Once again, superb video. LOVE these cost analysis videos. The key to life is having no debt and building your house for cash. Mexico kinda makes you do that. Not easy, but if you work 12 hour days and are willing to live in a travel trailer, it's possible. How parallel you're guy's lives are to ours is remarkable. We just finished building our "Hidden Casita" we're calling it in our garage in Mexico too. Temporary until we can afford to build the rest of the house too. Now, our garage is four car, tiled, two mini splits, and has three windows with ocean view, so we're not roughing it too bad. We're also going from a 28 foot trailer very similar to yours to that, so, yeah, it's a step up. We will share pics when we stay with you in March. 🙂
Fellow expat here and we're actually neighbors. We are carrying health insurance right now - about 1200 a month through Vumi and we're now reconsidering that. We also pay as we go with medical - it's super affordable and great treatment. We have the policy now for catastrophic purposes but are trying to determine if we should change up what we're doing. We also have gotten a lot more healthy since we moved here. Friends have had some surgeries down in La Paz and the costs they're paying were surprisingly affordable. Will probably see you guys around town some time!
I always watch the complete video. You always provide useful and interesting information. We do not own here in SoCal. But we have accumulated approx. $450,000 in 401k and other stock investments. We are planning a move hopefully in the next 5 years. So we would be forced to rent a place. We love Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, and La Paz. We currently have a 800 sq ft. townhouse and pay $2300 a month. So you understand why we will have to move after retiring. You guys are great, thank you.
Good to see you're "suffering" hasn't gone too bad. If you are happy, reasonably healthy and can afford to eat ,drink and haven't left each other ... Well what more do you need ? Hope to be in La Paz area checking out houses in November, perhaps we might drop by for a quick visit. (all based on finding a house and dog sitter here) P n D
Hey Dave, There is a pet/house setting service online... I think signing up is free or close to it, and often you can get people who are well vetted to do an exchange for near free also... Probably you would just need to make sure the pet food supply is adequate... these are people that truly love pets and pass security background checks.. have you seen those sites?
Great video! Only thing I would point out is that you're living in the most isolated region in Mexico. There is no equivalent, geographically speaking, to the Baja peninsula in the USA which only serves to highlight the lower cost of living in Mexico compared to the US despite living in a beach town in one of Mexico's most expensive regions. I'd always emphasize that you're comparing costs in Baja Mexico and not just Mexico to emphasize the differences in costs which makes Mexico in general even more attractive cost wise. Abrazos!
Great point. You could probably compare Baja to Hawaii in the US as far as cost of living differential. I did mention the difference in our grocery video but I forgot to mention it in this one. Many people consider Baja to be more like an island than a peninsula. You often hear Baja referred to as the wild west of Mexico and many Mexicans see it as almost a different country than mainland Mexico. A little like Texas in the US.
Awesome video. Liked and subscribed. I am hoping to go South, from Canada, in the next year or two (hopefully!!) as it is just getting way toooo cold for me up here. I could totally live in a 600 sq ft home. As long as I had a pull out couch for company about 2x a year. Looking forward to seeing the new home when/if you build it. ☺♥
We have an international health insurance plan (VUMI), that is good for any country in the world except the USA. It is a high deductible plan, we have to pay the first $5,000 to use it. We have it for major catastrophes like car accidents, cancer, etc. This year the price spiked up to 2900 from 2400 for a couple around 50, and it has a 2 million USD lifetime cap per person. We pay for normal health care costs out of pocket because it is affordable, but we do want to be covered in the event major surgery or something like chemo is needed, which can still add up to quite allot in Mexico. 240$/month for a couple is allot less than anything you could get in the US AFAIK. We also have a concrete house and don't bother with home owners insurance.
We looked into several different international insurance options and those prices are similar to what we were quoted. We are permanent residents so things like a car accident or heart attack are covered free under the mexican healthcare system. We had a friend who was treated for a serious stomach ulcer and spent a week in the hospital and was transferred to Ciudad Constitucion and then to La Paz for treatment and it was all covered. Myself I have gotten off all meds that I used to take in the US and no longer have problems with things like high blood pressure. We have both had cancer in the past and I don't think I would go the Allopathic medicine direction if I had to deal with it again. I am definitely moving to Osteopathic medicine where you work to find the cause of the illness and treat that than to just take more medications.
