Cost of Expat Living in Central Mexico
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2016
- Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price, lays out the cost of living in his second home of Guanajuato, Mexico. See more at www.cheaplivingabroad.com.
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It is a shame that so many people are so negative. I appreciate your video. So many people have never traveled and do not understand that it is a great disservice to over pay because you feel guilty. When you leave the area, your ex house keeper can not make half of what you were paying them due to your supposedly giving them a "working wage". The working wage in one area is not the same in another area. In smaller areas of Mexico, $5 US per day can be a regular wage. In so many places there are hardly any jobs, and they hardly pay anything. It is good to pay a little more than the average wage, but not too much more. Please try not to be so critical of things that you do not know much about. As wages get pushed up, people loose work opportunities, and poverty increases.
If I expatriate to Mexico I hope to help bolster local businesses. I would hope to enjoy the culture and not intrude upon it. Above all, I would hope to make life long friends with Mexican folks.
You will be very welcome...
As a mexican I don't mind USA people living here, as long as they respect the culture and don't do anything illegal I'm good.
I'm going down there strictly for the fun illegal shit man come on please don't kill my vibe!
Christopher Kupetz You’re probably a construction work lmao, sit the fuck down Chris.
If only the US could get immigrants that did the same...
We feel the same way in the US. Respect our culture, dont do illegal stuff and I have no issues with any race coming to America, Latino, Arab, African, etc... It's all about respect!
Beltrán Leyva indeed. I'm an American who is grossly embarrassed by this shitty rhetoric of haters who dis on MXN who come to US for work. Why not take up our race to the bottom economy, stagnant or even declining wages with the COMPANIES that drive down and devalue American work. MXN didn't drive down wages, the mega-corporations did it. It's easier to blame the byproduct of that corporate greed, than to address the real problem. These are the same ilk who tell unemployed people they're lazy, or that homeless are all addicts and they want no encampments or tiny house villages in their neighborhood. Yet never do they consider how many of those people they insult are vets, or families, or battered wives, or disowned gay kids who are shunned and shoved out of the way of general society. This hateful ilk rarely stops to think of how conditions came to be the way they are now. And it is the same with their generalized attitude about MXNS. I tell you this now, Belltran, the rudest and worst from people unfortunately tend to dominate social media and what passes for news. I cannot and will not descend to their level. But I am a future, aspiring expat who shun the all too common notion that our pending presence is some kind of blessing to MX. We are are considered working-class poor here, and all we want to do is continue our working lives in a kinder culture and live among locals, strive to communicate in SPANISH and not hide in some separate Americanized, gated utopia. We have never owned a home. We may be lifelong renters and we may never be able to retire. I think expats should be required by law to be making an effort to learn the local language, to spend at least like an upper middle class MXN, think in pesos and to not ruin local economies by their mere presence. I really wish more people thought this way, and you've every right to be angry for not enough of us gringos speak up. Just know we're not all like that!
I lived in Guadalajara Mexico....beautiful city....a single person can live with 400 to 700 dollars a moth with no problem.....all depends the amount of luxury you want to have.....bellow 400 dollars a moth you. An still live with some limitations
great vlog Tim, really appreciate the way you get right to all the important points with no fluff, muchas gracias!
So much needed information, thank you for posting
Tim, I just subscribed and I have lived all over Asia. You are paying your help high wages for that country. I lived in the Philippines and I had a live-in maid that I paid $50 a month and she was making more than her whole family was together. Nothing to be ashamed of. You are right sir. Most Americans never leave their country to understand the dynamics that go behind certain cultures. I am coming to Mexico in April to scope it out. I am still working on my English degree. Any idea what English teachers make there? I wonder if they pay cash?
Mexico is a beautiful country, reminds me Italy in different ways.
The weather is perfect. The only problem I see is the government. Is very corrupt. Well now is obrador in charge and seems a good person.
Honestly Mexico is a beautiful with issues like migration, corruption, poverty, delinquency,
Hopefully Mexico fix the problems.
Great videos on Mexico. I am starting on my own plans to move to Mexico in the next year. Thank you for posting your videos I found the information very helpful.
I am leaving on Thursday!!
Mexico may not be the absolute cheapest place in the world, but for an American it is far easier to reach, especially if you don't have all the money needed to retire just yet and can travel to the states for work.
