some advice from somebody who is currently living in Mexico
First of all, some advice from somebody who is currently living in Mexico.
1. Ignore all the comments from people who have never been to Mexico or just went to Cabo once on vacation. They have no idea what its really like.
2. Do your research. Mexico is a geographically really big country and conditions vary widely from one place to another. There are also other countries that offer similar benefits as others have said that may or may not offer a better option for your particular requirements.
Those things out of the way, here is my take. While there are places to absolutely stay away from, like anywhere within 200 miles of the border, and the rural cartel controlled areas, there are other areas that are very safe by design. These places tend to be areas where foreign nationals congregate to enjoy the lower cost of living and friendly culture. To me, the biggest con from a "prepper" perspective is the lack of legal access to weapons to defend yourself. However, there is a simple solution that most people usually don't think about that doesn't really cost that much compared to what you are saving by living there as opposed to the US. That is simply to hire an armed guard to follow you around. You can contract with one of the state sanctioned security companies to have an armed guard for about $1000 US/month. I personally don't have an armed guard, I feel VERY safe in the part of Mexico I am in, I am just mentioning it as a viable option if a person was still concerned about that aspect. With that out of the way, lets explore some of the things that make Mexico VERY prepper friendly.
1. Because services are 2nd world quality, the culture is built around the expectation that they will not always be on. So houses are commonly built with large cisterns built in for when the water is off and other cultural/engineering differences that minimize the impact to daily life if public services are not available. And actually make prepping much easier and cheaper than in most 1st world situations.
2. The climate is warm to mild in most places lending to long growing seasons and little or no need for furnaces/stoves to keep warm.
3. Food and other basic supplies is very inexpensive almost everywhere, making your larder potentially twice as deep or more for the same money. And your ongoing cost of living is lower.
4. Despite all the crap that goes on with the cartels and political posturing, the political situation in Mexico is actually very stable currently. The likelihood of anyone upsetting the status quo and causing a geopolitical SHTF event is low compared to other places like the US.
5. Most regular Mexicans are incredibly friendly and helpful, with a culture of family unity. If you move there, be friendly to them and get "adopted" by the locals. Once you are accepted and considered part of their family, you can expect much more support and cooperation than most people you might ever have for neighbors in the US in any difficult situation that might arise.
6. While Mexico has some strict laws about a lot of things, many of them are summarily ignored. While there is much of the "corruption" in the policing that you may have heard about, the other side of that coin is that if you are friendly with the police and don't do stupid stuff, they will tend to be nice to you back and have very much an attitude of "live and let live" where you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. Yes, I have had to bribe the police...and yes it was the culmination of me doing something stupid
7. This is probably the most important thing to me, and something it seems a lot of people don't consider: options. Retaining my US citizenship, and an address (along with a certain level of supplies, ect) in the US, I have the option to jump a plane or ship and go back to the good old USA if things start going sideways in Mexico. While my prepper friends in the US a major earthquake simulation, I say "didn't feel that here, I am doing fine". If a major earthquake hits the area I am in in Mexico, I have plans and contingency plans for bugging out to my "home" back in the US. By frequently travelling and maintaining presence in both countries, I keep myself from becoming too attached to one place or the other, making it simple both practically and psychologically for me to "bug out" to the safer locale at the first sign of a problem that could affect my situation.
8. Healthcare. While good healthcare can be difficult to get in some parts of mexico, in most places you might want to go there is great care available for practically pennies. A walk-in consultation at a clinic will typically cost you about $1.75 (yes, you read that right...less than two dollars to see a doctor!), plus the actual cost of any supplies they use in the course of treatment including stitches, a cast ect. Most common medications including antibiotics, antivirals, and such are ridiculously cheap and can be bought over the counter without a prescription. Hospitals with all the latest gear are available, though of course the costs will of course be higher if you need more advanced care...but still so affordable that "regular health insurance" is not a thing in Mexico...there is no need as most people are able to just pay for anything they need out of pocket with even modest means. The only insurance people get is major medical for things like cancer treatment, major accidents, organ failure, ect. And with all that, the quality of care you get is typically much better than what I have experienced in the US.
There is probably some lesser points I have missed. But the bottom line for me is that while I considered it a gamble to move here when I started, looking back I feel it was one of the best decisions of my life.