Another great very informative video, thank you. What i wonder is if there is anything that either of you really miss from the US like food or clothing items or anything else? I have to hand it to both of you, managing to live in the trailer had to have been a challenge even if it was not for too long.. congrats on all you have done. I know your positive attitude probably makes a big difference...
We used to miss lots of stuff that we were used to in the US, but after living here for over two years we miss less and less. Our preferences are changing to what we have here. As far as living in the trailer, everyone is different. Some people are happy living in a trailer permanently, some people probably need a huge house to feel comfortable.
Thank you for this video (and also the last one!). It is very informative and helpful. I will be moving to Loreto in December. I'm curious as to why you went with Starlink over the options available through - is it Telmex? This has been an ongoing question I've had since I work remotely and need reliable, and preferably fast, service.
We had fiber internet through the cable company when we first got here and were renting. It was supposed to be 300 Mb service but it often struggled to stream a single TV program. Especially during the evening we would have buffering all the time trying to watch Netflix. Other people in town have had the same experience that the fiber gets really loaded down when there's a lot of people using it. The fiber is a little less expensive. I think around $30 or $40 a month. Starlink is very fast, usually around 150 Mb to 250 Mb. It is pretty stable and rarely goes offline. Most people I know who have to do real work have switched to starlink because they can't deal with the bandwidth issues and outages from the cable internet.
You did a video awhile back about the new Marina right outside of town and I hope full you could get some pricing on monthly slips for a boat around 25 to 30 foot compared to marine slips right in town thanks I am a subscriber and always look forward to your videos every Saturday morning
The marina is Marina Puerto Escondido. You have to contact them to get a quote on a slip. Here is their website: www.marinapuertoescondido.com/ I have heard that only Mexican citizens can rent slips in the Loreto Marina, but I might be wrong.
Everything seems similar except electricity and propane. We pay about $80 a month for electricity here in Bahia Asuncion but our propane is way less than you.... maybe 900 pesos for 6 months. Interesting video amigo 🎉
The electricity difference is probably due to the Apoyo Gubernamental of 1761 pesos that we got on that bill. I believe we are in the highest tier of subsidy to offset AC costs due to the extreme heat here. I'm guessing your subsidy is less. The propane difference is probably due to the fact that we dry our clothes in a propane clothes dryer. It is kind of a luxury for us. With all the blowing dust here we were having respiratory issues when we hang clothes out to dry.
Who is your cell plan company? Do you still have US phones and just use the mexican service. Do you get banking and credit card verifications on your phone? We still have US phones and use ATT service. It is about $100 per month. We have lived in Huatulco for past 4 years, but have just never given up the US phone plan. Afraid we would mess something up by switching. Always look forward to seeing what you guys are up to next. You are doing an amazing job with everything. My husband is jealous of your ease of finding tools and supplies. We are a bit more isolated here. Take care!!
We have Telcel with Mexican sim cards and numbers. We also still have our US numbers which I transferred to Google Voice which is a free VOIP service. With that we can call and text just like we were in the US. Now some financial institutions won't send verification texts to VOIP numbers. Wells Fargo won't verify over VOIP. We just use Charles Schwab for anything we need a verification for like wire transfers.
Loretto Kentucky is where I lived until recently -- so that got my attention ! -- Last 2 years in Frankfort Ky. - and it's WAY CHEAPER - than anywhere in California - and as cheap or cheaper - than some of Mexico !!! - - - For us here - we must consider the Philippines for a considerably lower cost of living. Many in the US have and are already living over there on substantially lower budgets than is possible here in America ! Beauty is over there (!) you don't have to speak Spanish ! They ALL speak English !!! Many live quite well on $800 -- $1000 / mo. - - - Your almost $1500 would put you in high society in many areas of the Philippines.
I have seen many videos on the Philippines and it looks like a great option for many. I have never been to the Philippines, but my best friend has lived in Thailand for the past 30 years and I have been there and it is incredible (although still not as inexpensive as the Philippines). We definitely agree that any person who is looking to move abroad should consider all aspects of where they are moving and what is important to them. For us a lower cost of living was on the list but other things were more important. Weather and proximity to our aging parents were more important to us than cost of living. Living 7 minutes from an international airport with a 4 hour flight to Oregon where our parents and family live is important to us. Being able to drive back to Oregon was important to us. This is the main factor that took SE Asia out of our search. I travelled all over SE Asia for work and getting back to the US in a hurry can be difficult.
