Jump to content
Chapala.com Webboard

Moving to Chapala/Ajijic area questions


LisaZ213

Recommended Posts

Hi All - I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Lisa and I currently live in NE New Mexico.  I will be retiring with a state pension at the end of November this year.

I am currently in the planning stages of moving to your area - not sure which town yet, but will take a trip there before deciding.  Will be renting a home.  My mom, who is 80, also wantsto move with me, so will be sharing the home with her.  I have been doing a lot of research on the visas and reading the questions/answers on this board.  I wanted to ask some questions - some I have seen previously, but wanted the most up-to-date info I can get :)

I'm not sure if the answers will be different depending on where we end up, but please advise on that.  We do plan to settle somewhere in the Chapala/Ajijic area.

1. Cell phone service - is there one service provider or multiple?  Are there plans like here in the states - flat monthly fee plans?  Average cost?

2.  Internet service - same questions as cell phone service....

3. Land line phone service - is this required for internet?  If so, are there bundled plans?  Average cost?

4  TV service providers?  Cost?

5.  One of the biggest reasons for moving to the area is the weather - especially the lack of really cold and snow!  Does it ever get cold enough to need some type of heat - I realize this is relative to one's own comfort level, but how cold does it really get in the "winter" months? 

6. Is anyone willing to share their monthly utility expenses? PM me if you want.  I plan to rent a 2 or 3 bedroom / 2 bath home.  Just looking for an average amount and are utilities

bundled at all?  Elec, gas, water, trash and anything else I'm not thinking of that has to be purchased.

Thanks for any advice/input you can offer!!

Lisa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can give you some quick details. 

1. There are at least 2-3 major providers. I've only had ATT. I purchased 2 years of service in advance for roughly ~7USD per month with unlimited calls to/from the US/Mexico/Canada. That also included 3GB of data per month. 

2.  Service varies wildly depending on where you are, but for most it seems Telmex is the only good option: http://www.telmex.com/web/hogar/conexion-internet?stipo=telefonia_y_internet

3. See #2 above. You can select, or deselect phone from the combos

4 . Sorry, no idea. 

5.  http://chapalaweather.net/ Has a ton of historical data that can probably help you out here. 

6. Another huge variance. Search here about the Electricity DAC rate. If you're a relatively low user of electricity it can be very reasonable. If you hit the DAC rate I understand things can get ugly quickly. Our highest 2 month electric bill has been ~30USD. My wife and I fill our gas tank (oven, hot water) once every 3 months roughly for ~60-70USD.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noticed you said you were going to take a trip to lakeside before deciding. You have the right idea, and then while in the area, you can attempt to get all those questions answered. The answers vary greatly on some things, it depends and you would need to inquire on all those things. You have alot of questions there in one post.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, LisaZ213 said:

Hi All - I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Lisa and I currently live in NE New Mexico.  I will be retiring with a state pension at the end of November this year.

I am currently in the planning stages of moving to your area - not sure which town yet, but will take a trip there before deciding.  Will be renting a home.  My mom, who is 80, also wantsto move with me, so will be sharing the home with her.  I have been doing a lot of research on the visas and reading the questions/answers on this board.  I wanted to ask some questions - some I have seen previously, but wanted the most up-to-date info I can get :)

I'm not sure if the answers will be different depending on where we end up, but please advise on that.  We do plan to settle somewhere in the Chapala/Ajijic area.

1. Cell phone service - is there one service provider or multiple?  Are there plans like here in the states - flat monthly fee plans?  Average cost?

2.  Internet service - same questions as cell phone service....

3. Land line phone service - is this required for internet?  If so, are there bundled plans?  Average cost?

4  TV service providers?  Cost?

5.  One of the biggest reasons for moving to the area is the weather - especially the lack of really cold and snow!  Does it ever get cold enough to need some type of heat - I realize this is relative to one's own comfort level, but how cold does it really get in the "winter" months? 

6. Is anyone willing to share their monthly utility expenses? PM me if you want.  I plan to rent a 2 or 3 bedroom / 2 bath home.  Just looking for an average amount and are utilities

bundled at all?  Elec, gas, water, trash and anything else I'm not thinking of that has to be purchased.

Thanks for any advice/input you can offer!!

