Where To Stay In Merida: 5x Best Neighborhoods For Travelers

Thinking about living or visiting Merida, Mexico?

We can see why – warm weather year-round, beautiful colonial architecture and yummy Yucatecan food available on every corner. What more could you ask for, right?!

But…what about where to stay in Merida?

Great question! Where you stay in Merida can directly affect how much you enjoy your stay. How? If you’re too far from the best areas, you can get too lazy to take an Uber in. And if you’re right where the action happens? Well…you might not get a good night’s sleep!

It’s a worthwhile question and so it’s a good idea to spend some time researching and reading blogs (like this one) to hopefully find the best neighborhood in Merida for you to stay in.

We spent almost 3 weeks living in Merida as digital nomads and we had an absolute blast. Without knowing much about the different neighborhoods of Merida, we booked a place with our friends. It was only once we understood how Merida’s neighborhoods worked did we know if we’d made a good choice or a bad one (but more on that later!).

One thing we know for sure – choosing where to stay in Merida is one of the important factors to get the most out of your time there.

Why Should Digital Nomads Live In Merida?

Are you a digital nomad, remote worker, or full-time traveler considering living in Merida?

You’ve come to the right place! We also had the same question when we were trying to pick cities to live in Mexico. Our first time around, we were living in Playa del Carmen then as San Cristobal del Casas digital nomads.

Merida continued to stay a top option for us because of a couple of reasons:

• Fast, reliable wifi
• Safest city in all of Mexico
• Great day trip activities nearby like visiting Chichen Itza
• Warm weather year-round
• Beautiful beaches like Progreso just 30 minutes away
• Affordable cost of living in Merida

The verdict? We approve! We found a couple of Merida coworking spaces, delicious cheap eats and a small digital nomad community. It’s probably a great place to start your digital nomad journey in Mexico because it’s super safe, well-equipped for digital nomads and the people are friendly. You should just go and see for yourself!

It kind of sounds like all a digital nomad could want, right? Again – it seemed too perfect to ignore and so off we went to stay in Merida for nearly 3 weeks in November. The only thing you need to watch is where you stay in Merida. Stay too far out or in and you might have a completely different experience!

Quick Answer: Where To Stay In Merida As Digital Nomads?

1. Santa Ana: Best Overall Neighborhood In Merida
2. Santiago: Best Place To Stay In Merida For Couples
3. Paseo de Montejo: Best Area In Merida For A High-Quality Of Life
4. Benito Juarez Norte: Best Place To Stay In Merida If You Have A Car

Things You Need To Know About Where To Stay In Merida

Before we get into where to stay in Merida, there are just a couple of things you should know…

Weather in Merida

What’s the weather in Merida like? If I could sum it up in 2 words it’s this: Hot & Humid! Choosing the right time to visit is very important because if you go during the height of summer – it might be too hot for you to do anything! The best time to visit Merida is October, November and December. These are the months that are less humid and just a bit cooler (but definitely still warm at 85°F | 29°C).

Wifi Speeds in Merida

We had strong wifi wherever we went in Merida. In fact – it was some of the best we’ve had in all of the places we visited in Mexico. While we were Playa del Carmen digital nomads, we got wifi speeds of around 25+ Mbps. During our time living in San Cristobal de las Casas as digital nomads, we got wifi speeds of around 20+ Mbps. Living in Merida we had internet speeds of 30+ Mbps and over 200+ Mbps if we worked at a coworking space.

Getting Around Merida

This is the trickiest part about Merida and why it’s so crucial to figure out where to stay in Merida. It’s a pretty big city so you’re spread out far and wide. The easiest way to get around is taking an Uber which costs anywhere between $2-$5 USD.

There is a public bus that goes through the city, and while it’s pretty cheap compared to Uber – it’s VERY unreliable. There’s no bus schedule that they tend to stick to – you’re kind of left not knowing if/when you’ll be picked up (our friends waited more than an hour for a bus!).

Food / Restaurant Scene in Merida

One of the best things to do in Merida is to simply eat. The Yucatecan cuisine is easily available and worth trying a couple of times! There are so many amazing places to eat it gets hard to choose, but we created a summary of the best restaurants in Merida to help you narrow down the list of places to try.

Coworking Spaces in Merida

Are you a digital nomad who loves coworking spaces? Us too!

You’re in luck because there are plenty of coworking spaces in Merida to choose from. We personally liked Conexion60 – they have day passes available for 200 pesos ($11.75 USD) and also 12-day and 30-day options.

The 5 Best Neighborhoods in Merida Mexico For Long-Term Stays

This beautiful colonial city is known for its European-style mansions, cleanliness and overall safety. Merida continues to attract digital nomads because of the quality lifestyle you can have for a relatively good price ratio.

You’ve got tons of accommodation options, from old-style haciendas to modern apartments – there’s something for everyone looking to stay in Merida. The Yucatan peninsula offers plenty of activities like swimming in cenotes, eating at yummy food stalls and touring historical buildings.

But if you’re staying in a bad location – it could make your time in Merida not so great. It is actually one of the largest cities in Mexico and the public transportation is honestly not the best.

