# Any advice about Merida?



## macsmith777

Hi all, I am new to the board and very much in the planning stages of orchestrating our move. My wife and I intend to move to Merida when we are financially able to do so, and are actively saving towards that end. I understand the Mexican government want proof of income of about 1200 per person, or 500 if one of us is a dependent. My question is what is the realistic cost of living there.

We will own a home (1400-1800 square feet) outright and are sensible with utilities
We like to cook at home, but do enjoy eating out at local/corner type cafes at times
Basically, we are looking to be comfortable, but don't need to live in the lap of lux.

Any thoughts on what this really takes? I know it is a tough question to answer as everyone's idea of 'comfortable' is different. Basically we enjoy some indulgences, but being part of an interesting community is more important to us than going on expensive trips or driving fancy cars.

Thanks so much. MacGregor


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## chicois8

"sensible with utilities" depends weather you use an air conditioner a lot or you can live in the heat and humidity...


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## RVGRINGO

Chicois8 makes a good point and it leads me to ask, why Merida, where you will certainly need AC?
Have you ever spent a summer there, or anywhere on either coast of Mexico?


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## macsmith777

To be honest, I have not. I continue to read wonderful things about the area and am just leaning that direction. To be fair, I lived in AZ for four years and tolerate heat pretty well ( I know, no humidity). The draw is the fantastic colonial architecture and friendly reputation the city has. If anyone has suggestions for alternatives with a milder climate, I am all ears. 4 years ago, my wife and I drove a few hundred miles down the Pacific coast on a trip through Pto. Penasco. We loved everything about it. The people, the food, the pace. My wife speaks Spanish semi-fluently and is getting better all the time, I am less advanced, but am working on it.

As for AC, I would be of the mindset to use it nights in the bedroom. I can live with the heat most of the time.

Thanks all, I imagine these general questions from those who must be perceived as tire kickers must get annoying.


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## RVGRINGO

Many have moved to coastal locations, only to sell out and escape the oppressive humidity of the summer half of the year. The alternative is to have a second home inland, at a higher and cooler elevation. We only go to the coast in December or January and it can still be a bit hot. You must also realize that many of the 'amenities,' that the coastal cities offer in the winter months, are closed for the summer months and the place can feel quite deserted. So, with your lack of experience, I would proceed with caution and consider a July or August vacation to any area that interests you. The highest concentration of expats is definitely in the central highlands, for good reason. Lake Chapala has the most inviting climate and amenities desired by expats and, for that reason, has the highest concentration. The other advantage is its proximity to Guadalajara. Neither AC nor a furnace are needed in that area. There are other areas, such as Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, San Miguel de Allende, etc., which also attract expats. So, a visit is a good idea. Some of these areas are within easy reach of the beaches for 'mini-vacations' & you'll get to know the economical places to stay.


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## macsmith777

*Thanks*

RV, good advice. We would certainly not relocate without some serious recon first. I like your suggestions and will do some research. My only concern is with a large concentration of ex-pats in a given area, comes a risk of the area focusing on services for the gringos, and losing the local flavor. (Like much of PV) I wonder if you would indulge and give your thoughts on that as you clearly have a good grasp on the topic. I am just leery of an "American/Canadian retirement community" in Mexico, you know what I mean? Thanks!


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## macsmith777

*nevermind*

Addendum: Never mind.. That was kind of a dumb thing to ask. Clearly these areas will have their own flavor and appeal. The presence of some Americans, etc. is not going to change a city that has been around forever. Americancentrism at its finest. I appreciate your advice, RV.


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## RVGRINGO

I know exactly what you mean. When we first moved to Lake Chapala, in 2001, we bought a home in Ajijic; the target village for most retirees to the area. Over the years, it became more and more of a 'boutique village' and home prices hit a peak in 2004-2005. We sold and moved to Chapala, where we were lucky to find a larger old place to renovate. We've been here in Chapala for six years and it is the perfect mix. As the 'county seat' of the Municipalidad de Chapala, it has all the ameneties usually needed, but is still close (five miles) to Ajijic, where there is the world's finest grocery for imported items, in case you want to treat your friends to escargot, Oriental, Middle Eastern, or other ethnic goodies. Naturally, it also attracts a wide variety of restaurants to suit any taste; so that is all a big plus. However, we can then return home to Chapala in a matter of minutes, where life is quite 'Mexican normal'. A bit further west, is Jocotopec, an even more 'normal' town with fewer expats, but just enough to support a morning 'coffee klatch' on the square. So, you have choices. That said, all of the area is 'a place to live', as opposed to the tourist destination style of Puerto Vallarta and other coastal towns, even tiny ones, where you will also find a higher cost of living as a result of the 'cruise ship mentality' of the economy. Nice places to vacation; not to live year round, at least not for us. Before you visit, you might enjoy going to U-Tube and entering the name of any destination you wish. You'll get a bunch of junk, but occasionally some very good videos of the area. Or, you can use Google to search, "Photos of --------".