Southeast Asia is a much smaller area; your stuck with a horribly humid and hot climate. Crazy bad traffic, terrible infrastructure. Gangs everywhere, stray dogs with rabies, etc. Unless if you are living in a tourist trap but then the expenses become not much different than at home.
Mekong Farang Okay, I'll be sure to let my Thai wife who has lived most of her life there, that we somehow walked into an alternate dimension, one where Thailand doesn't have these serious problems.
Mekong Farang Are we staying up all night drinking again? You know, that's bad for your mental health. Then again, a lot of thai expats are raging, fat alcoholics so no wonder.
Have you very been in Mexico Estado de México?? At the north area as Cuautitlan Izcalli as invest to business so cheap is good for as induatry, wh, malls... it is so close from Mexico city and have everything to give the american retired people good quality life...they have many differents around 4 cardinals point around 2 hors from town as Querwtaro, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Cuernavaca and Mexico city is in 60 min...
GLAD U ARE ENJOYING YOUR LIFE...
Good job and thank you for the video.👍
If/when I move to Mexico or any other country, I think I will hire a hard-working 'maid' and ask her to teach me the local language (sitting down so she can rest), culture and take me on expeditions throughout the city so I can learn from a native, and I will clean my own house...
maids often receive other than pay help, like if a child is sick, doctor and medicine will be paid by a good employer....car, whatever.
Greetings from Tampa. Good video....
How feasible is it to visit the church in 'Comanja de Corona' on the hill from Guanajuato? Are there tour guides available?
Could you possibly do a video on leon and what it would cost to live there and what the American community is like there?
thanks for this info
Thats still higher than i thought for renting in mexico 300 to 600 dollars sounds like great place to live for cost though.
Well, Mexico City is" Central Mexico" and houses and apartments can cost 1 million 500 thousand dollars (and way more) or almost 30 million pesos and the restaurants 160 dollars each so, i guess not all the center of mexico cost the same
True
In any country, big cities are going to be more expensive than smaller ones. Mexico is no different.
San Francisco a simple one bedroom easy $2,200. a month, Sacramento same apartment $1,000.
Same size city in Mexico that apartment: $600. Same size city in a cheaper country, $400. And on it goes...
That is true, but you can also find very cheap housing and restaurants in Mexico City. Yes, it might not be the prettiest area but you can find them. Mexico is a place of contrasts and in most big cities you can find very upscale areas and very poor ones... and everything in between.
Welcome to Mexico
But DO NOT
bring your insecurity
And drama here
Also learn spanish
And respect our culture
Freddy lopez eventually you have to learn spanish in Texas, Florida and Calfornia!
I'm a little insecure about my thinning hair. I'll try not to be more confident about it in Mexico.
I have a lot of family members in the U.S and they don't speak English and they been here for over 30 years.
You are kind of rude
Nice video!
After Medicare I receive $700.00 a month, I am single and need only the smallest studio room, is it possible for me to survive in Mexico on this?
Yes it’s possible, Mexico is a very big country so you have plenty of options
Maybe you can rent, you need at least $1500 to find a decent apartment, that includes utilities and some money left to eat
Boy, is that a good little bit of information. "It's hard to find a quiet place in Mexico"... Darn!
Have you very been in Mexico Estado de México?? At the north area as Cuautitlan Izcalli as invest to business so cheap is good for as induatry, wh, malls... it is so close from Mexico city and have everything to give the american retired people good quality life...they have many differents around 4 cardinals point around 2 hors from town as Querwtaro, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Cuernavaca and Mexico city is in 60 min...
Tim, what made you think about going to Mexico, in the first place? Did you vacation there, first? Many times? How did you break away from the 'psychological' effect, that living in America gave you when you were growing up? Did you eventually start learning Spanish ( and the Mexican lifestyle)? Is there anything you miss about living in Tampa (I live in South Florida)? Thank for any and all comments that you share with me.
Jose Rivera. Yes, traveled there a lot first and used to have a little beach house near Progreso in Yucatan.
Jose Rivera. Just slowing down and stressing less mostly. There are some things I miss when in Mexico, but more I am glad to be away from. We are soooo brainwashed when it comes to healthcare and what is normal for everyday costs.
