It seems to me that drinking at home is not any more about getting drunk than drinking in bars is- unless perhaps you happen to live alone or have no friends willing to call on you In Mexico more parties take place in people's homes than in bars- to the annoyance of some neighbors including me! But the focus of this thread is whether it's possible to live on 12000 pesos per month and economizing on drink whether in bars or not- for those who choose to drink- is part of the equation ____________________ Of perhaps greater importance than the cost of alcohol for retirees is the issue of cost and availability of medical care IMSS remains one of the best bargains in medical care available to retirees anywhere- being both comprehensive and inexpensive at just 3200 pesos per year for those 60 and over For a report of my own recent experiences using the system see- http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/living-cancun-riviera-maya/13624-medical-care-retirees-cancun.html ___________________
I mentioned renting a two bedroom apt for 2,500 pesos per month as part of a package that might allow you to live on social security here, but buying a modest priced place could put you in just as advantageous a spot and might, for some, represent a better way to go. After considerable searching, we found a condo which was priced right for us, and well situated in the center of town, which has a condo fee smaller than the budget for rent that I suggested in the original post. On the subject of cost of electricity, our bill for the last two months was 319 pesos, using two laptops much of the time, and all the usual home appliances plus a/c occasionally, for a few hours.
I guess y'all are presuming that the SS retiree wants to live in Cancun. I presently live in Veracruz, and I know from experience, that our costs are similar......BUT ....an SS retiree can live like a king in other parts of Mexico, and still enjoy the diversity of culture not found NOB. Unlike many of you who fell in love with Cancun and decided to live there, I have been to many many different cities and pueblos in Mexico where the people are friendly and there are no social hassles. Rent is like 3000 pesos a month for a 3 BR house....to buy the same is less than 500,000 pesos. Predial is always nothing, so no problem there. However, inland, there is no fideicomiso, and that could be significant for an SS pensioner. It all depends on what you're after....sun and surf?....you have to pay for that. But inland, things are a whole lot different....and much cheaper.
Without having had the experience of many other Mexican cities, what Windknot has said seems true to me. Last year statistics were released that showed Cancun´s cost of living was 105% that of Mexico City.
How would this compare to the cost of living in a place like Bucerias (North of Puerto Vallarta)? We have friends that winter in that area. I have also heard of an inland lake in the south where many Canadians and Americans retire. However, I think it is in a high altitude area with less than an ideal climate that gets quite cool in the evening. We have thought of retiring in Mexico. The concept of owning property in a "foreign" country does concern us though. Not that Mexico is likely to become another Cuba but heck, you never know.
Hey, B., it's not Mexico's Law or stability that I'm concerned about at this point, it's U.S. law. See, for example, http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/liv...365-u-s-fideicomiso-reporting.html#post384672 Further to the point, the U.S. refuses to extend extraterritorial benefits of its national health program for older Americans (Medicare), making it problematical for those with any health problems (and who doesn't have some, as they get older) to have adequate medical coverage- unless money is no object. IMSS in Mexico is an alternative, for those who enroll before they are burdened with pre-existing conditions, but those who use it know that it has a lower "quality ceiling" than they might find back home.
Whoa Whoa Wait a minute....did you say new pool tables? Last time I was in Cancun I had a very hard time finding a decent pool table. Are they 3 cushion tables or regular pocket coin op bar tables. Either way i will have to go check this place out. I will be there in 2 weeks, want to play a game? Pool is an addiction for me.... but a good one! Check out the links in my sig. Seriously though Life_N_Cancun, if you would like to play while I am down there let me know. Chris
Brewster, you're thinking of Lake Chapala. It is essentially an ex-pat area, and you will pay the same price for a house there, as you would for a comparable one in the States. Other services are similarly priced. There is also Guadalajara and San Miguel (de Allende) as other examples. So if you would like to retire in "Little America," these would be your choices. But in none of these places, could you retire on V's 12,000 pesos a month, unless you had sufficient start-up capital to buy a home. The climate is more "high desert," meaning that the days are hot, but drier than Cancun, and the nights are cool, but drier than Cancun. Less humidity means you do not feel the effects of heat and cold as much. So it is really quite comfortable in these areas...reminds me a little like So. California. V, I was going to take exception to your 105% thing, and then I realized you were talking about just Cancun. But as of a few years ago, Quintana Roo was #18 most expensive of all the States in Mexico. (Yes, I found that hard to believe too, but I think a lot has to do with the fact that your IVA is 5% less than most States) DF was #1, and Veracruz was #3.(We have unusually high real estate prices here....both to rent and to own)
We just dramatically lowered our gas consumption by purchasing an energy saving gas water heater at Home Depot. We bought the model unit and got a huge discount on it. I don't know if it would make that much of a difference for a smaller place but we have four showers, six sinks, and a washing machine that use it. It is also so much more aesthetically pleasing and compact than it's gas guzzling cousin.
Fruits, vegetables One of the good things about living here, aside from the very clean air, is that fruits and vegetables are usually available in good quantities and for prices that, more often than not, are very much lower than we would find at the same time of year in the states. Right now, the supermarkets are loaded with a wide choice of fruits and vegetables costing less than 10 pesos/kg, just about 40 US cents per pound.
