The Blog

Renting, repairs, paperwork, pharmacies, bills — the unglamorous Spanish that running a life in Mexico City takes.

Living in CDMX

38 stories

Guides Who Is La Catrina? The Elegant Skeleton Behind Día de Muertos

Learn who La Catrina is, her Posada/Rivera history, and why the elegant skeleton became a Día de Muertos icon. Oct 14, 2026

Living in CDMX How Much Spanish You Actually Need in Mexico City, Room by Room

The answer is not a level. It is a list of rooms, and they demand wildly different things. What each one costs you, what the law requires in Spanish, and how much English is really out there. Oct 13, 2026

Guides What Sugar Skulls Really Mean, and Why They Have Names on Them

Learn what sugar skulls mean for Día de Muertos, why names appear on calaveras, and how to talk about them without Halloween confusion. Oct 12, 2026

Guides Día de los Muertos or Día de Muertos: Which One Do Mexicans Actually Say?

Learn Día de Muertos vs Día de los Muertos, why both appear, which one sounds more Mexican, and how to use the phrase respectfully. Oct 10, 2026

Guides Día de la Raza: What October 12 Is Called in Mexico Now

Learn what Día de la Raza means, why October 12 is complicated, and the modern Mexican Spanish around Indigenous resistance and history. Oct 9, 2026

Living in CDMX Mexico City, Oaxaca or Mérida: Which Spanish You Actually End Up With

The three cities do not hand you the same Spanish, and the difference runs deeper than an accent. What each one sounds like, who it suits, and why Guadalajara is not on the list. Oct 5, 2026

Guides What Breed Is Dante in Coco? Meet the Xoloitzcuintle Without Mangling the Name

Learn what a Xoloitzcuintle is, why Dante from Coco is a Mexican hairless dog, and the Spanish around this ancient breed. Oct 4, 2026

Living in CDMX Spanish School, Online Tutor, or Just Moving to Mexico: Which One Actually Works

The three options are usually compared on price, which hides the fact that they do different jobs. What the research says, what each costs, and which to pick at your level. Oct 2, 2026

Guides What Is an Alebrije? The Bright Creature Behind the Souvenir Shelf

Learn what an alebrije is, where the tradition comes from, how Oaxaca wood carvings fit in, and how to talk about them without flattening the craft. Oct 1, 2026

Guides Cempasúchil: The Marigold Meant to Guide the Dead Home

Learn what cempasúchil means, why marigolds matter for Día de Muertos, and how to talk about the flower respectfully in Mexico. Sep 30, 2026

Living in CDMX Roma, Coyoacán or Centro: Where to Base Yourself if You Want to Speak Spanish

The neighborhood decides how much Spanish you actually use, and the obvious pick is not the obvious answer. What each part of Mexico City does to a learner. Sep 29, 2026

Guides What Goes on a Day of the Dead Altar: 9 Objects and What They Mean

Learn the Spanish for Day of the Dead altar objects: ofrenda, cempasúchil, velas, pan de muerto, calaveras, papel picado, and more. Sep 28, 2026

Everyday phrases Female Boss in Spanish: Jefa, La Jefa, and When It Means Mom

Female boss in Spanish is jefa, but in Mexican Spanish mi jefa often means mom. Here is how to read jefe, jefa, la jefa, and patrona. Sep 14, 2026

Everyday phrases Jefe vs Patrón: Which One Means Boss in Mexico?

Jefe vs patrón in Mexican Spanish: both can mean boss, but jefe is the everyday word, patrón sounds more employer/owner, regional, or traditional. Sep 4, 2026

Getting around ¿Entre Qué Calles? How Mexican Addresses Actually Work

A Mexican address needs calle and número, colonia, alcaldía or municipio, and código postal - plus the entre calles and referencia no form asks for. Aug 31, 2026

Getting around ¡Bajan! The One Word That Gets You Off a Mexico City Pesero

To get off a pesero in Mexico City you shout bajan. Here is how to flag one down, read the windshield, pay the driver, and ask for your stop. Aug 29, 2026

Getting around Nobody Pumps Their Own Gas in Mexico: Gasolinera Spanish

At a Mexican gas station an attendant fills your tank and you tip. Learn what to say: lleno por favor, quinientos de magna, que empiece en ceros. Aug 27, 2026

Slang & swears Regreso a Clases: Mexican School Slang Your Textbook Skipped

Learn Mexican school slang for regreso a clases, tareas, maestros, compañeros, acordeones, and surviving class without sounding stiff. Aug 26, 2026

About Living in CDMX

The unglamorous Spanish that running an actual life here requires. Renting, repairs, paperwork, pharmacies, bills, and the phone calls you keep putting off.

This is the category that separates visiting from living. Nobody teaches you how to explain a leak to a plumber, or what a landlord means by a deposit, or how to talk to a pharmacist who is about to give you surprisingly direct medical advice. It's all learnable, and it's all much easier read in advance than improvised at the counter.