GOOD FOR U... WOW!
how do you go about trusting realty companies in Mexico.. ?
From the expat pages and other sites I've researched so far, personal or associate references are the way to go. Each individual seems to suggest the same thing, hire your own lawyer and/or notary. Their involvement will ensure a safe and legal transaction all around.
I am looking for an affordable place to retire to on my Social Security. I dont like hot humid places, but prefer sping time weather where it stays in upper 60s and 70s with low humidity. I hear Lake Chapala meets that criteria but home prices on line are not affordable. Any suggestions?
san miguel allende is higher up, therefore cooler than Ajijic, but, more expensive unless you head out of town a bit,
Ensenada in Baja would be a good place if you want to be near the ocean. The weather is like San Diego. Lake Chapala probably gets hotter than what you're specifying. Places that are really high up like Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca, San Cristobal de las Casas, Morelia, Guanajuato....there's a lot of them but they can get cold at night because central heating and insulation are very rare.
if I drive my car into MX to reside there and will be using my car as my daily what is the vehicle registration process like
just buy a car in Mx. u safe all the taxes and fees.
If your intention is to go there temporarily use your US vehicle. You can easily import the vehicle at the border for 6 months, which is the same as your tourist visa allows you to stay in country.
i like to know what is it mean central mexico which state of mexico you live
Guanajuato city is in the state of Guanajuato. But generally the prices are similar in Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Veracruz, etc. Interior Mexico in general really, including Oaxaca, San Cristobal de las Casas, Cuernavaca...
20.66 pesos to the dollar now. Nice.
19.22 currently
Hi there...Are you comfortable disclosing what city you're in?
As stated in the video, Guanajuato.
+Tim Leffel thank you for your reply. Sorry, I didn't.catch that otherwise I wouldn't have asked.
Where do you mean "central mexico"? Cross over from where?
Paul Baker - geographic middle of the country. States of Guanajuato Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes.
Hey Tim, what kind of cellular service do you use out there and how much?
Movistar and Telcel are roughly the same price and about 1/3 what you pay in the USA if you get a pre-paid deal and run with that. If you use a ton of data, then it's more.
Wow. The exchange rate was about 11/1 back in 2012
Nov 2016 is 20 to 1
Curious to know what rights an American or any non-Mexican citizen who buys a house in Mexico would have with regard to actually owning the property. In Baja Calif many Americans in the past had their properties confiscated. And when I have inquired of the government if I could buy, was told that non-citizens don't have right to own in Mexico, only rent.
You can own property that is not in "restricted zones". Those zones are close to the borders and close to the sea. To buy property that's on the beach you purchase a special trust that says you can own the property for 50 years and then have to relinquish it. There's a huge industry selling real estate to expats.
how about health care?
Much better care than the USA and for about 1/5 of the price. It's why so many people living in southern U.S. states are constantly crossing the border.
How much for illicit type things? I know you don't do them. But, how much?
My friend is dying of ALS, and marijuana helps him. Also he is not able to get a REAL girlfriend due to his condition. So I am asking from a place of goodness.
Weed is about 1/4 or less the U.S. price and is pretty much legal for personal amounts. Beyond that I'm not the right guy to ask, but I assume probably in the range of 1/4 to 1/3 of the USA.
Thank you kindly for answering my question.
Isn't it also very affordable in places like Colorado where it's legal? Perhaps your friend should grow their own with a cheap hydroponics system. A Single plant can provide a lot.
Funk Daddy Colorado and California are 2 legal choices.
100 pesos gets you about a little less than 1/2 oz.
I thought foreigners technically couldn't own property in Mexico. It's technically a super long lease like 99 years......Also, do you have property taxes in Mexico?
That only applies near the coast. Inland it's just like owning elsewhere---land and structure.
Hey Tim! If I loaded my trailer up with all my stuff and drove down there, would I be killed and robbed on the way?
No, but you might get shot if you drive to New Orleans, St. Louis, Detroit, or DC instead.
I’m curious about this as well!! Lol
lol tim i love this response.
Let’s not forget Chicago
Hopefully!
do you need a passport to enter
YES.
Passport to leave the USA. Visa to enter, unless is right in the border. then you need your certified birth certificate and ID.
