Best place to retire
Mexico is the top foreign retirement destination, according to the latest InternationalLiving.com Annual Global Retirement Index.
Favorable exchange rates that allow expats to live comfortably on just $US1,200 a month was cited as one of the most appealing aspects of life in Mexico. The index, which covers ten categories, rated Panama in second place, followed by Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia.
Minimum wage
A new minimum salary of 80.04 pesos per working day came into effect January 1 – a 9.5-percent increase on 2016. The previous figure was 73.04 pesos. This is the highest percentage increase for Mexico’s minimum wage in 17 years. According to the National Minimum Salaries Commission, the increase represents a recuperation in purchasing power of 15 percent. Recent hikes in gasoline prices and an expected spike in inflation, however, may reduce much of the benefits of a higher minimum wage.
Top ‘Gayborhood’
Puerto Vallarta’s Zona Romantica has been named the “Gayborhood of the Year” in GayTravel.com’s inaugural Gay Travel Awards. GayTravel seeks to provides information and raise awareness of inclusive travel companies and destinations where travelers can research, plan, and book memorable, lifetime travel experiences. Says the website: “If Puerto Vallarta is the ‘San Francisco of Mexico,’ then consider Zona Romantica the city’s Castro district. It’s packed with dance clubs, more than 20 gay and friendly bars, saunas, gay boat tours, cabarets, a gay beach, a gay bar hopping tour, and a thriving arts and culture scene.”
Police hand out toys
On Christmas Eve, Guadalajara municipal police officers distributed some 26,000 toys to children living in disadvantaged situations in 23 neighborhoods, including Santa Elena de la Cruz, División del Norte, Huentitán El Bajo, Balcones de Oblatos, El Zalate, Insurgentes, Analco and Ferrocarril.