# Mexico City



## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

OK so I was hoping to get some advice on whether or not I would like Mexico City. 

I currently live in Rio de Janeiro and have done for the last 5 years. 

Growing disappointed more and more with the inflation in Brazil and the lack of progress in regards to the city evolving. 

I'm looking for a good value, metropolitan City in South America with good year round weather and some form of sophistication. 

I would go to Sao Paulo but Brazli has become to expensive to spend the entire year here, 
Buenos Aires is to isolated, and the likes of Lima and Bogotá don't float my boat much. 

So guys... I'm researching Mexico City to spend half the year in.. the bars restaurants and nightlife are important for us, along with some good priced variation in activates. 

Hope someone with experience of living in Mexico City can give me some advice. 

Cheers!


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Mexico is actually a long, long way away from South America, but I don’t expect that would be a problem for you, seeing you are from UK, which is considerably closer to Mexico than to South America. 
Mexico City has a full range of everything from the most to the least sophisticated.
The weather can hardly be beat. The temperature is moderate, seldom too hot, and only cold (a few degrees above 0ºC) for a couple months around the New Year in the nights – the winter days are sunny, and mild to warm. There is a rainy season in the summer, but the mornings are mostly dry and sunny even during the rainy season.
There are countless bars, restaurants and places for nightlife, and a full range of variation in activities from free to moderate to expensive. There is also plenty of popular culture and classical culture. Mexico City has everything you are looking for and much, much more, but only you can tell by experience if you will like it.
Since you’ve been in Rio a few years, I suppose you know some Portuguese. My impression is that it’s easier for people who know Portuguese to learn Spanish than for people who know Spanish to learn Portuguese, so you’re all right on that account.


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

maesonna,

Thanks for you're reply, I shall come up and check it out this year, would September be a good time to visit? planning 10day in the city then some a week on the coast. 

The three main attractions for me are - 
Price, 
Location &
variation.

I have Family in NYC I would like to see more often, from Rio I'm lucky if I get flights for $1000 pp and its a ten hour flight. 
Mexico City is from what I can find is about $400 pp and 5 hours to NYC. 
As well to get back to Rio is a either Via Panama or Sao Paulo - so again its looking very convenient at the moment.


In regards to Cost of living in Mexico City - roughly to live in a fairly cool area of town close to every thing, to go out 3 or 4 times per week, food shopping and phone internet per month, GYM membership. - how much are we talking?
I know it all depends on where you go.. what you eat... and what you drink.. but if you could give me a rough Idea that would be very helpful. 

Yes I can speak Portuguese to an acceptable level, when I do hear Spanish its hard not to talk in Portuguese to them but we seem to get there in the end.
If we liked it and did choose to spend half the time in Mexico City and the other half in Rio then for sure we'd take some months doing Spanish courses. 

Cheers


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

I found a website called Numbeo, and their page for Mexico City looked to be consistent with my experience. People do also live much cheaper and much more expensive than the figures given there, it depends on their social class and lifestyle.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

maesonna said:


> Mexico is actually a long, long way away from South America . . .


I get your point, maesonna, and it's one I would have made too. Since the OP is from the UK, we need to keep in mind that in Europe, Mexico is often thought to be in South America, not in North America, who knows why?


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

IMO I would count Mexico City as Central America - but as I was researching city's in South America my post came a little distorted. 

Plus as you said Isla Verde - us from Europe some times just see any thing below the US as South America...sorry about our ignorance.

How about Prices Isla - can you help me out a bit with average rental prices in nice parts of the city?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ronny333 said:


> IMO I would count Mexico City as Central America - but as I was researching city's in South America my post came a little distorted.
> 
> Plus as you said Isla Verde - us from Europe some times just see any thing below the US as South America...sorry about our ignorance.
> 
> How about Prices Isla - can you help me out a bit with average rental prices in nice parts of the city?


How would you define "nice"?


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

Nice would be defined as - nice mix of people, international and national, fun but slightly edgy, good amenities i.e Parks, Metro, Supermarkets. 
Close to other desirable parts of town that one is likely to frequent regularly for drinks or dinner, a nice mix of architecture old and new. 
Not to snobby people but then not rough either.. maybe a slightly arty crowd.. a place with cafe culture and plenty of alfresco dining. 
Close to good value restaurants and Bars that run late in to the night, an area that one can walk in. 

