More and more Americans are moving to Mexico for the sun, the fun, and for less money.

By Les Christie, CNN/Money staff writer

San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California Sur

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Most Americans know about the flood of Mexican immigrants into the United States, but many may not realize that there’s a growing movement in the opposite direction.

The Dallas Morning News recently reported that as many as a million U.S. citizens now live in Mexico, up fivefold from just 10 years ago.

As recently as 1999, the American population of San Carlos in Sonora was perhaps 35, according to Phyllis Lilischkies, a real estate broker there. Now, the expatriate population is between 3,000 and 5,000 — and soaring.

The bulk of this migration consists of retirees, drawn to Mexico by its culture, its climate, and, perhaps above all, its costs.

Many of the popular American expatriate enclaves are in regions boasting great weather. Lisa Larkin, a retired attorney and real estate expert who spends part of the year in Mexico, says the climate helps make life there “just a little bit sweeter.” Read the rest of this entry »