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F&N

Nov 4, 2002, 7:03 PM

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Choosing the best location

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I am gathering facts on the best place to live on a small budget. Who can provide cost of living details for a place you can recommend.

Bob Story

Nov 6, 2002, 6:11 AM

Post #2 of 19 (6012 views)

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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The cost of living in Mexico depends entirely on the type of lifestyle that you want to persue. You could get by with living on an extremely limited budget in Mexico or you could find a place where the sky is the limit.

My advice would be for you to come down to Mexico and explore your options.

We spent time in 5 or 6 locations before deciding that Maztlan suited us best, but you might prefer some other area better - but you'll never know until you try.

jennifer rose

Nov 6, 2002, 6:49 AM

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Re: [Bob Story] Choosing the best location

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Exacto, Sr. Story. One person’s limited budget is another’s idea of living high on the hog.

Mexico is as varied a place as you’ll find just about anywhere on the planet. Well, except for maybe Antarctica or Norway. There’s desert, jungle, greater and lesser metropolitan areas, small towns, fishing villages, oil fields and glamorous resorts. There are towns as desperate as Dumas, Arkansas, and as chichi as Carmel.

The lifestyles and budgets of foreigners living in Mexico vary as much as the terrain. Some live so frugally that “spartan” would be describing their lifestyles with a note of extravagance, and some live like Carlos Slim. And a lot while away their lives somewhere in between.

One man asked me long ago, back in another era, whether Mazatlan, Manzanillo or Merida was the best place. IMO, each of those towns bespoke hellacious summers, but to him the summer heat was a respite compared to his hometown back in the Old Country. It’s all relative.

Read through the discussion threads on this forum as well as the General Forum, because cost of living topics have been discussed before.

F&N

Nov 6, 2002, 7:15 PM

Post #4 of 19 (5832 views)

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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In Reply To

I am gathering facts on the best place to live on a small budget. Who can provide cost of living details for a place you can recommend.

Original Message: Sorry, I am a new poster. Let me narrow down a little. We are
planning a trip but it would help to know where to go. We are from the mountains and
would prefer to look in the mountains and where it is a little cooler. Can a small family
(3) live on 1200 usd a month? We are not high rollers.

sparks

Nov 6, 2002, 7:45 PM

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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There is much of the central highlands that could be considered mountains (kinda like Denver but warmer). It's really a plateau from 4k - 6k feet plus. Mountain chains line the country ... high desert to high tropical. Many areas that are comfortable year round (compared to up north). Think you just need to keep looking, reading and visiting.

1200 is probably very workable in the right enviorn but life might be limited. Interesting project eh?

pata de perro

Nov 6, 2002, 8:47 PM

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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If you're thrifty and live like most people in Mexico, you can do it on $1200 a month. One way to cut expenses is to leave the vehicles at home.

Rolly

Nov 6, 2002, 9:19 PM

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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I suggest you should pay a visit to Durango. It's off the main tourist path. It's in the mountains. And it's a lovely old city.

For some cost comparisons look here: http://rollybrook.com/cost_of_living.htm

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

scott

Nov 7, 2002, 3:35 AM

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Re: [Rolly] Durango.

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I went to Durango for 2 days and got robbed $200 pesos from a bartender downtown. I paid over $200 pesos for a beer and they insisted my change was one US dollar. I'm not even American. Nice eh. I think Durango is a little too close to the border.

Perhaps you should read up on Michoacan in this months issue of Mex Connect...

Randy in AGS

Nov 7, 2002, 6:09 PM

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Don't be afraid to try small towns...

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Hi: You might want to try looking at any number of small towns throughtout Mexico.

For an example, my wife and I just moved from the town of Arandas (population 40,000; elevation 7000') in the los Altos region of eastern Jalisco. Arandas is situated between two low lying mountain ranges covered with a pine & oak mixed forest. The town is very prosperous due to the Agave boom and a small manufacturing base. The city provides all requisite services, and you can have dialup or wireless internet access. We rented a beautiful two bedroom brand new apartment for $180 US per month.

Being isolated from fellow Gringos is at times not fun. I talked to five Gringos in one year. Even though my wife is about 90% fluent and I have a couple of friends who spoke very good English, you find yourself longing for your old friends from home. It is kind of hard to explain, but it definately was an issue with me. Perhaps if I didn't butcher Spanish, it would have been easier!

For a look at Arandas, click below. Good luck

raferguson

Nov 7, 2002, 8:15 PM

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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The best source that I have seen for cost of living information is the AIM newsletter. It has a very practical view of how to live in Mexico. I suggest you subscribe and buy back issues for the towns you are interested in.

