Cost of Living in Mexico

"I live in San Miguel de Allende and this is a tourist and expat destination with a dollar economy. Supermarket and utility prices are on par with the rest of Mexico but rents, wages for staff and service providers are high. A meal in a mid market restaurant will cost $US100 for 2 without going overboard and nearer US200 if you go for expensive cocktails, brandy or tequila. Rents var enormously depending upon location so you can find a 3 bed house in a so so area for US$450 but in a better area will be $900-1200 and in the historic center the sky the limit. Medical costs - a consultation with a general doctor or specialist US$40-50, blood/urine analysis US$100. Excellent medical services but if you need hospitalisation, long term cancer treatment etc you need to budget US$1m+ say for 5 years of chemo, radio, surgery and end of life care. Although private medical care is far less expensive than in developed countries it soon adds up and for me at age 68 in pretty good health, medical expenses insurance premiums and pay as you go represent 30% of my monthly expenditure. For young families you must budget for private education and medical/dental care," wrote a person living in Mexico.

"San Miguel de Allende is now one of the more expensive locations in Mexico with prices recently reported as being higher than many of the beach resorts. The town is promoted by the local politicians as an "up market" destination and it is no longer the ideal destination for ex-pats on limited budgets that it was 20 to 30 years ago. The plans to develop an international airport just outside the city will further drive this type of tourism. Obviously, it is possible to live cheaply if you avoid renting near the historic center and go for one of the more "popular" non-expat colonias. Shopping in local markets and avoiding eating out too much can also minimize expenses. The recent strength of the peso combined with high inflation has also made Mexico more expensive for ex-pats," explained one expat living in San Miguel de Allende.

"It far exceeded expectations, I could never afford the same thing in the USA. And, the Mexican Government offered many things such as educational courses for free," remarked one in Apizaco.

"Initial indications are that living in Mexico will meet or exceed our expectations. Our motivation was to find a place where we could live within our income until such time as we may require assisted living... Having gone through a number of years of paying over $6,000 a month for a family member in assisted living was a big reason for our move. We didn't want to put this kind of burden on our children. Assisted living here, if needed, is affordable and the care meets or exceeds what we paid for earlier..," explained one expat.

"Thank god the company pays for it. The cost for an apartment is anywhere from $1,800 usd to over $5,000 usd. We are currently paying $3,800 per month utilities included," remarked one expat in Mexico City.

"The average 3 bedroom condo on the beach is under 200,000.00 USD at this time. There are houses in gated communities from 140,000.00 USD to 2.5 million, depending on your taste," explained one expat living in Manzanillo.

"My husband found a two bedroom one bath house in Pensiones neighborhood in Merida Yucatan for about $35,000 USD. It needs another $10k in upgrades or remodeling but it is a cute home and would be great. The rents here are all over the place. But a huge home with a lot of amenities unfurnished in my neighborhood (4 bedrooms or 5 with three bathrooms and so on? Goes for $14,000 Mexican pesos a month. About $675 or $700 USD give or take," said one expat in Mexico.

"We are paying $12,000 pesos/month, which is about $625 USD which is less than we paid in a mobile home community in Florida. Our TV/Internet/Home phone is approx. $70/mo. We have not gotten the electric or water bills yet, but we have been told that electric is about the same as the US and water is cheap. Trash pickup is about $3/mo," wrote a person living in Merida.

"The rental costs of nice 1 bedroom apartments in Mexico usually range from $400-$700 USD per month. For a nice 2 bedroom apartment, the cost increases to $700-$1000 USD per month," wrote one expat.

"Generally, rental properties in Mexico come with basic appliances such as a refrigerator, stove, and washing machine. Some properties may also include air conditioners, microwave ovens, and/or coffee makers. Depending on the property, some additional features such as a dishwasher may also be provided," commented one expat who moved to Mexico.