# Living in Acapulco Area



## Rwrobb

I was wondering if it is possible to live on $1400.00 Cad in Acapulco. I am planning in two years to stay in that area for 6 months a year.


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## TundraGreen

Rwrobb said:


> I was wondering if it is possible to live on $1400.00 Cad in Acapulco. I am planning in two years to stay in that area for 6 months a year.


I could live on about half that. Whether *you* can depends on your life style. 

Do you have a car? Will you cook or will you eat in restaurants? How much time do you spend in bars? Will you run an air conditioner? How much traveling will you do? What kind of space do you want to live in: studio or 3 bedroom-2 bath house; gated compound or traditional neighborhood; modernized or not; furnished or not? Do you eat simple foods or have a lot of gourmet specialty tastes? Do you smoke? How many people are you?


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## Hound Dog

Acapulco is a large city characterized by a plush, if somewhat faded beachfront tourist zone with lots of highrise hotels and condomiiums surrounded by vast suburban middle and lower-middle class districts and densely populated festering hillside slums. You say "the Acapulco área" which includes a lot of territory but, if you can handle a somewhat spartan lifestyle, yes, you can live there on $1,400 Canadian a month. If you choose to live out in the exurbs you might even find a place to rent there close to the ocean on that budget but since you wish to be a part time renter, that fact may raise your rent quite a bit. One question is what you mean by part time. Sincé you live in Ontario, I presume you mean wintertime which is the high season on the Guerrero Coast. 

Your best bet is to make an exploratory journey to Acapulco and see for yourself what your costs of living, including rent of course, will be. Be cautious as living outside of the "exclusive" tourist zone along the sand can be somewhat to quite dangerous in some parts of the city and other parts of the Guerrero Coast so prudence in choosing a neighborhood is called for even though in Mexico disclosure of pluses and minuses of any rental property in any neighborhood is voluntary and not legally required so you´re on your own and recourse to legal remedy is a laughable tool whether you are a victim of a landlord´s duplicity or a burglary or Street crime in the area. 

I don´t know what you are looking for in a Mexican coastal community but the Acapulco área is just one small oceanfront área in Mexico available for you to spend seasonal residence on the Pacific, the Caribbean, The Gulf of Mexico or the Sea of Cortez. You may wish to tel us more about that for which you are seeking in an seafront community and then, perhaps, we can be more helpful.


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## sparks

Why of all places Acapulco. So many more options possibly more convenient


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## RVGRINGO

He has been reading old books.


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## Rwrobb

It,s just that I,ve been there and have some friends there. Ive found that with all the competition there for places to stay it could be cheaper than other smaller places on the pacific side. Ex: Sayulita, Puerto Escondito or Zihuatanejo. My plan is no car, Shop local markets, Apt. or Long term deal on room in older Hotel. I don,t smoke but enjoy some drinking. Stay from Nov. till end of March. I figure maybe $300.00 per month for room (kitchenette would be nice) $300.00 for food and the rest for misc. charges and living. Like to be able to do it on $1200-1400 per month but have some people say it might be as high as $2000.00. Now that would be out of my budget.


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## Isla Verde

RVGRINGO said:


> He has been reading old books.


Best comment of the day!


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## Dray2

Hi Rwrobb, I know you are very familiar with Acapulco and have been here many times. I knew you from another site. Here are some ball park figures on a few of my bills here in Acapulco:
1) water(not drinking)-150 to 180 pesos/mo.
2) electricity- 200 to 350 pesos/mo. (No a/c...only necessary in Summer)
3) gas- 120 pesos/mo.
4) cable package(includes internet, tv w/English channels, tele. with unlimited U.S. and Canada calls- 720 pesos/mo.
5) rent- I own but I would look at no less than 6000 pesos/mo and up depending on location/views.
6) food and entertainment- depends on you and I'm sure your pretty familiar with the costs here.
7) drinking water- I pay 12 pesos per garrafone.


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## Rwrobb

When I go at 65 it will be 11 years since I,ve been there .Just not sure of the costs anymore. First went when I was 19 and stayed for 2 months .(very cheap then ) lol. Almost every year till I was 54. Sometimes 2-3 times a year but for only 1-2 weeks at a time. Just wanted to get some insight from someone on the ground to see if my budget is realistic.


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## Rwrobb

Thx Dray , I should have expected to see someone from TA on here. I know your a long timer from your posts. I guess my best bet is to hook up with someone like you when I get there and take it from there. Thx. and hope to meet you some time .


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## Dray2

If you know snorkldik, he will surely be able to point you in the right direction on good budget friendly places to stay. His favorite was the Bor, but he has since found a new one right around the corner from it.