The main purpose of this guide is to help you find the best location for your trip style. Here’s where to stay in Merida Mexico (only the best areas) for anyone looking to stay long-term:

1. Santa Ana

If you pick Santa Ana as your place to stay in Merida, you’ll basically have the best of both worlds! Why? You are located in the middle of the 2 most popular areas: Zocalo and Paseo Montejo.

To the north of Santa Ana, you’ve got the beautiful street filled with mansions – Paseo de Montejo. It’s an upscale area with a long walking street that’s just so beautiful! And to the south of you is Zocalo – the central area with all the main tourist attractions. Each will take about 10-15 minutes to walk to, so like I said – the best of both worlds is within walking distance!

The prices are a little cheaper here than if you were to stay at Zocalo and you might get a better, spacious apartment too. There are plenty of restaurants or small food stalls everywhere around you and you can hang out in the popular park – Parque de Santa Ana in the afternoons.

Santa Ana is the best place to stay in Merida for you if you want to walk everywhere and be far enough away from the most popular tourist areas.

2. Santiago

On the west side of the city center is the beautiful area of Santiago. You’ve got parks all around, plenty of restaurants to choose from and a good selection of coffee shops too.

It’s only a 10-15 minute walk to the city center from Santiago so if you don’t mind walking then you won’t have to take public transport/Ubers from this area. There are also plenty of grocery shops around which just makes life so much easier.

The Airbnbs/apartments in this area look much more modern and spacious and they are priced pretty reasonably. While not as expensive as staying in Zocalo, it’s still a great area and that’s reflected in the rental prices.

If you want easy access to the center without being too close to all the tourists – Santiago might just be the best neighborhood in Merida for you!

3. Benito Juarez Norte

Benito Juarez is located a 20-minute drive from the city center of Merida. This is where we stayed! This safe and modern neighborhood is a popular place to stay for locals and tourists alike.

I’ve added this area in our Where to Stay in Merida Guide because we personally experienced what it’s like to live here. While the 20-minute drive can scare some people off – this area is worth it! We spent many afternoons just walking through the neighborhood and it’s very beautiful.

We shared a 2 bedroom apartment with our friends and the value for money was so much better than any of the places we saw in the city center. There are a couple of bus stops nearby for public transport, but again it’s unreliable. So if you choose to stay in Benito Juarez Norte, you will definitely need to rent a car or at least be okay with taking an Uber everywhere.

4. Paseo de Montejo

Oh, the beautiful Paseo de Montejo! Named after Merida’s founder – Francisco de Montejo, it’s one of the most beautiful streets in all of Mexico, in my opinion. You’ve got these historic mansions that have architecture influenced by the Spaniards, great shopping and fun nightlife to enjoy too.

On Sundays, they close the streets and locals can bring/rent bikes and ride along the Paseo Montejo. It’s an awesome thing they do for their community in Merida! This up-scale, scenic, leafy avenue is a popular place for people to stroll or even jog through. The mansions have since been converted into museums which you can visit for a fee. It’s a great place to stay if you love to walk around and just explore!

Your Airbnb/apartment will definitely cost more as this is a coveted location in Merida. It might be rare to get a spot right on the street so it’s normal to be a couple of blocks away from the main street itself. You’re likely to stay in a colonial hacienda-style place that may come with a pool (depending on your booking of course).

5. Zocalo – Centro Area

Want to be within walking distance of anything happening in the city center?

Then your best place to stay in Merida would obviously be the most central location, Zocalo (Centro area). Most Airbnbs will be within 2-5 blocks of the main square, Plaza Grande, which makes it easy to get around using any ride-shares or public transport.

The main tourist attractions in Merida’s Historic Center include Museo Casas Montejo, Palacio Municipal de Mérida, and Catedral de Mérida – San Ildefonso. There’s so much beautiful history and culture to explore within a couple of blocks radius – it’s definitely hard to get bored when living in the Zocalo area of Merida.

The prices for Airbnbs/long-term apartments will be much higher (eg. starting from $800 USD) because you’re right in the middle of all the action. If you’re looking for more budget options, keep reading below.

Notable location – Santa Lucia

Another popular place to add to the ‘where to stay in Merida’ list is Santa Lucia. It’s very close to the city center and within walking distance of everything you might need, like cafes or restaurants.

Conclusion: Where To Stay In Merida Mexico?

Now you know the 5 best places to stay in Merida…but which one is the best?

I’d have to say it’s a tie for Santiago and Santa Ana. Matthew and I usually like locations where we are just that further bit away from the city center but close enough to walk. Both these areas tick the box for us. Plus they are safe, have tons of cafes and restaurants, and you can get an Airbnb with a fair value for money ratio. While we enjoyed our time in Benito Juarez Norte, we really struggled with transport options (mainly because we’re cheap and don’t like paying Uber lol) so something closer to the action would have suited us better.

We hope this helps and answers the question “Where to stay in Merida?” for you. You will enjoy living in Merida, its safety and the comfortable lifestyle there just like we did!

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