For those planning to live in Mexico, I suggest the AIM (Adventures
in Mexico) newsletter, which has a practical focus, with each issue
covering a different town or area. $18 per year, Apartado Postal
31-70, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Pernel

Nov 8, 2002, 8:19 AM

Post #11 of 19 (5569 views)

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Mexico starts at 5000 ft.

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I remember a friend well travelled in Mexico who once told me:

"Pernel, for me Mexico BEGINS at 5000 feet!" I've found this to be good advice, except that as far as living expenses go the lower the elevation the cheaper it is to survive.

Your question is really impossible to answer....... :-)

Cheers
Pernel S Thyseldew
www.digthatcrazyfarout.com

keith

Nov 8, 2002, 8:21 AM

Post #12 of 19 (5631 views)

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Re: [Randy in AGS] Don't be afraid to try small towns...

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I've hesitated posting in this thread because it is difficult imagining people on this board considering places not having most of the usual conveniences. But if you want to get away from just about everything, this is still possible, and it turns out to be a very inexpensive living situation. There are any number of places in the Sierra Madre (I'm thinking of the Sierra Tarahumara, actually) where you could settle and live very, very cheaply. I'm not going to give specific details (so much for an apartment or house, so much for food, so much for entertainment, etc.) because these things vary tremendously and you can make them up as you go along, depending on your style. If I wanted an alpine setting, I'd check out Cuiteco or maybe Cerocahui (one is a stop on the Copper Canyon train, the other is a town about half an hour's drive from the rails). If I really wanted to get away from things I'd try Cieneguita de las Barancas, or Piedras Verdes. If I wanted a tropical climate at the bottom of the canyons, I'd check out Batopilas or Urique or Guapalaina or maybe even Tubares. We've had a place in Urique for 28 years. It has worked out well for us, but the town has grown to about 1,200 people now. It's getting crowded and civilized. We've recently acquired land up a side arroyo, an hour's walk away. The next project is to put a cabin up there.

Pernel

Nov 8, 2002, 8:29 AM

Post #13 of 19 (5557 views)

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Nice photo - Details?

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Very nice photo, could you tell us some more about the town and location?

Thanks

keith

Nov 8, 2002, 9:28 AM

Post #14 of 19 (5522 views)

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Re: [Pernel] Nice photo - Details?

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Try the homepage in my profile. There is information about the town in the Info section, more photos in the Pictures section. Here's the URL:http://home.attbi.com/~ramsay52/

JudyinKC

Nov 8, 2002, 4:13 PM

Post #15 of 19 (5484 views)

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Re: [F&N] Choosing the best location

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Before making our choice, we read everything we could get our hands on, checked out all sites we could find on the internet and talked to every Spanish-speaking we came in contact to ask them first hand where they were from in Mexico and what the climate, etc. was like. That was quite helpful. After narrowing the list, we made our exploratory trip. Even after all our preparation, it was a little like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finally after nearly giving up, we drove into a city and it seemed right to us. We remember looking at each other and saying, "We could live here!" Everything has confirmed that. We are hoping we move in the next 3 months. I wish you the best in your pursuit!

pedro naco

Nov 8, 2002, 5:41 PM

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Re: [JudyinKC] Choosing the best location

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so,where is this city-is it close to guad?

JudyinKC

Nov 10, 2002, 3:35 PM

Post #17 of 19 (5287 views)

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Re: [pedro] Choosing the best location

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It's more than 3 hours from Guadalajara.

sucasamex

Nov 12, 2002, 9:36 PM

Post #18 of 19 (5155 views)

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Re: [JudyinKC] Choosing the best location

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Please keep information coming. I hope to move to Mexico in 8-10 years, but would like to buy a home prior to that for vacation purposes, within the next 1-2 years. The more I read, the more I'm confused as to where I want to go. One place looks better than the next! I hope to travel some and narrow down my choices, but in the mean time, I love reading your posts. Thank you

Cat

Nov 13, 2002, 3:45 PM

Post #19 of 19 (5138 views)

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Re: [keith] Small towns...

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In Reply To

If I wanted a tropical climate at the bottom of the canyons, I'd check out Batopilas or Urique or Guapalaina or maybe even Tubares. We've had a place in Urique for 28 years. It has worked out well for us, but the town has grown to about 1,200 people now. It's getting crowded and civilized.

I had to laugh when I read this. Urique must have grown quite a bit in the 28 years since you bought your place. (which, by the way, is absolutely beautiful and well situated in relation to town).

But, what made me laugh is, after spending time recently in Urique and then Batopilas, when I arrived in Creel, I felt like I was in a major metropolis, and I just wanted to go back. If I had gone to Creel first, it probably would have seemed like a small town. It's all relative, isn't it?

Cat