Theodore Marakas you sure comment a lot on a video about mexico which you clearly have problems with hahahaha that's how you spend your time what a bitch!!!! hahahahaha
If you enter Mexico through a pedestrian checkpoint, at least the one in Tijuana, it's likely that nobody will check anything. After going through a turnstile you pass by an immigration office where they could signal you to come in and show something but I never saw that happen in several visits. One guy was telling me that it's still working like this in the middle of the virus. Flying into Mexico you need a passport of course.
Hi! i live near you, in San Miguel de Allende, theres -A LOT- of americans living here. Come check it out i bet youll like it.
Way too many there for my taste. I've been a dozen times.
Tim Leffel holy smokes, I live in Tampa, FL lol and what's funny is I'm heavily thinking about moving to Mexico...how are jobs over there? can Americans get his paying jobs?
I get that question a lot and here's the response I wrote: www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2016/07/27/find-a-job-abroad-question/
+David Montgomery u will truly love it!! people are more caring and compassionate. my co worker is moving to Puebla.
Bien benido
is veracruz safe to live?
never been there but there many other places that I prefer.
Veracruz at this moment no. Places like Queretaro, Puebla, Merida... yes. Merida is really safe.
No.
Now It applies. The Hole Enchilada for half the price. haaha
is it safe to live there
yes
Probably safer than where you live now, but do real research.
Only the border cities have a problem with drug gang violence. The inner cities are fine.
Sam JT not much
Tim just say no so we can keep this country and area as our own little secret;
GREED💪.
what about atm and are they safe?
actually Mexico is way better than you might think
Never had a problem in 3 years.
not half price 1/10 of prices
Thats 2016 and its fucking expensive😵🙁
so do you have duel citizenship ?
no
If your from a western country then it hardly seems necessary. Visas are trivial to get and can be renewed at any time.
Mexico isn't western too? explain.
No way. It’s very difficult to become a Mexican citizen.
The Mexican constitution forbids the countries demographics from changing due to foreign immigration.
@@foxbodyblues6709 Our Constitution would too but our politicians & judges etc ignore it. The thing about the wall isn't at all what the Communists are spinning it because they have the news media. We don't hate anyone we just want to know & choose who is coming into our home too.
I lived in Guanajuato as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ. It's a great city, pretty darn affordable to live in. Funny part is Guanajuato is sorta expensive compared to the rest of the state.
A missionary in the most religious state in Mexico? That seems like a job of selling ice to the eskimos! Thanks for the feedback though.
Haha. It was challenging at times. Whereabouts in town do you live? Seems like most of the gringos live up on the Calzada de Guadalupe.
👍comunidad americana y canadiense Ajijic Jalisco das the Place👍
cheap if you have a US income . Not if working for pesos .
Azul T Yep, that's the idea: www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2017/03/19/getting-job-abroad-bringing-job-with-you/
Is weed legal in Mexico?
No penalty for up to an ounce for personal use. The president elect is looking at formally legalizing it.
Well I live in the most powerful contry in the world USA I pay 1800 for a little shit aparment full of cacaroches rats and Bedbugs. I have Mc Donalds every where little cesar pizza.
who wants to live and Mexico??
Robert Cross well then you are an idiot.
US Is a place to work not to enjoy life freely
love it , so true McKinney Texas , rat central
apparently many people know nothing about the world, economies, or cost of living,
This is true.
beautiful!!! You have to enjoy it, because if donald trump continues with his actions as the Mexicans, you will run from there my gringo amigo!!
Our Democratic Socialists (Communists) are spinning what Trump has said. This is what they do make their opposition look in the worst possible way. Because they have most of the news media. Trump says alot of things that are spun the wrong way. Many of us of Latin decent know better in fact many minorities have seen through the lefts propaganda of disinformation. To give you a perspective, imagine if we let people from here flood into Mexico by the thousands even encouraging it, how do you think Mexico would react.
And when you need a real hospital and a doctor that didnt get his MD from the back of a match book cover? Then what
Three of the five doctors I have been to have a medical degree from the USA. They just don't want to live there. There are some excellent universities in Mexico too though, plus the doctor is not in such a rush so you get far better care overall, with less paperwork and lower costs.
