Surprising Things You Need to Pack for Your Trip to Mexico
Updated August 2021
Every ounce counts in a suitcase.
Every traveler wants to be as efficient when packing for a trip. When you are traveling for an extended stay, your needs are different. Certain things you can live without for a long weekend become a hardship after a few weeks or months. Things you assume you can buy in Mexico, you can’t. Things you assume are not available, are and may not be worth the space in your suitcase. Some things you can buy in Mexico, but can spend so much time finding them, you are better off bringing the item. It took years for me to get it exactly right.
Mexico? In the summer?
There are a variety of great reasons to come to Mexico off-season for a long-term stay, especially if you are considering ever living here in the future. For one thing, it is critically important that you know what a locale is like under its least favorable conditions. I know plenty of people who have moved to Mexico only to find they cannot bear the summer in their chosen city, forcing them to abandon their plan (and sell houses at a loss) or wait years before the house sells.
In addition, service providers have time for you. Locals are more approachable. You feel the culture more when you are not surrounded by people from your own country speaking English in every restaurant and supermarket. Violent summer tropical storms are an almost sexual experience. Mexican businesses are eager to please you. Prices are lower on hotels, rentals, and some attractions.
Summer items (Summer in Mexico often carries over into October)
Three hand washable soft, thin cotton shirts. Make sure they’re 100% cotton. Even the softest blend can feel itchy in the humidity of a coastal town.
Mio (a concentrated, sugarless water flavoring in a tiny bottle) - Water in Mexico is frequently not potable. You’ll have to drink a lot of water. A flavoring like Mio is small and makes it easier and cheaper to stay hydrated
Sun and salt take a quick toll. Carry one for every month you will be there if staying in coastal area.
Travel umbrella. It’s cooler than wearing a hat and women commonly carry them in Mexico than at home.
2 pairs of high quality, polarized sunglasses
A 100% cotton robe. Even in hot areas you will want one after showering. Buy as thin a one as you can find, no silk.
One pair of closed-toed shoes to wear at open markets and after rain. Foot infections are common in Mexico. Sidewalk conditions can be pretty yucky after a storm (wounds heal more slowly in humid conditions. Take extra care of any cut or wound you get).
One long-sleeved button-down soft cotton shirt. Rooms in Mexico use split air conditioners. They can blast out cold damp air. You’ll want a shirt you can take off and put on easily.
Sunscreen. You can easily find sunscreen in Mexico but you often can’t find the special ones such as dry-touch or tinted sunscreens.
Year-round items to take with you (Amazon.mx doesn’t have near the selection of products as US Amazon does. Shop before you go.)
Portable stereo speakers, noise cancelling headphones and ear plugs (Mexico is a noisy, happy place). You will want to invest in these. Only high quality ones will work against construction noises.
A money belt - Rather than the ugly expensive travel ones, look for athletic-wear ones that fit flush against your skin. At times, being “hands-free” makes a lot of sense.
Prescription medications and vitamins. Mexican pharmacy carry small inventories. Sometimes drugs are more expensive in Mexico. Drug stores generally only carry the most common vitamins. not, for example ones for eye health.
Department stores such as Liverpool usually carry many but not all the same cosmetic brands as department stores in the US. If you’re going to a smaller city, take extra.
A hand-held calculator. You may not want to take your phone everywhere.
Supplements - Protein supplements other than whey and meal replacement powders are harder to find.
Small printed Spanish dictionary
At least 1 credit card set up for cash withdrawals (Don’t forget to set up pin number before you leave, it’s different from your debit card.)
A place/booklet where pin numbers are written down (even experienced expats have confessed to going blank in unfamiliar surroundings when under the stress of losing a debit card)
Billfold with an extra debit card, copy of your passport, a credit card and mad money in both currencies. Keep these in as safe a place as you can find.
Extra chargers - Chargers sold in Mexico are often aftermarket. Rooms have fewer outlets. Chargers with more than one port are helpful for keeping all your electronics in one place.
A small sewing kit (because in Mexico, you’ll need to go to a fabric store for the items)
Extra reading glasses. Extra supply of contact lenses and prescription glasses.
A copy of The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes that Translate in Mexico - On Sale September 2021. This cookbook will tell you what ingredients are and aren’t available and provide healthy recipes you can make in the most modest of rental kitchens.
A Wise Card. Event venues and Amazon.mx don’t accept foreign credit cards. This debit card is a life-saver.
Security item - Some non-lethal self defense items add weight to the suitcase and can cause complications. Here are things that can be used for self defense in Mexico, especially if you travel alone. Tasers and pepper spray are both illegal to civilians in Mexico.
Optional items that can make a real difference for a long-term stay
An arm sleeve band for your smartphone to listen quietly to downloaded music or podcasts no matter where you are staying or if your blue tooth/internet isn’t working.
Foldable yoga mat . These can be invaluable on the hard tile floors of Mexico for all kinds of exercise and stretching after a day of walking.
Kindle/e-reader - Preload your books, playlists and podcasts. I recommend you get a Spotify account that enables you to listen to music without internet. Pandora isn’t available in Mexico. I recommend getting a subscription to Express VPN if you want to listen to Pandora or have access to the same YouTube and Netflix choices you have at home.
Small specialized kitchen item you use all the time (hand-held juicer, apple-corers).
Flat sheets - I know this one is a little crazy. This just might be the one weird item to bring that will help you sleep no matter the room, especially if you are used to a high thread count. Only the very finest hotels have quality linens in Mexico. Buy two queen sized flat sheets and a pillow case.
Extra laptop - If you are working, bring your old laptop. Any type of computer issue make take longer to resolve unless you are in a major metropolitan area and speak Spanish. At the very least an e reader or tablet can function as a computer for a variety of tasks should your laptop fail you.
If you’re cooking, your favorite spice rubs or spice mixtures.
Things to buy immediately in Mexico
Bug spray - Dengue is common in Mexico’s coastal areas.
A hand fan - If you are a woman, buy a hand fan at one of the markets. They are widely used in Mexico and come in very handy.
House slippers or rubber thongs - All floors are tile in Mexico. Very hard on the feet and back.
Note: You can buy things from Amazon.mx, which is proving to be reliable in Mexico. See note on Wise card above as Amazon.mx does not accept American credit cards.
Hats, fun sunglasses, pretty sandals, jewelry for going out, and beach or casual wear.
Related:
A more detailed look at why you have to go to Mexico off-season if considering expat life.
Knowing the exchange rate is not enough, as I have noticed countless times when standing next to tourists at ATM’s. What to be prepared for. - Ventanas Mexico. [blog]
Up next:
Rituals soothe us, and you will need a little of that when you live the part-time life.
Most recent: My new book, The Mexico Solution. Get it while it’s hot!
About the author, Kerry Baker
Hola - I am the the author of three books and this blog.
The second book is “If I Only Had a Place” on renting. With the passing of time and after reading other books on Mexico, I am even more convinced that those moving to Mexico really have no idea how different renting in Mexico is (unless you want to pay a lot more money).
My second book is The Mexico Solution: Saving your money, sanity, and quality of life through part-time life in Mexico full of advice and anecdotes that make a point about what to expect culturally in Mexico.
Most recently I wrote the cookbook for travelers, snowbirds and expats, “The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes That Translate in Mexico. “ In Mexico to maintain a healthy diet you must cook. This cookbook has 150 recipes and tells you how to shop in a foreign culture.