Such a great recap of nomadic life in Mexico. I just hit my 4th anniversary of living here, and my life finally feels settled. I have a good group of friends, my Spanish is decent, and my house is the way I want it. Yesterday, I renewed my driver's license for 761 pesos (the man did not even look at the carefully arranged stack of documents I took, and I have a horrible photo ) My annual property tax bill was just $143 USD. Life is good.
Sounds like you've found your happy place! So glad that you were able to get your house in Merida before the big increase in demand and price. Glad that you are doing so well and enjoying you best life possible. Hope that 2025 just continues to bring you joy, Thanks Denise.
I am glad you got another opportunity that set you up for 3 years, that gives one a peace of mind and let you plan ahead. We always take the tours, sabes us time, and we get back on our own to the places we want to know more about or enjoy more at leisure. The tours are kind of a fact finding.
Thanks Wilfredo. It is a big comfort having that contract. So much of what we do here in Mexico is all about fact finding as we look for our home. It will be nice once that decision is made and we can really relax and settle down.
Great video! Informative, objective, detailed. Thank you for putting lots of effort in breaking down the expenses and what’s involved. Happy New Year! 🎆 BTW, you both look radiant and well rested.
We love hearing that you found it helpful. Happy New Year to you too! Thanks for the kind words, Bob. Maybe having a contract again is helping that glow! LOL
I just saw you on the Relocation Guide channel. So happy to have found you two! Going to watch all your videos. Coming to Mexico to check it out in April. Love listening to all your travel tips.❤❤
We are excited for you to visit Mexico! We're happy you found us. Welcome to the Gringos R Us family. We do a live every other Wednesday evening at 7 Eastern/6 Central. Next one is tomorrow night. Great place to ask any questions that you may have.
Awesome video, thank you for sharing your detailed breakdown on living expenses it is appreciated. Happy New years, wishing you both many blessings. You both look relaxed and radiant. Hasta luego. Take care be well. ❤ Mia. BTW I look forward to your videos, great content.
This is extremely helpful and well presented on all fronts - Breakdown of rent (AirBnB or off platform), groceries , utilities, increases and comparisons between 2023 and 2024 etc. I am looking to begin settling into Mexico in 2025 and I know the first few months will be atypical in terms of costs. I wonder if you have the luxury of being able to provide us with your future destinations. You might not and that's fine. I can approximate my destination to Central Highlands and use Puebla/Queretaro as an indication. Thank you both very much!
Be glad to share. We are going to San Luis Potosi in July and then over to Ajijic in October. After that I think we are off to Puerto Vallarta, but that isn't yet booked. Glad that you are getting some information that is working for you. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. If we don't have the answer, someone here in this wonderful community may.
Another great video! You guys are really doing a great job improving your channel! I love following you…You are both very honest and real. Muchísimas Gracias and all the best in the New Year!
A great year-end wrap-up of your expenses! Man, Airbnb is too greedy, dang. The fluctuation of the peso is a pretty big factor when it comes to rent, I'm glad that you mentioned it. You did pretty good last year but, did you live in your car for 4 weeks? I think the spreadsheet said 48 weeks for '24, lol.
LOL, that would be most uncomfortable 4 weeks of our lives. We didn't include December as we just arrived and and Gina tallies all the data after we leave. 2023 was unusual in that we were in a resort at the end of the year, so there was an easy end date. Yeah, Airbnb is getting too big and needs some serious competition. Happy New Year Cindy.
@cindyk3076 Yeah Cindy, Mark is correct. I did not include Queretaro from 2023, because that was not an Airbnb and was a special arrangement made with Life With Louie for us to stay there. It was probably the most realistic cost of living we encountered, but it was also not usual in other ways. I didn't include either of the resorts we stayed in for vacation or the music festival from 2024 or the couple of days we lost in the Campeche fiasco, and I didn't include the last 3 weeks of 2024 that were spent in our new place in Queretaro.
I live in baja for 15 years love it. For 1500 usd a month or less, you can rent a full house with ocean view n beach access. In LA, for that price, you get a room in a house. Sad reality.
I would suggest for next time adding some video snippets of the places as you talk about the expenses so we can see what kind of Airbnb was each for the money.
