldwide income (progressive to 35%), but Temporary Residents are generally NOT treated as Mexican tax residents for roughly their first 4 years, so foreign-source income (US Social Security, pensions, IRA/401k) is typically not taxed by Mexico during that window. A US-Mexico income tax treaty exists; US Social Security is taxable only in the US under the treaty. US citizens still file US returns and FBAR/FATCA regardless. Confirm residency status and treaty positions with a cross-border tax pro before relying on this.

No airport in town. Querétaro (QRO) is ~1h15 by road, León/Bajío (BJX) ~1.5h, and Mexico City (MEX) ~3.5-4h. QRO and BJX have a growing but still limited set of direct US routes (Texas hubs, via Volaris/Aeroméxico/American); most itineraries connect through Mexico City, Houston, or Dallas. Workable for the US market (often one connection), but not the door-to-door convenience of a Cancún or Cabo.

Country-wide US advisory is Level 2 (as of May 29, 2026); Guanajuato STATE is Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel") due to cartel/fuel-theft violence — but that violence is concentrated in the southern/central industrial corridor (Celaya, Salamanca, Irapuato, León), where US government staff are restricted from traveling. San Miguel sits in the calmer northeast of the state and has historically stayed safe, with petty theft the main day-to-day concern. Don't let the marketing "safest city in North America" line lull you: you're in a Level 3 state and should avoid the southern Guanajuato corridor.

High-desert "eternal spring" at ~6,200 ft (1,900 m): days mostly in the 70s F, nights in the 50s F, very low humidity, ~300 sunny days. Rainy season Jun-Sep brings short afternoon showers. Real caveat: the altitude can take weeks to adjust to and bothers some with heart/lung issues; spring (Apr-May) gets hot and dry, and winter nights are genuinely chilly in homes that often lack central heating.

One of the largest and most established retiree expat hubs in Latin America — roughly 10,000-15,000 full-time foreign residents (heavily US/Canadian, skewing 55+) in a town of ~80,000, plus seasonal snowbirds. Dense English-language social scene, clubs, volunteer orgs, and services. Flip side: the bubble is so thick you can live here for years speaking zero Spanish and never leave the anglophone circle — and longtime residents grumble it's lost some authenticity.