There are a wide range of rentals available in Loreto. Everything from a bare bones traditional Mexican apartment with no AC or appliances for $250 USD a month to a beachfront house for $15,000 USD a month. If you are looking for an American style apartment close to town and the beach you will probably be in the $1500-$3000 a month range depending on amenities. Most rentals market through Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace
What car insurance do you go through. We’re moving to Manzanillo MX next year. We brought a place there a couple yrs ago. We want to bring our car down. Great info. Baja is a bit more than southern MX.
We use HDI Seguros through Baja Bound Insurance company. One thing to note is that Baja is in the Mexico Free Zone. In this zone anyone (residents or Mexican citizens) can drive US plated vehicles with no TIP (Temporary Import Permit). Most of mainland Mexico is outside of the Free Zone. Outside of the zone it is illegal for Permanent Residents or Citizens to drive a US plated car whether or not it has a TIP. They can seize the vehicle and arrest you. Importing US vehicles into Mexico is extremely restricted even with the recent vehicle amnesty program.
We have Telcel Amigo Sin Limite for 200 pesos a month. I think it is unlimited data. We have never run out of data in our two and a half years here and using it on trip to the US.
Yes $1500 USD for two people. No we don't have Mexican passports. We would need to be Mexican citizens to get a passport, and we don't have any plans to do that at this time. We are both permanent residents of Mexico (green card).
I'm know what you are talking about and that does have some influence on people moving here, but geographical location probably is the biggest driver. Interstate 5 is the main north-south freeway on the west coast and goes from Canada to Mexico where it turns into Mexico interstate 1 and continues all the way through Loreto to Cabo. Also being only a two hour direct flight from LA or a four hour flight to Portland makes air travel convient.
Douglas why couldn't we go to Mexico on vacation and get 2 new cellphones and pay for them down there? Could we come back to the US and use them here all the time? Because we are paying $150 a month. Can you figure out what I'm trying to say. Lol
I believe the contract here says that you can only be out of Mexico for 6 months a year. Also whenever you take a cellphone to a different country and it is roaming on a foreign network they will deprioritize your data if the network is congested. We notice most of the time when we are in the US that the data is very slow, even though it claims to be running on 4G LTE
If you use data down here for more than a couple months they will cancel your contract. Their contract states that you can only use it for 3 months a year. Now lots of people use tmobile down here permanently, but they don't use data. I need data on my phone. Besides Tmobile is alot more than $10 a month which is what I pay here.
True, but we look at it as self insurance. We have had friends here in Mexico have several surgeries in the past years including hernia, spinal fusion, heart bypass, and knee replacement. These surgeries have ran between $7K-$25K out of pocket cost. In the US at 53 buying insurance out of pocket we would probably be paying at least $1000 each per month plus deductible. That means we would be paying $24K a year in premiums minimum, or enough to pay for one major surgery every single year with no deductible. We have both only had about one major surgery every 10 years so we actually paid around $120K+ for each surgery out of pocket in the US. So we would rather self insure in Mexico and bank our own "insurance fund" which we can draw interest on and then pay out of pocket when needed. Insurance does not pencil out for healthy people here, but it may be less expensive if you need significant ongoing medical care.
Fabulous video. I honestly can’t wait to live in Mexico. It’s my plan
Good luck!!
Once again, superb video. LOVE these cost analysis videos. The key to life is having no debt and building your house for cash. Mexico kinda makes you do that. Not easy, but if you work 12 hour days and are willing to live in a travel trailer, it's possible. How parallel you're guy's lives are to ours is remarkable. We just finished building our "Hidden Casita" we're calling it in our garage in Mexico too. Temporary until we can afford to build the rest of the house too. Now, our garage is four car, tiled, two mini splits, and has three windows with ocean view, so we're not roughing it too bad. We're also going from a 28 foot trailer very similar to yours to that, so, yeah, it's a step up.
We will share pics when we stay with you in March. 🙂
Sounds Awesome! Can't wait.
Dream's do come true!!! Congratulations on all your hard work. Guys
Thank you very much!
Fellow expat here and we're actually neighbors. We are carrying health insurance right now - about 1200 a month through Vumi and we're now reconsidering that. We also pay as we go with medical - it's super affordable and great treatment. We have the policy now for catastrophic purposes but are trying to determine if we should change up what we're doing. We also have gotten a lot more healthy since we moved here. Friends have had some surgeries down in La Paz and the costs they're paying were surprisingly affordable. Will probably see you guys around town some time!