Shows how ignorant people are about Mexican Healthcare. Thousands go to Mexico from the US for care. In Mexico, there are HIGH SCHOOLS that are for Healthcare workers meaning they can be taking nursing as teenagers so they start off even younger while teens in the US are learning basic pointless crap like memorizing the Pythagorean Theorem. Please educate yourself before commenting ignorance on something you know NOTHING about.
The people who give you sarcastic answers to your sincere question don’t want to help. It’s my experience that many people go back to the US if they have a serious health issue, although in the big cities and state capitals there is usually at least one (sometimes multiple) hospital(s) that have comparable care to a modern US facility.
Robert G I would say, if you feel that way you deserve the US “health care system”.
You paid a maid $14 for 5 hours of cleaning you house, you are exploiting her, I am sure you could pay a decent amount for that kind of job
Do you live here? You do realize that the minimum wage in Mexico is about 1/9 what it is in the USA, right? And that in Norway we would have to pay $250? "Exploitation" is an ignorant word if you don't know what's standard in a given location. We are paying way above the norm.
All the comments about the low wages he pays are pretty funny. When I lived in Santiago, Chile I paid a maid about 15 bucks for a full day's work, once a week. The guy who recommended her (a Chilean) was paying her 8 for the same thing AND told me not to pay her more than him. He actually got mad at me when he found out I was "spoiling" her. Huge inequalities are basically a way of life in Latin America and it goes all the way back to colonial times.
Don't complain about being "ripped off" as a foreigner then when you pay double for a taxi or a bundle of bananas in a tourist zone then. You just asked for it. It's not "colonialism times" that keeps wages in check: Many developing countries like Thailand have no colonial history. There and elsewhere, there have been major shitstorms in places where expats live because they've overpaid enough to poach housekeepers away from families who have been employing them for 15 years. It's like an arms race, with consequences that create a lot of ill will toward "those rich gringos" who have moved in and taken over. Sure, pay the top of the market rate, but if you pay double you'll have some very angry neighbors when word gets out.
Is this directed at me? I don't pay double for stuff unless I have no idea what the local rate is. I speak Spanish. And if I were "ripped off" like that I would just shrug. It's a drop in the bucket compared to how I was ripped off by the US real estate crash of 08. The Spanish enocomienda system has had a huge influence on all of Latin America including Mexico. You can even see it in Mexican telenovelas.
@@prime8nate You did know the rate and you did pay double--voluntarily! So why not pay double the taxi rate too since you're a foreigner? And double for your meals?
@@TimLeffel Oh, you're talking about my maid. Yes, I paid double because I had a personal relationship with her. I talked to her all the time. I considered her a friend. A whopping 7 dollars a week I just threw away! I even gave her a bonus for Christmas (what a sucker I am!). I take care of people close to me, not random waiters and taxi drivers. I'm surprised you're not suggesting I give all my money to charity and become a monk with that line of reasoning.
Didn't you just say in your video that you pay above the local rate?
Guanajuato is not like most Mexican towns or cities.
It is a tourist town filled with snow birds.
Have you even been there? I think you are confused with San Miguel de Allende. Nearly all the tourists in this city are Mexican.
Don't go to Mexico stay in you country, you people had a very good life living from other countries, now is time to feel the poverty like the rest of the world did while you people had a very good life style, so no welcome feel the poverty
Geez pay you maid more
Like I said, we pay her well above local rates. And a one-month bonus at Christmas. She has stayed with us five years now so I think we're doing okay.
sam hill It's not even that much to get worked up over hahaha chill the fuck out do you want me to paypal you $20 USD to stop crying?
you need to pay you'r maid a little more money,she needs to make a living wage.
She's already one of the best paid maids in town. And she's just part-time for us. She works for multiple households. What's a living wage in one country is very different than the living wage in another. Kind of the whole point of that video and the book. Currency arbitrage.
+Tim Leffel at least $20dlls will be more adecuate.
+Aurelio Quinonez agree👍
you need 2 pay maid 15 an hour, just like in u.s., thats only fair !!! dont be a scumbag !!!!
who cares i dont want to live in mexico even if they paid me
Good don't need or want you type .A H
Yet felt the need to comment for attention. Poor you.
Expat = immigrant
Paying slave wages and bragging. Sad.
Chiming in on foreign wage levels when you have never left your own home town? Double sad.