# Retirement



## udabes (Jul 22, 2011)

Any suggestions where I can live in Mex for $1000 a month total including rent? Or is that just unrealistic.


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## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

*Hi, Hola, Welcome Aboard*



udabes said:


> Any suggestions where I can live in Mex for $1000 a month total including rent? Or is that just unrealistic.


Hi, Look for the thread Cost of Living - there are about 4 or 5 responses that I've gotten over the past month.

It is difficult to answer the question without knowing more about you and where you would like to live, etc etc.

You'll find a lot of help here on the Expat Forum, so just hang in there. You may want to go to the *Introduce Yourself *thread also, give you more of an overview of what we have been discussing.

Welcome aboard!


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

udabes said:


> Any suggestions where I can live in Mex for $1000 a month total including rent? Or is that just unrealistic.


the first question I have for you is do you speak and read Spanish really really well? If you don't, then the areas you can live for that much per month is next to 0.

How do you want to live? Are you ok with rice, eggs and beans for your daily 3? Do you need air conditioning?

Lots of factors play into this. I just recently spend 2 weeks on the southern Pacific Coast in a town called Rio Grande. My wife is from there. I think you could live there for about 1000 per month but you would still be pretty poor and not well fed. Nobody speaks english either.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I think you will need to show $1200 USD income for 3 months prior coming to Mexico to get a retirement FM3.......you could enter on an tourist card for 180 days and explore places and prices.....


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2011)

You could easily live a simple, basic life in Queretaro state (except in the city of Queretaro) without living on rice and beans and eggs. Caveat is that Spanish is necessary, but you could survive the first months with a good dictionary and studying Spanish. You would learn Spanish much faster in immersion, but it might be frustrating in the beginning. There won't be any other expats around, and no English spoken.

Monthly expenses: a small unfurnished house at 2500 pesos, lights at 200, water at 100, groceries at 3000, cable TV at 350, gas for the stove at 150, transportation at 600, outside laundry at 600 (total of 7500 a month= about 665 US?). No telephone or cellphone - but there will be payphones in the street if you really need to make a call. You could add internet in your home for another 400 a month.

Local buses run every few minutes and cost 7 pesos, taxis at 20 or 25, or buses from outlying small villages into a larger city run about 15 pesos, so you could get to the larger supermarkets and stores. Spanish lessons for the first few months. Doctor visits are 300-500. A/C is never needed. Internet cafes run 8 pesos an hour, and may have headphones for Skype calls. Lunch of the day in a small restaurant for 50 pesos.

Other costs to consider: your MX visa and renewals (and qualifying with your income), local health insurance, furniture and appliances as needed and other lifestyle requirements like beer, cigarettes or entertainment). 

If you live cheap during the year, you could make any major purchases in the 3 months before visa renewal to pump up your expenses and simulate higher amounts on the bank statements you might have to present for the visa, i.e. US700 x 9 months, and then US1400 during the last 3 months before visa.

If it didn't work out and you needed to get back to the US, an express bus from Queretaro to San Antonio is about 1100 pesos and 16 to 18 hours.


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## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

You could easily do as GringoCarlos mentioned in Catemaco for equal costs. I have know of several expats who have lived a pretty good life here for even less than the 1000 usd. 
Granted it is a simple, quiet life but that is not a bad thing. Transportation is cheap so trips to the beach are well within budget. There are a number of places where you can eat until you can´t move for less than 40 pesos.
I´ll send you a private message.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Yep ... doable. But there is that issue of showing an income of 1200-1300us to get a yearly visa. Otherwise plan on trips to the border every six months on your tourist visa


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## maryellen1952 (Oct 5, 2009)

You can certainly live in a border town such as Tijuana and not worry about getting an FM and go back and forth across the border just with a passport. You don't even need a car. Many people who live in my complex are on Social Security or SSI and don't have a car. The average 1 bedroom apt in TJ is $300/month + utilities so you can definitely live on $1,000.00. Now younger people are moving here as they can't afford to live in San Diego/U.S. anymore. I am work part time in the San Diego area but live here. TJ is a free trade zone so you don't have the requirements/restrictions you have going farther into Mexico. And TJ is much more Americanized than other places esp. for those who don't speak Spanish. I use Bank of America and there is easy access to ATM's and credit and debit cards used widely here.




udabes said:


> Any suggestions where I can live in Mex for $1000 a month total including rent? Or is that just unrealistic.