Great to meet you virtualy!
I always watch the complete video. You always provide useful and interesting information. We do not own here in SoCal. But we have accumulated approx. $450,000 in 401k and other stock investments. We are planning a move hopefully in the next 5 years. So we would be forced to rent a place. We love Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, and La Paz. We currently have a 800 sq ft. townhouse and pay $2300 a month. So you understand why we will have to move after retiring. You guys are great, thank you.
Sounds like you have a good plan!
Good to see you're "suffering" hasn't gone too bad. If you are happy, reasonably healthy and can afford to eat ,drink and haven't left each other ... Well what more do you need ? Hope to be in La Paz area checking out houses in November, perhaps we might drop by for a quick visit. (all based on finding a house and dog sitter here) P n D
Sounds great!
Hey Dave, There is a pet/house setting service online... I think signing up is free or close to it, and often you can get people who are well vetted to do an exchange for near free also... Probably you would just need to make sure the pet food supply is adequate... these are people that truly love pets and pass security background checks.. have you seen those sites?
Great video! Only thing I would point out is that you're living in the most isolated region in Mexico. There is no equivalent, geographically speaking, to the Baja peninsula in the USA which only serves to highlight the lower cost of living in Mexico compared to the US despite living in a beach town in one of Mexico's most expensive regions. I'd always emphasize that you're comparing costs in Baja Mexico and not just Mexico to emphasize the differences in costs which makes Mexico in general even more attractive cost wise. Abrazos!
Great point. You could probably compare Baja to Hawaii in the US as far as cost of living differential. I did mention the difference in our grocery video but I forgot to mention it in this one. Many people consider Baja to be more like an island than a peninsula. You often hear Baja referred to as the wild west of Mexico and many Mexicans see it as almost a different country than mainland Mexico. A little like Texas in the US.
@@dooglassandesperanza Exactly! 👍
excelent learned alot to the end
Glad you enjoyed it
Another great video, you two!!❤😊
Thank you! 🤗
You guys rock! 💪🏻💪🏻
Thanks
Thank you for sharing your experiences
My pleasure!
Great video Dooglas! Can you tell me more about your Nopales tree that was behind you?
Thank you. We saved the cactus from a jobsite so I don't know for sure, but I believe it is a Consolea rubescens (Road Kill Cactus)
💡Brilliant !!
Thank you!
always the best information, thanks a lot !
Thanks!
Awesome video. Liked and subscribed. I am hoping to go South, from Canada, in the next year or two (hopefully!!) as it is just getting way toooo cold for me up here. I could totally live in a 600 sq ft home. As long as I had a pull out couch for company about 2x a year. Looking forward to seeing the new home when/if you build it. ☺♥
Thanks!
We have an international health insurance plan (VUMI), that is good for any country in the world except the USA. It is a high deductible plan, we have to pay the first $5,000 to use it. We have it for major catastrophes like car accidents, cancer, etc. This year the price spiked up to 2900 from 2400 for a couple around 50, and it has a 2 million USD lifetime cap per person. We pay for normal health care costs out of pocket because it is affordable, but we do want to be covered in the event major surgery or something like chemo is needed, which can still add up to quite allot in Mexico. 240$/month for a couple is allot less than anything you could get in the US AFAIK. We also have a concrete house and don't bother with home owners insurance.
We looked into several different international insurance options and those prices are similar to what we were quoted. We are permanent residents so things like a car accident or heart attack are covered free under the mexican healthcare system. We had a friend who was treated for a serious stomach ulcer and spent a week in the hospital and was transferred to Ciudad Constitucion and then to La Paz for treatment and it was all covered.
Myself I have gotten off all meds that I used to take in the US and no longer have problems with things like high blood pressure. We have both had cancer in the past and I don't think I would go the Allopathic medicine direction if I had to deal with it again. I am definitely moving to Osteopathic medicine where you work to find the cause of the illness and treat that than to just take more medications.
Great video!! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks!
Great video!
Thanks
Another great very informative video, thank you. What i wonder is if there is anything that either of you really miss from the US like food or clothing items or anything else? I have to hand it to both of you, managing to live in the trailer had to have been a challenge even if it was not for too long.. congrats on all you have done. I know your positive attitude probably makes a big difference...
We used to miss lots of stuff that we were used to in the US, but after living here for over two years we miss less and less. Our preferences are changing to what we have here. As far as living in the trailer, everyone is different. Some people are happy living in a trailer permanently, some people probably need a huge house to feel comfortable.
