Ensenada, Mexico – City Guide for Nomads and Expats

A nice coastal city 125 km south of San Diego on the Baja Peninsula.

An important tourist, fishing and commercial port. Also, part of Mexico’s wine country. Betcha’ didn’t know Mexico had wine! I consider this to be one of Mexico’s more underrated cities. It’s close to the border, relatively safe, and boasts some of the best food in the country.

POPULATION: 280,000


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NOMAD & EXPAT COMMUNITY IN ENSENADA

Ensenada is a very popular retirement destination. Digital nomads could also visit and enjoy the surfing, beaches, and wineries. Ensenada has the necessary elements to become a popular digital nomad hotspot. You can visit from the States or take a flight to Tijuana or Mexico City.

 

HOW TO GET TO ENSENADA

Take a flight to Tijuana airport and drive down from there. There are a dozen daily flights from Tijuana to Mexico City.

 

RENT AN APARTMENT IN ENSENADA

$400-500 for a liveable 1 bedroom apartment in the centre of Ensenada. Cheaper if you’re savvy.

 

BEST BARS & NIGHTLIFE IN ENSENADA

6/10

Too many drunk and intolerably obnoxious whites for the most part, but there are some places that remain less sullied. Go to Ryerson 51 and go to Papa’s and Beer as well.

I recommend: Ryerson 51

 

IS ENSENADA SAFE?

Ensenada is safe. No drug violence, no armed robberies. Just a relaxed coastal town for the most part. Watch out for bag and phone snatchers, but as far as having a Glock 17 shoved down your throat over a pair of sneakers (see Caracas), it’s not likely to occur in Ensenada. 

 

COST OF LIVING IN ENSENADA 

The following data is from Expatistan, a crowdsourced database of prices and cost of living around the world. In our experience, the data tends to underestimate cost of living, so take the following as the minimum you might need to live here.

*Figures are listed in USD

You’ll need a minimum of $713 USD/month to live in Ensenada, Mexico

cost-of-living-ensenada-mexico

HOW TO GET TO ENSENADA

You can easily drive down from Tijuana or Mexicali.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Come here to party for a few days on the weekend if you want something less seedy than Tijuana. It would be a nice city for retirement, but aside from that I recommend only a short term stint.


OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10


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