Mazatlán offers the best beachfront lifestyle you’ll find in Mexico… maybe the best you’ll find anywhere.
This seaside city boasts over 10 miles of sandy beaches. These vary from bustling and energetic stretches conveniently located in town to sections of isolated shoreline where you can get away from it all.
Many beaches in Latin America are hidden behind a wall of high-rises, but the beaches of Mazatlán are completely open and accessible to the public.
Mazatlán’s wide, new boardwalk extends for over 5 miles along the beachfront, making it one of the longest seaside promenades in the Americas.
The boardwalk is cheerful and bustling day and night, with people strolling, jogging, exercising, and walking their dogs. The adjacent bike lanes provide a safe zone for a seaside bike ride.
But what sets this city apart is its Spanish-colonial historic center. In fact, having a colonial center on the beach is what drew me to Mazatlán and led me to my own beachfront home here.
The historic center has undergone continued renovation over the past 10 years and has become a major source of pride for those of us who live here.
What’s more, having a mix of beach and colonial atmosphere means countless lifestyle and entertainment options, including fine dining, quiet coffee shops, friendly and welcoming bars, an opera house, and an active live music scene.
All these benefits have combined to form one of the best real estate markets you’ll find anywhere. In fact, despite Mazatlán’s recent burgeoning popularity, property prices are still far below its seaside competing markets in Mexico.
Here are a few more advantages to today’s life in Mazatlán…
- The Expats
A large and diverse expat community will help you feel at home…
- Property Prices
Properties are inexpensive compared with almost any beachfront market in the world. You’ll spend less in Mazatlán for seaside properties than you’ll spend in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, or even Tulum…
- The Music Scene
An active live music scene, which is a great way to enjoy time with your friends and to meet your neighbors…
- The Local Culture
Classical music, theater, and art are a part of the local culture, with activities that are popular with and well-attended by locals and expats…
- You Can “Go Local”… Or Not
Apart from the resort areas, Mazatlán is a “real” Mexican city of almost a half-million people. You can choose to be part of the American and Canadian community, speak mostly English, and ease your way into Mazatlán, aided by people who’ve come before you.
Or you can live in an authentic Mexican environment, speak mostly Spanish, enjoy a lower cost of living, and immerse yourself in Mexico’s charming culture…
- The Exchange Rate
From dining out to buying a property, you’ll find prices are an amazing bargain at today’s exchange rates. Whether it’s food, clothing, or a night out on the town, you won’t believe how little it costs to be here…
- Easy Residency
Residency is easy for those who want to stick around long-term. I got my visa at an English-speaking consulate in the States. And Mexico is the only country I know of that allows you to use savings—such as a 401(k) balance—in lieu of a guaranteed monthly income.
- Property Taxes Are Negligible
I own a large, new condo of 228 square meters (2,450 square feet) on the waterfront at the edge of the historic center. My tax bill was $116 for 2025…
- Shopping Convenience
The Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Walmart, AutoZone… Mazatlán has an entire city full of local shops and Mexican supermarkets, both large and small. But nothing beats a Walmart or The Home Depot for convenience. Amazon’s level of service here is excellent…
- Easy Access To The U.S. And Canada
With frequent flights to the U.S. and Canada and a safe highway all the way from the American border, it’s easy and convenient to get to Mazatlán…
- It Feels Like Mexico
Lots of places in Mexico have large, dominating expat communities that change the look and feel of the local environment. But in Mazatlán, you’ll see far more Mexican families on the street and boardwalk than you will expats from the north. Expats have an influence, but it’s still an overwhelmingly Mexican city…
What Life In Mazatlán Looks Like Today For Expats
Mazatlán flourished during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s as a sportfishing mecca. Actors such as John Wayne and Gary Cooper frequented the area while on break from filming in nearby Durango.
Overall tourism in the city slumped in the 1970s but enjoyed a resurgence in the early 21st century, as the historic center saw a major restoration and once again became a popular tourism draw.
And today’s Mazatlán still depends heavily on tourism and expats… but even without these, the town has a solid base, with the country’s largest shrimping fleet, its biggest tuna industry, and smaller industries of beer-brewing and coffee-roasting, among others.
