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Quality lifestyle possible on 2K per month?


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Am considering moving back to Lakeside after a long absence. Mexico ticks more boxes than trying to exist here NOB. Is a decent quality of life possible on around $2,000/ mo, I'm wondering.

Would like to rent a casita through a rental agency (for a bit of privacy, hopefully) and still be closeby to amenities. Would likely have to pay for health insurance for the first two years until IMSS fully "kicks in" starting the third year, then probably would be able to drop the health insurance.

Most of my meals would be of the take-out variety (rotisserie chicken, et al) cooking at home , and some budget dining out choices a couple of times weekly.

Would have a NOB car that is totally paid for.

I would need to pay for things such as weekly physical therapy sessions  ,monthly chiropractic, blood pressure meds (and a few other meds).

Don't think I've left anything out. Is the lifestyle I've just described difficult or pretty doable on $2,000/mo.?

 

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37 minutes ago, Lily H said:

$2000 is doable but won't be high quality lifestyle.

Just a  quality lifestyle is OK, not expecting high quality on that amount. I know "quality" and "high quality" are both very subjective. They each are defined somewhat differently by different people. 

I'm basically looking for a decent, middle class-type lifestyle.

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You may not qualify for IMSS, they are making it very hard

cheap rentals are getting harder to find.  I would guess $700.00 US for a one bedroom near amenities.  

I live on $2000.00 a month but own my home, so no rent and no health insurance .  I pay out of pocket .

it would be tight

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46 minutes ago, Kyle said:

You may not qualify for IMSS, they are making it very hard

cheap rentals are getting harder to find.  I would guess $700.00 US for a one bedroom near amenities.  

I live on $2000.00 a month but own my home, so no rent and no health insurance .  I pay out of pocket .

it would be tight

Much lower rentals available in Chapala including whole houses for less tha $700 USD.

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9 minutes ago, blankletmusic said:

Never lived in Chapala. I'll keep that in mind, thank you, but aren't a lot of the neighborhoods there really noisy (again, subjective, I suppose....)

There is what YOU might consider  noise everywhere. a Mexican friend told me years ago about this issue by telling me"don't listen". I  don't listen.

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You will need to live in either Chapala, west Ajijic (which will require a car).  Chapala is a very nice place.  I live in Ajijic and if I had to do it over again I would choose Chapala.  More friendly, less expensive, etc. etc.  Nice Malecon and you can find everything you need there and if not take a bus.

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$2000/mo is more doable here than in most places in the US. You don’t say your age but if Medicare eligible, stay put. You don’t want Mexican Medicaid. We know someone who broke her hip and spent 3 WEEKS on a gurney in the hall at an IMSS hospital. Factor in private insurance and also a car if you value mobility.

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Absolutely doable in Jocotepec and rents are much cheaper. We found a gorgeous 3 bedroom 2 bath private gated home with no house on either side of us for $600 a month right on the lake just one year ago. Food is also cheaper at the markets and restaurants here. You could live well on $2000 a month here easily I think. Driving on the west end is so much better than Ajijic or Chapala. Easy drive to Guadalajara for anything you need. Folks are very friendly here:-) Chapala is a bit crowded for my taste but if you are comfortable with city life that is probably a good option too. The photo is of our back yard:-) 

IMG-9598.JPG

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1 hour ago, Susy Wilson said:

Absolutely doable in Jocotepec and rents are much cheaper. We found a gorgeous 3 bedroom 2 bath private gated home with no house on either side of us for $600 a month right on the lake just one year ago. Food is also cheaper at the markets and restaurants here. You could live well on $2000 a month here easily I think. Driving on the west end is so much better than Ajijic or Chapala. Easy drive to Guadalajara for anything you need. Folks are very friendly here:-) Chapala is a bit crowded for my taste but if you are comfortable with city life that is probably a good option too. The photo is of our back yard:-) 

IMG-9598.JPG

Very nice indeed. Do you rent from an agency or a private landlord? Just curious...... I'll bet your cat just loves that big back yard. Lots of birds probably. Thanks very much for the photo.

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4 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Rent or buying is the big budget killer locally now.

This is true if relying on Real Estate or Management companies. Always has been. But if one doesn't mind doing some due diligence on their own by walking around, looking and asking there are 'deals' to be found. A couple have been mentioned here.

