Family from California looking for friends

Hello,we are a greek family of 4 who lives in uruguay 4 years ago and we want to move to mexico-merida this year maybe in december.When we arrive we will be glad to meet you.
thanos
PS.I would like to ask you about the medical system in mexico.I have no idea how is the cost and how works the system.If you like inform me.
thanks

Great to meet you.   The medical here is decent.   I know there is a medical insurance here but I do not personally use it. They have small medical clinics here open to the public that we will use from time to time.  Basically an ear, nose / throat specialist or basic MD that runs about 5 USD per visit.   Anything that is specialized seems to be about 50 usd per visit.  I am sure there are cheaper ones but that has been what we found and what we are comfortable with.   For the most part we have found the same quality of medical service that we are used to in the states for about half the cost.  Just have to get used to paying cash vs. billing the insurance company.

Craig

Thank you very much for your replay because still now i have no idea for many thinks in the mexico.I have a boy of 13 and a 3 months baby.Hopefully will be there in december to meet you.

if you need anything at all just let me know.   We have a 12 and 13 year old.  Our 18 yr old just moved back to the usa for university.  We have learned a lot about schools.  The schools here are very good.

Take care

Great!!!
Public or private schools and how cost?My son speaks very good spanish and he understand english well.
thank you
thanos

Our children are in private schools.   I understand that the public or gov schools are good but I do not think they are avaialble to expat children. 

       We send our children to Del La Salle which is a Catholic school.    Spanish is a must there.   Took my kids a couple of trys to get in there since they are still picking up Spanish.  there is also an american school which tends to attract  lot of expat families.    I like that but I do not think they where they ought to be academically.  We like la salle as they are internationally known.

  You can expect to pay about 275 to 300 usd per moth for school plus registration fees of 3-500 usd.   There are schools that are less expensive. My nephews who are from here attend Boston school, which is also Catholic but it is about half of what we pay.

   The majority fo schools are bilingual with both english and spanish.

Thank you for your replay.All this  informations that you are sending me are so usefull.What about with legal resident papers?As greeks i know that we don't need visa but if we want to live permanetely there we need cedula?here in uruguay there is an imigration agent to do all these.
thanos

I am not sure if there is a special arrangment with Greece.  Your plane ticket her will come with a 6 month tourist visa.  In Mexico your children will need legal status through what they call a FM3 in order to get in to any of the schools.  The FM3 is pretty easy to obtain.  It cost about 120 usd per year per person. you just need to show that you have an income to support your family, passport from your home country, etc.

Thanks again

hi Craig,
We want to rent a house not an apartement.how does it cost with 2-3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.And how does it cost the life there because is a vacation place.We are thinging also to move to Merida.have you ever been there?how much money do you believe we need monthly including a private school for my son only,rent house etc.2000 is enough
thanos

I love Merida, but I love being close to the Caribbean sea more.  My wife and I are toying with the idea of going to Merida when the kids are all grown up.

   By Mexican standards, Cancun is the most expensive.  You can get an apt here for about 350.00 USD per month in a decent area.   Schools will run you about 150.00 to 350.00 per month per child depending on the school.   I pay 65 dollars for cable and 65 dollars for phone/ internet but you can defiantly spend less.  Propane for cooking runs me about 25 dollars a month and water is about 15 bucks a month.  It is easy to get around so you dont really need a car.

  If we are talking 2k USD you can live here for sure.  No lie.  Your dollar will go much further in Merida. Merida has a reputation for being one of the cleanest cities in Mexico, they have more cultural events than any other city in the world, people in the yucatan are super friendly.  A lot of people there speak english.   You will be closer to the Gulf of Mexico which is about 20 minutes away in Progresso.

    My wife has cousins here and we are familiar with the schools from when we lived her in 2003, so that is why we chose Cancun.  I have no negative things to say about Merida.  I love it!!  We go there 1-2 times a year.  Ok I do have one issue with Merida but it is a small one.  The streets are numbered kind of crazy.  It is funny.  it goes like from 95th ave to 127th.  Seems like when they numbered the streets they had a few beers first.  LOL but that is the only thing.