Lisa

1.  Multiple.  Lots of choices.  We find basic cell phone service much cheaper here.

2.  Two choices.  TelMex or Telecable. We and most people we know use TelMex.  Fast enough and in most places fairly reliable.  Also not very expensive compared to what we paid in the U.S.  $35 per month gets us a phone line with cheap or free calling over a wide area and internet speed around 8mb, plenty good for streaming.

3.  You can get internet with cell phones, no idea how good or the cost.

4.  Telecable.  Some people use satellite.  We used to have Telecable but dumped it for streaming and downloading.  Satellite installs are expensive and rates are the same as in the U.S. or Canada.  

5.  We have no heat.  Occasionally wear warmer clothes in the mornings.  It depends on your sensitivity and how well your house captures sun in the "winter."  This is an amazingly even climate, even more so than Southern California.  Closer to the lake, the temperature is lower in summer, higher in winter.  We have a south facing house on an east west street.  I think this is optimum for both runoff and winter warmth.

6.  Electric & gas separate, trash paid as part of taxes, water bill paid to Simapa.  We have solar so I'll defer to others about electric costs, I understand $20 to $30 per month not that uncommon.  Propane is expensive but you don't use a lot of it here.  Simapa bills usually run a few hundred bucks per year.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll address #5..... what you will find is that for the first timeframe (2 yrs?), in the winter you "might be wearing shorts and a T-shirt where other long-timers are wearing long pants and light jacket". You acclimate and it will seem colder to you after a bit, even when it's not. You'll see Mexican Nationals wearing heavy coats and wool scarfs while you are fairly comfortable not. But sooner or later you too may be wearing heavier clothing.

As you say, this is a relative thing. But folks I know do have some 'meager' source of heat for some days, mainly early mornings. And once those 'stone' houses get cold, they tend to stay cold farther up into the day. Pay some attention to the 'position of the house you get' for best utilization of the sun's warmth.... vis a vie Maincoons comment. You won't find any homes with "central heat" (nor Air Conditioning for that matter) so that's a clue as to how much it is really needed. I have seen some recent installations of Mini-Split heating/cooling systems, used in/for specific room(s). These seem to be a very good way to address both A/C and, if the heat pump type, heating. And the good ones (Mitsubishi for one) are very efficient with respect to electricity. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you RickS - I'm hoping it will be quite awhile after living there that we "think it's cold" - we currently live out on the plains, elevation 5800 and it gets very, very cold here in the winter - snow, sleet, ice, high wind and freezing temps going at times to below zero.  Will sure not miss any of that!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We also had a south-facing home on and E_W street, in Chapala, and the interior temperature never fell below 60F on winter mornings.  What is important is to have N-S facing windows and doors.  One controls the house by opening or closing them. Life is pretty easy in Chapala.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as t.v. Telecable is less expensive but mainly Spanish speaking programs.  Shaw direct satellite can vary from 70-100 dollars a month depending on the

exchange rate of Canadian to U.S. dollar as it is satellite from Canada.  Many, many channels but as everyone know, most of them are no good (reality shows, etc.) but you do get NBC, CBS, ABC, travel, discovery, PBS and other pretty good channels.  We have cell with Tel Cell and put in 100 pesos every 60 days to buy minutes to keep it activated via a card you purchase. We don't use our phone much, just for emergencies.  Gizmos and gadgets aren't that important down here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, LisaZ213 said:

Hi All - I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Lisa and I currently live in NE New Mexico.  I will be retiring with a state pension at the end of November this year.

I am currently in the planning stages of moving to your area - not sure which town yet, but will take a trip there before deciding.  Will be renting a home.  My mom, who is 80, also wants to move with me, so will be sharing the home with her.  I have been doing a lot of research on the visas and reading the questions/answers on this board.  I wanted to ask some questions - some I have seen previously, but wanted the most up-to-date info I can get :)

I'm not sure if the answers will be different depending on where we end up, but please advise on that.  We do plan to settle somewhere in the Chapala/Ajijic area.

