New to Expat Forum, many question here...

Sound a bit low to me. But it really depends on what life style you choose to lead. I know folks who live here in Rosarito on twice that amount fairly comfortably.

MecheDallas wrote:

Girlfriend just retired and moved to Rosarito Beach from Los Angeles real estate /banking rat race 20 days ago... Loves it... found small apt for $250 Mo and tells me I can live well with $750 mo... Is this realistic / true???  Sounds too good to be true... She wants me to join her there.  Since I can retire early last quarter of 2018, wondering what ya'll think??

I think you should take a mini vacation and go see what she is talking about. Nice little break from the routine, and you can see for yourself.
I'm sure there is a hostel or airb&B where you can stay  for a reasonable cost and you can look around pressure free. She can show you around and you can think about it.

Sound advice... TY 😎

TY for insights 😎

I live on less than that.  I don't drink, don't pay more than 60-80 Pesos for a meal.

I live in CIUDAD JUAREZ AND HAVE A 2 BEDROOM APT AND PAY THE SAME 250 plus utilities. people r super friendly here. and even tho i dont understand mexican spanish, they do understand my castillian spanish. and those i so associate with speak english so life is good.

Every time I read posings about how far my money will go I have to wonder why anyone would bother asking.  All you need to do is ask yourself cause nobody on a forum has an answer.

Same goes for rent.  Often times it's cheap and it should be for what you're getting.

I'm in my 6th rental in my three years in this pueblo.  There's always a problem and the cost of the rent was never one of them; barking dogs, screaming neighbors, crooked landlords. cars with megaphones, cucarachas. brownouts, over-saturated Internet connection street-corner boxes. 

If you want to live as a typical local it's cheap indeed. 

Analyze yourself.   Take my wicked son as an example.  He smokes a pack a day, that about $150 a month.  He drinks a six a day, that's about $200 a month.  He drives a race car that gets about 2 gallons per mile.  He's wasteful with food, throws out more than he eats. 

Being at peace with yourself is the key to living well on very little.   Give me an Internet connection a pound of coffee per month, a few tacos per day, food for my animals and I'm cool.  I don't make long distant phone calls.  Don't need new toys, drive a motor scooter that gets about a thousand miles per gallon.   Don't have much of a bucket list as I've already lived in 15 countries.  Best of all I'm single.  My SS is less than 700usd and I usually have a hun or two left over.  I'm happy.   Now if they cut off my SS I'd wilt like a lily out of water, probably take a swan dive off a bridge..

I need more coffee, tacos, and beer than that, otherwise I am good.

Sounds great, but the income requirements scare me....more than $2500 a month for a couple....it means neither of us alone would qualify to move there. My SS is only $1200 his will be about $1500...we will just make enough to qualify
I had no idea when we started planning our move...

Jasmine,If you will be in the Baja area I would not worry about that.You can get by without it.Also if needed you could get a part time job in San Diego and that would boost your income level up.Then once you have your residency you could quit the job. To move to Baja is the easiest way to live in Mexico.

According to the consulate www site, financial requirement for temporary visa is $1100 per month per person and permanent visa is $1800, for the prior six months and without liens (not sure if that means gross or net with taxes).  There are some ways around that if you can show investment statements with certain amounts.

jamesr3939 wrote:

I need more coffee, tacos, and beer than that, otherwise I am good.

Me too  Heat in my house, a roof over my head are nice things, but an occasional steak; money for the aspirin because I drank too many beers and ate too many tacos.  Too funny.

I LIVE IN ROSARITO...
DO IT

Hi Jonny D.,
I am very interested to hear more about the place you live and how you manage to live on such a low budget.
What made you decide to live there...what is on offer?
Is there a bit of a mix of expats?
I will also have to stay within a small budget and have not been to Mexico in more than 20 years.
I am trying to make contact with expats to get a better picture about daily lifes as this seems to be the only way to plan my route and being better informed.
Would you be happy to share some info and your view and experience in other areas of Mexico?
Greatly appreciated.
Hasta luego
Louis

Hi Louis,
Johnny has moved on to a different forum. So you will have to chat with us . Hopefully we can help you. Some things are truly not what they seem. We will do our best to help you sort that out.   