Craig

p.s.- check out this page on FB for more info on Merida.  It is not my page but this guy post a lot of useful stuff on Merida.
facebook.com/YucatanLiving

Craig thank you.
You help me a lot with your informations.We will keep in touch
Thanos

Hi,

We are a family of 3 soon to be 4, my family and I moved to Cancun last april. We have a son he's 11 and he also goes to De La  Salle school.  We would like to meet some friends

wow.  another de la salle family.  go figure.  We would love to meet your family.  Our 18 year old graduated last july from de la salle prep and is now in college in Virginia.  Our 12 and 13 yr old are at de la salle secondaria now.

Hi Craig.  Thanks for the info you've shared thus far about schools in Cancun.  We are a family of 3 with a 3 year old girl.  We're considering a move to Mexico or Belize and schooling for our daughter is obviously a determining factor.  We love Isla Mujeres.  It seems to offer a lot of the beauty of Cancun with a little less of the commercialization, but in my search it doesn't appear there are many schools to choose from on Isla. Do you happen to know if this is the case?  Thanks.

Isla Mujeres is very nice.   It is not to big.  You can circle the island in a golf cart in aobut 20 minutes.   There are schools there, but I am not too familar.  My wife cousin is from there and the next time we see him I will ask him what he can tell me.

    Great point about the commercialization of Cancun.  We have thought about moving to isla mujeres or Playa Del Carmen for the very same reasons.  My only challenge with Isla is that it is very removed from everything.   They have small markets, etc but no major grocery stores.  My wifes cousin says that what he likes about it.  I guess being from the states, I like my Costco, Wal Mart and big chain grocery stores. 

   I will see what I can find out about the schools.  If you like living in a small community, then Isla is great.  The only thing is that you will want to consider how often you have to go to the mainland so to speak.  It cost about 14 dollars US to go each way on the ferry.  If you do not have to go back and forth for work then it may work out really nice for you.

Craig

Good point. Honestly I haven't lived in a small community for a VERY long time, so I think I'd need to spend some time there before making any "permanent" committments.  The ferry is more expensive than I thought it would be.  That's a big consideration.  My husband and I are not ready to retire (I wish)so we would likely look at starting a business there (my husband is a general contractor)...which brings me to my next question (one which I will likely post) with respect to starting a business in Mexico. Lots to consider. Thanks again for your help.

Hi Craig,

My 18 year old son recently moved down with me and I am looking for venues for him to meet some peers.  Any ideas?

Nemo

Hi Craig,

My 18 year old son recently moved down with me and I am looking for venues for him to meet some peers.  Any ideas?

Nemo

Hey Nemo.   My son just moved back to the states for college but comes home to Cancun every chance he can break away.

I will have to ask my son for some ideas.  My son made a lot of friends here when he went to high school here.  There are a lot of youth activities here, I am just not in the loop on what they are.   I do have a 19 year old niece here and I will ask her as well.

Craig

Hi Craig...!
Hope you are doing good. I am Simon from Tanzania.
I am working in a tourist hotel within the city of Arusha,
I am doing auditing and accounting, My family are of six,
With two boys and two girls. I am writing these with response to your request.
Craig, I would like to wish you and your family a wonderful Sunday
Simon.

Hi!I'm Agnes... from Philippines. We are looking for a good family friend. I have a small business at home and my husband is a public teacher in our place. We have no kids and still hoping for that grace to come. We have one adapted girl named Arian Pearl from the Orphanage and she would be very much happy if she can find many friends to chat and to meet. Hope you're doing fine!
God Bless..

Note: you can add me to be friends thru this email add...
xxxx

Thank you very much!

Family from Uganda in East Africa,
We are a family of six looking for white friends.