royaldude wrote:i have respect for anyone interested in the experiences of others on this forum. so far no one has tackled this question mexico or peru.
i have lived a year in both so if your interested
here is my take on each country.
VISA: as a us citizen both countries allow for 180 day visa stamps (only countries in latin america like this) most are 90 days or in the case of brazil or equador no more than 180 days in country per year.
FOOD: both have great food but mexico has pork something i never saw in peru. also the street food in peru is like hotdogs or organs on a stick, in mexico its quesadillas or tacos.
Mexico also has steak cheap and plentiful while peru charges arm and a leg for steak so for red meat its usually llama. which isnt bad but its not steak. for potatoe lovers peru has you covered.
WOMEN: this one is a little tougher so bear with me as more elements in play. in peru american men and european men are loved by the women more than mexico. BUT this is more an economics thing. if a mexican girl is hot and wants to she can marry a mexican guy living in the us. SO...
mexican women still get wet in the pantys for american and european men its just that they have options that a peruvian girl doesnt have.
WOMEN (HOTNESS)- mexico is a larger country 110 million to 40 million so it varies southern mexico is mostly women of mayan descent they are
not as hot as girls up north where you will see many hotties of spanish and mestizo descent. in peru the women are hotter the more north you go with trujillo chiclayo having hottest girls, they are more mixed than southern girls who are more incian not as ugly as boliva but similar looking.
WOMEN(LOCATION) northern peru outside of macorra or surfing cities doesnt get alot of tourism so being a tourist will play into your advantage.
for mexico avoid major cities like moneterray, guadalajara, D.F. or any tourist beach city and you will be exotic.
COST OF LIVING: Peru is going through a real estate bubble right now and with that their currency is appreaciating against the dollar and euro more than almost any other latin american country. SO. ... expect to pay more for rent in peru than in mexico which country has a different relationship with the dollar. in mexico a good 30-40% of the economy is either tourism(mostly us tourists) or remitances from mexicans sending money to family in mexico. also they have a closer relationship to the us economy than peru consider trading which is huge since NAFTA was established.
Mexico has cheaper food outside of chicken and some seafood. Peru has cheaper alcohol. the bars are usually more 3rd world in peru but you can buy a bottle of absolute for like 15 dollars in a bar in peru where in mexico its more like 30-40 dollars. taxis are probably even and same with public transportation. eating at a fancy restaurant in peru is probably 50% cheaper than in mexico but again
street food or smaller local restuarants have much better quality and also better food in mexico
WEATHER: look this could be included in cost of living because utility costs play a big role. in peru arequipa is a major city more than a million but also one of the few places you can live comfortably with out heat or aircon.
in mexico a larger country large parts of central mexico are very liveable without heating or aircon. although it might rain more in mexico. look into www.weatherbase.com for a city of your interest
AGE OF CONSENT: in peru its over 14 so unless you like kids dont worry about hitting on the younger girl in the bar. mexico is more complex but similar here is the best website for those questions
http://www.ageofconsent.com/mexico.htm
btw in mexico i just ask a girl to show her i.d. if she doesnt i dont bother because there is grey area with the law and its not cheap to get attorneys (even in the 3rd world it adds up)
LANGUAGE: more peruvians learn english than mexicans i dont know why but thats my experience.
however many more younger guys in mexico have lived in u.s. so they can speak english and often these guys will make good friends. in peru very few men like this but a good ammount of men and women who speak english but less men than in peru.
anyway im happy in mexico but i could just as easily be as happy in peru it just might cost more and be hotter which is why i stay in mexico 
