# Moving to Mexico City



## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi all, this is my first post on this site but I've been lurking for a while! 
Basically my husband to be has pretty much been offered a job in Mexico City. Salary £30,000 UK or $46,000 USD (at current exchange rate) a year + housing allowance + 2 flights back to the UK per year. 
My plan personally is to build a freelance writing business but it will obviously take a while before I can earn any significant income.
We are in our early 30s, like going out for meals and socialising but happy to scale this down if it's too expensive. He would need to buy/lease a car (but free petrol/tax etc) and we have 3 cats no kids! There will also be a shortfall on our mortgage here of about £200.
Essentially my question is whether this is a realistic salary for the both of us (5 of us!) to live on initally. He will be in a trainee role so his salary will increase after a period of time/as his Spainish gets better. 
I don't generally post on forums so please be kind!

J


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

There are at least one or two current discussions further down the list which specifically address cost of living issues for newcomers to Mexico City. My suggestion is that you first start by reading those to see what you can learn, before moving on with other qustions. We don't know you or your financial requirements, obligations back home, etc., but after you read the information and ask a few additional questions ... I believe you'll be able to make the right decision. Congratulations on having the opportunity to move to Mexico City. :clap2:


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

JOCUK said:


> Hi all, this is my first post on this site but I've been lurking for a while!
> Basically my husband to be has pretty much been offered a job in Mexico City. Salary £30,000 UK or $46,000 USD (at current exchange rate) a year + housing allowance + 2 flights back to the UK per year.
> My plan personally is to build a freelance writing business but it will obviously take a while before I can earn any significant income.
> We are in our early 30s, like going out for meals and socialising but happy to scale this down if it's too expensive. He would need to buy/lease a car (but free petrol/tax etc) and we have 3 cats no kids! There will also be a shortfall on our mortgage here of about £200.
> ...


$46,000 usd/year is about $50,000 mxn/month. You should have no trouble living on this anywhere in Mexico, especially since your housing costs are covered. I usually am reluctant to tell people what it would cost to live since it is so dependent on life style. But, I have a hard time imagining a life style that could spend more than that every month.


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi,
Thanks for the quick response! I did have a look through some of the other threads to get a general idea.
I guess I just want some re-assurance because the company don't seem to be concerned about us having enough to survive, but it's very hard to know until you're actually living somewhere!
We just about get by here in London with double the proposed salary and I suppose it's hard for me to imagine it be possible to live on half somewhere else! 
We are certainly not looking to live like kings...just to be able to go out once/twice a week, pay for all utilities/vet bills/food (including cat food) and hopefully save some money for some travel/exploring/pay off some of our huge mortgage (mostly covered by renting it out)

J


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks Will that does sound positive
It's so hard to know by just looking at other people's costs - as you say it's very hard to judge when you don't know someone and how they live


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

JOCUK said:


> Hi,
> Thanks for the quick response! I did have a look through some of the other threads to get a general idea.
> I guess I just want some re-assurance because the company don't seem to be concerned about us having enough to survive, but it's very hard to know until you're actually living somewhere!
> We just about get by here in London with double the proposed salary and I suppose it's hard for me to imagine it be possible to live on half somewhere else!
> ...


If you've read the other discussions, you know the answer. I'd love to have an income of the peso equivalent of US$46,000 per year to live in the city.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I agree that if your housing allowance is anywhere near what you will need for rent that you will be very well off. You said a car is necessary but not why. It is very expensive to have, maintain and park a car in DF. Also, tends to be a lot like trying to get to Heathrow at rush hour or worse.


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

conklinwh said:


> I agree that if your housing allowance is anywhere near what you will need for rent that you will be very well off. You said a car is necessary but not why. It is very expensive to have, maintain and park a car in DF. Also, tends to be a lot like trying to get to Heathrow at rush hour or worse.


Ah yes I've heard the traffic is terrible (not looking forward to the M25 during the Olympics!) - unfortunately car is essential for my partner's job; although they did say that a lot of places would be better to get to by public transport he has to have the option to drive.
It's possible maintaining the car and parking may be covered by the company (certainly they have said petrol will be) If this is going to be a significant expense I will get him to ask if this is something we can negotiate


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

Not lived in DF but as with most large cities, I would want a secure off street parking place.
If car a requirement, this a reasonable request.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

conklinwh said:


> Not lived in DF but as with most large cities, I would want a secure off street parking place.
> If car a requirement, this a reasonable request.


