Americans are flocking to retire in Mexico, and here’s why

Earlier this year, travel magazine "International Living" released their annual list of the world's best retirement destinations and ranked Latin American countries in three of the top four spots.

Coming in third place - behind Ecuador and Panama, respectively - was Mexico, the bordering country a good portion of Americans blame for increased crime, a lack of adequate jobs, and the United States' ever-growing immigration rate. The magazine's voters weren't fazed.

Instead, they focused on the familiarity of Mexican culture to Americans, and how less of a language barrier exists. Even those whose Spanish-language skillset doesn't go beyond a Del Taco menu would be fine. The amalgam of bilingual residents in the U.S. makes living south of the border that much easier.

World-known retailers like Walmart take up space in touristy areas in seaside town as means of bringing comfort and familiarity to American travelers. Consumers can use U.S. dollars here, but they'll likely save money by converting them to pesos.

Money, after all, is a primary reason Americans are choosing to retire in Mexico.

"I looked at my income. I was going to end up on Social Security in a year or two at that time and I would have been in subsidized housing," former Detroit resident Terry McKinnon told the Motor City's CBS affiliate this week, adding that he moved to rustic Ajijic about a decade ago.

McKinnon, like many Americans, struggled to keep with a rising cost of living. He told WKBD-TV that a $1,000-a-month stipend is all he needs in Ajijic, compared to his hometown where "You couldn't live on $1,000 a month in the Detroit area."

Tracking how many U.S. citizens reside outside the states is near impossibly, mainly because the U.S. government doesn't require them to register a place of residence. Estimates vary by the party conducting the study. A January 2013 State Department report said about 6.8 million lived overseas, and The Federal Voting Assistance Program, which helps Americans complete absentee voting ballots, estimates the number to be between 4.5 million and 6.5 million.

It might very well be that these people have made a permanent move. Property costs less. A social security check goes further. According to McKinnon, the Mexican healthcare system is also easier to work with; McKinnon said a doctor spent half an hour talking with him whereas American hospital visits left him feeling like doctors were "in and out in five minutes and on to his next patient to make $500."

And of course, there's the Mexican people.

"The hardest thing to adjust to is actually the quality of the Mexican people," McKinnon said. "They're the kindest, gentlest people and they're so helpful and so friendly. You feel cared about down here. I came here alone, I knew no one. And I have friends, and I feel loved."