Gringo go home

cdmx gentrification, calling writers & happiness

Author

Rocio Lucero
March 30, 2025

Hola hola! Before we dive into the usual programming, I’ve got an announcement and a couple of reminders to share.

First, I’ve been thinking about the future of CDMX iykyk. As much as I love working on it, keeping it going solo has its limits—especially with my growing responsibilities. I had initially planned to sunset it after June, but I care about this project too much to let it go. So I’m exploring ways to keep it alive, and ideally, grow it into more of a collaborative effort.

With that in mind, I’m looking for contributors! If you’re interested in writing pieces that align with the tone and content of this newsletter—whether cultural, newsy, or a mix of both—please reply to this email with your top 3 topic ideas and a sample of your past writing. Important: I’m not looking for promotional content. These articles should inform or educate, not sell. While this is currently an unpaid opportunity (I don’t make any money from this myself), your work would include a byline, bio, and links to your website and/or social accounts.

A couple quick reminders: the only thing I promote for free are community events. If you’d like to promote a product or service, I’m happy to offer a reasonably priced sponsorship. Please don’t reach out asking for free marketing.

Now, onto the good stuff… This week’s main story dives into the ongoing gentrification of Mexico City—what it is, where we are in the process, and who’s being impacted. From soaring rents and Airbnb takeovers to rising tensions between locals and digital nomads, we’re unpacking what’s really going on beneath the surface.

If you would like to support CDMX iykyk, you can always fuel my caffeine habit with a US $5 coffee.

Let’s go!

TOP STORY

CDMX Gentrification: The Good, the Bad and the Unaffordable

Gentrification has become a divisive buzzword. We hear locals in Mexico City’s Roma and Condesa neighborhoods complaining about the flood of digital nomads driving up rents and displacing long-time residents. Anti-foreigner graffiti has appeared in these trendy areas, and the growing presence of English has raised alarms. But what’s actually happening?

Tell me more.

Let’s start with a definition. National Geographic describes gentrification as a demographic and economic shift that displaces working-class communities—often communities of color—in favor of wealthier newcomers and developers, usually white folks. As money pours into these neighborhoods, prices spike, local businesses shut down, and longtime residents are pushed out. Entire communities can be transformed in just a few years.

That’s the story unfolding in Roma and Condesa. In just four years, CDMX’s population grew by 800,000, reaching nearly 22 million. During that same period, the number of Americans applying for or renewing residency visas jumped by 70%. Since the pandemic, housing prices in the city have risen by 25% overall—and by as much as 60% in Condesa alone. According to The Economist, Mexico City is now the 16th most expensive city in the world.

Let’s unpack this.

Gentrification has two sides. The good: neighborhoods get safer, cleaner, and home values rise. The bad: locals often see it as a modern form of colonization and cultural erasure.

Urbanists often point to four stages of gentrification:

  • Phase 1: Artists and creatives move into neglected areas, drawn by cheap rent and cultural freedom. They don't push anyone out but signal the area is “safe.”

  • Phase 2: The hipster wave arrives—young professionals and entrepreneurs who open cafés, yoga studios, and organic grocers. Oatmilk is introduced to the neighborhood. Rent stays relatively stable.

  • Phase 3: Real estate developers and wealthy collectors move in. Rents spike. Longtime, lower-income residents are priced out.

  • Phase 4: The tech bros arrive. The artists and hipsters are priced out. The original vibrancy and appeal disappear. The area becomes a sterile, metallic playground for the rich. Gentrification moves on to the next neighborhood. 

Mexico City is now stuck between phases 2 and 3, where tensions peak. The neighborhoods most affected by gentrification are Condesa, Roma, Roma Norte, Juarez, Escandon & Narvarte. Both locals and newcomers love the neighborhood and want it preserved, but rents are driven up not by the nomads themselves—but by landlords, developers, Airbnb, and a complicit city government.

What does this mean?

If properly managed, digital nomads could bring economic benefits. But that’s not what’s happening. In 2022, Airbnb struck a deal with the city that led to mass evictions. Some residents were kicked out with just days’ notice so landlords could convert units into short-term rentals.

In Andrew Callaghan’s Channel 5 piece on this issue, locals expressed a clear message: they don’t oppose foreigners, but they want better government regulation. One man noted rent in Roma and Condesa has doubled—from $12,000 to $25,000 pesos—in just a few years. The housing market is now so overheated that many Mexicans can’t afford to live in their own city.  

Income inequality paints a stark picture. The top 10% of CDMX households earn 13 times more than the bottom 10%. Average annual salaries range from around $3,200 to $17,500 USD, depending on the source—far below what’s needed to survive in a city where rents now rival major global capitals.

Meanwhile, short-term rentals have exploded—up 189% since the pandemic. In my own 10-unit building, what started as a handful of Airbnbs has grown to six full-time short-term rentals.

Yes, the government has increased taxes on Airbnb, but that hasn’t translated into more housing for locals. Beyond the economic strain, residents are tired of the cultural gentrification. English is everywhere, and local businesses are increasingly catering to foreign tastes. The backlash is growing: flyers around the city now read, in English, “New to the city? Working remotely? You’re a f—ing plague and locals f—ing hate you. Leave.”

It’s complicated.

Gentrification is a slow-moving force that’s hard to stop—but it can be managed. The city has recently announced plans for rent control and affordable housing programs for young people. It’s far from a full solution, but it’s a start.

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CULTURE & HAPPENINGS
DID YOU KNOW?

That in most of Mexico, the standard tipping amount at restaurants is around 10%? Of course, tipping is personal—if the service is exceptional, feel free to leave more. But it’s worth noting that when foreigners regularly tip 15–20% (like in the U.S.), it can shift expectations for local diners who often earn much less. In tourist-heavy areas like Cancún, higher tips have become the norm, but in places like CDMX or Oaxaca, 10% is still standard. The key is to be generous and mindful of local customs.

VIRAL VAULT

Thanks for being a reader of CDMX if you know, you know! If you'd like to support this passion project (and my coffee habit ☕️), feel free to buy me a coffee.

See you in April!