There are apartments, particularly in the MX$15,000 and up rental price range in Mexico City and the metropolitan area, where an assigned, secure parking space is included in the rent.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

conklinwh said:


> I agree that if your housing allowance is anywhere near what you will need for rent that you will be very well off. You said a car is necessary but not why. It is very expensive to have, maintain and park a car in DF. Also, tends to be a lot like trying to get to Heathrow at rush hour or worse.


If this person is accustomed to driving in or near London, Mexico City will seem less congested ... most of the time. I believe the concerns about traffic mostly come from people who are unaccustomed to large urban areas, and, specifically for Mexico City, people whose command of Spanish is limited and who don't consult a map before setting-out.


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

My wife and I have spent considerable time in Europe over the past 10 years, and have driven in all the major cities of France, Spain, and Italy. I have never faced traffic gridlock like I encounter every single time we go to Mexico City. I agree that knowing the language prevents one from getting lost and having to retrack through the same gridlock, but the cities of Europe seem to have made more efforts to provide alternate routes around the metropolises. In Mexico City, there are few loops providing a path around the gridlock. While this couple will not be transversing the city, they'll be within it, they'll still be dealing with all us yayhoos trying to get across it.

Also, I have friends who have apts that include the assigned, enclosed, secure parking spot. They are obviously more secure than the street, but, if the vehicle has a footprint of 5 sq mtrs, they usually get an assigned area of 5.1 sq mtrs, and it is sometimes an adventure to access your spot. Again, better than the street, but not a panacea. 

As in every situation with a newcomer to the area, the wise move might be to check it out without the vehicle, you can always grab one here if you decide it is essential. I'm assuming you won't be shipping one over here with your belongings.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I think that driving in Mexico City is worse than London. At least in London some if not most of the people actually follow street signs and lanes. The one city that comes close to Mexico City is Rome. I thought that I was doing well in Florence and other Tuscan cities but then I got to Rome and all hell broke loose. Certainly never had similar problems in France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, etc.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

A map is necessary but not sufficient! It takes some time to get used to navigating. Signage may follow a different convention than what we are used to in our home country. Lanes may appear and disappear out of nowhere with no consideration for logic, and a route that looked straightforward and simple on the map may look quite different in reality on the ground. 

For example, you are driving along on a high-speed _eje_ (arterial road), and it suddenly forks, with no indication which is the main road and which is the exit ramp—and you have only two seconds to decide.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

maesonna said:


> For example, you are driving along on a high-speed _eje_ (arterial road), and it suddenly forks, with no indication which is the main road and which is the exit ramp—and you have only two seconds to decide.


Familiarity most always serves as the educator, and we learn. We learn in any new city where we have to get our bearings, find our way for the first times. There is a special challenge for people totally unfamiliar with the city ... particularly tourists who largely don't understand the language, signage, customs/culture. But for someone who is going to live in the city ... they'll do okay. Or perish ... never to be seen again!


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

It doesn't sound like we will have to get the car straight away talking about it with the other half as he would be going out with other members of staff and should be able to travel a lot of places by public transport initially.
Still a scary thought though-don't forget we are also driving on the other side of the road! 
By the way I've driven in France and Spain and never really seen a traffic jam- drive anywhere in london and you are pretty much guaranteed one! Once it took me 5 hours to get out of London and we live right on the outskirts...


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

JOCUK said:


> It doesn't sound like we will have to get the car straight away talking about it with the other half as he would be going out with other members of staff and should be able to travel a lot of places by public transport initially.
> Still a scary thought though-don't forget we are also driving on the other side of the road!
> By the way I've driven in France and Spain and never really seen a traffic jam- drive anywhere in london and you are pretty much guaranteed one! Once it took me 5 hours to get out of London and we live right on the outskirts...


