blankletmusic Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 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.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traderspoc Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 yes its doable my suggestion has always been 30,000 US dollars income yearly you can be upper middle class in mexico rethink your health insurance, i and my wife had IMSS for 7 years then dropped due to the poor service, live in chapala or Riberas with long lease lower rental costs and it will work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blankletmusic Posted November 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Lived in Riberas years ago. Worked pretty well with the amenities there at the time along with the short drive to Chapala for a lot of our needs. Do you mean $30k in savings or annual income BTW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 $3,000 would be much better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHILLIN Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 It is possible now if the U.S. dollar holds. If it slumps, many people's lives here are going to be radically changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blankletmusic Posted November 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyjillin Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blankletmusic Posted November 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 21 minutes ago, happyjillin said: Much lower rentals available in Chapala including whole houses for less tha $700 USD. 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....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blankletmusic Posted November 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 3 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....) Lower rents in Jocotopec as well, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyjillin Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EldonNova Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 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. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dano1948 Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 I am single, and my $2200 a month life is awesome, can do whatever I want...Know of a 2 bed 2 bath in chapala, few blocks from the Malecon for $500, furnished and includes all utilities..Less foreigners here than over west...Much prefer Chapala... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgates Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 $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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 Housing and Medical will be your two biggest costs over the years. If you plan to live here permanently the medical costs will increase as you get older. Do not plan on a free or cheap ride in Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susy Wilson Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 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:-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traderspoc Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 23 hours ago, blankletmusic said: Lived in Riberas years ago. Worked pretty well with the amenities there at the time along with the short drive to Chapala for a lot of our needs. Do you mean $30k in savings or annual income BTW? annual inocme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuphel Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 You say you have a NOB paid-for car you would be bringing down. Note that, if you become a permanent resident, you cannot drive a US/Canadian car here. You must nationalize it (expensive) or return it NOB and buy a Mexican car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blankletmusic Posted November 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 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:-) 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 Won't qualify for a Permante with $2000 a month income. For 2019 would need $2600 for 2020 more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 Rent or buying is the big budget killer locally now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 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. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susy Wilson Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 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:-) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetteforron Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 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:-) 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 3 hours ago, vetteforron said: SNIP.... I also remember the book how to live in Mexico for $600.00 a month anybody remember? That is the book, back in the 90's that first drew my attention to Lakeside. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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