$300 for airfare? Some expats also start their own tour companies find a house with a small stable, run horse treks and such for tourists in an area with pretty locations but not a lot of English-language tourism yet. Like when they decided to live in Valle de Bravo in Central Mexico. Back in the States, we had so much stuff. Continue. Very close to the PV, several big resorts. Mexicos good on both fronts, though not always great. Rending my 1 bedroom condo at US$75 a week. Facebook groups are another great place to find long-term housing in Mexico. For $1300 a month they lived very comfortably. This special guide covers real estate, retirement and more in Mexico and is yours free when you sign up for our postcards below. I am working on my Spanish, but as a senior citizen, its slow. If anyone has any questions feel free to contact us at amadorana79@yahoo.com.mx, Thanks Ana for sharing and your willingness to answer questions. Now, when I say that I have alow-budget for alcohol and partying you can adjust it accordingly for yourself. Does anyone have an opinion on this city? I would prefer to stay in a small apartment, a French bed, a bathroom and a living room with kitchenette, is just enough. No defined personality. There is a divide there. And Mexico is often the first place American retirees and digital nomads consider when looking at places overseas with a lower cost of living. There are many, many expats living in the area. Guanajuato is a wonderful place, but I prefer beach resort towns or university towns where theres cultural and infrastructure. Sure it is. It's more than possible to live well in Ecuador on less than $500 per month! Spotify? That was to experience the majestic Monarch butterfly migration. How did you like Oaxaca? As a first-time solo traveler, there are some parts of Mexico that you might want to steer clear of as navigating well takes a bit of travel savvy that only comes with time on the road. Video: Living All Over Mexico With Rent Under $500 a Month Upstate New Yorker Robin Chacon and her husband, Marty, love exploring Mexico. Early in the morning is Robins favorite time of day. Its become a sort of home base for the couple and they are currently renting a small tw0-bedroom house for $500 a month. I also easily spent far less than that when I shared a flat and lived in Oaxaca, which is an inland city and far cheaper than the coastal towns, so your money goes further. I hope I can visit many of the places you have listed here. Questions: $300 for airfare where do you fly every single month? We eat out when we go shopping about once per week. :). Apartments that are $500 USD for example will be in a decent location, one or two bedrooms, smaller kitchens and no frills dcor. Her tips and wise words of advice were this: Just go and enjoy this gorgeous country and its wonderful people! Great column. and Im there summers and stay several blocks back from the beach. Rent a house in Guanajuato is at least USD1,000 a month. In Puerto Vallarta the bay is huge, but waves are not as powerful as places open to the open ocean. we go to Oxxo which is like a 711. I found your blog because I was looking for more info on how to manage the tourist visa. Shrimp is $250 pesos per kilo, red snapper is $200 pesos per kilo, scallops are $400 pesos per kilo. As a U.S. citizen, I receive a six month visa on arrival automatically, and this can be reset simply by crossing a border and coming back indefinitely. I personally love it there, have met some wonderful people, and have not ran into any trouble. (My daughter is nearly fluent.) Due to theTaxi Mafia in Mexico, cities that have tons of tourists likeTulum,Cancun, Cozumel, and Cabo san Lucas do not have ride-hailing apps. Keep reading for a complete guide on how to call a United States 1-800 toll-free phone number from Mexico for free! I'm sure there are luxurious beachfront home rentals for thousands. Also know that any safety information you find online can change rapidly, so always source your information from local expats or those who spent considerable time there recently, and really understand the undertones of living in that area. You could start out living in an expat hub like San Miguel de Allende, where there is a massive community of retirees and expats, you could even take language lessons (they have a lot of options), and then use that to get familiarized and attuned to Mexico, then look at some of the smaller towns. Living in Ecuador was difficult for me from a language standpoint. Tip:Hostels will be more expensive on the weekends and cheaper on the weekdays! Do you know expats with children? I useSafetyWing travel health insurance, if youre young and healthy its only around $40 per month. Ideal would be apartment with swimming pool. this is a very detailed information and is very helpful. To start we own our home and therefore have no direct expenses for housing. Any thoughts? My food budget was pretty generous, so if you cook at home, even adding the cost of cooking meat, I think you could get by on 1,000 pesos each week. Honestly and this costs me 4000 CDN per month. Oaxaca: I lived here for six months and found it is one of the most affordable expat cities in Mexico. I often bought organic veggies (expensive) at the Friday market in Sayulita, so the food budget is generous for a range of eating styles. I think the town that I stayed in would be ideal for you. You can use them to travel within a city, or between cities, and theres no set route its all word of mouth. I liked the calm bay/surf in La Manzanilla but would like to explore other towns.Sayulita sounds promising. If you are hoping to buy and keep a horse, I cant imagine you having much of an issue with that, especially in the smaller cities where there are many farms and such just outside the city. A 3,700-square-foot home in Santa Fe was listed earlier this month for $2.17 million. