Not sure if this belongs here or Cancun info...sorry for double posting. ------------ Hi there; We're Canadians living in San Pedro Belize but we need to leave here because of the unreliable phones and internet and we're relocating to the Playa Del Carmen/Cancun area. We have one dog who will not be with us when we first travel up, but who lives with us as our family pet, and will join us after about a week. She does have references from previous landlords that she is quiet, friendly, gentle and does not destroy property etc. If anyone knows of a place that would be suitable please let us know - We will leaving Belize Friday to start our search and check what rentals we can find. Thanks very much
Houses, apartments, living Cancun Some observations about Cancun, which is the only place with which I have much experience in the area. Cancun is really two cities. On the island (hotel zone) are mainly hotels and luxury homes/apts, though some more modestly priced places do exist. I'm under the impression that there you would pay higher electric rates. Taxis cost a lot more. But, it's nearer the beaches. On the mainland, you will find a somewhat scruffy looking Mexican city, with lots of nice malls and large grocery/discount stores. Almost everything will be cheaper than on the island. There are a wide selection of rentals available, both houses and apts, with most, as Rivergirl pointed out in anther thread, coming unfurnished. Your choice of fully furnished places, in a condition that would satisfy most people, will be rather limited, I think. Taking time to look around, which will require the assistance of a Spanish speaking person, will be useful. Expect to have to pay in advance to secure the deal- three to six months rent, in many cases- unless the place is offered on a short term rental basis, in which case the rent will tend to be higher. The newspaper, and ads posted in the large stores, are a good source of leads. In responding to these ads, you will encounter some English speaking agents. They will tend to show you pricier places, but can help you get your feet wet in this market. Cancun city has good infrastructure, and access to a reasonable level of medical care; plus, easy access to an international airport, 30 min from the center of town. Two very attractive places to go for a break which are very nearby are Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres. If you have time, you can have a look at both while you're in this area. Good luck with your hunt! As for the other places you now have under consideration, perhaps those with first hand experience of life in those places will have something to add.
Playa del Carmen Here is what a poster to another forum had to say about Playa.... What I notice about this is that these prices are higher in every case from what I've experienced living in downtown Cancun (Benito Juarez Muni). Most noticeable is the much higher cost of electricity. Running one a/c an average of 20 hours/day; using a washer and dryer, doing three to four loads a week, we used 1,100 KWH of elec in the last two months which, at the rates we pay here in Cancun (tariff 1C), ends up costing about 600 pesos/month. Our telephone/internet/cable TV service, with Cablemas, costs just 500 pesos/month.
Some of those prices don't seem 100% on target...so I'll just correct them slightly We've seen studios in the tourist zone for around $4000 MXP. The prices for 1-bedrooms are pretty much on target, although the upper end is much, much higher than $8000 MXP. Also, you can find plenty of 2 bedroom places starting around $7500 MXP and of course going up from there. Electricity, yes, is higher Our Cablemas package (2 MB internet, cable TV) is only $469 MXP. But our package with a phone is only $599 MXP. These rates are current as of yesterday when I paid our bill Also, I checked out Telmex's packages last week and the 2 MB + phone is $599 MXP. The 4 MB internet and unlimited national calling package is $999 MXP. Oh, and welcome to Quintana Roo!!
First I have to say we met Coby and his wife last night and they are super friendly people...If everyone in Playa are like them then it must be the nicest place in the world. We managed to find a place today in Playa that we move into next Saturday and for the next week until then we'll be hanging out at the Royal Sands...if anyone wants to get in touch with us and say hi let me know We're glad to be up here in Mexico even tho we will miss some people from Belize and we appreciate everyone who took the time to add info to our posts in order to help make the transition easier. Now its time to get down to some spanish learning....mexican comic stores and sesame street here I come
