About Mexico
Mexico is a truly diverse country and has everything from beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife to a rich cultural scene. Mexico is bordered by the United States to the north and Belize and Guatemala to the southeast. Mexico is about one-fifth the size of the United States. Baja California in the west is an 800-mile (1,287-km) peninsula that forms the Gulf of California. In the east are the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche, which is formed by Mexico's other peninsula, the Yucatán. The center of Mexico is a great, high plateau, open to the north, with mountain chains on the east and west and with ocean-front lowlands beyond.
Healthcare in Mexico
Healthcare in Mexico is very good…and in many places it is excellent. Most doctors and dentists in Mexico received at least part of their training in the U.S. (And many U.S. doctors have trained in Mexico, notably in Guadalajara.) Many of them continue to go to the U.S. or Europe for ongoing training.
Every medium to large city in Mexico has at least one first-rate hospital. And a big plus is that the cost of healthcare in Mexico is generally half or less what you might expect to pay in the U.S. The same goes for prescription drugs. Prescription drugs manufactured in Mexico cost, on average, about 50% less than the same drugs in the U.S. Plus, health insurance in Mexico costs much less than it does in the U.S.
Of course, the costs of healthcare services will vary by physician, hospital, and the gravity of your condition. On average, an office visit with a doctor—specialists included—will cost 350 to 500 pesos (about $30 to $43). A house call—yes, doctors in Mexico still make house calls—will cost about the same. Lab tests will cost about a third of what they cost in the U.S. A CAT scan often costs about 25% of what it does in the U.S. An overnight stay in a private hospital room generally costs less than $100. A visit to a dentist for teeth cleaning costs about $28.
Yes, in the major cities of Mexico, you can get good-quality medical care for serious medical conditions…including dialysis, major surgery…even live-in, 24-hour care…for a fraction of what you might pay in the U.S.
Mexico snapshot
| Capital City | Mexico City |
| Languages | Spanish, English spoken widely by healthcare professionals |
| Form of Government | Constitutional monarchy |
| Time Zone | GMT+7 |
| Country Dialing Code | +52 |
| Currency | Mexican Peso (MXN), USD widely accepted |
| Global Peace Index 2016 | Medium |