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## conklinwh

One of the really great things about Mexico is the wide range of very viable options. Critical of course is to try options in both summer and winter. I really think that there are two key questions. 1st has been the subject of much of this thread which is highlands versus beach. We are not beach people but have a lot of friends that are and are willing to trade off the heat and humidity of summer for that lifestyle.
The 2nd key decision, at least to us, was proximity to the border. We have a pretty extensive and scattered family in the US that causes us to drive back and forth multiple times a year. Therefore being an easy days drive to the border, specifically southern Texas, was key. This pretty much limited us to the central highlands, bajio, states of Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Michoacan, Aguascalientes and Jalisco. 
If we didn't have the distance restrictions I would certainly add Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas.
As I said, there are multiple options but they tend to start sorting out based on the above questions.
If you are interested, I did write an article, Mineral de Pozos:Magical Tranquility that talks about our decision and experiences.


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## chicois8

I bought a house 4 years ago 40 miles north of PV,it is so humid in the summer (even with a pool) that I just bought a 12 acre ranch near Dolores Hidalgo where it is cooler at around 6000' elevation. 5 years ago when I traveled around Mexico looking to retire I visited Merida for 18 days and looked at a lot of homes, it was March 18 th and 94 degrees, I mentioned this to the hotel clerk and he laughed and said" yea,94 degrees and its not the rainy season when the humidity will be 94 percent and 94 degrees Fahrenheit, also"...suerte


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## Ajijic Lady

We are in Merida as I type: it's been about 90 every day this week; though there's a sprinkle now and a breeze. Locals tell us this is the coolest time of the year....yikes!! We live in Ajijic year round and the weather is a major reason.

You will figure out what's best for yourself, after you do your homework. 

We started looking in San Miguel de Allende...too expensive and too cold in winter and airport is too far away from SMA. 

Went to Mazatlan.....to us, simply too hot/humid, but mostly we found it to be a most unfriendly place. The waiters, service workers and business owners IMO, treat you as someone who is here today, gone tomorrow. That's simply the nature of a tourist town. 

Then we came to Ajijic and knew THIS WAS IT. Weather, friendly locals and since Lakeside is geared towards Tapatios (what people from Guadalajara call themselves) who own lake houses and come out every weekend, and towards expats who live here either full-time, or return annually for months on end. There is not the toursit town metality as we found in Mazatlan, plus we live in the village of Ajijic and find we walk everywhere and live a healthier lifestyle. 

PS: We went to Mazatlan after some friends moved there; they stayed two years and left; they were thrilled when they bought to be so close to the ocean; but in the end they found it to be an unfriendly place, even as fulltime residents.


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## conklinwh

chicois8, in which direction outside Dolores did you buy-San Felipe, Gaunajuato, San Luis, San Miguel or sub-directions of Xococoxtle or San Diego de la Union? We live outside San Luis de la Paz at about 7500 feet.
Couple of additional thoughts:
-Most people seem to like where they picked in Mexico for lots of various reasons that are about as plentiful as the wonderful options.
-Not sure where the costly San Miguel comes from. We have a lot of artist friends that live very well for very little. Sort of depends on what you want and a great place for easy entry to Mexico.
-We are 5-10 degrees colder than San Miguel and find winters wonderful as typically 70's and sunny every day. Sort of learn to walk on sunny side of the street in the morning and shady afternoon.
-Airports are 1-2 hrs away but given that in places like Queretaro, San Luis Potosi & Guanajuato we always turn into an adventure.


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## SaraGrey

Yes, it's definitely hot here in Merida, and I get frustrated with the heat too....but I think it would be a shame to dismiss Merida as a place to live based on the heat. It is a beautiful city with many opportunities to experience culture. The people are friendly and the city is very safe. There are good hospitals and schools, and lots of good restaurants and shopping. The heat, while at time unpleasant, is doable.


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## dinamitra

*it is very hot and humid in Merida*

Hello,
Hope you are well. 
I have lived all over Mexico. The last 8 years on an island near Merida called Isla Holbox. Merida is beautiful and interesting for a couple of days. It is very hot and humid and noisy for me.
Take care
Mitra


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## tennisbum

chicois8 said:


> I bought a house 4 years ago 40 miles north of PV,it is so humid in the summer (even with a pool) that I just bought a 12 acre ranch near Dolores Hidalgo where it is cooler at around 6000' elevation. 5 years ago when I traveled around Mexico looking to retire I visited Merida for 18 days and looked at a lot of homes, it was March 18 th and 94 degrees, I mentioned this to the hotel clerk and he laughed and said" yea,94 degrees and its not the rainy season when the humidity will be 94 percent and 94 degrees Fahrenheit, also"...suerte


How far from PV is your new place in Dolores Hidalgo? My wife and I play a lot of tennis and that you usually have to go to an active club which is usually in the main beach areas....and we like to sail.....However, we are used to driving 30- 45minutes 3-4 times a week to do our playing here in Calif.....Can one get cooler in the highlands and still make it to the busier beach areas in 30-45 minutes?

Thanks, tennisbum


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## RVGRINGO

More like 4-5 hours, just to the Guadalajara area, depending on traffic. However; you can play tennis in the central highlands. No marinas, though.