Thank you for your suggestion, Manny. Typically, we would, but there hasn't been enough time lately for adequate video production since getting a new full-time contract for work. However, we have a playlist of all the Airbnbs we have stayed in along with prices here. ☺️ ruclips.net/p/PL7FWRV7QB7NOM2tKmX7S_Ne3U8kHhHWq8&si=YX4Gkfxeh1MsmM7p
I really enjoy these videos and all of your favorites from each place... Also love hearing about Puebla, because it is near and dear to me personally. I have been living around this City on and off for many Winters and Also must say for someone without a car, the CAPO bus terminal in Puebla provides cheap, comfortable rides to nearly every major city in Mexico for very reasonable prices! I must say I also appreciate the explanation for needing a buffer zone on the Exchange rate... GREAT advice and really love this video!! MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!
Glad you found it helpful. The health insurance that we have, Nomad Insurance through Safetywing, is more like glorified travelers insurance for catastrophic coverage. It pays for emergencies through reimbursement. We pay for simple doctor visits, prescription & maintenance meds, annual lab tests, eye & dental out of pocket.
To be honest, I am not sure that we actually gave that figure. The last slide in the video showed our monthly average. Multiply by 12 and that would be the total living expenses for 2024. Thanks.
Nuestra hermosa presidenta , va a trabajar para que sea un mejor año. Her salary is going to be the same for 6yrs Mexico is going to have a great year ..... Arriba Claudia Shaeinbaum
@Fjearnest feel free to email us from the contact us page at gringosrus.com - we have not done any shopping for insurance. We simply have a glorified travel insurance through Safetywing (Nomad Insurance) for catastrophic events and pay cash for everything else.
So I’ve been watching several expat videos. I was talking about you both to my wife but she had no idea and was asking “who again”? Funny, I said the drunk guy. She replied, “oh yeah with the lady in pink hair”. LOL… glad to see Mark sober today
The funny thing is, the only time Mark drinks is when we do our live streams, when it's just like hanging out and chatting with friends. 🧡 He never drinks during our regular recorded videos. In fact, I think the only other time he drinks is during the 🏈 football drafts. LMAO 🤣 ~ Gina
@@GringosRUs Mark is not a drunk, I know both Gina and Mark and they are both very intelligent and stable people. Nor am I a drunk but when I watch the Livestreams, I will have some beers or wine. It is called having "Happy Hour" with some friends. Not saying You are, but the old adage, "People that live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones" . Life is short, enjoy and don't judge others. One never know what life can bring (challenges, deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs etc) wishing You the best!
@@tomm9540 LOL ... wow. All I did was share the impression we got from the videos. Who is judging? It was all in good humor. Geeeze, people these days. Seems you feel a little guilty, maybe? Not sure. Anyways, no harm was intended. We are all grown ups. They can do what they want with their lives.
Also Keith, we are working on our Spanish. We are using ExPat Spanish and it has helped both of us immensely. It does help to speak some as it has allowed us to better understand the culture here.
Hi I am Maggie Velazquez an American that have a property in Juriquilla Querétaro with my husband and we can rent the property to an American people for short lease. Our property do not allow Airbnb because we pay maintenance and is gated 24 hour . We still leaving in Houston and we travel around 4 times to Mexico in the year. Let me know if you know people interested. I saw you video and will be a lot less than you have paid!
@margaritavelaquez5618 I have shared your comment and RUclips name with My Place at Queretaro. You may need to contact them directly so that they can work with you on possible short term rentals. They are very good friends of ours. ruclips.net/channel/UC9DlcsDqUF7o9fe_LKid00w They also have a Facebook page: facebook.com/MyPlaceAtQueretaro/
@unteemaitaishow it is also very easy to live much cheaper here. I just completed my average monthly expenses for 2024 and I stayed in Airbnb's the entire year. My average Airbnb cost was $627.00 per month. Even that is more expensive than what I will eventually pay for renting an apartment when I decide where I want to live.
We are utilizing Airbnb's while we are searching for our retirement home. Once we pick a location and enter into a long term lease, we will realize more savings. One of the biggest savings areas is in the taxes. We just talked to several friends down here and their property tax on their homes is less than $200 for the year. Plus if the money is even the same, the happiness we feel here is worth it. No angst, no stress, and smiling people.