Public transit in Mexico is great in the ways that count. It is cheap, runs frequently, and goes most everywhere in the big urban centers like Mexico City. The buses aren't very new, they may not have any shocks, or mufflers, but they get you where you are going.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

I've not driven in the DF, but I've driven in London, New York, Chicago Boston and LA and San Francisco. All of them are crowded and full of aggressive drivers, but they have decent signage, and if you come prepared with a general idea of the layout, and a map, you'll do OK.

The worst place for finding where to go, in my experience? Salem, MA. BAD signage, and as one of the oldest cities in the US, and laid out by the same mind set that laid out London, it's incredibly difficult to find one's way if going somewhere new after dark. 

During the day it's doable, but at night, you nearly need a guide.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> The buses aren't very new, they may not have any shocks, or mufflers, but they get you where you are going.


Actually, on Reforma and some other major roads in the city, there are wonderful new big buses that are comfortable and cost only 4.5 or 5 pesos. The 5-peso buses even have AC!


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> Actually, on Reforma and some other major roads in the city, there are wonderful new big buses that are comfortable and cost only 4.5 or 5 pesos. The 5-peso buses even have AC!


Definately looking forward to cheap public transport!


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

JOCUK said:


> Definately looking forward to cheap public transport!


Wasn't that one of Mrs. Thatcher's lasting gifts: excessively high cost for public transportation?


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

JOCUK said:


> Hi,
> Thanks for the quick response! I did have a look through some of the other threads to get a general idea.
> I guess I just want some re-assurance because the company don't seem to be concerned about us having enough to survive, but it's very hard to know until you're actually living somewhere!
> We just about get by here in London with double the proposed salary and I suppose it's hard for me to imagine it be possible to live on half somewhere else!
> ...


Hi, I moved to Mexico city from the UK in January and like you have my accommodation paid for. Although at the moment it is only me here (my husband and cat join me in September) I agree with the previous post in that I can´t imagine spending more than 50,000 Pesos a month. The bills for the apartment I have (2 beds and bathrooms) are about 1600 pesos a month, including cable, phone and internet. Mobile phone calls are expensive, especially when calling back home so you might want to keep an eye on that. However, even with eating out at least twice a week at good restaurants, shopping in Citymarket (notoriously expensive), having a cleaner once a week and generally shopping for clothes etc. I find it hard to spend more than 30,000 pesos a month. I consider my lifestyle to be on the expensive side so I would hope you would be fine. 
Welcome to Mexico City, I love it here and haven´t regretted the move once.
Jo


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## JoanneR2 (Apr 18, 2012)

JOCUK said:


> Ah yes I've heard the traffic is terrible (not looking forward to the M25 during the Olympics!) - unfortunately car is essential for my partner's job; although they did say that a lot of places would be better to get to by public transport he has to have the option to drive.
> It's possible maintaining the car and parking may be covered by the company (certainly they have said petrol will be) If this is going to be a significant expense I will get him to ask if this is something we can negotiate



I would make sure that you get accommodation which includes a parking space. many of the apartment blocks have parking below which is secure. I do drive in Mexico city and, while I agree that it can be really dreadful, I find it very useful to get to places which are not well served by public transport. Also during rush hour the metro and metro buses are really packed.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Longford said:


> Familiarity most always serves as the educator, and we learn. We learn in any new city where we have to get our bearings, find our way for the first times.


So true. That’s why I only drive where I’ve already driven before :confused2:


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

maesonna said:


> So true. That’s why I only drive where I’ve already driven before :confused2:


:clap2:


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

mickisue1 said:


> Wasn't that one of Mrs. Thatcher's lasting gifts: excessively high cost for public transportation?


Privatisation the lasting legacy of the 80s! Unfortunately all successive governments have continued it - last year my train ticket for 2 stops went up by nearly 10% (after going up 7% the year before). Being on this forum has made me realise how ripped off we are here!