One of the best things about living in Copacabana in Rio is that you can walk at most times of day and night, it would be nice to be able to do that in Mexico City as well. 

I hope that sums up what I like Isla and I hope such areas exist. 

X


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

ronny333 said:


> Nice would be defined as - nice mix of people, international and national, fun but slightly edgy, good amenities i.e Parks, Metro, Supermarkets. Close to other desirable parts of town that one is likely to frequent regularly for drinks or dinner, a nice mix of architecture old and new. Not to snobby people but then not rough either.. maybe a slightly arty crowd.. a place with cafe culture and plenty of alfresco dining. Close to good value restaurants and Bars that run late in to the night, an area that one can walk in. One of the best things about living in Copacabana in Rio is that you can walk at most times of day and night, it would be nice to be able to do that in Mexico City as well. I hope that sums up what I like Isla and I hope such areas exist. X


Hi, I currently live and work in Mexico City (and am also from the UK I). We live in Condesa, an area with lots of bars, restaurants, parks etc. and walk pretty much everywhere. There is a mixture of old and new architecture (as there is in nearby Roma, an area which is becoming more trendy by the day). Prices obviously vary depending on what sort of apartment you want to rent etc. and I would suggest checking out some websites to see what is available and what the prices look like. I find living here very reasonable compared with the UK I, especially for food and drink, utility bills etc. but internet and mobile costs are high for example. Happy to help with any questions. Good luck. Jo


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

JoanneR2 said:


> Hi, I currently live and work in Mexico City (and am also from the UK I). We live in Condesa, an area with lots of bars, restaurants, parks etc. and walk pretty much everywhere. There is a mixture of old and new architecture (as there is in nearby Roma, an area which is becoming more trendy by the day). Prices obviously vary depending on what sort of apartment you want to rent etc. and I would suggest checking out some websites to see what is available and what the prices look like. I find living here very reasonable compared with the UK I, especially for food and drink, utility bills etc. but internet and mobile costs are high for example. Happy to help with any questions. Good luck. Jo


Condesa is a very nice and trendy area, a bit too trendy for my tastes and too expensive for my budget. You could check out prices at one of these websites:

https://www.segundamano.mx/distrito...s=&pe=&ros=&roe=&ss=&se=&mun=295&ar=7667&et=1

Right now there are about 13 pesos to the US dollar - I don't know how many pesos there are to the UK pound, sorry.

Please keep in mind that finding a place to rent in Mexico City can be difficult. Most owners require a fiador, which is someone who owns property in the city who will sign a document promising to pay the rent if you decided to skip town!

Vivanuncios - Resultados de tu Búsqueda


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

Jo! thanks! that was very helpful of you - I shall focus on Roma and Condesa as it sounds like the type of thing we are searching for. 

My wife and I Love Rio de Janeiro and living by the sea but the prices here have gone out the window and inflation has reared its ugly head once again. 
We plan to spend some time here and time else where.. some where like Mexico City or indeed Mexico City if we like it. 

The price does sound very appealing indeed, don't worry we're used to sky high internet and phone lines. 
What we can't get used to now though is the price of the bars, supermarkets and restaurants. 
You can't eat out here in a half decent place now for under $100 and our supermarket bill per month is about $1250 including booze and its getting more expensive by the month. 

Apartment wise we'll look for a one bed in a newer building with a balcony that hopefully accepts pets as we will bring our cat.(how are they with that there?) Would be nice to only have to spend $1250 or Max $1500 pcm.. what do you think? is it easy to close 3 month contracts.

Also how much is GYM membership per month or is it normal to have one in your building? 
Plus how do you find using you're UK bank cards? or have you a Mexican Bank account now.

Thanks again! hope you're enjoying life there, sounds like you do.


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> Condesa is a very nice and trendy area, a bit too trendy for my tastes and too expensive for my budget. You could check out prices at one of these websites:
> 
> https://www.segundamano.mx/distrito...s=&pe=&ros=&roe=&ss=&se=&mun=295&ar=7667&et=1
> 
> Vivanuncios - Resultados de tu Búsqueda


Cheers - is la Roma Norte the same as Roma? or would I have to search for just Roma.