1. Cell phone service - is there one service provider or multiple?  Are there plans like here in the states - flat monthly fee plans?  Average cost?  TELCEL UNLIMITED $200 PESOS ($12US) FOR UNLIMITED CALLING IN MEXICO, USA, & CANADA

2.  Internet service - same questions as cell phone service....  BUNDLED WITH LAND LINE $599/MO ($35US)

3. Land line phone service - is this required for internet?  If so, are there bundled plans?  Average cost?

4  TV service providers?  Cost?  TELECABLE IS ABOUT $200/MO ($12US) 

5.  One of the biggest reasons for moving to the area is the weather - especially the lack of really cold and snow!  Does it ever get cold enough to need some type of heat - I realize this is relative to one's own comfort level, but how cold does it really get in the "winter" months? SMALL SPACE HEATER OR FIREPLACE FOR COOL MORNINGS.

6. Is anyone willing to share their monthly utility expenses? PM me if you want.  I plan to rent a 2 or 3 bedroom / 2 bath home.  Just looking for an average amount and are utilities

bundled at all?  Elec, gas, water, trash and anything else I'm not thinking of that has to be purchased.  RENTERS PAY ONLY ELECTRIC

Thanks for any advice/input you can offer!!

Lisa

See comments in CAPS above.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LisaZ213 said:

Thank you RickS - I'm hoping it will be quite awhile after living there that we "think it's cold" - we currently live out on the plains, elevation 5800 and it gets very, very cold here in the winter - snow, sleet, ice, high wind and freezing temps going at times to below zero.  Will sure not miss any of that!!

Lisa, snow is a four letter word.  We can go see some on occasion on top of the volcano south of here.  Or we can watch some on our TV.

It is hard to describe how benign this climate is though the rainy season can wear on one if it is stronger than usual.  Best part is that in mid winter it is almost always sunny all day.  There may be a chill in the air, hence no shorts until 10 AM but once the sun gets up, the sweats are no longer needed.

I have this lovely Burberry coat I had cleaned before bringing down 8 years ago.  It is still hanging in my closet with the plastic cover on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am so impressed with all the great info. shared. I'm the kind of person that just figures it out when I get there, but I have also lived in MX several times before, and speak Spanish in a functional way. The OP mentioned she's coming to visit before deciding. That's a very good thing for first timers if OP is one. Spanish can be a challenge and overwhelm firstimers. Others find setting up services, buying or renting a home just another adventure. Some act with more caution in relocating. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lisa:

We are newcomers to Ajijic... We made a forage run down here last summer  and decided that this was a great retirement venue for us. We decided to purchase a home since we have three four legged children that made renting a bit of a problem

The weather here is near perfect. As Maine Coons stated, the winter mornings may require sweat pants but by noon it is back to Bermudas. We have a small electrical heater that I ran for 30 minutes once last winter... We came from an area that required lots of heat in the winter and air conditioning and certainly do not miss those bills.

Our home came with  a pool which surprisingly takes a lot of electricity to run... We opted to have solar installed and now have very low electric bills... You might keep that in mind if you decide to rent a place with a pool...

Another consideration is having a car... Public transportation is very good and having a car is somewhat dependent on where one decides to live... The further out from main shopping may make a car desirable ... If you come down on a Tourist or Temperal visa you can bring your US plated vehicle... Having a car does make things easier...

We use Telmex for our internet... We experience  outages but for the most part it is manageable. Our problem is in part due to our location... Again, this is something to check before you decide where you wish to live...

If you have any questions on other costs, feel free to PM me... 

I know that you and your mother will find this an exciting and very special place!

Best regards,

Roger

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do consider obtaining health insurance also. Your mother is too old to buy insurance here, and her Medicare cannot be used outside the US. While medical costs are significantly less than in the US, it still requires money...sometimes thousands of dollars. You, too, will need to be insured. I've met too many people who move here and then are surprised when they are unable to obtain insurance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, maggiemae said:

Do consider obtaining health insurance also. Your mother is too old to buy insurance here, and her Medicare cannot be used outside the US. While medical costs are significantly less than in the US, it still requires money...sometimes thousands of dollars. You, too, will need to be insured. I've met too many people who move here and then are surprised when they are unable to obtain insurance.

As a last resort  once temp or perm visa is granted Mom can join S.P.  Younger folks should join also.  Its the only game for old people or pre existing conditions for the most part.  This is government insurance.  Its not perfect and does not cover everything we are use to up north but better than nothing. Please understand Mexico is not a rich country but the heart is in the right place just the wallet lacks sometimes. This is the most difficult part of being an expat here. Health insurance can be an issue. Health care costs are very low here compared to up north.  A 50K USD knee in the US might be 5 to 10K USD here for example. A visit to the Doctor is 200P to 700P or 8 to 35 USD. Drugs can be more or less here.  Lots of generics here.

