200 a month rent in Mexico?

[siri]

Im am from the USA. I would like to move to Mexico. I would like to go to a place that isnt polluted, has excellent internet connections, and where I can rent for 200usd a month - also, aplace that is safe.

Any recommendations?

Thank you!

[RVGRINGO]

You may be dreaming! You will have to prove substantial income from foreign sources just to be able to live in Mexico. If you are thinking of getting a job, that isn't likely & the pay wouldn't support your rent.

[siri]

No, Im serious.

I do have foreign money coming in. I work online for a Chinese company.
I would like to live in Mexico and live in an apartment for 200 a month or less. Is this possible. I mean, I looked online and only seem to find apartments for tourists. I would like something month by month or even a lease. What are the costs usually and how could lI get connected?

Thank you.

[bournemouth]

Siri - Mexico is a large country. Come up with some idea of where you might want to live, and then find a web board in that area. $200US a month for an apartment in an area that has good internet connection might be a little difficult.

[pedro]

it is a great misconception that the lake chapala area is really expensive because of the large gringo population[10-15000]. i have a gringo friend who lives in ixtlahuacan de los membrios just over the mountain from chapala and only 30 minutes from guadalajara. he has highspeed internet. it is a small 2 bdr row house -rent 120 usd/mth. there are many places to rent here for under $200 but you have to get here and network to find them. the landlords are usually mexican.
as to pollution-that all depends on how you define it. we are only 4 1/2-5hrs from the pacific. i have some friends who are driving to pv today[thurs] and returning on sun., just to get a beach fix at an all inclusive.
if you come in on an fmt[tourist visa] it's good for 180 days and can be renewed by going to the border at the end of the 6 months. no income requirement is necessary. income of aprox. $1200[3 current bank statements] must be proven if you come here on an fm3.
it would be wise to own a car and drive down if you're looking for the low rents, although i heard of a 3 bdrm/3bath house for rent within walking distance of everything in downtown chapala recently for $175/mnth. bus service is terrific here as well. your highspeed internet will cost 39-69/mth,phone 20. gas[propane]20. water is annual at 150[usually paid by landlord]. you can get decent meals here for 5-10.
beer at corner store-60 cents,bar 1-1.50

[El Toro Furioso]

Originally Posted by siri

Im am from the USA. I would like to move to Mexico. I would like to go to a place that isnt polluted, has excellent internet connections, and where I can rent for 200usd a month - also, aplace that is safe.

Any recommendations?

Thank you!

The person who mentioned a place in Chapala for under $200/month USD left out a few pertinent generalizations and points: 1) your Mexican landlord at that price is very unlikely to fix anything, ever; 2) the neighborhood may be safe, but if you install cable TV, you may have the wiring stolen up to three times a month for the copper content (this is currently happening to friends of ours who live in a nice but low income neighborhood in Chapala); 3) renting a house or apartment isn't easy at your specified rate, but there are rooms for rent in Chapala for well under $100/month. The expats who live in them seem happy, the rooms are located downtown, and their NoB occupants generally eat one big restaurant meal a day, so cooking isn't a necessity or a problem. A nice US expat named Leo has a salmon dish named after him at Jose's restaurant. He saved up enough from Social Security checks by living in a rented room for some years to buy himself a condo on the beach in Manzanillo, where he now resides year round. So be creative if need be. BTW, my wife and I pay under $400/month USD with a wonderful Mexican landlord who fixes anything that is needed and we feel very lucky to have this deal in the wonderful lakeside pueblito of San Antonio Tlyacapan. Good luck!

[d121kar]

El Toro Furioso

Hi, My husband, I and our baby are thinking of moving to Mexico as well. I was wondering if you can give us an idea of where the place you are renting is located. You don't have to give the exact address, but some idea, name of the area, etc. Also are there any jobs available in that area? One more question, if anyone is familiar, can you guys pls, post a link where ppl can rent. What is the cost of living, considering, we are renting somewhere $400/month and we are middle class, down to earth ppl? Thank you for all the help.

[RVGRINGO]

You would have to prove foreign income just to get an FM3 Visa to reside in Mexico. As foreigners, you would not be likely to be permitted to work; you need special permission for that and the permission is for a specific job at a specific location. Minimum wage is about $5 per DAY, not per hour. Most expats in our area are retirees.

Originally Posted by siri

No, Im serious.

I do have foreign money coming in. I work online for a Chinese company.
I would like to live in Mexico and live in an apartment for 200 a month or less. Is this possible. I mean, I looked online and only seem to find apartments for tourists. I would like something month by month or even a lease. What are the costs usually and how could lI get connected?

Thank you.

Hi Siri,

Anything's doable if you want it badly enough. My son and I lived off foreign income for a year in Mexico City (Delegacion Alvaro Obregon, renting rooms for $435usd in colonia San Angel and renting an 2bd/1ba for 300usd in Olivar de Conde...two very different neighborhoods/colonaias in the same burrough/delegacion). My son was homeschooled but also attended a local public school to socialize and learn Spanish.

We entered the country with 6-month tourist visas, but I eventually found a legal job that offered an FM3 (although I could've applied for one on my own because I met the income requirements). I believe someone on this thread has already explained what you need to apply for one on your own, but Mexican immigration has a bilingual website where you can read about the process yourself at Instituto Nacional de Migracion .

There are definately people who live in Mexico using tourist visas, and then cross the border every six months to renew their visa without; however, flying or taking the bus to the border gets expensive (and depending on where you live, taking the bus can be time-consuming), and by living in Mexico on tourist visas, you are abusing the system. An FM3 definately has its advantages for you and the Mexican economy, so I would personally advise getting one.

Connections are uber-important if you want to live/work in any part of Mexico (knowledge of the culture and the ability to speak the language will also put you in a favorable light), and especially if you want a nice apartment for 200usd. I speak from experience - both the positive and the not-so-positive.

All of this visa/live/work info can be found in different threads here on the forum. If you haven't already had a good look, you'll definately learn a lot from what folks here have already said about relocating. This was definately the first place I went if I had a question that I needed answered from an expat's perspective.


Good luck!

[El Toro Furioso]

Originally Posted by d121kar

El Toro Furioso

Hi, My husband, I and our baby are thinking of moving to Mexico as well. I was wondering if you can give us an idea of where the place you are renting is located. You don't have to give the exact address, but some idea, name of the area, etc. Also are there any jobs available in that area? One more question, if anyone is familiar, can you guys pls, post a link where ppl can rent. What is the cost of living, considering, we are renting somewhere $400/month and we are middle class, down to earth ppl? Thank you for all the help.

Sorry, I haven't been on this forum for a while. We live just east of Ajijic on Lake Chapala in San Antonio Tlyacapan. When we moved to Mexico three years ago, we rented a place for a month that would take our dog before moving. We used that month to find a non-brokered home rented directly from the landlord. We are very happy with the place and have become good friends with our landlords and their extended families. Without a visa that permits your specific kind of work (which one can often get, depending on the type of work), most people who work off the record do so on the internet, by working in art galleries or by house sitting. Anything that convinces the government that you are working as an artist is OK without a change in your FM3 (musician, jewelry artist, etc.) but that doesn't include "artists" who open galleries. You will need permission for that. What you have been told by RVGringo is pretty much the way it is. This is one link where people can look for places to rent without a rental agent. Also try chapala.com " Your Window to Mexico " and the Lake Chapala Society on the lake. There are many city-specific forums for other towns/cities, such as Manzanillo, Morelia, Mazatlan, etc. and that's just the M's. Google them. Good luck.