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## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

maryellen makes a great point. If you are only wanting to retire in Mexico because your dollars will go further, a border town would be a good option.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

sparks said:


> Yep ... doable. But there is that issue of showing an income of 1200-1300us to get a yearly visa. Otherwise plan on trips to the border every six months on your tourist visa


sorry everyone...I was a little off on my thinking and realized that this guys wants to retire in Mexico on 1000 USD. I spaced out and was thinking about affording life for more than one person. I have a family of 4 to support and 1000usd would not go far at all.

My rice, beans and eggs statement I don't think was far off, however. Depending if the OP is ok with not doing too much extra curricular activities, 1000 usd may suffice. Not too much that will be left over for emergencies or "mad money". 

A large percentage of Mexican citizens live on a whole lot less that 1000 usd per month, so why can't he. (depending on his needs and the lifestyle he wants to live)


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

11,600 pesos is around 1,000 usd. 3,000 for rent, 3,000 for food, 300 for gas and electricity, 700 for cable and internet, 200 cellphone time total to 7,200 leaving 4,400. Since the OP wanted to live on the cheap, 3,000 for rent could be high and you could go lower depending on the size of the apartment. 3,000 could also mean a furnish one too. 3,000 for food is 100 pesos a day and if the OP cooked his own meals, that would mean very few days of rice, beans and eggs. (I happen to like rice, beans and eggs, albeit, not as a daily diet.) 200 for cellphone would be in the ballpark if he only sent text messages and received phonecalls. 4,400 is the slush fund to cover transportation, concerts, and occasional eating out. With care, he can save money. 

Now, where to live? Cross out gated communities and anywhere near foreigners. He would have to live in communities where the basic knowledge of Spanish is real important. Within these areas, the furnished rental is between 2,000 and 4,000 per month.

I can't be used as an example, as it took me over six months of searching to find my unfurnished, two room apartment with a large, shared patio, quiet street, excellent neighbors, close to transportation, supermarket two blocks away, my doctor a block away, health clinic across the street, etc. All for 1,000 a month.


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## maryellen1952 (Oct 5, 2009)

More food for thought...if you're not retired and not over age 60 why would you want to live in an area of mostly retirees? Prices are always jacked up in those places not to mention that you won't have much in common with most living in those areas.
There are many places in Tijuana where you can rent a house for $500 for a 3 bedroom if you don't expect the (boring) gated communities. And if you don't buy American products (including processed) your food costs will be less but you need to realize that if you come to Mexico expecting to maintain your American culture...it's going to cost you.




udabes said:


> Any suggestions where I can live in Mex for $1000 a month total including rent? Or is that just unrealistic.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

Since the thread title is "Retirement", it seems reasonable that the question is can one live reasonably on $1000 a month "retirement". 
Answer of course is yes, need work to massage income/assets if want more than FMM but expect that difference could be covered with assets if that the plan, depending on definition of reasonable. We certainly know people in San Miguel that do very well on less than $1000 including rent. They don't use housekeepers, cooks, gardeners and control electricity. They also take advantage of the many gallery openings almost nightly and eat in or have pot luck gatherings most nights. They also tend to walk or travel by bus although do have some extensive in country travel. 
There is so much local beauty and interesting things to do that cost nothing!


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> Since the thread title is "Retirement", it seems reasonable that the question is can one live reasonably on $1000 a month "retirement".
> Answer of course is yes, need work to massage income/assets if want more than FMM but expect that difference could be covered with assets if that the plan, depending on definition of reasonable. We certainly know people in San Miguel that do very well on less than $1000 including rent. They don't use housekeepers, cooks, gardeners and control electricity. They also take advantage of the many gallery openings almost nightly and eat in or have pot luck gatherings most nights. They also tend to walk or travel by bus although do have some extensive in country travel.
> There is so much local beauty and interesting things to do that cost nothing!


I'm starting to see the light on this one. My sister in-law and her husband are teachers in Puerto Escondido and they bring in about 13,000 pesos (little over 1,000 usd) combined every month. They have a 6 year old son as well. They live in a low income part of town but are still less than 2km away from the about 3 decent beaches and close to a few fresh markets (fruit, veggies, LOTS of fish). So I guess if a family of 3 can live on $1,000 in PE, then I would guess that 1 person could live pretty well. The funny thing is that there are lots of English speaking people in PE because its a tourist destination and known for the surfing scene. If I was to try and live solo in Mexico at the age of 32, then I think I would need to change my lifestyle dramatically and lower my standards for housing and daily/weekly extras like beer and huge steaks.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

Maybe the steaks which aren't great here unless really marinated but beer should be OK. When the Mexican government tried to get folks off pulque, they focused on the switch to beer. There are many good, low cost beers here that rival refrescos in cost.
BTW, the Oaxacan coast must be really reasonable as we have friends that stay in hotel in Puerto Angel for the month of February each year at less than $25US/night.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

conorkilleen said:


> . . . extras like beer and huge steaks.


