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How far does $2,300/ mo. stretch these days?


joanne

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 I get $2,300/ mo. in reliable, US gov't. income. I have pretty frugal tastes in most things. Would need a health insurance policy or IMSS.

I would have a vehicle. A  casita or small house (not too far away from most amenities) would do for housing.

Very subjective topic I know, but is it possible to have a pretty decent lifestyle there these days with my current income?

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I know someone here who lives on just over $700 a month, no car, IMSS (I think), owns her house.  Lives in Joco.  Single woman.

I live in west Ajijic, have a car, no health insurance other than Seguro Popular which I have never used, rent.  $1500 a month is about what I spend average over a year (single male).

It will take about a year to figure out how things work and where to live and buy stuff.  Lots of Gringo places here for the Snowbirds, lots more for the permanent people that are a lot cheaper.

You can be an "American" down here and pay more than necessary or go "Mexican" and live a lot cheaper, or somewhere in between.  I'm in the "in between" bunch.

 

 

 

 

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I saw a gingo, a couple of years ago, buy two small sacks of groceries at SuperLake for 1500 pesos (when pesos were 13:1).  All he had were canned goods and prepared stuff from the States--soup, pickles, chili, Hamburger Helper, etc. I just about fainted. You don't even have to shop conservatively and you can avoid food bills like the guy I saw.

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Most couples I know live well on less than $2,000 a month.  Nice spacious houses rent for $600 a month.  Food`s inexpensive. So you go from there. To me, living on $2,300 sounds like high living.

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The biggie is medical care. It is hard to get private medical insurance here when you are older, and preexisting conditions are excluded. There are 2 public programs, IMSS and Seguro Popular, for which you can sign up. Seguro Popular is free. But, a lot of us have a private physician, heart specialist, etc. And, a lot of us pay for routine Rx drugs each month.

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Boomers has a new comprehensive policy with WEA that is a little over $100US a month, $2500US deductible with age up to 74.  If you have the policy when you turn 75, it will continue.  Some exclusions if you aren't basically healthy or exclusions for one year.

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A friend, a single guy, was unconscious, so friends had ambulance take him to San Javier. A few days later the bill was $50,000 USD and the hospital would not release him until someone coughed up the money. His friends, who had signed for him, appealed to his family and they finally raised the money. The longer he was in the hospital the more the bill increased. This kind of thing is more common than you'd think.

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They cant keep you in the hospital, watch out and never sign anything you dont understand.  Some may not want to pay an attorney to be there but Ive sprung more people from hospitals than jails. 

 

Tomas they do block you, they say you can leave until you get your pass and no pass unless you pay your bill, then you need your attorney and balls and calling the police and your doctor to transport you.  Check prices and talk to your doc before you need to be admitted to avoid surprises and there are ranges of hospitals with some being cheap and basic and others fancy although fancy isnt a guarantee they wont kill you like the others and leave your heirs with a big bill. 

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I don't drink, and my wife and I do not eat many dinners out of the home.  we operate two cars , Both are in IMSS and have received excellent health care. (there are many opinions on this , but  older people die in hospitals) .....  We have Sky TV, Internet & phone service.  Live in a 2Br 2 bath  newly remodeled house   in Chapala.  We do not want for anything, We spend on the average less than $2,000 usd per month (includes some charity to the poor)

 

 

 

 

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$2300 is plenty for a single person to live comfortably in this area. There are many places available to rent in the $600 range, especially in Chapala and the other lakeside villages. Ajijic can be more pricey, but not prohibitive.  Can he rent a hacienda style place in the Racquet Club or similar areas?  Probably not, but that's not what we're talking about.

The scary comments about IMSS and SP are just that.  I know a number of people who have been happy with their treatment and are alive to tell the tale. Not only that, a healthy person can comfortably pay out of pocket for their doctor visits and drugs since medical care is inexpensive here, relative to the U.S.  I would advise signing up with some kind of health insurance coverage "just in case" of something serious happening.

Even (gasp) lawyers are not unaffordable if you need one.