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## sparks

You don't pay for street water
Rent a nice place for 4-5000 pesos on the whole Pacific coast

May not be able to get land line or cable TV/Internet for only 6 months. But Cellular you can pay as you go

$1200-1400 should be easy. $2000 is what is required for a resident visa


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## Isla Verde

sparks said:


> You don't pay for street water


Can't speak for other parts of Mexico, but in Mexico City I do pay for water from the city (aka street water) to the tune of around $160 every two months.


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## michmex

Isla Verde said:


> Can't speak for other parts of Mexico, but in Mexico City I do pay for water from the city (aka street water) to the tune of around $160 every two months.


Our home in Tlanepantla, Edomex is 292 pesos every 2 months for water/sewer.


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## TundraGreen

michmex said:


> Our home in Tlanepantla, Edomex is 292 pesos every 2 months for water/sewer.


In Guadalajara, I pay $50 pesos/month for about 3 to 5 cu meters/month (3000 to 5000 liters) of city water.


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## sparks

Isla Verde said:


> Can't speak for other parts of Mexico, but in Mexico City I do pay for water from the city (aka street water) to the tune of around $160 every two months.


Well ultimately I do because I'm the property owner but there is no water meter. My yearly water bill is a little over a 1000 pesos a year. I assume mostly property owners pay and renters pay indirectly through their rent


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## Longford

sparks said:


> Well ultimately I do because I'm the property owner but there is no water meter. My yearly water bill is a little over a 1000 pesos a year. I assume mostly property owners pay and renters pay indirectly through their rent


I rented apartments when I lived in the D.F. Several or more times a year the owners of the apartments would come visit to collect money/a proportionate share for the water bill.


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## AlanMexicali

Isla Verde said:


> Can't speak for other parts of Mexico, but in Mexico City I do pay for water from the city (aka street water) to the tune of around $160 every two months.


Here the private water co. gives a 50% discount to INAPAM card holders or people with a pension card from various institutions. One of my sister in laws was pensioned from the SNTE, an ex "primaria" teacher, at 52 and gets the discount with her pension card. My wife needed to show the "escriptura" in her name but renters might get the discount, I don´t know for sure.


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## Isla Verde

sparks said:


> Well ultimately I do because I'm the property owner but there is no water meter. My yearly water bill is a little over a 1000 pesos a year. I assume mostly property owners pay and renters pay indirectly through their rent


You assume wrong, at least in my case. Everyone renting in my little building pays a portion of the total water bill. We receive individual bills in the mail every two months.


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## Rwrobb

I think maybe I,ll forgo the apt. route, avoiding all the extra costs that are incurred. Possibly try to rent a room in a house or a hotel room with a kitchenette. Grab a cellphone and go from there. Play it by ear and talk to some other snowbirds and see what else is out there. Since i.m only going to be there for 3-6 months out of the year that should work out for me .


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## Longford

I'm very familiar with Acapulco and I know people who visit there for the Winter and who rent an apartment for just the time period they'll be there (US$500/month). How they do that, and do it economically, is to network with other expats who own apartments, manage apartments for Mexicans who don't frequently use theirs, and they rent for way under market rates. Some apartment owners would rather rent to one person for 5/6 months at an under-market rate than rent to someone else for just holiday weekends and who oftentimes trash or disrespect the apartment. I've also known expats who Winter in ACA who rent a room in someone's (another expat's) home, economically. It takes some effort to establish these contacts but once you have them and you're tied-into a network of several people 'in the know' it all becomes much easier. Concentrate on networking before your next visit, via email if you know people who frequently visit ACA or live there, and/or spend some time trying to accomplish this during your next visit ... to prepare for future visits. Best of luck.


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## Rwrobb

Thx for the advice Longford, I,ll grab a cheap room when I get there, Get talking to all the people I know that hang around the zocalo and the local watering hole for the Americans and Canadians . A good friend of mine from Canada was married to a Mexican lady for over 30 years and I,ll contact her also. My friend unfortunately passed away not too long ago. He had mentioned in phone conversations over the last few years of a Mexican neighbor that would possibly rent a room inclusive. I will have to just check into every angle when I go there. I should be just fine and hopefully be able to get by on my budget.


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## sparks

Isla Verde said:


> You assume wrong, at least in my case. Everyone renting in my little building pays a portion of the total water bill. We receive individual bills in the mail every two months.


We are talking all of Mexico here .... not just your apartment building. Big cities are bound to be different but renters receiving individual bills has to be rare (%%%%) .... and he's only talking a few months rent


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## Isla Verde

sparks said:


> We are talking all of Mexico here .... not just your apartment building. Big cities are bound to be different but renters receiving individual bills has to be rare (%%%%) .... and he's only talking a few months rent


I didn't imply that my situation was the rule, just explaining how things work for the tenants in my building. Until we do a thorough survey of the entire country, there's no way to know which situation is the most common.


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