Todos Santos
A laid-back Pacific Pueblo Mágico and art town with mild winters and Cabo nearby — but tiny, with only a local clinic, real serious-care drives, and an unswimmable surf coast.
For an American couple, Todos Santos runs about $2,700 a month — with straightforward flights back to the US.
Todos Santos by the numbers
Visa & residency for Americans
As of 2026, the Temporary Resident (passive-income) route requires roughly US$4,400/month in stable income (pension, Social Security, dividends) over ~6 months, OR an average ~US$74,000 in savings/investments over 12 months. Thresholds moved to UMA-pegging in 2025 (2026 UMA MXN 117.31), keeping the bar roughly flat. Add ~25% (~$925/mo) for a spouse/dependent. You apply at a Mexican consulate abroad, then finalize the canje in Mexico within 30 days; renewable up to 4 years before converting to permanent residency. Consular fees rose for 2026 and interpretation varies by consulate. Note for tiny Todos Santos: in-country immigration steps run through the INM office in La Paz (~1h away). Many part-timers instead use the 180-day tourist permit, though border-granted stays have been shrinking.
Your Mexico residency, mapped to your situation
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Map my Mexico visa path →What living in Todos Santos is actually like
Limited in town — this is a small Pueblo Mágico, not a medical hub. Todos Santos has a respected bilingual private clinic, Saint Jude's Medical Center (on-site X-ray, lab, pharmacy, doctor referrals, air-ambulance coordination), plus a public Centro de Salud and a few small clinics — fine for routine care and stabilization. Anything serious means a drive: La Paz (~1h+) has the public Hospital General Juan María Salvatierra and private options like Fidepaz; the bigger US-standard hospitals — H+ Los Cabos, AmeriMed, BlueNet — are in the Los Cabos corridor ~1h+ south. Carry private insurance with air-evac; nearest world-class care is a flight to San Diego/LA/Phoenix (~2-2.5h from SJD).
Health cover for retiring in Mexico
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Compare plans for Mexico →Arid Pacific-Baja climate, milder than Cabo thanks to ocean breezes and slightly higher ground. Winters (Nov-Apr) are close to ideal — ~68-79°F days, low humidity, lots of sun. Summers (Jul-Oct) are hot (~86-100°F) and notably more humid, with Jun-Nov hurricane-season risk (peak Aug-Sep). Runs roughly 10-15°F cooler than nearby La Paz in summer. A/C wanted in the hot months.
Quiet, small-town safety within a relatively safe state. Baja California Sur carries a US State Dept Level 2 advisory and one of Mexico's lowest homicide rates (~2.2 per 100,000), and BCS was pointedly not in the Feb 2026 US Embassy security alert. In Todos Santos the most common risks to foreigners are mundane — alcohol, unsafe ocean swimming (the Pacific surf has dangerous rip currents, largely unsafe for casual swimming), and highway driving accidents — rather than violent crime, which is rare. Petty theft and opportunistic break-ins happen, especially at unoccupied second homes. Women generally report the town as relaxed and comfortable; standard rural precautions apply after dark.
A small but tight-knit, disproportionately American/Canadian community for the town's size, skewing artists, surfers, and retirees, with a big seasonal snowbird swell Nov-Apr. The galleries, weekly art walk, organic cafés, and farm-to-table restaurants are expat-oriented, and English goes a long way. But it's genuinely small and seasonal — quieter in summer — so it suits people who want a close community feel over a big-city expat network.
No airport of its own, but well-placed between two. Los Cabos International (SJD) is ~1h-1h15 south by car and is the practical gateway — daily nonstops from Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Chicago and more (LA/Phoenix ~2-2.5h). La Paz (LAP), ~1h-1.5h northeast, adds mostly-domestic links and limited US/seasonal service. Effective US access is strong via SJD; just factor the airport drive.
Mexican tax residents are technically taxed on worldwide income, but in practice it's territorial-leaning for retirees: the US-Mexico tax treaty (in force 1994) generally assigns US Social Security and government pensions to the US, and US-source private pensions/IRA/401(k) withdrawals are typically not taxed by Mexico for US citizens. US citizens still file and owe US tax (treaty saving clause). No US-Mexico Social Security totalization agreement. We're not tax advisors — confirm specifics with a cross-border professional.
Getting your money to Todos Santos
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Todos Santos, weighed both ways
What’s good
- +Charming Pueblo Mágico with a real arts scene (galleries, weekly art walk)
- +Mild, sunny winters and cooler summers than nearby La Paz
- +Among the safest regions in Mexico (low homicide rate; excluded from Feb 2026 alert)
- +Close to Los Cabos' airport and US-standard hospitals (~1h)
- +Tight-knit, welcoming American/Canadian community; very workable in English
- +Treaty-protected US pensions/Social Security generally not taxed by Mexico
Worth weighing
- –Tiny — only a local clinic; serious care means a ~1h drive to La Paz or Los Cabos
- –Pacific surf is largely unsafe for swimming (strong rip currents)
- –Hot, humid summers with Jun-Nov hurricane-season risk
- –Small, seasonal community that quiets down in summer; limited services/nightlife
- –Car effectively required; sparse public transport and patchy internet in spots
- –Pricier than mainland interior towns (Baja real estate has climbed)
- –Immigration/admin errands require trips to La Paz (~1h)
Who Todos Santos suits
Artsy, laid-back retirees who want a small Pacific beach town with character · Snowbirds seeking mild, sunny Nov-Apr winters near Cabo · Couples who value a close-knit community over big-city amenities · Western US-based retirees wanting reasonable flights via Los Cabos
Anyone with significant or chronic health needs wanting hospitals nearby · Beachgoers who want safe, swimmable water · Retirees needing lots of services, nightlife, or year-round buzz · Those who don't want to depend on a car
Sources, methodology & recent updates · visa & advisory re-checked 2026-09-09SHOW
- Aug 26, 2026We flagged a possible change in Todos Santos's data and are holding the current figures until an official source confirms it.
Go and see Todos Santos first
Flights, a hotel, and a car for the scouting trip — booked in one place, through our travel shop.
See scouting trips to Todos Santos →A month in Todos Santos before you decide
The people who land happiest came and lived it first — the market, the bus, an ordinary Tuesday — before they signed anything. A furnished place by the week or the month is how you do that.
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