MERIDA, YUCATAN. I often get asked this question; indeed more
often since my last column mentioning the ever increasing cost of living in
certain European countries (read it here: http://tinyurl.com/m8vthna if you missed it.)
It’s not such a simple
question to answer as you might think. Generally, I answer that you can live as
cheaply in Mérida as you want to. Want to live like a local on a local budget?
You can do it. Want to live like a movie star on a much lower budget than you
would need to do so in California? You can do that too. For the purposes of
answering the question, the following figures are based on my own experience
and knowledge of the basic minimum costs for essential and / or mandatory
living expenses, i.e. things you are required to pay, or which constitute basic
living requirements for most people. Beyond these, it’s up to you. For ease and
simplicity, all figures are quoted in Mexican Pesos. For conversions, I
recommend www.xe.com – which as of press time is quoting $13.5 pesos to
US$1 USD, $18.5 pesos to €1 Euro, or $22 pesos to £1 GBP. Basically you can
divide the figures I quote below by 13.5, 18.5, or 22 to get the figures in
USD, EUR, or GBP respectively. Or head over to www.xe.com and let them do the work for you with constantly
updated rates.
Let’s start with
housing. You can rent a house in a ‘fraccionamiento’
for $2000 - $3000 pesos a month, or less. For a shorter term stay, a house in centro, or for a larger house, maybe
with a pool, you’ll pay more. Thinking
about buying? Check one of the many real estate websites for an idea of what is
available, at prices well below what you would pay for an equivalent property
in Europe or North America. Annual ‘predial’
(property tax payable to the city) is due in January. With a discount for
prompt payment, mine was $105 pesos (yes, $105 pesos…) for the year. Annual
garbage collection fee (in centro) is
$140 pesos if you pay in advance for the full year. In outlying neighborhoods
it is slightly more expensive. If you own your house, and are not a Mexican
citizen, depending on your property location, you may own via a ‘fideicomiso’ (bank trust) which involves
its own fees (usually in the range of $6500 pesos per year); your real estate
agent would tell you more about these trusts, which are hopefully due for
abolition in the next year or so, following which they will no longer be
required.
Your bi-monthly
electricity bill (from CFE) will depend (obviously) on how much you choose to
use. If you live in a smallish house, use your air-conditioning only at night
in the bedroom during the hotter months, and cook with gas, chances are your
bill every two months will not be more than $600 pesos. On the other hand if
you have central air-conditioning, which you run all day, every day, at a
temperature of 18°c (65°f), it’s easy to multiply your bill by ten. My
bi-monthly water bill (from JAPAY) is normally $62 pesos. Gas for cooking is
supplied from the many trucks driving around town, which will fill your gas
canister, or sell you one if you don’t have one. A refill costs around $350
pesos, and, unless you are cooking all day every day, will last for a long,
long, time.
To keep in touch, a
basic phone/internet package (from TELMEX) is $389 a month, which includes 100
local calls, 100 minutes of long distance in Mexico, and unlimited fast internet.
If you use Skype or similar for your international ‘keeping in touch’, you will
pay little or nothing extra. Want a cell phone for emergencies? Buy one at
Oxxo, using Telcel’s Amigo system, which is ‘pay as you go’. The phone will
cost you around $300 pesos initially, and a monthly top up of $50 pesos is
needed to keep your credit active.
Not into cleaning?
While not truly a ‘necessity’, a cleaning lady is a luxury that many people
enjoy here in Mérida, and approximately $200 pesos per 4 hour session is a
guide price. Don’t want to do your own laundry? Chances are, your cleaning lady
will do it for you as part of her duties if you wish (and if you have your own
laundry machines), or head to the nearest ‘lavanderia’,
where for between $7 and $9 pesos a kilo, it will be washed, dried, and folded
for you, and ready 24 hours later. Fancy having someone clear the weeds from
your garden? $50 - $200 pesos will take care of it, depending on the size of
the garden and of the weeds!
How about getting
around? This depends on where you choose to live, and on your personal style.
In centro, more or less anywhere is
within walking distance. For traveling out from centro, or if you live outside, the buses are frequent and cheap,
at $7 pesos per ride. Metered taxis are another option, with a ride in the main
part of the city unlikely to exceed $50 pesos.
Can’t survive without
TV? Broadcast TV is free. I rarely turn mine on, and consequently don’t bother
to contract any additional service; however a good budget option (with some
English language channels) is VETV (part of Sky) which charges $169 pesos a month.
The bigger satellite and cable companies charge more, have more English
channels, and offer a variety of packages.
What about eating? Do
you want to do all of your shopping at Walmart, Costco, and Sam’s Club? Expect
to pay accordingly. Prefer to head to the markets (San Benito and Lucas de
Galvez in centro or the many smaller
neighborhood markets around town)? Expect to pay like a local, and enjoy the
freshest and most seasonal selections. If you find the markets to be confusing
or intimidating, there is a cure for that… Watch for details soon in an
upcoming column! Eating out is the same. If you choose to eat in the upscale,
air-conditioned restaurants in some parts of north Mérida, you can expect to
pay prices comparable to those found north of the border. Or you can enjoy
lunch at a ‘cocina economica’, where
you will find fresh, local dishes, varying daily, and unlikely to cost more
than $60 pesos including soup and a drink.
Healthcare costs –
This is a biggie, and one on which you should do your own research, depending
on your own situation. I pay less than US$500 (US dollars) per year for a policy
with a reasonable deductible. For minor ailments, many pharmacy chains have doctors
on the premises, usually free or almost free ($20 – $40 pesos per visit) who
will diagnose the problem and propose a treatment).
As mentioned, these
are my own observations; things change by the day, and, very much according to
your lifestyle. I’ll be interested to hear your comments.
What’s happening in
Merida this week? The Merida Fest (formerly
known as the Festival de la Ciudad) continues,
and will run until January 31, as reported in TYT here: http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2014/01/the-merida-fest-continues-offering-daily-events/
Over in Valladolid,
the Expo Feria has just started, and will run for the next two weeks, as
reported in TYT here: http://tinyurl.com/mgosasc. If you have never been to Valladolid, it’s a great
excuse to make the short trip over there.
Fancy trying somewhere
new and different for an evening out? This week we discovered “Boyis Bar”, on
Calle 35 in Col. San Nicolás. It’s a strange location, and an interesting
concept – it styles itself as a ‘Cantina Urbana’, with industrial style
decoration complementing the waiters dressed in coveralls and hard hats. It all
sounds a bit like ‘The Village People’, but is actually a pleasant choice for a
night out in a local setting. Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/boyisbarmid for specials, directions, etc.
And finally this week,
if anyone is interested, we know of a great potential business opportunity for
someone interested in opening a bed and breakfast or small guesthouse in Merida,
or who just wants a lot of space for inviting family and friends to visit. It’s
a 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom house on the east side of centro, 20 minutes walking distance (13 blocks) from the plaza
grande and cathedral. It’s unique in design, with a huge yard, event area, roof
terrace, etc. It’s been on the market for a while, and the asking price is
$1,500,000 pesos (US$111,500 US dollars at today’s exchange rate). Doubtless it
needs some work, but could make a great project for the right person. We’re not
involved in any way in the sale of the property, however are keen to see this
unique property developed to its full potential. Contact stewart@theyucatantimes.com to be put in touch with the seller.
No comments:
Post a Comment