Gentrification in Mexico Pushes Out U.S. Retirees as Remote Workers Move In.
In Mazatlán, Sinaloa, more than a thousand apartment towers are being built, all with the same goal: to build apartments to satisfy the taste of tourists, even if they are illegal.
It’s a real estate boom that has unleashed a series of problems in the port, considered the fourth most important tourist destination in the Mexican Pacific. In 2023 alone, 5.4 million people visited, according to the Ministry of Tourism in Sinaloa.
These numbers are interpreted as a positive effect, but not everything is. In the last eight years, the number of annual permits for vertical real estate developments for vacation rentals has increased, causing negative effects on the city.
And this isn’t just for Mazatlán residents. One of the largest communities of “repatriates” from the US and Canada resides in that city. Most of them are former workers who live off their retirement and social security checks. Not enough to continue paying the high cost of living in Mazatlan.
The average U.S. citizen receives roughly $1,979 per month from Social Security benefits in 2025. However, this amount can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances and whether the recipient is a retired worker, a disabled individual, or a survivor. For retired workers, the average monthly benefit is closer to $2,002.39 as of May 2025.
Click here to read the full article by Reynaldo Mena on Parriva