Hi Travellight,

thanks for that... appreciate any help. Please give me some of your thoughts!
Thanks
Louis

Louis Lane wrote:

Hi Travellight,

thanks for that... appreciate any help. Please give me some of your thoughts!
Thanks
Louis

Well Louis give me the questions and I will see what I can do. There are numerous topics in the older posts that might interest you. Lot's of valuable thoughts. there 

Hi travellight,

thanks for your reply.
My purpose coming to Mexico is to see if I want to settle down here.
I have lived in many countries and need to find a new location to bond with a place.
I like to make new contacts with people living in Mexico and it would be helpful for me to get some info,
how they experiencing their life there without going too deep into too personal things.
Travel is expensive and in my case honest reliable information from people in a similar situation would be helpful to me and greatly appreciated.
Have not been to Mexico in such a long time and looking so forward to coming back.
I will ask you a few questions and hope you'll answer back.
How long have you been living in the place where you at and what do you like about it.
Did you find it easy to find a new circle of friends, expats, like minded people...as in real friends...no cyber buddies?
Do you live there because you want to the lifestyle and are you happy or is it for financial reasons?
Which places in Mexico did you not like to live and why?
I do love Mexican people and can easy connect, love the music...however is there also a good music scene as far as rock n roll goes, I know might sound super silly/stupid but plays a big role in my life.

I'm not very much into super touristy places, however would love to be able to have choices for laid back, simple outings. I'm not a fancy girl...so high class shops and costco don't interest me,lol.
Good, healthy, simple food and good company is what I enjoy and as said before music!

If you don't mind me asking...are you working, retired? How would you or others you know spend a typical week?
I am not retired and won't be for a long time. Is there a good support group in your opinion with foreigners living in Mexico and if yes...is it easy enough to get in?

Well, give me your thoughts,
that would be cool.

Cheers Louis

Louis Lane wrote:

Hi travellight,

thanks for your reply.
My purpose coming to Mexico is to see if I want to settle down here.
I have lived in many countries and need to find a new location to bond with a place.
I like to make new contacts with people living in Mexico and it would be helpful for me to get some info,
how they experiencing their life there without going too deep into too personal things.
Travel is expensive and in my case honest reliable information from people in a similar situation would be helpful to me and greatly appreciated.
Have not been to Mexico in such a long time and looking so forward to coming back.
I will ask you a few questions and hope you'll answer back.
How long have you been living in the place where you at and what do you like about it.
Did you find it easy to find a new circle of friends, expats, like minded people...as in real friends...no cyber buddies?
Do you live there because you want to the lifestyle and are you happy or is it for financial reasons?
Which places in Mexico did you not like to live and why?
I do love Mexican people and can easy connect, love the music...however is there also a good music scene as far as rock n roll goes, I know might sound super silly/stupid but plays a big role in my life.

I'm not very much into super touristy places, however would love to be able to have choices for laid back, simple outings. I'm not a fancy girl...so high class shops and costco don't interest me,lol.
Good, healthy, simple food and good company is what I enjoy and as said before music!

If you don't mind me asking...are you working, retired? How would you or others you know spend a typical week?
I am not retired and won't be for a long time. Is there a good support group in your opinion with foreigners living in Mexico and if yes...is it easy enough to get in?

Well, give me your thoughts,
that would be cool.

Cheers Louis

Well Louis,

let's see, I have been in Mexico 6 years, the last 5 here. Why Campeche ? Well I was initially looking for some place near water and much more local than a gated American transplant. The more I found out about the area, the more interested I became. It's a historical city, and a non grandiose  capital of the state of Campeche. I looked at numerous places and ruled out many because of heavy tourism, cost, and a less native environment.  Campeche was not the only city I considered, another choice might have been  Chetumal. Now Campeche is the base camp I travel from and return to.

I'm retired . I retired as early as I could because I hated what was happening with my profession. Some places like Merida are popular and they have support  groups. So perhaps that would interest you.  There are a number of beach towns .  Quickly eliminated cities due to access, and or tourism were PV, Mazatlan, veracruz, and much of the baja. Love Cancun but didn't stay there long because tourism is it's middle name and I can handle only so much of that., I do visit once or twice a year though. I also visit many tiny beach cities. like Sisal. Places I have just barely glanced at are know cartel spots.

My friends here are pretty much native, I have seen some expats,and europeans, and I know a couple of them, but they are more isolated here. Some are students at the universities here in town. What do I do all week ?    What don't I do ? Mexico keeps one very busy if you choose a native life. My closest friend is bilingual and I have been out to see crops with him often because he is involved in agriculture. He has shown me many interesting little towns and how the people live here. We travel together often Another newer friend is a retired physicist. Around the corner is a retired oncologist. Lots of interesting people.

Hi Travellight,

thank you so much for your reply.
This is all very useful information I am after.
It sounds like you really like your area.

I don't have any further questions at the moment,
happy to stay in touch if you like?

Have a nice day
Louis

Glad my thoughts were helpful Louis,
Touch base any time and I will help if I can.

Will do,
cool...thank you

You can cut that $2500 a month in half if you buy/own a house before applying for residency.

Hi Jimmy,

can you please clarify...
cutting requirements to support yourself in half...if you buy/own a house out of Mexico or in Mexico?
Is/was this your own experience?
Which area do you live in and how long?
What made you move there?