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Subscribe to the Magazine Today and Save 65%, IL Magazine: Discover the World's Best Retirement Haven for 2023 + 15 more, about subscribing to International Living Magazine. Make good choices. Below we've outlined some of the best places for Expats and the best places for Americans living in Mexico. I did not see you mention the fact that SP has a full Hospital. Haircuts $20.00 If you are at all interested in Baja, check it out. Thanks. The region north of PV is a great place to find a small beach town if thats what youre after. Aloha and thank you for the excellent read. When I was living in Merida I went to the local farmers market often to buy produce like pineapples, tomatoes, limes, tortillas, bananas, beans, corn, avocado, etc. I want to relocate to Mexico and will appreciate advice on somewhere i can relocate to with a low budget(Rental(Bachelor), internet and utilities) and where i can find expats who mainly speak English i can make friends and interact with more often and maybe find a partner since i will be working remotely as a writer. According to Numbeo.com, the typical price for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is $510 per month in April 2020, while a condominium with three bedrooms costs just over $1,000. I live on about $1,500 per month (which includes social security benefits). So buying property there would be easier for me. Mexico often gets a slight vote in favor because of the closer language and cultural similarities. Monthly Stays Near Me I've also lived in Oaxaca too, and it's even more affordable (I spent well under $600 per month). Quality food is generally pretty inexpensive in Mexico, which makes it a great place for people on a budget! They handle rentals too and are fantastic resources on any city mentioned. When we need milk etc. Although its possible to find apartments in Mexico for under $150 per month if you want to live in a nicer place or more expensive area youll most likely need roommates. So far, we are 3 1/2 weeks into January and we are right on our monthly target budget of $80,000 MX or $4,000 US. US citizens get six months on arrival. Mexico can be up to 50 percent cheaper than living in other North American countries, depending on the region. Working: There are someplaces that hire expats, though its under the table. That way they have time to really explore different areas of Mexico. Yucatan: Hugely popular with expats (and spring breakers), a bit pricier than the west coast, gorgeous beaches and diving. They can give you tons of information on staying there. Vamos. Hi Tom! Im moving there in about a month. Thats a really good point, thank you Randall! I was lucky to have friends in town so I could split one of the big pizzas for our weekly Friday-night gatherings, and my friends Victoria and Steve often hosted potlucks. :). Campeche is a city that boasts a population of over 300,000 people and is considered one of the safest cities in the country. I havent been in SP in a while, but in 2013/2014 the summer rains would occaisionally even take out the power in San Pancho, but not nearby Sayulita. Any idea how the schooling would work? You can find the town about 56 miles southeast of Mexico City. Their monthly budget is 66,625 pesos a month, or about US$2,987. Compared to Thailand, Spanish is easier to learn, and in general, as I noted, I favor Mexico from a cultural point of view as a place to live as a Westerner the culture aligns more easily and I found it more comfortable on that level. For my first solo trip (it iwill be only 2 weeks since i am still full time working) , i need a mixture of quiet and safe place to rejuvenate in jungle or a tropical environement for maybe a week and then another week near a quiet beach to relax and visiting the area. Many farmers and people on the outskirts of the city own horses, and you could surely find a way to stable a horse with a local family if your house/apartment wasnt ideal. At today's favorable exchange rates, prices all over Mexico are a tremendous bargain. This was super helpful, thank you! The cheapest way to travel between cities is by taking a bus. If you are interested in smaller towns, you could rent a car and do a road trip of the Yucatan to find one that feels right for what you want. Luckily, there are still places in Mexico where you can find hostel dorms and apartments at that price. HOA at your place is $200 a month? all the best. I tend to rent furnished apartments, and I think its less often included in houses and non-furnished places. For example, I was living in Tulum and spending $900 per month on a studio apartment, and I had a friend who was 45-minutes inland in Valladolid only spending $150 per month on a 1-bedroom apartment! well, I am a retired man, 65 this year. A single person is hard-pressed to spend more than $1,000 here on a modest budget. No matter where you live your lifestyle choices will determine your expenses. What is CFE, ZGAS and CAPA? Use that figure as a guide to the food and transport costs I mention (check that exchange rate here). Its all relative. I'm 60 and want to retire on between $800 and $1,200 a month, ideally near the ocean in Mexico where should I go? Phone $100.00 Fuel and department store goods are expensive due to high taxes. Rough surf is too dangerous for me. It would be great to get an idea of what housing is like on your budget. There is also a bus that runs toward Puerto Vallarta where there are big grocery stores and everything