Our Real Monthly Expenses in Mexico - August 2024 Ep11

[@AandFBeyond]

Thanks for watching! What’s the biggest expense in your monthly budget, and how do you manage it? We’d love to hear your tips and experiences!

[@martharisinger2000]

I moved to México six years ago. I bought a home from a family member for 480k, a truck for 60k. I feel you pay way too much monthly. I work from home and have Mexican medical care. And it is free and good. I live in a small town in Durango. I do have a Costco and Sams club within 15 min drive. My husband is Mexican and gets a pensión from México. I beca me a citizen 4 years ago. I really enjoy my life here with local People. Living in a expat communtiy is very expensive. Good luck to you all. My numbers are in pesos. ❤

[@AandFBeyond]

@@martharisinger2000 Thank you for sharing your story! It’s wonderful to hear how you’ve built such a fulfilling life in Durango. Living in a smaller town and being part of the local community sounds like a great way to truly experience Mexico. We definitely agree - expat communities can be more expensive, especially in popular destinations like San Miguel. We’ve been here for over 15 years, and while our costs reflect our current lifestyle and business needs, we’re always curious to hear how others are managing their budgets. Your perspective is a great reminder that there are so many ways to make life in Mexico affordable and enjoyable!

[@maniizz]

Yes, a video about loans and mortgages to buy property in Mexico please 🙏

[@AandFBeyond]

We’ll work on it! Thanks for the comment.

[@TheTwoTravelersInMexico]

We pay 50 USD every 2 months for electric. We have a skype number in the U.S. for credit card companys which we pay 67 USD a year and we can receive texts on it too. We pay about 80 USD for LP gas but that lasts us 6 months. Whoever does you editing is really good. -Marc

[@AandFBeyond]

Thanks for the comment, Marc! Great point about Skype-we actually have one too but forgot to add it to our total. It’s super convenient, especially for handling things like bank verifications. That said, we recently ran into an issue when we got a Capital One card-they wouldn’t accept Skype for verification. The frustrating part was we specifically got the card for the free introductory points, but it took us three months to sort it out, and by then, the introductory period had ended, so we missed out on the points. 😞 Glad to hear about your affordable LP gas and electric bills, though! And thanks for the kind words on the editing-we really appreciate it! We do our own, and it’s really hard work!

[@maniizz]

Also, could you please do a video about transporting pets with a company? I have 2 rescue doggies, mom and pup, they are very timid and anxious to travel by plane, I think. Thank you!!

[@AandFBeyond]

That’ll take a little research, but let’s see what we come up with.

[@MariE-go7ol]

I have two cats and just not sure how to get them to Mexico. I consider driving from the Bay Area but afraid to drive on the highways and wonder if there are caravans that go together or hire a travel mate to ride with me . I typically would never be afraid of such a thing but I fear the cartel on the highways.

[@AandFBeyond]

@ there are ways to bring pets into mexico in a relatively straightforward way. Our recommendation for driving down from the border if you are unfamiliar, is to start early, stick to the main highways and toll roads and stay relatively close to other vehicles.send us an email, and we can arrange a call.

[@alannahprestaynofbraavos5759]

Thanks for the information! I would be interested in hearing about mortgages from US banks for properties in Mexico.

[@AandFBeyond]

Ok. Thanks for the feedback! We’ll add it to our list of videos.

[@ncgirl454]

You can transport your phone number to Google Voice

[@AandFBeyond]

Thanks. We will try it!

[@MariE-go7ol]

I live in SF Bay Area, single and own a small house. My electric bill is around $80-$100.