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

JoanneR2 said:


> Hi, I moved to Mexico city from the UK in January and like you have my accommodation paid for. Although at the moment it is only me here (my husband and cat join me in September) I agree with the previous post in that I can´t imagine spending more than 50,000 Pesos a month. The bills for the apartment I have (2 beds and bathrooms) are about 1600 pesos a month, including cable, phone and internet. Mobile phone calls are expensive, especially when calling back home so you might want to keep an eye on that. However, even with eating out at least twice a week at good restaurants, shopping in Citymarket (notoriously expensive), having a cleaner once a week and generally shopping for clothes etc. I find it hard to spend more than 30,000 pesos a month. I consider my lifestyle to be on the expensive side so I would hope you would be fine.
> Welcome to Mexico City, I love it here and haven´t regretted the move once.
> Jo


Hey another cat loving Jo from the UK! Spooky! It's nice to know that you are happy and settled in Mexico City.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

JOCUK said:


> Privatisation the lasting legacy of the 80s! Unfortunately all successive governments have continued it - last year my train ticket for 2 stops went up by nearly 10% (after going up 7% the year before). Being on this forum has made me realise how ripped off we are here!


The comparisons are often apples-to-oranges. Much of the public transportation in the country is poor quality, and not particularly safe. It's largely independent operators with relatively little oversight. Big city transport has improved, particularly in Mexico City. Bigger and better busses. The government heavily subsidizes major sections of the D.F. transportaton and, compared to what transportation workers earn where you live what they earn in Mexico is very, very little. Workers in the D.F. will also have nowhere near the value in benefits your people at home do.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> The comparisons are often apples-to-oranges. Much of the public transportation in the country is poor quality, and not particularly safe. It's largely independent operators with relatively little oversight. Big city transport has improved, particularly in Mexico City. Bigger and better busses. The government heavily subsidizes major sections of the D.F. transportaton and, compared to what transportation workers earn where you live what they earn in Mexico is very, very little. Workers in the D.F. will also have nowhere near the value in benefits your people at home do.


I am not sure what you include when you say "Much of the public transportation in the country is poor quality, and not particularly safe." Intercity buses of the better classes tend to be very new and very safe. Local buses can be in really bad shape, but the speeds are usually low and I am not aware of any particular danger there. The bigger danger is to pedestrians and other cars on the road, since some drivers act like they are on a race track. There are some new buses on some routes in some cities (Tren Ligero, Pretren and Macrobus in Gdl, Metro and Metrobus in DF and maybe others?). I agree with the other comments, about pay and benefits.


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## JOCUK (Jul 16, 2012)

Longford said:


> The comparisons are often apples-to-oranges. Much of the public transportation in the country is poor quality, and not particularly safe. It's largely independent operators with relatively little oversight. Big city transport has improved, particularly in Mexico City. Bigger and better busses. The government heavily subsidizes major sections of the D.F. transportaton and, compared to what transportation workers earn where you live what they earn in Mexico is very, very little. Workers in the D.F. will also have nowhere near the value in benefits your people at home do.


Very true UK transportation workers are definately paid a reasonable wage and are one of the few industries left where the union leaders still have some clout. Although train operators are privately run they are still heavily subsidised by the government and we still have the highest rail fairs in Europe. I guess there's pluses and negatives to all systems; you want people to have decent wages but you also don't want to be ripped off for using an old rail network that is nowhere near adequate for the number of users (there was a survey done where they showed that cattle were transported in more comfortable conditions than people using a tube at rush hour)
Anyway I digress off my own topic...


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

JOCUK said:


> you want people to have decent wages but you also don't want to be ripped off for using an old rail network that is nowhere near adequate for the number of users (there was a survey done where they showed that cattle were transported in more comfortable conditions than people using a tube at rush hour)


You've described Mexico City's Metro system at rush hour. Only, it's worse. It tends to be those in less than the middle-class who ride the Metro then. Some exceptions. But it's the "working class" who you'll find riding public transport in Mexico City ... including the students. It'll be a new experience for you and if you remember this discussion after you've been in the city for a while maybe you can share your experiences and comparisons. Thanks.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Longford said:


> But it's the "working class" who you'll find riding public transport in Mexico City ... including the students.


At least where I live in Mexico City, near El Angel and the US Embassy, I see lots of people on the buses and the Metrobús who are definitely more middle class than working class, not so much on the Metro, except for students.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I have to agree with Isla Verde. 
[We don't live in Mexico City but my wife's family does so we are there frequently.]


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