Beer is not an extra!!!


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## Krogl (Jan 16, 2011)

.....extras like beer and huge steaks.[/QUOTE said:


> Extra? Not a chance! It's one of the 15 words in Spanish I currently know


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> Maybe the steaks which aren't great here unless really marinated but beer should be OK. When the Mexican government tried to get folks off pulque, they focused on the switch to beer. There are many good, low cost beers here that rival refrescos in cost.
> BTW, the Oaxacan coast must be really reasonable as we have friends that stay in hotel in Puerto Angel for the month of February each year at less than $25US/night.


Puerto Angel is great. We go there every year for a few days. My wife owns property in Puerto Escondido (2km to the west of the main area) that we plan to build on in the next 5 years. I am hoping to build a vacation house for the years to come for my daughters then in the next 30 years add onto it for a comfortable abode for retirement. Thats the plan anyhow. We also own property in El Venado about 1km east of her home town, Rio Grande. Bought about an acre for 40,000 pesos. Its about 400 meters from the beach and the only thing in the way is an Italian guys house..or should I say castle. He was kidnapped a few months ago so who knows if he will return. The path I need to cut to get to the beach passes right through his property. If not we need to walk another few hundred meters to get around it on the access road. Its a toss up...El Venado or Puerto Escondido. El Venado is still virgin but close to Rio Grande...Puerto Escondido has the stores and hospitals close. Both are Paradise to us and both have have a dozen coconut trees scattered about. Lucky finds.

The Oaxacan coast is inexpensive, but the steak is horrible. Its ALL pescado there...not that I complain, but a mans gotta eat.....and for the beer...my favorite is Victoria. At 180 pesos for a 24 case its not bad...just as long as you have the empty case to turn in for the cambio. A 12 pack of Victoria in the US now is 17 USD. Just came available for sale in the US in February. Does not taste as good as the Mexican sold Vicky however....huh...descisions descisions.


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## Monty Floyd (Aug 31, 2010)

My pension is less than $1000/mn and I had no problem getting a visa. I live in a 3 bd house and I am saving between $100-$150/mn.


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## Monty Floyd (Aug 31, 2010)

I forgot to mention, I don't speak spanish.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

Monty Floyd said:


> I forgot to mention, I don't speak spanish.


I need to ask a question(s). Why don't you speak Spanish? Do you not need to? I am only asking for my own curiosity and understanding why some expats do not speak Spanish when living in a primarily Spanish speaking country.

From my experience living in Monterrey, it would be very difficult for any American or non Spanish speaking foreigner to live here without having at least a rudimentary grasp of the local language.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

conorkilleen said:


> I need to ask a question(s). Why don't you speak Spanish? Do you not need to? I am only asking for my own curiosity and understanding why some expats do not speak Spanish when living in a primarily Spanish speaking country.
> 
> From my experience living in Monterrey, it would be very difficult for any American or non Spanish speaking foreigner to live here without having at least a rudimentary grasp of the local language.


You didn't ask me, but I will answer anyway. For some of us, learning a second language is hard. I took four hours of Spanish per day for my first three months in Mexico, and I have taken from one to four hours per week of classes every week since for the past four years. And, still, I would rate my command of Spanish as barely adequate. I can read and write fairly easily, but my listening comprehension and speaking ability have a long ways to go.


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## Monty Floyd (Aug 31, 2010)

conorkilleen said:


> I need to ask a question(s). Why don't you speak Spanish? Do you not need to? I am only asking for my own curiosity and understanding why some expats do not speak Spanish when living in a primarily Spanish speaking country.
> 
> From my experience living in Monterrey, it would be very difficult for any American or non Spanish speaking foreigner to live here without having at least a rudimentary grasp of the local language.


I know some words that get me by. I know a bilingual taxi driver that helps me with the rest.
I would like to take some classes but there are none here.
Yes, you are right, it is very difficult not speaking spanish.


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