Mexican people where I live appreciate it VERY much! When I visit or live here for anywhere from 4-6 months at a time EVERYONE loves that I am here. In my state of OREGON, we have thousands if not millions of Mexicans and their presence actually often lowers the number of jobs for locals and lowers the hourly to minimum. It swings both ways... btw I am married to a Mexican. :)
Such a great recap of nomadic life in Mexico. I just hit my 4th anniversary of living here, and my life finally feels settled. I have a good group of friends, my Spanish is decent, and my house is the way I want it. Yesterday, I renewed my driver's license for 761 pesos (the man did not even look at the carefully arranged stack of documents I took, and I have a horrible photo ) My annual property tax bill was just $143 USD. Life is good.
Sounds like you've found your happy place! So glad that you were able to get your house in Merida before the big increase in demand and price. Glad that you are doing so well and enjoying you best life possible. Hope that 2025 just continues to bring you joy, Thanks Denise.
I am glad you got another opportunity that set you up for 3 years, that gives one a peace of mind and let you plan ahead. We always take the tours, sabes us time, and we get back on our own to the places we want to know more about or enjoy more at leisure. The tours are kind of a fact finding.
Thanks Wilfredo. It is a big comfort having that contract. So much of what we do here in Mexico is all about fact finding as we look for our home. It will be nice once that decision is made and we can really relax and settle down.
Great video! Informative, objective, detailed. Thank you for putting lots of effort in breaking down the expenses and what’s involved.
Happy New Year! 🎆
BTW, you both look radiant and well rested.
We love hearing that you found it helpful. Happy New Year to you too! Thanks for the kind words, Bob. Maybe having a contract again is helping that glow! LOL
I just saw you on the Relocation Guide channel. So happy to have found you two! Going to watch all your videos. Coming to Mexico to check it out in April. Love listening to all your travel tips.❤❤
We are excited for you to visit Mexico! We're happy you found us. Welcome to the Gringos R Us family. We do a live every other Wednesday evening at 7 Eastern/6 Central. Next one is tomorrow night. Great place to ask any questions that you may have.
Thanks for sharing guys. I look forward to more cool videos.
Thanks! We are working on more content now. We appreciate your watching Jaime.
Excellent and thorough info for people trying to decide where to live in Mexico. Can't wait for your next video.
We appreciate your kind words. We are always looking for new content ideas, so if you have any, please let us know!
Awesome video, thank you for sharing your detailed breakdown on living expenses it is appreciated. Happy New years, wishing you both many blessings. You both look relaxed and radiant. Hasta luego. Take care be well. ❤ Mia. BTW I look forward to your videos, great content.
Thanks so much Mia, glad you found it helpful. And Happy New Year to you as well!
Happy New Year guys! Thanks for the great info, it really helps!
Thank you Mike. We are glad to share the info with all of you.
I am learning so much from you two! Thank you!
We love sharing what we know! We're on this journey together. 😊 Thanks for watching Barbara.
Great video guys. Great info. Thank you!
Thanks Sammy. Glad that you liked it.
This is extremely helpful and well presented on all fronts - Breakdown of rent (AirBnB or off platform), groceries , utilities, increases and comparisons between 2023 and 2024 etc. I am looking to begin settling into Mexico in 2025 and I know the first few months will be atypical in terms of costs. I wonder if you have the luxury of being able to provide us with your future destinations. You might not and that's fine. I can approximate my destination to Central Highlands and use Puebla/Queretaro as an indication. Thank you both very much!
Be glad to share. We are going to San Luis Potosi in July and then over to Ajijic in October. After that I think we are off to Puerto Vallarta, but that isn't yet booked. Glad that you are getting some information that is working for you. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. If we don't have the answer, someone here in this wonderful community may.
Thank you both!
You are very welcome.
Great video and information! Thanks for clarifying PDC and Playacar ... I thought they were the same
Playacar is a community within PDC. Started out as hotels, beaches and a golf course. Boy has it grown.
I did too.
Another great video! You guys are really doing a great job improving your channel! I love following you…You are both very honest and real. Muchísimas Gracias and all the best in the New Year!