Which were places you might have spent some time, but they were not right for what reasons?
I'm sort of trying to find places that might suit my needs...but am on a budget and by myself, which makes the process more expensive and I appreciate any
Info shared.
I can not see myself living in a huge city again, more after a smaller, laid back place...
not interested in boutiques or costco,
but love a great community, music esp. rock n blues, good,healthy,cheap food and good company.
Simple entertainment available not too far away and caring, supportive people.
Yeah, I'm not asking for a lot, lol.
Can you please share some thoughts?
Thanks
Louis

Ms Lane......
You can not become a permanent resident of Mexico without an income!
The exception is if you have already made and saved up a large sum of money.
Living on a budget implies however that you have not.
You can however stay in Mexico for up to 180 days on a tourist visa.
I came to Mexico several times on a tourist visa before deciding to live here permanently.
I bought a property on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico 15 years ago and have become a permanent resident since then.

Thanks Jimmy,

I think you might have misunderstood my question, but that's fine.
My visa is sorted as I do have an income.
Living within a budget to me doesn't mean one is broke,lol.
I only thought there might be an aspect I been unaware of...when you mentioned the house factor.
Sorry for this misunderstanding and thanks for your reply.

Cheers
Louis

Well where I am there is quite a large non Mexican population.
Chelem is a small (5K) fishing village, 3 miles from a larger town,
Progreso (50K) and 20  miles from the state capitol Merida (1M).
So anything and everything you desire is within a 45 minute drive.
Including an international airport.

Hi Jimmy,

thanks for sharing...that sounds awesome!
I will have a look what info I can find on net, greatly appreciate your reply.

Have a lovely weekend.
Louis

Hi Louis, since Australia is not close to Mexico may I suggest you come as a visitor on a 180 days FMM and visiti, visit and visit then decide whether or not to move and where.

My wife and I came to Mexico the first time in 1993 and loved it but traveled in other countries until we retired in 2003 then 10 years of RVing in Mexico, USA and Canada (visits, visits, more visits).

We finally settled in La Peñita de Jaltemba renting, 2 streets from ocean, all amenities (stores, fish/meat markets, doctors/hospitals, commute systems, Etc...) at walking distance. Airport in Puerto Vallarta 80km.

Monthly budget around 35000$ pesos/2 person all included (rent 9K$, healthcare 2K$, food/alcool, restaurants, etc...), we don't have a vehicle.

Below is a link about our community and surrounding others.
http://explorenayarit.com

Adios y buena suerte en su proyecto. GyC.

Hola Mexicogc,

thank you so much for your thoughts and info.
I will have a look at your area, I appreciate you gave me some numbers too.

I do not want to put too much personal stuff on this forum site, as this would be too boring for other readers. I invite you and your wife to get in touch on my personal email ***
if you like.
Thank you so much for the link provided.
Have a lovely weekend.
Cheers
Louis

Hi Jimmy,

I had a "look" at the area you talked about and am very interested to learn a little more about it.

If I am not taking up too much of your time, only,

could we please communicate via email?

***

If you're feeling, there's nothing more to share, I understand and thank you so much for what I've learned so far.

Cheers
Louis

Well I tried to send you an email but it said...... The message was not sent because of an error with the address!  (of which I had copied and pasted)

Try again. I think I got the login straightened out. Thanks.

Louis Lane wrote:

Hola Mexicogc,

thank you so much for your thoughts and info.
I will have a look at your area, I appreciate you gave me some numbers too.

I do not want to put too much personal stuff on this forum site, as this would be too boring for other readers. I invite you and your wife to get in touch on my personal
if you like.
Thank you so much for the link provided.
Have a lovely weekend.
Cheers
Louis

Hi Louis,

The forum asks that people  not include personal information on the forum , information like email addresses. Use the message option to provide more private information.  thanks

I suppose we would IF we could figure out how to do it on this site!

Hi Jimmy,

sorry about that.
A lady from this forum also had problems at first...I really don't know why?

Here's it again...I hope it'll will work.
***

I do have a few questions and don't think it would be too interesting for other people on this forum,
that's why I suggested my email.

Hope you'll give it anoyher shot.
I saw, my last post was changed with arrows between 8 and gmail, which is incorrect. No arrows...just the at symbol on No 2 key...maybe you can't paste it and just need to type in address.

Thanks Jimmy,

Cheers
Louis

ty for the honesty i know the grass is always greener until u get there. giving baja some thought will have to visit to be sure but living on SS in the US is a joke i just dont want to go hungry in my final chapter ty again for the insight every place has its problems.

how long have u lived in risarito can u give me pros n cons? ty seriously considering a move down to baja