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11 hours ago, blankletmusic said:

Very nice indeed. Do you rent from an agency or a private landlord? Just curious...... I'll bet your cat just loves that big back yard. Lots of birds probably. Thanks very much for the photo.

We rent from a private landlord. We found the house within 5 minutes of arriving lakeside by driving by a hand written “se rente” sign on the gate. I immediately called the number listed thinking the whole time “there is no way we could afford this place!” and met the neighbor who was in charge of renting it. Talked with the owner in  California and everything seemed legit. Got a Spanish/English speaking assistant of Spencer McMullen’s to assist when we signed the lease. They only wanted the first months rent. No deposit, no last month, no credit check, no recommendations from past living situations? I insisted that we pay at least the first month rent and an equal deposit just because I wanted to be fair and it seemed so cheap. We secured it last December but we’re unable to return permanently until late September. Happily paid for the rent, landscaping and power the whole time because we felt so fortunate to have such a special place waiting for us:) 

I watched rentals on the lakeside facebook pages and the real estate websites for over a year before we actually came down and found our place. I was not that excited by the rental prices I was seeing but was still pretty set on figuring out how to live her. It has not been difficult at all. 

In the 2 months I have been here I have found the following rentals because I have been keeping my eye out hoping our daughter and her husband and son will come to live here: 

 

A 2 bedroom rural home with great clean water and a lovely view of the lake for $325 on the south side of the lake. Totally livable but I would have put a little work into the kitchen. Set alone but the homes around it are family members of the home owner and look out for each other. Really great people and it was a charming place. 

A very nice 2 bedroom totally furnished modern home in Roca Azul for $600 a month including all utilities. 

A 2 bedroom apartment in Jocotepec with a lake view that was a bit bare bones but live able for $190 a month. 

A beautiful very large 3 bedroom 3 bathroom updated traditional Mexican home on the South side of the lake directly across from Ajijic on a huge lakefront lot for $350.

We also have had the opportunity to rent a stunning home with an even more stunning view up on the hill above San Juan Cosala that was just breathtaking. Totally furnished and I am talking movie style home here. 4 huge bedroom suites,  5 bathrooms solar heated pool, gas heated fireplace, an outdoor kitchen to die for, 3 dishwashers in the place for petes sake! A house I could not afford to live in NOB for love or money! The tenants were moving out and the home owner wanted it occupied but did not want to go through the process of listing it and going through an agency. She was asking for $1800 a month to cover utilities, gardener, maid and pool care!!! We could totally have managed it actually financially. We were tempted and if you had seen that house....you would think we were crazy not to jump on it. But...it was not really a great place for dogs or cats and we so love where we are. We had been through so much transition already giving everything we owned away, leaving all our family and friends and then working hard the first 2 weeks we were in our new home to furnish it and make it our own. We decided that was enough transition for a little while at least and stayed with our low priced lovely home on the lake:-) Of course a person could not rent this home and live on $2000 a month but this house in the US would be at least $5000 a month if you could even find such an amazing place like this for rent! Not anything a single guy would be looking for either but just an example of what we have come across here.

Sorry to go on so long with this post but......my point it......in 2 short months I have come across these amazing living opportunities. Certainly they are out there for others to find as well:-)

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20 hours ago, Susy Wilson said:

Absolutely doable in Jocotepec and rents are much cheaper. We found a gorgeous 3 bedroom 2 bath private gated home with no house on either side of us for $600 a month right on the lake just one year ago. Food is also cheaper at the markets and restaurants here. You could live well on $2000 a month here easily I think. Driving on the west end is so much better than Ajijic or Chapala. Easy drive to Guadalajara for anything you need. Folks are very friendly here:-) Chapala is a bit crowded for my taste but if you are comfortable with city life that is probably a good option too. The photo is of our back yard:-) 

IMG-9598.JPG

I had that house rented just before you for $450.00 good landlord though. I can't believe how rents and the price of homes here are going up. Amazing. I also remember the book how to live in Mexico for $600.00 a month anybody remember?  I rent a 3/2, 2 car carport home A beautiful  porch almost around the entire home. 900 meter lot, lots of fruit trees private for 4500 pesos a month in Roca Azul. 

Now for me $2000.00 a month might pay for my wine.

I like Colombia. If I had to move I would consider Medellin. You can live there well on 2 grand.  You will need to know Spanish or at least a little.  The accent there is beautiful. 

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