We are so glad you are enjoying our content, and happy New Year to you too! Thanks Cathy.
A great year-end wrap-up of your expenses! Man, Airbnb is too greedy, dang. The fluctuation of the peso is a pretty big factor when it comes to rent, I'm glad that you mentioned it. You did pretty good last year but, did you live in your car for 4 weeks? I think the spreadsheet said 48 weeks for '24, lol.
LOL, that would be most uncomfortable 4 weeks of our lives. We didn't include December as we just arrived and and Gina tallies all the data after we leave. 2023 was unusual in that we were in a resort at the end of the year, so there was an easy end date. Yeah, Airbnb is getting too big and needs some serious competition. Happy New Year Cindy.
@@GringosRUs Happy New Year to you two as well!
@cindyk3076 Yeah Cindy, Mark is correct. I did not include Queretaro from 2023, because that was not an Airbnb and was a special arrangement made with Life With Louie for us to stay there. It was probably the most realistic cost of living we encountered, but it was also not usual in other ways. I didn't include either of the resorts we stayed in for vacation or the music festival from 2024 or the couple of days we lost in the Campeche fiasco, and I didn't include the last 3 weeks of 2024 that were spent in our new place in Queretaro.
Woo hoo! 🎉
I know, and on schedule no less!
Great job Mark and Gina, loads of info. Liking and subscribing are free and help grow this wonderful channel!
Thanks, we appreciate the support!
I live in baja for 15 years love it. For 1500 usd a month or less, you can rent a full house with ocean view n beach access. In LA, for that price, you get a room in a house. Sad reality.
It's a completely different lifestyle, isn't it? We can't wait to get over to BCS. Thanks for sharing.
I would suggest for next time adding some video snippets of the places as you talk about the expenses so we can see what kind of Airbnb was each for the money.
Thank you for your suggestion, Manny. Typically, we would, but there hasn't been enough time lately for adequate video production since getting a new full-time contract for work. However, we have a playlist of all the Airbnbs we have stayed in along with prices here. ☺️ ruclips.net/p/PL7FWRV7QB7NOM2tKmX7S_Ne3U8kHhHWq8&si=YX4Gkfxeh1MsmM7p
I really enjoy these videos and all of your favorites from each place... Also love hearing about Puebla, because it is near and dear to me personally. I have been living around this City on and off for many Winters and Also must say for someone without a car, the CAPO bus terminal in Puebla provides cheap, comfortable rides to nearly every major city in Mexico for very reasonable prices! I must say I also appreciate the explanation for needing a buffer zone on the Exchange rate... GREAT advice and really love this video!! MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!
Yes, we love Puebla. It is one of our favorites too. So glad that you enjoyed it Diana.
Great and detailed vlog. Thanks for all that info Mark & Gina. You have health insurance in MX but still paid medical bills in cash? Thanks
Glad you found it helpful. The health insurance that we have, Nomad Insurance through Safetywing, is more like glorified travelers insurance for catastrophic coverage. It pays for emergencies through reimbursement. We pay for simple doctor visits, prescription & maintenance meds, annual lab tests, eye & dental out of pocket.
Hi - did I miss your total spent for the year? for everything? not using "rent" though. Thanks.
To be honest, I am not sure that we actually gave that figure. The last slide in the video showed our monthly average. Multiply by 12 and that would be the total living expenses for 2024. Thanks.
Nuestra hermosa presidenta , va a trabajar para que sea un mejor año. Her salary is going to be the same for 6yrs
Mexico is going to have a great year ..... Arriba Claudia Shaeinbaum
We all hope so, for everyone's benefit that is in this wonderful country.
Welcome to Indonesia
Thanks.
Thanks guys. Nice to put a face with the name😅
Glad to finally show you the faces behind the videos!
Do you guys have any vids on insurance? Can we chat by email?
@Fjearnest feel free to email us from the contact us page at gringosrus.com - we have not done any shopping for insurance. We simply have a glorified travel insurance through Safetywing (Nomad Insurance) for catastrophic events and pay cash for everything else.
How much did the guy in the Red T Shirt spend on Alcohol?