Thanks for the sites.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

ronny333 said:


> Cheers - is la Roma Norte the same as Roma? or would I have to search for just Roma.
> 
> Thanks for the sites.


There's Roma Norte and Roma Sur, with RN being the trendier area.


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## grotton (Apr 20, 2012)

We stay in Roma when visiting Mexico City. A good friend makes his otherwise vacant house available to us. Our neighbor rents and pays about 20,000 pesos monthly for something similar (includes a parking space on the street.) We consider the neighborhood to be safe, comfortable and with lots of nice restaurants, bars, and close to things we enjoy. You can live comfortably in this neighborhood with monthly expenses in the neighborhood of 40,000 pesos. Includes car expenses, maid, eating out 3 times a week, dog walking service etc. Cost of living is so subjective though; everyone has their own standards and expectations.


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

grotton said:


> We stay in Roma when visiting Mexico City. A good friend makes his otherwise vacant house available to us. Our neighbor rents and pays about 20,000 pesos monthly for something similar (includes a parking space on the street.) We consider the neighborhood to be safe, comfortable and with lots of nice restaurants, bars, and close to things we enjoy. You can live comfortably in this neighborhood with monthly expenses in the neighborhood of 40,000 pesos. Includes car expenses, maid, eating out 3 times a week, dog walking service etc. Cost of living is so subjective though; everyone has their own standards and expectations.


Grotton,

Thanks for your reply, very interesting indeed, If I put 40,000 pesos in to £'s its about £1,850 and we need slightly more than that to live a very basic life here in Rio with no health care and we own our property so no rent to pay. 

We can't afford to go out more than 3 times a week on that and we never go to the most expensive places as they are just a real rip off. 

We cook most of the time and have friends over or go to wild party's in the favelas as many of the clubs have very high entrance fees, even to go to a night in the favela now is $25's per head to enter. 

We have a cleaner once every two weeks as we keep our place very clean, gym membership here is about $150 pm also very high.

Sounds like Mexico city is half the price of Rio de Janeiro or more so.

Food here is incredibly disappointing most of the time that's why we cook often, No tapas, high import tax on imported wines and beers.
As keen foodies Mexico City is sounding like a very indulging option.. having been in Rio 5 years we were certain things would change, open up, improve but its actually got worse and more pricey over time. *Shocking*


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## grotton (Apr 20, 2012)

You should find prices in Mexico City reasonable. We had dinner out last night at one of our favorite steak houses, walking distance from our house. Two steaks, salad and sides a la carte, beers, and we were out the door for around 600 pesos (less then 50 dollars.) Our house has a full time live in maid, who also cooks.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

grotton said:


> You should find prices in Mexico City reasonable. We had dinner out last night at one of our favorite steak houses, walking distance from our house. Two steaks, salad and sides a la carte, beers, and we were out the door for around 600 pesos (less then 50 dollars.) Our house has a full time live in maid, who also cooks.


And there are lots of places in nice areas in the city where you could have a steak dinner for a lot less than that!


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

If you've liked living in Rio, I think you'll be disappointed with Mexico City. It's an apples to oranges comparison. Mexico City is a great urban area and, like Rio (except for the setting), it has its safety and security "issues"; maybe less than Rio as a whole, however. Finding an apartment in your price range may be difficult. Most apartments are unfurnished and require a minimum one-year lease. Furnished apartments are more expensive. There will be some short-term availability, probably without a guarantor (which is typically required in the city) but they, too will be more expensive. Best of luck with your research.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

ronny333 said:


> Also how much is GYM membership per month


Did you look on the Numbeo website I linked? it includes an "average" figure for gym membership. However, a more basic gym with modest facilities might run up to 500 pesos a month, tops. 

I pay in the midrange of the Numbeo figure, but the gym where I go is at a country club with many acres of parkland and sports fields, as well as a gym and swimming pool, and many fitness classes and cultural activities. Of course the “price” I pay for being able to afford a country club is to live in the outskirts of the city, far far from the trendy areas. But we have a big garden and lots of trees in our neighbourhood.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

There are many more areas than Roma and Condesa where you could settle in and find what you want, if you are willing to believe that there’s a life outside the city centre. Coyoacan and Tlalpan, for example, have a lot of nice neighbourhoods, even though they are farther from downtown. I don’t know the north as well, anyone here from Satelite, Cuauhtitlan Izcalli, or around there who can give an opinion?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

maesonna said:


> There are many more areas than Roma and Condesa where you could settle in and find what you want, if you are willing to believe that there’s a life outside the city centre. Coyoacan and Tlalpan, for example, have a lot of nice neighbourhoods, even though they are farther from downtown. I don’t know the north as well, anyone here from Satelite, Cuauhtitlan Izcalli, or around there who can give an opinion?