you could possibly need (that is about an 40 minutes to one hour away). During high season my little town had just enough options to keep it interesting, and as the seasons shifted I cooked in my apartment a lot more using fresh veggies from the markets, which was fun and gave me a kick toward my goal of becoming a better cook (Asia spoiled me because the lack of kitchens and cheap street food meant I never had to learn to cook these past years). I could deal with local travel agency as well. If you know of anyone in your blog or another blog I would appreciate it. Its close to the U.S., the food is both terrific and familiar, and its fairly easy to make the move. Very few Ecuadorians speak English- not even the vast majority of university professors- and its tough with only basic Spanish skills. Now, downsizing to an apartment or small house and living a simpler life she said they are a lot happier. Utilities run around $100 per month (gas and electric - but electric can vary greatly. Shannon, Any insights? I am looking at Alamos, Mexico because its a small town, and Huffington Post says its a nice place to ex-pat. Can you comment? That was one of the main reasons I considered retiring there. :). You can rent a 2 or 3 bedroom home for $1000-$1200 in much of the country. Airfare $300.00 color: white; CFE, ZGAS, CAPA, and Fidi? Those livingin nearby Costa Rica orPanama tend to have higher monthly cost of living averages, so I found my Mexico living situation ideal. I have greater freedom and flexibility in work. Robin Chacon. Robin explained, my students are in China so I teach in the early mornings and am done by 9 a.m. Then its off to the gym and the rest of the day is free. I am Canadian but live in Switzerland and I travel about once per year. Living in Mexico can sometimes seem like life in a rollercoaster. Cities like Oaxaca offer more immersion and intercultural experiences. Cancn 8. That being said, food will be one of your biggest expenses, and its easy to go over budget. Transportation is another big expense to consider when living in Mexico. If you have an ocean view, it is nice, but you can do better moving several blocks back from the beach and maybe something just outside of the tourist area. I just hang out, watch tv, walk on the boardwalk and now and again have a coffee at an italian restaurant. } I have a cleaning lady to help three times per week or 4000 per month. Transport. Health Ins $250.00 Located in the mountains surrounding Lake Avndaro, a couple of hours west of Mexico City, Robin said she was pleasantly surprised to fall in love with the town. I would love to move to another country but without a work Visa it would be challenging to work. Something Marty needed after a back injury. For a general budget, you might want to factor in $50USD/35 per month. Electric is $100 every other month. For those considering moving overseas without the chance for a retirement visa, the visa policy in Mexico is a big boon. What are your thoughts about Acapulco compared to Oaxaca? The Best Places to Live in Mexico as a U.S. Expat, 5 Best Caribbean Islands to Live On and 2 to Avoid. Airport to SP: Cheapest is the bus, by far. Why bother to go anywhere else unless your mental health meds cost you half of that in Canada. Long stay rates include all utilities, taxes, and weekly housekeeping. Glasses $30.00 Instead, they prefer to live in a place for six months or a year. display: block; overflow: unset; } Also in most of Baja in or near the cities Mexicans do earn a lot more than the average minimum wage. They are both very popular expat spots. And then I include a couple other towns and thoughts in case youre looking at other Mexican towns: Bucerias: Sprawling, no defined downtown area, neighborhoods stacked behind a big road and a beach. Is it possible to live in Mexico and blow through thousands of dollars a day? During these adventures, Robin confessed to falling in love. Manzanillo 15. Hmmm, maybe Mexico isnt going to be for me, after all. What are the gay rights like in Mexico? We also have ceiling fans. It usually finishes with fireworks. My daughter (33, ESL teacher) and I (67, retired USA prof) are thinking about residing in Mexico. <3, This post is *really* thorough! After prices in USA this was quiet a welcome in change. Budget $4,000.00. Im a dual citizen US/MX. The moves come as Wall Street closed out a losing . When drinking in a restaurant or bar, an average domestic beer will cost you $1.50 and cocktails range from $4.00-$6.00. You can easily find a 2 bedroom apartment with basic furniture and air conditioning only in the bedrooms for about $500 USD/Month. Mexico or Costa Rica could both make for exactly the type of experience that you are looking for. Sayulita is a perfectly lovely small town (much bigger than mine though) and it was merely 20 minutes up the road. You probably won't find something for less than 500 us or euros, at least not in a decent area. For my full review policy click here. I do think prices have gone up a bit since then, mostly the global cost of food. You'll want to secure a lease with monthly rent prices currently sitting around $500 USD per month for a two-bedroom near the historic center. Places like Darjeeling have fantastictea and food, and then live music throughout the week. This video shares the costs, style of living, quality of life, and other details about living as an expat in Mexico, with a tour of my studio in a trendy beach town north of Puerto Vallarta: This entire post outlines the baseline costsmy fixed monthly expenses for one person living in a beach town on the west coast of Mexico. But the real question is, "Do you really want to do that?" The lifestyle with that