[@AandFBeyond]

Hey, not bad! We remember when our electric vill was under $20 in SF

[@jamescadzow9545]

Great video guys I really enjoyed it. I would definitely cancel your American heath insurance, it's not necessary the hospital's here are great and they're very inexpensive. Having a US phone number is not nostalgia it's fear of letting go of the past, it's all in your head just let it go. Your father could learn the new number. For banks I just use my sisters number in the states for verification. Banks are cracking down on this and I refuse to pay extra for a US number just for a bank. I have lived in Cabo San Lucas since 2022. Our electricity bills in the summer are outrageous here. I've been paying on average 20,000 pesos every 2 months so $520 a month for 6 months straight. CFE this is the mafia out here they charge based on where you live not so much on how much you consume. If you live in a more affluent neighborhood you're going to pay more money for your electricity versus if you live in the ghetto. It's like reverse racism and they get away with it because they're the only game in town. I'm in the process of building another home here and I'm going to be ordering solar panels from China so I don't have to deal with this in the future. I want to be completely independent and self-reliant from CFE because electricity is only going to go up in the future. I'm also going to be building the house with ICF block construction versus concrete block. This cools down the home entirely and reduces the interior humidity greatly. The propane is relatively inexpensive about $180 which lasts 6 months. High speed Internet through Tellmex is $35 a month, which includes Netflix. Tellcell Mobile is $30 a month for 8 GB a month. We have a Costco and we spend about $1,000 a month on food. Water is $150 a month due to the water shortages in Cabo. The city does bring us enough water for our cistern so we have to get private water and that is expensive $100 for 16,000 liters. Cabo is probably the most expensive city in all of Mexico though. I love it we get 350 days of sun and the average temperature is 84. The beaches are some of the most amazing beaches in the world. It's truly a special place. The people are amazing no matter if you have money or not everyone is happy and very peaceful here.

[@AandFBeyond]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment and for sharing your experience! Cabo sounds incredible, but wow-those electricity bills are intense! 😅 Your plan to go solar and use ICF construction is super smart, especially with costs only going up. We’re definitely taking notes! As for the U.S. insurance and phone, we appreciate the perspective. Letting go of those ‘just in case’ ties can be tough, but we’re working on it! 😊 Love hearing how much you enjoy life in Cabo-it really does sound like a special place. Thanks again for watching and sharing your tips!

[@reginaihernandez8901]

Thank you for sharing!

[@AandFBeyond]

Of course! Thanks for watching. We hope it was helpful!

[@davidetrevinot]

I think is a great idea talking about US mortgages to buy property in Mexico. Thanks

[@AandFBeyond]

Thanks for the feedback! We will add it to your list of videos to make.

[@49Lika50]

Great info, as always. Dawn and I have not sold our home on Maui yet (the market has slowed dramatically in 2024), but as soon as we do close, we will make our move to our home at Capilla de Piedra. I do have an initial budget set up, but I'm sure that will evolve once we are there and get a sense of our actual expenses.

[@AandFBeyond]

Hey, thanks for the comment. We really appreciate it. Yeah, right now home sales seem to be slow everywhere, even in San Miguel. Budgeting for a new place is tricky! We hope our videos will help you refine your budget as you prepare for your big move!!

[@TrekkingwithDebandMike]

Great information. We love Mexico and wouldn't know where to settle down.

[@AandFBeyond]

Glad it was helpful! Stay tuned as we explore different places to live in Mexico and beyond.

[@deebee2603]

Your expenses are higher than I would have thought - especially for food! Has inflation affected food costs much in SMA?

[@AandFBeyond]

Yes, big time! It's especially bad for people earning pesos. We bough a papaya yesterday for $135 pesos. That's almost $7 USD! On the other hand, our favorite apples, the "Cosmic Crisp" are about half what they cost in the States.

[@RickyArce-t8k]

Do you have a car? That wasn’t mentioned or in the budget for insurance or maintenance or gas

[@AandFBeyond]

Thanks for your question! Yes, we do have a car, but we weren’t very clear. Towards the end of the video, we mentioned '$334 on transportation to Mexico City,' which included car-related expenses. This month, that covered car insurance, gas, and tolls for the trip. Good catch, and we’ll be sure to clarify it better next time! BDW, we didn't clarify that on our upcoming September monthly cost-of-living video either, but we'll add it to future videos.

[@izzarchron]

Overall it is to cheap compare what I pay in NYC

[@AandFBeyond]

We can only imaging what NYC costs! Thanks for your comment.

[@maniizz]

In Central Coast California too, I pay $2500 rent for 700sq ft with utilies included, but I have a nice patio and huge garage.