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## tennisbum

RVGRINGO said:


> More like 4-5 hours, just to the Guadalajara area, depending on traffic. However; you can play tennis in the central highlands. No marinas, though.


Thank you RV ******......Tennisbum/Jerry


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## halfdome

We have lived in Ajijic for almost four years now and in a gated community. We have found that if you stay inside the gate it would be all ****** but you can get as much of Mexico as you desire by going outside the gates. We have chosen to spend most of our waking hours outside and have become an integral part of the Mexican community and especially since we spend much time in the village of Ixtlahuacan. Our immediate neighbors outside our "******" community are Mexican and so we hear the burros, roosters, cows, horses and all night fiestas on a regular basis and get the true flavor of Mexico. As far as cost of living we own our home outright and have managed to live comfortably on my social security. We only have to dip into our reserves depending on how much we want to travel.


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## Gupi

I'm currently in my second visit to Merida, checking it out. If you do want to try Merida, I suggest you rent for at least two seasons, one of which is an entire summer. I visited in June & July and found that the heat & humidity didn't bother me as much as I had expected, but I suspect it will be a much bigger problem when I experience it for months on end. 

Merida wasn't deserted in the summer, since it's a big city and not a coastal getaway. There were plenty of cultural activities. Now it's cool enough for me to wear a sweater after 6 PM and the outdoor evening activities have less attendance due to the "intense cold."

Re expenses: I've been looking at rents, tracking my utility use, and getting quotes on health insurance and such. For me, a naturally frugal person, it looks like my annual living expenses could be something like the following in USD:

Rent + utilities + trash collection + laundry service: $3630
Private health insurance + same amount of routine medical care I get in US: $1900
Transport (lots of bus and weekly taxi): $215
*Total:* $5745 per year, not including food, movies, clothing, etc.

The rent is based on US$200/mo for a simple 2 BR house in a pleasant Yucatecan neighborhood a 10-minute bus trip north of centro. You could easily pay more if you want a more US-style experience or lots more if you want to restore a colonial house. 

It also assumes frugal AC use and is based on the amount of AC I used during my summer visit, for an annual estimate of about $725. However, I use a lot less electricity than most people. For example, the previous tenant of the house I'm in now used almost 10 times more electricity during the same period last year, so a "normal" person might want to substantially increase my electricity estimate. 

I haven't been closely tracking my food expenditures but at the moment they seem to be slightly less than my US spending. I like to eat out, and restaurants that aren't cocinas económicas are only slightly cheaper than similar restaurants in the US Midwest. If you focus on buying ingredients instead of prepared food and cook mostly at home, you would likely spend less than you spend in the US.

Online, I've seen estimates of $1500/month for all expenses from people who own their homes, own cars, and have a more US-like lifestyle in Merida or the beach communities.


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## Gupi

I forgot an important utility in my estimates: $37/month for 2Mbps internet service from Cablemas. If you add TV to that, you'd pay more.


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## Sisalena

I've lived in Sisal Puerto, about 45 minutes from Merida, for 5 years now. I own my home outright, and my monthly expenses are approx. $25 every 2 months for electricity in the non-a/c using months, and approx. $120 every 2 months for electricity in the months that I use the a/c in the bedroom (with a 14,000 btu window unit). Trash pickup runs less than a dollar a month, as does the "potable" water. Cooking is with gas, and it costs approx. $30 to exchange a large tank, which lasts me almost 6 months. I spend about $100 a week for groceries/incidentals, and we eat out about once a week, which usually runs around $20 for 2 people. As Gupi said, if you buy raw ingredients and cook yourself, it's a lot less, but I'm a "lazy" cook and go for a lot of the prepared stuff from Costco! lol! I have an 8 cylinder truck, so gasoline is one of my major expenses, but since I keep my trips to Merida to just once a week, gasoline runs me about $75 a month. I don't have health insurance here, but the estimate given by Gupi is pretty much what I was quoted by my agent. I have Directv which runs $60 a month. Internet is with Telcel wireless and it's $45 a month. I no longer have a land-line telephone, and just use Telcel with the "Amigo" cards which vary from 100 pesos up to 500 pesos. I very rarely use that phone except for local calls, as I use Magic Jack on my computer to make calls to the States, so a 200 peso card will usually last me for over a month. I love living in Sisal, as it is so peaceful and tranquil and about the safest place on the planet! Merida is a very safe city to live in, and has a lot to offer its residents. It has great shopping centers and one of the best hospitals in Mexico. And housing prices - while on the increase - are still much more affordable than most other areas of Mexico. Good luck with your search. No matter which location in Mexico you ultimately choose, I'm sure you'll find the people to be warm and friendly.


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## chicois8

27th November 2010, 09:27 AM

Question: Do any of you responders remember that date?

Answer: It is the last time the original poster visited his post, almost a month and we keep giving answers to his question and he probably does not even log on any more...que lastima

Hopefully someone else can use the information...


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## RVGRINGO

I'll close the thread and let it sift to the bottom of the pile.


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