I agree that Coyoacán would be a nice place to live, about a half-hour away from downtown on the Metro, but Tlalpan is much farther away than that.


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## sfmaestra (Oct 8, 2013)

I live in Tlalpan without a car (although that would likely not change what I'm going to say next). I have three words: TOO FAR AWAY


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

===edited, see below.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Isla Verde said:


> I agree that Coyoacán would be a nice place to live, about a half-hour away from downtown on the Metro, but Tlalpan is much farther away than that.


 Yes, that was sort of my point – there is not so much wrong with being farther away from the centre of the city because there are centres of nightlife, shopping and culture scattered all over the city. I see sfmaestra has offered a different opinion above, but we live so far out that Tlalpan seems central to us, and we are fine with it.


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## ronny333 (May 8, 2010)

Well Cheers guys - the apartment rental seems to big the biggest obstacle. 

Shall plan a trip later this year, maybe in September time and rent a furnished apartment 
for a month. 

Air BnB comes to mind but if anyone has used a particular broker or website/group please don't hesitate to ping it over.

Its the same in Rio in regards to needing a fiador for rental, I hated those days when we first arrived and had to beg landlords to take us with no fiador.
Can't be bothered to go though that all again. 

Is it cheap and easy to fly across to the coast for the weekend or for a weeks brake? like down to Carmen for example? 

Reasons for looking at Mexico city is that we're looking for a good value metropolis that's located in between Brazil and the states with good year round weather. 

We love Rio - but looking for a ying to our yank - Rio is super expensive and becoming more and more limited in regards to activates and its not evolving in to the city we hopped.. its staying stuck in its old ways and certain things wont change in our life time.

Mexico City appears awash with a little bit of every thing and enough going on that one could be out every night of the week.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

ronny333 said:


> Well Cheers guys - the apartment rental seems to big the biggest obstacle.


Yes.



> Air BnB comes to mind but if anyone has used a particular broker or website/group please don't hesitate to ping it over.


Air BnB is mostly rooms for rent, short-term. Though there are entire apartments listed. I doubt you'd find something to fit in your budget using that website. As for "brokers": if you found one to assist they would likely offer the most expensive options. Apartments are typically rented, mostly, by word of mouth in the city from what I've seen and experienced. Networking. But there are a couple of Mexican publicans/websites listing apartments for rent: one such site is Segundamano.mx. Short-term and furnished rentals are frequently listed on the Mexico City page for Craigslist.org. 



> Its the same in Rio in regards to needing a fiador for rental, I hated those days when we first arrived and had to beg landlords to take us with no fiador.
> Can't be bothered to go though that all again.


It's an almost certainty that, for a short-term rental without providing a fiador - you will be asked to pay a rent on the high-side for whichever apartment you're looking at.



> Is it cheap and easy to fly across to the coast for the weekend or for a weeks brake? like down to Carmen for example?


Acapulco and Veracruz are the closest beach areas to Mexico City. The most popular with D.F. residents, also. Best I can recollect, round-trip fare to either is about the peso-equivalent of US$200. Sometimes there are fare sales. Most people get to these beach resort areas by bus, which takes 5-6 hours each way.



> Mexico City appears awash with a little bit of every thing and enough going on that one could be out every night of the week.


That it is.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

ronny333 said:


> Is it cheap and easy to fly across to the coast for the weekend or for a weeks brake? like down to Carmen for example?


You can research this yourself, the go-to website for airfares in Mexico is Despegar-dot-com.

The cheapest beach option of all from Mexico City is the bus to Acapulco – 5 hours, about 500 pesos one-way. 

Anywhere else is much farther on the bus and you’d probably want to fly instead, which puts you over 1000 (even over 2000) pesos each way. In general, the Pacific coast destinations (Huatulco, Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan – you can look it up) tend to be cheaper from Mexico City than the Caribbean destinations like Playa del Carmen, Cancún, etc.


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