Between $12-$20 USD per month for a 20-pack of either Corona or Carta Blanca. It's included in the grocery bill. 😂 ~Gina
@@GringosRUs Thanks for the great work
@@antoniochevalier797 You are very welcome Antonio. Thanks for watching.
Were you eating out all 3 meals everyday?
Nope. We grocery shop and cook most of our own meals.
So I’ve been watching several expat videos. I was talking about you both to my wife but she had no idea and was asking “who again”? Funny, I said the drunk guy. She replied, “oh yeah with the lady in pink hair”. LOL… glad to see Mark sober today
The funny thing is, the only time Mark drinks is when we do our live streams, when it's just like hanging out and chatting with friends. 🧡 He never drinks during our regular recorded videos. In fact, I think the only other time he drinks is during the 🏈 football drafts. LMAO 🤣 ~ Gina
@@GringosRUs Mark is not a drunk, I know both Gina and Mark and they are both very intelligent and stable people. Nor am I a drunk but when I watch the Livestreams, I will have some beers or wine. It is called having "Happy Hour" with some friends. Not saying You are, but the old adage, "People that live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones" . Life is short, enjoy and don't judge others. One never know what life can bring (challenges, deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs etc) wishing You the best!
@@tomm9540 LOL ... wow. All I did was share the impression we got from the videos. Who is judging? It was all in good humor. Geeeze, people these days. Seems you feel a little guilty, maybe? Not sure. Anyways, no harm was intended. We are all grown ups. They can do what they want with their lives.
@@jh6392 No Guilt here!....Throwing shade is never acceptable unless one is a Maga Moron, I am sure You are not. right?
Do you guys speak fluent spanish? Where can an expat who speaks no Spanish visit in Mexico and be able to be ok just knowing English?
Anywhere in Riviera Maya. Or San Miguel de Allende or Ajijic would be my suggestions.
Also Keith, we are working on our Spanish. We are using ExPat Spanish and it has helped both of us immensely. It does help to speak some as it has allowed us to better understand the culture here.
Hi I am Maggie Velazquez an American that have a property in Juriquilla Querétaro with my husband and we can rent the property to an American people for short lease. Our property do not allow Airbnb because we pay maintenance and is gated 24 hour . We still leaving in Houston and we travel around 4 times to Mexico in the year. Let me know if you know people interested. I saw you video and will be a lot less than you have paid!
Thanks Maggie. We will pass this along to a couple of real estate brokers. As you are offering something that is difficult to find.
@margaritavelaquez5618 I have shared your comment and RUclips name with My Place at Queretaro. You may need to contact them directly so that they can work with you on possible short term rentals. They are very good friends of ours. ruclips.net/channel/UC9DlcsDqUF7o9fe_LKid00w They also have a Facebook page: facebook.com/MyPlaceAtQueretaro/
Im not seeing the savings living in Mexico. its like living in San Diego, Ca
@unteemaitaishow it is also very easy to live much cheaper here. I just completed my average monthly expenses for 2024 and I stayed in Airbnb's the entire year. My average Airbnb cost was $627.00 per month. Even that is more expensive than what I will eventually pay for renting an apartment when I decide where I want to live.
We are utilizing Airbnb's while we are searching for our retirement home. Once we pick a location and enter into a long term lease, we will realize more savings. One of the biggest savings areas is in the taxes. We just talked to several friends down here and their property tax on their homes is less than $200 for the year. Plus if the money is even the same, the happiness we feel here is worth it. No angst, no stress, and smiling people.
@@debrabarnum63pretty good. What part of SD?
@debrabarnum63 - that is EXCELLENT! It is true that VERY affordable options are out there. It all comes down to location and your needs.
@@GringosRUs Definitely! Just depends on preferences, a person can spend as much or as little as they desire to live here.
Gentrification!
Mexican people where I live appreciate it VERY much! When I visit or live here for anywhere from 4-6 months at a time EVERYONE loves that I am here. In my state of OREGON, we have thousands if not millions of Mexicans and their presence actually often lowers the number of jobs for locals and lowers the hourly to minimum. It swings both ways... btw I am married to a Mexican. :)
It is happening in most countries Mark. The more a country grows in world status, the more people want to move there.