Glad to hear u r happy in 600 Sq ft. We are goikg to do the same thing. 500 Sq ft wirh 2 10x10 out buildings.
Awesome!
Thank you for this video (and also the last one!). It is very informative and helpful. I will be moving to Loreto in December. I'm curious as to why you went with Starlink over the options available through - is it Telmex? This has been an ongoing question I've had since I work remotely and need reliable, and preferably fast, service.
We had fiber internet through the cable company when we first got here and were renting. It was supposed to be 300 Mb service but it often struggled to stream a single TV program. Especially during the evening we would have buffering all the time trying to watch Netflix. Other people in town have had the same experience that the fiber gets really loaded down when there's a lot of people using it. The fiber is a little less expensive. I think around $30 or $40 a month. Starlink is very fast, usually around 150 Mb to 250 Mb. It is pretty stable and rarely goes offline. Most people I know who have to do real work have switched to starlink because they can't deal with the bandwidth issues and outages from the cable internet.
Great video
Thanks Q!
You did a video awhile back about the new Marina right outside of town and I hope full you could get some pricing on monthly slips for a boat around 25 to 30 foot compared to marine slips right in town thanks I am a subscriber and always look forward to your videos every Saturday morning
The marina is Marina Puerto Escondido. You have to contact them to get a quote on a slip. Here is their website: www.marinapuertoescondido.com/
I have heard that only Mexican citizens can rent slips in the Loreto Marina, but I might be wrong.
Everything seems similar except electricity and propane. We pay about $80 a month for electricity here in Bahia Asuncion but our propane is way less than you.... maybe 900 pesos for 6 months. Interesting video amigo 🎉
The electricity difference is probably due to the Apoyo Gubernamental of 1761 pesos that we got on that bill. I believe we are in the highest tier of subsidy to offset AC costs due to the extreme heat here. I'm guessing your subsidy is less. The propane difference is probably due to the fact that we dry our clothes in a propane clothes dryer. It is kind of a luxury for us. With all the blowing dust here we were having respiratory issues when we hang clothes out to dry.
@@dooglassandesperanza sounds reasonable enough to me. Our electricity is our most expensive bill 🤣
I don't think you have mentioned the 2 lots in the back.
No I didn't mention them in this video. Once we sell them our property tax should decrease even more.
Who is your cell plan company? Do you still have US phones and just use the mexican service. Do you get banking and credit card verifications on your phone? We still have US phones and use ATT service. It is about $100 per month.
We have lived in Huatulco for past 4 years, but have just never given up the US phone plan. Afraid we would mess something up by switching.
Always look forward to seeing what you guys are up to next. You are doing an amazing job with everything. My husband is jealous of your ease of finding tools and supplies. We are a bit more isolated here.
Take care!!
We have Telcel with Mexican sim cards and numbers. We also still have our US numbers which I transferred to Google Voice which is a free VOIP service. With that we can call and text just like we were in the US.
Now some financial institutions won't send verification texts to VOIP numbers. Wells Fargo won't verify over VOIP. We just use Charles Schwab for anything we need a verification for like wire transfers.
Loretto Kentucky is where I lived until recently -- so that got my attention ! -- Last 2 years in Frankfort Ky. - and it's WAY CHEAPER - than anywhere in California - and as cheap or cheaper - than some of Mexico !!! - - - For us here - we must consider the Philippines for a considerably lower cost of living. Many in the US have and are already living over there on substantially lower budgets than is possible here in America ! Beauty is over there (!) you don't have to speak Spanish ! They ALL speak English !!! Many live quite well on $800 -- $1000 / mo. - - - Your almost $1500 would put you in high society in many areas of the Philippines.
I have seen many videos on the Philippines and it looks like a great option for many. I have never been to the Philippines, but my best friend has lived in Thailand for the past 30 years and I have been there and it is incredible (although still not as inexpensive as the Philippines).
We definitely agree that any person who is looking to move abroad should consider all aspects of where they are moving and what is important to them. For us a lower cost of living was on the list but other things were more important. Weather and proximity to our aging parents were more important to us than cost of living. Living 7 minutes from an international airport with a 4 hour flight to Oregon where our parents and family live is important to us. Being able to drive back to Oregon was important to us. This is the main factor that took SE Asia out of our search. I travelled all over SE Asia for work and getting back to the US in a hurry can be difficult.