The one hurdle we haven't gone into is whether our OP has the financial resources to qualify for permanent residency. This is something he needs to discuss with the consulate (or a lawyer).

 

 

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1 hour ago, gringal said:

$2300 is plenty for a single person to live comfortably in this area. There are many places available to rent in the $600 range, especially in Chapala and the other lakeside villages. Ajijic can be more pricey, but not prohibitive.  Can he rent a hacienda style place in the Racquet Club or similar areas?  Probably not, but that's not what we're talking about.

The scary comments about IMSS and SP are just that.  I know a number of people who have been happy with their treatment and are alive to tell the tale. Not only that, a healthy person can comfortably pay out of pocket for their doctor visits and drugs since medical care is inexpensive here, relative to the U.S.  I would advise signing up with some kind of health insurance coverage "just in case" of something serious happening.

Even (gasp) lawyers are not unaffordable if you need one.

The one hurdle we haven't gone into is whether our OP has the financial resources to qualify for permanent residency. This is something he needs to discuss with the consulate (or a lawyer).

Yes, I do. Just curious as to what a health insurance policy with a fairly high deductable costs

 

 

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Joanne, monthly policies with $5,000 deductibles range from $100 to $500 or more.

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Best to contact local firms that sell a variety of insurance policies like Bellon. There are others.

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Yes you can live on 2300/mo USD but travel is a big expense down here for many of us. So plan out your trip costs.  Some people are modest some are not. Trip to Cancun inexpensive, trip to Jamaca expensive for example. Flying north all the time is expensive.  Of course your mileage may vary due to lifestyle. Owning a car here is much cheaper than up north due to cheap insurance (it doesn't cover much but that's a different posting) so a car can sit if your insurance is 5000p/277USD a year.  Buying a cheap car down here is more expensive than in US/Canada. So beware some used cars here are really well used and get a little better car if you can or don't own a car at all.  We didn't for the first few years. It does require an attitude adjustment to not have a car as we are such a car culture for the most part.  We get a high deductability health policy and put money aside for what it won't cover and the deductible. We pay about 1200USD a year for our policy but you do need to set extra money aside. We call it partial self insurance. Lots of good information is being given you and remember stay open minded. Hey where else can you live and have a escaped Jaguar running around. We and our friends are never bored.

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What lcscats (are those cats Jaguars?) is saying about travel is something to consider in putting a budget together.  It's a biggie.  We have conned our relatives and friends into coming here to visit, where we treat them royally.  They go home with a totally different notion of what Mexico is like.  Sitting cramped and trapped on an airplane going ANYWHERE is something I can live without these days and yes, it's a huge chunk of an expat's budget if that's your choice.

If you can afford it, I'd advise getting a new car.  Two schools of thought on that:  some like a big rig because of the rough streets and the topes. Others like the maneuverability and park-a-bility of the smaller cars.  The streets are narrow and some allege to be two way when in fact, that's a joke.

Welcome to Mexico and good luck!

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By now, you should be totally confused.  I think your question should be "Will I be happy living in Ajijic?"  This is not the US and it's not really Mexico either.  You can live in a community and not really see the difference in an average suburb in the US.  Move a mile away and you can be in Old Mexico.  I've been here 8 years and have lived in both and enjoyed both.

I've seen people come here, stay a year or two and go back NOB.  They were never happy here.  I. on the other hand, I came here for a one year vacation and now, you couldn't pay me to leave.  Different strokes for different folks.

The only way that you will really know is to come for a year and see if you like it.  You can probably live better than you did in the US and still have money left over each month and have all the amenities of home.And you can't beat the weather.  Or the people.

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No way could I live my life stile on $2300.00. However it is possible that you could live a good life on that.  I live well and love the my lifestyle here. It all depends on how you want to live. No matter the amount you have come on down and just live a beautiful life in a great climate. Drink good wine and enjoy your life to the fullest. I have lived here 15 years and have traveled here for 20 years. I came here when I was 48 years old and my S. S. is very low but I do not need it. Just find your place. There are many activities or do nothing. I know people which do both and are very happy. Good luck. Welcome.

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