The three "C"s

[lakeside7]

Many years ago,when we came to Lakeside, we were quizzed by our fiends, "why do you like Mexico"?

At that time were would reply, Climate, Cost of Living, Culture.

As we have aged, we have found the Climate (Elevation) not to be attractive. Our self funded medical costs to be "more" expensive than if we returned NOB, where we have excellent medicare/supplemental coverage with minimum out of pocket co pays.

Recently I have perceived many posters and other local "Gringos" are feeling the pinch of increased medical care and caught between a rock and a hard place because they have not maintained their Medicare etc. and premiums for private medical insurance have gotten very expense At lest a dozen or so Canadian friends have elected to return "home" and "rejoin" their medical system, because costs in Mexico have escalated too much.

People receiving pensions etc from overseas are being hurt by the "stronger" Pesos...... Its not much fun getting old

 

[Natasha]

50 minutes ago, lakeside7 said:

...... Its not much fun getting old

.....anywhere!!  Cost of living anywhere WE would want to go ( we don't) is over the stratosphere. But a least you DO have options...... think of the many nationals who are also feeling the pinch, but don't.

[vetteforron]

When people ask me why I moved to Mexico 22 years ago. I just say Tequila and women. Seriously the cost of living here in San Carlos is rising a lot. I have cut back on eating out. However I do like the air here at sea level. One small help is I just got my Bienestar debit card. Not much but helps. Wahoo.

[RickS]

I can't count on one hand the number of friends/couples who, initially saying they would NEVER leave Lakeside, have in fact left citing Medical reasons. It's tough to have access to Medicare (in the US) for a pittance and compare that to the inflated costs of medical care everywhere... including Mexico. 

IMO, it was always a 'rationalization' to compare Mexico w/IMSS and the US with Medicare... especially since the Medicare Advantage program was instituted about 10 years ago. To this day I pay zero monthly premiums with that program and continue to have great and immediate access to my Docs and Hospitals in Colorado. 

YMMV

[Bandol]

When I arrived in Canada about sixty years ago the Public Health Service was very good.  Twenty years ago when I left it was awful.  Now, my friends there tell me about the endless waiting lists, too few doctors/medical professionals, indifference to suffering, being offering medical assistance in dying in response to curable or at least postponable problems.  How dreadful.  Much better to enjoy the sunshine here and concentrate on being well.  And yes indeed YMMV.

[mexijims1]

It's a tough call.   I, too, mentioned the same three C's when I moved here.  Now it is a solid 1 1/2.  The one definite is the climate which you cannot beat !   The half is the cost of living. 

Yes, healthcare is the big question mark here ( both the good and the bad quality and increased expense) but the rest of the cost of living is still definitely better than living in the States.  Private health insurance coverage for Expats here is like getting raped -- going up 35-40% a year with all the pre-existing conditions that insurance can not screw you with in Medicare. 

All costs of living other than Medicare is through the roof in the States.  Every time I go back to visit family in the States confirms my thinking that the cost of living is through the roof there.  

As for culture, I no longer count that as a plus since the corruption and the noise here have exhausted me.   The late or all night music and cohetes don't go along with my wish for quiet sleeping hours.  Then the divisiveness of the people up north is a too negative.  Everything I am seeing is too far left or right politically for me anymore up there !

Babyboomers have found and crowded all the best places to live in the world.  Just take a look at the traffic on our carretera and that will help confirm that!  

[RickS]

5 hours ago, mexijims1 said:

 Babyboomers..Just take a look at the traffic on our carretera and that will help confirm that!  

My take on this...and I have done unscientific counts lately.... is that the bumper to bumper traffic is NOT attributable to NOB gringos but rather to the fact that more Mexicans have vehicles and more 'service' vehicles with Mexican workers are on the road due to the development of the north side of the lake.

Again just today, while stuck in that long line of vehicles between Mirasol and W. Ajijic, I counted gringo vs Mexican drivers and the ratio was 40 to 10 in favor of Mexican drivers. Third time I've done this in the last two weeks.... always about the same ratio.

[ibarra]

No matter who is driving the vehicles, there simply is more traffic partially causing the congestion.  As we discussed in other posts, the lights throughout town are not synchronized, some are not placed in valid locations and a myriad of other issues.

 And, why does it matter who is actually driving?  Traffic is traffic.

[RickS]

2 hours ago, ibarra said:

 And, why does it matter who is actually driving?  Traffic is traffic.

Couldn't agree more. Was just reacting to mexijims1's Post that it was a Babyboomer problem. 

[gringal]

Traffic?  My spouse commuted to his job in central Los Angeles for years. Up to two hours on the freeways.  Now THAT'S traffic.  One usually learns patience.  Good music helps.  Since we've observed it, the number of Mexicans on the road greatly exceeds the Gringos...so it isn't a Babyboomer issue.

We moved to Mexico from CA  over 18 years ago.  The three "C" factors were important.  The way things are now, no regrets! If we hadn't dropped Medicare, the cost over the years would have exceeded what we've spent on medical care in Mexico, including several short hospitalizations. We went back once for a family funeral and couldn't believe the cost of lunch, along with a definite negative attitude increase among the populace.  

BTW, it's important to be aware of the "normal" noise level before moving into a neighborhood, eh?  Ours ain't bad.