What would the cost of renting a lace where you live be if a person did not own their house and land?
There are a wide range of rentals available in Loreto. Everything from a bare bones traditional Mexican apartment with no AC or appliances for $250 USD a month to a beachfront house for $15,000 USD a month. If you are looking for an American style apartment close to town and the beach you will probably be in the $1500-$3000 a month range depending on amenities. Most rentals market through Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace
What car insurance do you go through. We’re moving to Manzanillo MX next year. We brought a place there a couple yrs ago. We want to bring our car down. Great info. Baja is a bit more than southern MX.
We use HDI Seguros through Baja Bound Insurance company.
One thing to note is that Baja is in the Mexico Free Zone. In this zone anyone (residents or Mexican citizens) can drive US plated vehicles with no TIP (Temporary Import Permit). Most of mainland Mexico is outside of the Free Zone. Outside of the zone it is illegal for Permanent Residents or Citizens to drive a US plated car whether or not it has a TIP. They can seize the vehicle and arrest you. Importing US vehicles into Mexico is extremely restricted even with the recent vehicle amnesty program.
@@dooglassandesperanza ty!
I am looking for a vehicle to use in Loreto. Can you tell me where you got your electric car and about what it cost
We purchased it on Facebook Marketplace. We purchased it for $10k USD. The model we have retails for $23k brand new.
Fantastic info Dooglass and Esperanza 👍🐡🌴
Glad you enjoyed it
Love your videos I retire in 18 months and can’t wait to be coming down to Baja yea baby
Right on!
What Cell phone plan do you have that you Pay $10 dollars a month. I pay 200 pesos a month for Telcel and I don’t have unlimited internet?
We have Telcel Amigo Sin Limite for 200 pesos a month. I think it is unlimited data. We have never run out of data in our two and a half years here and using it on trip to the US.
the 1500 for 2 people correct ? thanks oops and do u have a mexican paseport now
Yes $1500 USD for two people. No we don't have Mexican passports. We would need to be Mexican citizens to get a passport, and we don't have any plans to do that at this time. We are both permanent residents of Mexico (green card).
It's gotten very expensive now and the new government is very scary now be careful things are changing in Mexico
Hmmm. I just showed it's 1/5 the cost to live here and there is nothing scary going on here. I guess we'll agree to disagree.
so it sounds CA, WA,Oregon. Hmm all Blue state run!! shocking, yet its GREAT, but I'm leaving.
I'm know what you are talking about and that does have some influence on people moving here, but geographical location probably is the biggest driver. Interstate 5 is the main north-south freeway on the west coast and goes from Canada to Mexico where it turns into Mexico interstate 1 and continues all the way through Loreto to Cabo. Also being only a two hour direct flight from LA or a four hour flight to Portland makes air travel convient.
Douglas why couldn't we go to Mexico on vacation and get 2 new cellphones and pay for them down there? Could we come back to the US and use them here all the time? Because we are paying $150 a month. Can you figure out what I'm trying to say. Lol
I believe the contract here says that you can only be out of Mexico for 6 months a year. Also whenever you take a cellphone to a different country and it is roaming on a foreign network they will deprioritize your data if the network is congested. We notice most of the time when we are in the US that the data is very slow, even though it claims to be running on 4G LTE
Just get T mobile your phone will work here or in the states no worries
If you use data down here for more than a couple months they will cancel your contract. Their contract states that you can only use it for 3 months a year. Now lots of people use tmobile down here permanently, but they don't use data. I need data on my phone. Besides Tmobile is alot more than $10 a month which is what I pay here.
Major surgeries are not inexpensive.
True, but we look at it as self insurance. We have had friends here in Mexico have several surgeries in the past years including hernia, spinal fusion, heart bypass, and knee replacement. These surgeries have ran between $7K-$25K out of pocket cost. In the US at 53 buying insurance out of pocket we would probably be paying at least $1000 each per month plus deductible. That means we would be paying $24K a year in premiums minimum, or enough to pay for one major surgery every single year with no deductible. We have both only had about one major surgery every 10 years so we actually paid around $120K+ for each surgery out of pocket in the US.
So we would rather self insure in Mexico and bank our own "insurance fund" which we can draw interest on and then pay out of pocket when needed. Insurance does not pencil out for healthy people here, but it may be less expensive if you need significant ongoing medical care.
Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it