Gentrification in Mexico City

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Ironically, Mexico City is slowly being filled with Americans who work remotely and earn U.S. salaries, often without paying taxes. This allows them to rent apartments at more than double the price locals can afford, spend freely at overpriced spots, and even open businesses with inflated prices, driving long-time residents out of their homes and neighborhoods.

According to a 2023 report by La Jornada, rent prices in neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa increased by up to 118% due to the influx of digital nomads earning in dollars. A year after that, they reported that around 30,000 families are forced to leave these neighborhoods every year and move to the outskirts in search of affordable housing.

Because of the racism and classism embedded in Mexican society, these foreigners are not only welcomed more warmly than locals, but their privileged financial status is often overlooked entirely.

The problem only keeps on growing. In the most affected neighborhoods, you can no longer find spicy salsas, menus and signs are written in English, and prices are at least triple what they used to be. Gentrification is a serious issue, and it escalates because many of those contributing to it either don’t care or don’t realize the consequences of their presence.

Meanwhile, instead of regulating housing or short-term rentals, the government redirects efforts into making these areas more secure… for foreigners. The everyday realities of violence, inequality, and instability that most Mexicans face are ignored or pushed to the outskirts.

Many foreigners live in a curated version of Mexico City, full of trendy cafes, walkable streets, and imported comforts, while locals navigate a very different version of the city. One where the beauty of community and tradition coexists with insecurity, police corruption, street harassment, and systemic inequality. Still, newcomers romanticize the city and invite more people to move here, reinforcing a system that slowly pushes locals out of their own spaces.

It’s hard not to notice the hypocrisy when many of them speak about being open-minded and loving Mexican culture, all while displacing the very people who created and sustain that culture.

Most people don’t realize they’re contributing to the problem, but that doesn’t mean they’re not. However, the root of the issue lies in the lack of government regulation, the unchecked influence of platforms like Airbnb, and people who consciously take advantage of both.

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What you can do to be a responsible part of the community:

• Learn about the history of the place you’re living in; it’s not just a cool vacation spot, it’s a home to millions of people.

• SPEAK SPANISH, you’re in Mexico.

• Adapt to local life. Don’t try to change it. Support local businesses and avoid places that inflate prices.

• Be conscious of your economic impact, especially when choosing where and how much to pay for rent.

• Stop using platforms like Airbnb for long-term stays. Rent from regulated Mexican companies or directly from local landlords.

• Participate in the community and stop promoting places that harm it. Especially trendy spots owned by foreigners who charge unreasonable prices.