First 7 Days Checklist

Roma Norte · Experience date Jan 4, 2026

Your first week priority order in CDMX: 1) Get a Mexican SIM (Telcel at AICM airport or OXXO on day 1). 2) Set up WhatsApp with your Mexican number — essential for almost all communication. 3) Download Uber and DiDi apps — use for all non-metro transport. 4) Get purified water system sorted (buy garrafón from the first truck that passes or ask your portero). 5) Open a Nubank Mexico account (entirely online, no branch visit). 6) Download Google Maps offline for CDMX. 7) Locate the nearest OXXO (essentials, ATM, phone top-up — open 24/7). 8) Find your local Mercado or Superama for groceries. In CDMX, WhatsApp and Uber solve most immediate practical problems before anything else is set up.

Polanco · Experience date Apr 9, 2026

Arriving at Benito Juárez Airport (AICM): do NOT take a taxi from the kerb (risk of scams and overcharging). Official Uber: walk past the arrivals area to the designated Uber pickup point (lower ground level, marked signs) — $150–250 MXN to Roma/Condesa. Book via the Uber app before exiting customs. Official airport taxi (Transportación Terrestre): fixed rate booths inside arrivals — $350–600 MXN depending on zone — more expensive but vetted. DiDi: also works at the airport, sometimes cheaper. Metro (Line 5): $5 MXN but not recommended with heavy luggage and in an unfamiliar city at night. Have your destination address ready in Spanish on your phone — even if the driver speaks no English, a clear address on your screen works.

Insurgentes · Experience date Apr 2, 2026

Nubank Mexico is the easiest bank account to open as a new CDMX arrival. Requirements: Mexican phone number (get your SIM first), passport, Mexican address, selfie for identity verification. Process: download the Nu app (nu.com.mx), enter your details, upload passport photo, take a selfie — done entirely on your phone. Approval: 24–48 hours typically. Card delivery: purple card delivered to your Mexican address within 3–5 days. Instant use: a virtual card is available in the app immediately for online purchases and Apple/Google Pay. Use for: receiving MXN transfers via SPEI, paying rent, splitting bills. Limitation: initially low transfer limits which increase over time. Pair with: Wise for receiving foreign currency income and converting to MXN. Nubank + Wise covers 90% of expat financial needs in CDMX.

Insurgentes · Experience date Nov 24, 2025

Mexico City food in your first week: Start safe and work up: well-established sit-down restaurants in Roma/Condesa are completely safe and excellent. Week 1 street food: tacos de canasta (basket tacos) outside any busy office building at lunchtime — locals eat them daily, extremely safe. Avoid in week 1: raw salads from unknown street stands, uncooked food at stands with low turnover. Best introduction to CDMX food culture: Mercado Medellín (Roma Sur) for a morning walk-through — cooked food stalls, fresh produce, juice bars. Taquería El Califa or similar busy taquería: your first proper CDMX taco experience. Tim Hortons does NOT exist in Mexico — forget comfort food from home. The quality and value of CDMX food will recalibrate your expectations permanently.

Insurgentes · Experience date Feb 13, 2026

Sorting out purified water is an immediate day-one task in CDMX. Options: Garrafón delivery — your building's portero almost certainly knows the local delivery number. Ask: '¿Cómo pido garrafón de agua?' (How do I order a water jug?). Alternatively, when you hear the distinctive water delivery jingle from a truck on the street, flag it down or have the portero do it. Cost: $30–50 MXN per 20-litre jug, typically replaced every 3–5 days for a single person. Emergency: OXXO sells 5-litre bottled water at $20–30 MXN for your first night. Do not drink tap water at any point — the digestive disruption in the first month without purified water is very real. Within 1–2 weeks: consider installing an under-sink filter for the most convenient solution.