I have talked with several recent expatriates who are surprised at the daily cost of living in Mazatlan. It is not expensive by any standard to live here, but it is also not cheap. It's easy to be fooled into thinking Mexico is cheap, especially with the proliferation of travel books out there like "Mexico for $18 a Day". It is possible to live here for $18 a day, but you are probably not going to like it.
I have a cousin who lived in Mexico for a scant $500US a month. He lived in a hut on a remote beach with a few meager possessions: a hammock, a blanket, a pot, a pan, a few plates, cups, and forks, a change of clothes, and that's about it. He didn't even have walls. He fished for his meals. Honestly, most of his budget was beer money. While that may be a great, carefree adventure for a 20-year-old, it's not the way most of us want to live.
So, how much does it cost to live here? It really depends on what you buy and where you shop. Anything with a plug is going to cost more than in the US, especially recreational electronics like TVs, computers, and cameras. Some of the price difference can be mitigated by shopping in the right places, but when I had to replace my digital camera, I ordered it in the US and had a friend bring it down to me. A bottom-of-the-line, basic, point-and-shoot Sony camera was around $4,000MXN at Sam's Club.
Appliances are similarly expensive. A small refrigerator goes for about $8,500MXN. A washing machine at a large retailer will sell for $6,800MXN. I was in the high-end department store in town and saw a Kitchenaid stand mixer for $7,500MXN. That is a very extreme example, but, generally, you can plan on paying 40%-100% more for electrical items here.
Mass produced goods are also a little more expensive here. As you can imagine, this category covers a lot of ground. If you want to go to a store and buy furniture, clothes, shoes, a hammer, body wash, or curtains, it's going to cost you. The price of convenience foods can make you choke. A Healthy Choice frozen dinner will cost you about $70MXN.
Don't lose heart though. A lot of stuff is cheaper. You can go out and have a lovely dinner for the same price as the Healthy Choice frozen meal. Beer is cheap. In fact, at most places a Coke, a bottle of water, and a bottle of beer are all the same price. Quality entertainment like the live music or a folkloric ballet is very inexpensive.
If you actually cook, eating can be extremely inexpensive. When we were getting ready for our party a few days ago, we ran down to our local fruiteria for a few things. We got 3 bell peppers, 3 avocados, 9 jalapeños, 2 heads of garlic the size of your fist, 16 limes, 4 onions, a carrot, 4 cucumbers, 10 tomatoes, a tube of chorizo, and refried beans for $63MXN; that's about $6US. If you look at the recipe section, you'll see that we eat pretty well, and we spend less than $400MXN a week on food.
Shoes and clothes about killed me when we got here. They are very expensive. I thought we were going to be one of those couples that made annual trips back to the US just to go shopping. But once I got outside my comfort zone and really looked around, I found out the secret. If you want to go to a store and buy off the rack, it is pricey. But if you want to go to a seamstress and have your clothes custom made, clothes will cost you about the same as going to a store like Walmart in the US. You can have household items like curtains made inexpensively as well.
I was looking for sandals and couldn't find a decent pair for less than $300MXN until I walked into a small shop downtown. When I say small, I mean less than 8 feet wide. I got a great pair of all-leather, hand-made sandals for $60MXN.
Once you discover the possibilities of having things custom made, you can really save some money. I looked at a cheap, straw purse in Walmart for $200MXN. I had a leather purse that will last me for years to come custom made for $300MXN. We had a beautiful, solid wood desk hand built for Chuck for $6,000MXN, the same price as the pressboard, assemble-it-yourself desks in the stores.
The cost of labor is much cheaper here, so the cost of services is greatly reduced. A doctor's visit will cost about $200MXN. A Maid will run you about $150MXN a day. A one-hour massage is about $200MXN. Having your car detailed is about $60MXN.
Reduced labor costs also means it is feasible to have your things repaired when they malfunction. When your refrigerator, floor fan, or camera is broken, you don't throw it away. You call one of the many qualified repairmen in the city. For the first time in our lives, it is makes more economic sense to have Chuck's favorite boots resoled rather than buy a new pair.
Can you live here cheap? Yes. Would you want to? Probably not. But you can live much better here for less money - as long as you know what to buy and where to shop.
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|71.8.126.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s wglock - Huh??What is the conversion rate? How do I convert the MXN to US so that I get a better idea of what you are talking about. Also, that fish is HUGE!
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jennifer - Huh??Right now, we are getting about 10.83 pesos to the dollar, so $100MXN = $9.25USD,
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|75.87.149.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s abrihet - Job Opportunities in Mazatlanhello there,
i greatly enjoyed reading your story, thank you a million for taking the time to share this across the world! I am very curious if you can tell me, what were your job opportunities while living in mazatlan? were you able to find something that similarly matched your income in european or american states? lastly, were you able to find a good paying job because of skilled experience? thank you for your time and consideration in answering my questions!
A
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferIn my experience, the only job choices for foreigners are to sell time share or open your own business. We opened our own business. And no, the fees we charge do not match what we could charge in the States, but they do allow us to live a middle class life here.
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|131.191.25.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s Susan PierceWe just bought a house in Mazatlan and are looking for a good seamstress for curtains. Can you recommend someone?
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferThere is a good place to have curtains made at Luis Zuniga and Carvajal.
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|70.223.194.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s Joyce Hammer - Living and Retirely FrugallyJennifer, If two retirees wished to live in a quiet safe area, cook most meals, buy locally, and enjoy our retirement. I am very curious. /thank You
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferHi Joyce,
I think that maybe part of your question got cut off. Can you ask it again?
Jennifer
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|67.170.108.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s Kathy - Cost of LivingHi Jennifer,
My husband and I are considering a move to Matzatlan in 22 months and are wondering about apartment cost. We met Americans there who are living in apartments for $600.00 US per month but I'm curious what $600.00 buys you. We loved the old part of town, do you have any ideas on where we should look and what a typical rent fee would be?
Thank you.
Kathy Anthony
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferHi Kathy,
Rents vary a lot depending on where you want to live and if you are looking for a furnished place and how furnished you want it. You can get a two bedroom apartment fully furnished for $500-$700 in centro. If you want an ocean view, you will pay another $200-$300 a month for that. An unfurnished place (which can mean no stove, cabinets, water heater, or lighting fixtures) can be had for $150-$500. We are paying about $350 for our place. It is unfurnished, but came with stuff like cabinets and water heater. We bought our stove.
Go over to www.noroeste.com.mx and have a look in the classifieds. That will give you a pretty good idea. Also, you will have a better selection of places and the rents will be better if you look in the summer.
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