Research on nativelike variation in second language (L2) systems indicates that learners studying abroad may adapt to regional norms as they build sociolinguistic competence (e.g., Kanwit & Solon, 2013; Salgado-Robles, 2014). Spanish exhibits variation between the intensifiers "muy" [very] and "bien" [very] across numerous dialects. Recent research has shown greater preference for "bien" in Latin America than in Spain (Brown & Cortés-Torres, 2013; Kanwit, Terán, & Pisabarro Sarrió, 2017). Nevertheless, variable intensification in L2 Spanish remains uninvestigated. Data showed that learners studying in Mérida, Mexico, selected "bien" significantly more than did learners in Oviedo, Spain, at the conclusion of a 6-week stay abroad. This parallels the significantly higher selection on the same task by local Spaniards compared to local Mexican native speakers. Nonetheless, independent linguistic variables played a less straightforward role.