[hkrause]

It's getting more difficult to drive through Lakeside from west Ajijic because of the traffic, but it's still less time to get most places than it took for a 1-way commute to/from work every day where we used to live (30-40 minutes on a good day). If I get tired of slow traffic on the carretera, I can always go the scenic back route and trade for slow cobbles. LOL! Better still, more development west of Ajijic means easier dining and shopping without having to drive through town as often. The longer it takes to get through Ajijic, the more practical it is for us to head toward SJC and Joco for our needs. Thank goodness we're retired and don't need to be anywhere in a hurry most times.

Cost of Living... We originally moved here partly because I retired early and wouldn't have Medicare for several years, so it was financially impractical to stay in the US. I have basic Medicare now but haven't looked at supplements or any add-ons because we never figured to use it. Without private insurance, medical costs here have become difficult, but they haven't been bad enough for me to look at options back north. I wonder if I should? We could probably eat cheaper in the US, but not as healthy as we'd be drawn to fast food options. Other living costs would vary, depending on location and lifestyle choices.

Culture... Political divisions in the US have become horrible, although really we still deal with it living here... just from a distance. We continue to be politically involved and vote, and the laws affect our retirement savings, our family and friends. That wouldn't change no matter where we live. We still enjoy the culture and people of Mexico, although I might be frustrated if we were involved in politics here. I suspect that enjoying the "culture" of somewhere in the US would be much easier as a retired person than when we were working. Much of enjoying anyplace is in one's attitude.

Climate... Ah, here's a big one! To equal (or come close to) the beautiful weather of Lakeside, we'd probably need to live someplace in the US that's unaffordable otherwise. California coast or Hawaii come to mind. The weather here is wonderful relative to the cost of enjoying it. Fortunately, we're not bothered by the altitude, and we're a fairly short drive to the ocean (not an option from Kansas City, where we're from). I'm not sure where in the US one could have a house without HVAC and still be comfortable. The mountains and year-round blooms are certainly NOT something we got to enjoy back home. We're not in Kansas any more, Toto! 

So, all things considered, we don't have any immediate plans to move back north. Not saying that wouldn't change at some point, but for now we're still happy here and realize that every place has pros and cons. 

[lakeside7]

2 hours ago, hkrause said:

It's getting more difficult to drive through Lakeside from west Ajijic because of the traffic, but it's still less time to get most places than it took for a 1-way commute to/from work every day where we used to live (30-40 minutes on a good day). If I get tired of slow traffic on the carretera, I can always go the scenic back route and trade for slow cobbles. LOL! Better still, more development west of Ajijic means easier dining and shopping without having to drive through town as often. The longer it takes to get through Ajijic, the more practical it is for us to head toward SJC and Joco for our needs. Thank goodness we're retired and don't need to be anywhere in a hurry most times.

Cost of Living... We originally moved here partly because I retired early and wouldn't have Medicare for several years, so it was financially impractical to stay in the US. I have basic Medicare now but haven't looked at supplements or any add-ons because we never figured to use it. Without private insurance, medical costs here have become difficult, but they haven't been bad enough for me to look at options back north. I wonder if I should? We could probably eat cheaper in the US, but not as healthy as we'd be drawn to fast food options. Other living costs would vary, depending on location and lifestyle choices.

Culture... Political divisions in the US have become horrible, although really we still deal with it living here... just from a distance. We continue to be politically involved and vote, and the laws affect our retirement savings, our family and friends. That wouldn't change no matter where we live. We still enjoy the culture and people of Mexico, although I might be frustrated if we were involved in politics here. I suspect that enjoying the "culture" of somewhere in the US would be much easier as a retired person than when we were working. Much of enjoying anyplace is in one's attitude.

Climate... Ah, here's a big one! To equal (or come close to) the beautiful weather of Lakeside, we'd probably need to live someplace in the US that's unaffordable otherwise. California coast or Hawaii come to mind. The weather here is wonderful relative to the cost of enjoying it. Fortunately, we're not bothered by the altitude, and we're a fairly short drive to the ocean (not an option from Kansas City, where we're from). I'm not sure where in the US one could have a house without HVAC and still be comfortable. The mountains and year-round blooms are certainly NOT something we got to enjoy back home. We're not in Kansas any more, Toto! 

So, all things considered, we don't have any immediate plans to move back north. Not saying that wouldn't change at some point, but for now we're still happy here and realize that every place has pros and cons. 

A couple of points from your comments

Let me assure you eating in the US is extremely expensive, starting with advcardo at a $1 each

Secondly keep checking with a medical insurance broker what is the cost of a Advantage plan or HMO. And please don't let your Medicare lapse 

If you have followed many posters on this web page have experience medical situation in MX that changes their life style 

[RickS]

7 hours ago, hkrause said:

 I'm not sure where in the US one could have a house without HVAC and still be comfortable.

Oh, there are a few. I've lived in Colorado since 1974 and just last year put A/C in my house.... a heat pump actually.  Previously there were maybe average 10 nights a summer when our bedroom.... upstairs.... was too warm to sleep comfortably. The bedroom downstairs 'tho was ALWAYS cool so we just sleep there, then.  It is basically the lack of humidity that allows an otherwise 90+ degree day to be comfortable inside without air. When the sun goes down, so do the temps.... and quickly.

Now winter.... that's another topic! I just returned home today from winter in Florida and Ajijic. Should have stayed a bit longer as Wednesday is to be -11 at night and more.... snow.