budget won't suit most people, and you might not survive long if you're living that frugally. The second cheapest way to eat in Mexico is by buyingstreet food. One of the best things about living in Mexico is the variety of cities and towns to choose from. Plus, its quiet. I do want to ask, have you been to Acapulco? Clothing $50.00 Best places to live in Mexico. Good question! This is a list of 130 countries where you can live for under 500 United States dollars per month. Dental $50.00 Your email address will not be published. For a tiny island life, Isla Holbox is one option, Isla Mujeres is nearby and bigger/more touristy if you want more development. We are an American lesbian couple living in Thailand. background-color: #1a3c95; Ive lived in Tulum for over 5 months and I want to share EVERYTHING you need to know to have the perfect trip. The downside to Leon is the climate. That means they'll have enough to cover rent or a mortgage, but also have enough left over for dining out, entertainment, and some travel. (I am Canadian) . The various facets of living abroad are part of what makes one place appeal to some expats while others prefer something vastly different. When I lived in San Pancho, which is just north of Puerto Vallarta, there was a Polo Club in the town with active polo matches and such. We do not drink. Thats a good question, should you choose to live inThailand or Mexico? GOBankingRates looked at cities throughout the country, big and small, and found 20 with rents averaging $1,000 per month or less. And stop trolling the internet trying to dissuade people from trying something new just because youre miserable and contrary and dont have any friends. Thanks for this post! While cost of living varies by location, a typical couple can expect to spend roughly $2,500 a month to live comfortably in Mexico. San Pancho is a great town for nightlife if you like a bit of variety but nothing too crazyno dance clubs, but we did have two great bars and a lot of live music throughout the week. *YouTube video and photos coming soon* With its abundance of modern services and amenities and the year-round temperate climate, Cuernavaca is well-known for its upscale . Thats including medical treatments, gym memberships, and a lot of extras they would never be able to afford back home. As I love lush nature and palm trees on the beach and not mass tourism, would you advise me, a village or a place where I can get close to you? So, the apartment was 4,500 pesos per month ( $375 at the time) which is on the high-end for a studio in my town but the price included all utilities and really strong internet, which is essential for my online work. position: relative; A high point of living in Mexico is the fact that apartments and houses come with full kitchens (though mine was minus an oven), this is really great if youre keen to cookanything you rent here will likely come with a stove and pots and pans if its a furnished apartment. Hi Shannon, A nature lover, Robin says she loves finding so many places to live in Mexico surrounded by beautiful nature. It is touristy but many food and drink options, expats, etc. Anna. Big churches on a hill, or shots Marty takes with his drone. For a midrange hotel in Puerto Vallarta, look atHotel Mercurio. 1. You can live in some of Mexico's premium locations for as little as US$1,150 per month. Other places in town rent out as vacation rentals or rooms for anywhere from USD $200 per month on the very low-end (likely no wi-fi) to $500+for 1 and 2 bedrooms. Guanajuato is a very nice place Id recommend. Which they are doing in early 2023 and theyve found a lake house to rent for $300 a month. I find your blog quiet helpful and many thanks. Some of the beaches have very quiet, smooth water (Playa Entrega) in more protective portions of the bay. I know for sure that some friends worked at the mid-range and high-end restaurants in SP or Sayulita. How do you handle the heat? Thanks gor the info! Horses are still integral to the way that many Mexicans run their farms, so there is absolutely a horse culture that you can tap into once you are there. Entertainment $1,293.33 He knows everyone in town and could help you understand the town, the people, and how to rent a place longer-term. Puerto Morelos 11. How long have you lived in Mexico? And the price you are willing to pay to leave in a corruption-ridden culture? The chance for a tiny island life, Isla Mujeres is nearby and bigger/more touristy if you know anyone... Trolling the internet trying to dissuade people from trying something new just because youre miserable contrary. I just hang out, watch tv, walk on the region close the. Are living in mexico on $500 a month lot happier Mexico often gets a slight vote in favor of! His drone and spring breakers ), a nature lover, Robin confessed falling. We are an American lesbian couple living in Ecuador on less than $ 1,000 per month restaurant... For those considering moving overseas without the chance for a tiny island,! Red snapper is $ 250 pesos per kilo with expats ( and spring breakers ), a lover! Its fairly easy to make the move at an italian restaurant. 2. By taking a bus country but without a work visa it would be great to an! 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In change live inThailand or Mexico basic Spanish skills more immersion and intercultural experiences benefits. Just hang out, watch tv, walk on the region the road base! Manage the tourist visa the safest cities in Mexico while others prefer something vastly different there summers and several. Estate, retirement and more in Mexico where you can easily find a or! Air conditioning only in the area do you fly every single month very to...