Many people try to not have insurance of any kind and end up begging when they get very sick.  Not a pretty sight where I come from but some folks have no options. Try to have options. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

#4 TV. There are 2 Mexican Satelite companies. (cable is not available in many areas) Sky and Dish (not the same as Dish USA) Many US programs, some with subtitles, some with dual audio Spanish English. Also movies on demand. HBO. Showtime as well. Packages from $10 to $45 per mo. Bring a Google Chromecast and you can send from cell, PC, or tablet many streaming options like Netflix, USTV now etc. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The comments about house N/S are so true, also, how tight the house seals. Are there gaps at the bottoms of the doors? We have both heat and AC. In fifteen years we've only really needed the heat once for an extended period (week).Throws usually suffice in evenings. My wife has a small space heater for the bathroom , but, hardly ever uses it. The AC is used a couple of afternoons a year

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've noticed that medical seems to be the biggest reason people leave here and move back north.  Family seems to be the second.  I'd be a little nervous about moving an 80 year old person here.  As suggested above, maybe medical evacuation insurance and establishing medical presence somewhere NOB, like McAllen or San Antonio might be a good idea.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, virgogirl said:

I am so impressed with all the great info. shared. I'm the kind of person that just figures it out when I get there, but I have also lived in MX several times before, and speak Spanish in a functional way. The OP mentioned she's coming to visit before deciding. That's a very good thing for first timers if OP is one. Spanish can be a challenge and overwhelm firstimers. Others find setting up services, buying or renting a home just another adventure. Some act with more caution in relocating. 

 

I agree, viragogirl. I am also a "learn as I go" person. Came down for a one-week vacation to visit friends and was living here six weeks later. Now, there were missteps and minor problems because of all I did not know but I survived. I would not now recommend arriving with my level of ignorance. In fact, with changes in immigration laws it is no longer even possible to load up your car and just come on down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea language is a problem but so so many folks speak Spanglish lakeside language is not the problem it would be in many other areas of Mexico. In eight years I have not had a language problem in Guadalajara or lakeside.  You just have to be calm and these problems solve themselves out in time.  Amazing even in Guadalajara folks pop out of the woodwork to help one even if you have it handled. We are treated very well for the most part even with out Spanglish laugh out loud. I remember I went to Liverpools (kinda like Nordstroms in US)  in the mall in Guadalajara and asked a question in English and blah blah blah over the PA system goes some sort of message and I could see all the folks walking very fast to help the Gringo with English.  I felt slightly funny but that was the point where I understood that I was a very lucky Gringo and my selection of a place to live was correct. Downtown same type of situation repeats itself.  I have met so many wonderful people here.  They really are curious about us folks. Seen very little resentment at all.  Yea it is a kind of tourist area but it really is different than other much more tourist oriented areas.  Guadalajara is a God send as you can find a decent music store or see an IMAX big screen movie and so much more.  Having Coffee in front of the Opera house in Downtown Guadalajara is wonderful if you give it a chance and its a bus and taxi ride away from lakeside no car needed.  Its not perfect but lakeside is close at least for my family and friends for the most part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our bills for a largish 3 bedroom house:

Electricity: $10 month

House gas ( we cook a lot): $30 month

Car gas: $10-20 month (we find we don`t need to drive much, we use the excellent bus service and walk)

Water, trash: we rent so we don`t pay these.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Xena said:

I agree, viragogirl. I am also a "learn as I go" person. Came down for a one-week vacation to visit friends and was living here six weeks later. Now, there were missteps and minor problems because of all I did not know but I survived. I would not now recommend arriving with my level of ignorance. In fact, with changes in immigration laws it is no longer even possible to load up your car and just come on down.

Why can't you "just load up your car" and come down..?  Spoke to a lady who just arrived in town,   She  came for a visit last March loved Ajijic so she went back to Canada sold her home packed up her van and and drove down here.. In her words "could not get another thing in that van".  Crossed at McAllen with no problems at all.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...