Current cost of living estimates/budget?

We were hoping to live there on $2500.00 a month, including rent of about $600.  No car, no health issues. No pets now, but we'd love to adopt a dog there.  Sounds like it will be tight, but doable.

You can undoubtedly have a reasonable time on $2,500.00 a month, but it is not enough for two people to qualify for a temporal or permanente visa. You will need to leave Mexico every 180 days.

Luisa wrote:You can undoubtedly have a reasonable time on $2,500.00 a month, but it is not enough for two people to qualify for a temporal or permanente visa.  You will need to leave Mexico every 180 days.

I came in on a residente temporal visa, my wife on a 180 visa. I did the in-country part of getting my residente temporal card and my wife achieved residente temporal status via unidad familiar without have to do any proof of income.

Our facilitator in Mérida handled it all.

These posts are from long ago and sure prices have changed a lot since then. Can anyone give me the Walmart link so I can figure out what groceries might cost. I have been feeding my kittens a lot of liver here in Ecuador for 50 cents a lbs. Can you get that at a market on the street. They don't eat canned food. Why is it that most places want you to have maid service once a week. Why isn't it once a month or something. That cost adds up and so does if you need someone to mow. Are there many places out there that do allow cats.

Those that require a maid include it in the rent and it is their maid. They do that so they know the place is clean and maintained and they will discover sooner rather than later if it is a problem. Many people have a maid clean every other week, once a month or simply as needed.
I have a dog and cats and have lived in four places with no issues. You have more options with no pets, but most all my friends do have pets and are renters.

Chicken livers here cost 15 pesos a kilo (Chapala) or 20 pesos a kilo (Ajijic) at the tianguis; a bit higher at places like Walmart. So on the low end, yes, that's about US$.50 per pound at current exchange rates (~15:1).

The Mexican Walmart site is what you'd expect: http://www.walmart.com.mx/

The going rate for housekeeping here in Ajijic is about MX$50 per hour, or about US$3.30. So you can have a half-day of cleaning once a week for about US$13-$14.

I come from a very middle-class background, where hiring someone else to clean your house is a foreign concept, but I have to say ... I'm super-grateful that someone else is mopping these floors.

I have been feeding my kittens chicken livers I am glad they are cheap there. So for two it costs me less than $20.00 a month. I am hoping to live on less than a thousand but the place I am going to rent includes everything from utilities, internet and cable. So that helps a lot. Why it is that everyone wants to have maid. That is big expense. I notice that many restaurants have specials certain days where can eat real cheap. I make a lot of my own food. Most likely a lot cheaper. Think matter of watching what you spend and having the food you buy last more than one day. I am living presently in Ecuador where everything is cheap but American food is very expensive. Vegetables are cheap at the market and bananas and pineapples are cheap also. Buying at the market as much as you can will save many a lot of money. I won't have a car but many things are only two blocks to 5 blocks away from me. I don't have any health issues so that helps and no real prescriptions. We don't have the luxury of deli food or frozen products except for ice cream.

Most people I know have someone clean their house for them because they can easily afford it, so why not?

Annabell, you are living in Cotacachi Ecuador now and planning to move here, Lake Chapala? May I ask why? If you don't mind my asking? I was once very interested in living there, but decided life is better here. And it is.

Yes Ecuador is very cheap to live and you only have to have $800. for social security or pension in order to live here and become a resident so many do move here. there is modern housing that many expats buy. The people are all very nice and actually have a lot of friends here. It has a lot about being closer to home in the states. Also it being a bigger expat population there. Here it is 350 to 500 and many you never see. There are many trips I want to take inside Ecuador before I come like Mindo and Banos but moving when my lease is over Jan. 1. I plan to move to San Antonio In a housing development there. It is beautiful here but I am not living a complete life. I will definitely be living on a budget but it can be done if you watch your spending but still do things that interest you.