Spanish is the language of Mexico, and—unlike countries such as Chile or Argentina—it probably sounds like the version you learned in high school or in a language course.
That said, there is more English spoken in Mazatlán than anywhere else I’ve lived in Latin America over the past 24 years. My notary speaks fluent English, as do the furniture supplier, my condo developer, and most of my neighbors, as well as the staff in most restaurants, cafés, and bars.
Many expats living in Mazatlán get by with only English or very little Spanish. But beware: When you have a problem with your electric bill… or the phone goes out… or the internet seems slow… or your property taxes are overdue… the person you’ll call most likely will not speak English. For example, no one at my bank speaks English.
Properties In Mazatlán
The property market in Mazatlán has changed during the 10 years I’ve been around. When I arrived during the 2014-2015 season, it was a buyer’s market. Sellers were motivated, and prices were low.
Canadian sellers were offering the best bargains, often willing to just get their original purchase price back in Canadian dollars. This was great for buyers with U.S. dollars. Prices were well under normal for ocean properties compared with other seaside markets around the world.
By the 2017-2018 high season, things had shifted. Properties that had been hanging around for years suddenly vanished from the market. And in fact, much of the inventory disappeared, as buyers came to town in large numbers.
These factors contributed to the turnaround:
- The highway to Durango went into service, and the drive time was dramatically reduced. Once-per-year visitors became weekend visitors and began looking for properties…
- The cruise ship schedule continued to ramp up, bringing thousands of visitors to the city every week… many of whom fell in love with the city and began to look for properties…
- The Great Recession was beginning to fade from memory, with Canadian and American buyers willing to dive into the second-home market once again.
Today, I’d say it’s neither a buyer’s nor a seller’s market. There’s an adequate inventory of quality properties, and prices are still far lower than what you’d spend in competing markets.
- Ocean view properties are 29% lower than similar properties in Puerto Vallarta…
- Ocean view properties are 23% lower than non-view properties in Playa del Carmen.
In 2025, Mazatlán is still a standout value.
The Cost Of Living In Mazatlán
One of the biggest benefits of living in Mazatlán is the low cost of living. At today’s favorable exchange rates, prices all over Mexico are a tremendous bargain.
In Mazatlán, my property taxes for a large home on the oceanfront are $116 per year. My latest electric bill is $64. Internet service is about $16 per month, with fiber-optic running about $22. Cell service with a data plan is $11 per month.
Dinner out at the nicest restaurant in the historic center cost us $75 this week, including tax, tip, appetizers, and four glasses of wine.
Food prices can vary depending on the number of American and Canadian imported items you buy. Fortunately for expats, you can buy most anything in Mexico that you can buy up north.
This is nice if you have certain items that you can’t live without. What’s more, many “American” goods are actually made in Mexico, so you can get these items at a local price.
Or better yet, avoid the big supermarkets and shop at one of the large, open markets in town.
Overall, I’d say the minimum required to live a good, basic lifestyle in Mazatlán is about $1,650 if you rent a home and $1,150 if you own your home, at today’s (favorable) exchange rate of 20.1 pesos per U.S. dollar.
By “basic lifestyle,” I mean housing, utilities, food, transportation, and entertainment. I am not including automotive or medical costs.
You may also need to budget for occasional travel, trips to your home country, holiday gifts, and other odds and ends.
For a more-than-basic budget, I’d allow at least $2,100 per month to enjoy the best of what Mazatlán has to offer if you own your residence.
One of the best benefits of living here is that much of Mazatlán is very walkable. I have a car, but I rarely use it except for interstate travel.
Is Mazatlán For You?
If you want to be a pioneer or the only American in town, Mazatlán isn’t the place for you. It was “discovered” before most of us were born. And if you’d like 12 months of springlike weather, again, Mazatlán won’t fit the bill.
But if you think you’d enjoy brilliant weather for most of the year… a friendly, welcoming expat community… a beautifully restored Spanish-colonial center… miles of sandy beaches lined by one of the continent’s longest boardwalks… all within an easy distance from the States and Canada…
Then life in Mazatlán could well be for you. I’ve found it to be a perfect fit.
Sincerely,
Lee Harrison,
Contributor, Global Property Advisor