Mexico City

"Mexico City exceeded expectations as a nomad base. Roma Norte has incredible cafe culture - I rotated between Blend Station, Quentin, and Cardinal for work. WiFi speeds consistently 100-200 Mbps, perfect for video calls with my team in San Francisco. The coworking community is massive and easy to plug into through events and WhatsApp groups. Food scene is unreal - from $2 street tacos to world-class restaurants. Main downsides: noise pollution is real (constant traffic and street vendors), air quality gets bad in winter months, and prices have jumped significantly. My 1BR in Roma went from $900 to $1,200 in just one year. Safety is fine in expat neighborhoods but you need street smarts. Overall would recommend for 3-6 months but maybe not year-round due to pollution. The energy and culture make up for the chaos."

"CDMX is hands down my favorite city in Latin America. I've been based here for 8 months and extended twice. The creative energy is infectious - constant art exhibitions, design workshops, street art everywhere. Condesa became my home base, less hectic than Roma but still walkable to everything. Parks (Parque México) saved me during stressful client deadlines. Made genuine local friends by attending Spanish exchange meetups and salsa classes. The 6-month tourist visa makes staying easy, just did a visa run to Guatemala. Yes it's gotten expensive compared to 5 years ago, but still cheaper than any major US city. The warmth of Mexican people, incredible food culture, and sense of community keep me here. Only complaint is altitude adjustment took 2 weeks (CDMX is at 7,350 feet). If you speak even basic Spanish and want vibrant city life with amazing food, this is it."

"Mixed feelings about CDMX after 2 months. The city has everything - museums, food, nightlife, coworking spaces - but it can feel overwhelming. Traffic is absolutely brutal, sometimes taking 2 hours to go 10 km at rush hour. I mostly Ubered everywhere which added up quickly. Found it hard to focus on work with constant noise from construction, car horns, street vendors. Air pollution affected my health - had respiratory issues after 6 weeks. The nomad scene in Roma/Condesa is great for meeting people but felt like a bubble - heard more English than Spanish some days. Authenticity is lacking in these neighborhoods, everything catered to foreigners now. Positives: incredible museums, unbeatable food, 24/7 energy. But for focused deep work and quality of life, I prefer smaller cities like Oaxaca or Mérida. CDMX is great for 2-4 weeks to experience the culture and energy, but long-term living requires high tolerance for urban chaos."