I would aim lower, since the exchange rate fluctuates. One year you're staying at a 1:25 exchange rate, and then next thing you know it has dropped to a 1:20 or 1:17 exchange rate, or lower. So that means at a rate of 1:20, your $1200 monthly budget (a value of 24,000 MX pesos) could end up dropping to the 1:17 rate which would mean that for every 17 pesos, you pay $1. So then you'd need $1,411 to pay $24,000 MX. That's an extra $211 you'd need to budget for every month. If it dropped even further to 1:15, you'd need to increase your budget to $1600/month. Also, the exchange rate in one city can be different in another. So if you plan to make purchases in different places, you have to factor those exchange rates as well. For instance, I wouldn't purchase a vehicle in Queretaro, I'd go to the Yucatan to buy one. Another issue is that the cost of certain purchases can be more expensive in Mexico than the US, like electronics & convenience items. So I try to take other people's budgets with a grain of salt. In alot of places, showers are tepid or cold, so the budget for an electric heater & its usage would need calculating. Also, I need AC bc I have 2 cats, so costs will go up for that too. Lastly, I don't want to purchase plastic, so I have my own distiller, which makes another hike in the electric bill there as well. Not to mention a few other electronics that they don't use which you own, but may not be considering. You get the gist, everyone's budget is different. There's alot about Mexico that we don't get easy access to, that we take for granted in the USA. Make sure to do research. If you're ok with sacrificing alot of creature comforts, convenience, and having confidence in any govt protection of your rights, then Mexico is great. But don't expect to have the same privileges that we're afforded in the US, this is a completely different atmosphere and nobody warns you until you get there & experience it for yourself.
People saying they want to move to Queretaro is what I like to hear! I had never furnished a home before moving here & really love the space we pulled together. It's a bit hard to tell in the video, but I have more than 40 plants!
Querétaro is a great city. You should give it a chance one day. I lived there over 3 years and I had to move to México city for work reason but there's no one day I wanted to go back there. Just beautiful colonial and modern city at the same time and with so much history.
I just stumbled across your channel, and am so happy I did! Fantastic breakdowns of expenses, you presented the info in a great manner! As someone who's primary motivation is travel, I love hearing from similar minded people! Keep up the great work, I'm excited to follow you on your journey! I just subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! I'm so glad you found the breakdown helpful. I always find it interesting to see the cost of living in different places in the world. I really appreciate your kind words :)
I don't know how I stumbled across your channel but I'm glad I did. I'm was born in this beautiful city of Querétaro and watching this video reminded me of the time when I used to live by myself in SA, Texas. Surely, watching your videos I can relate to most of the things you say :) . Thank you for this info and greetings from Querétarock.
I've been doing my research on retiring in Mexico and I just came across your work. Very nice. Your videos are low key & informative. Your delivery is pleasant. Thank you!
I just stumbled upon your channel, I've made the big decision to move to Mexico! I'm really excited and nervous at the same time but your info has helped me a lot. :)
I was watching the External Expat and she recommended your channel. Your video was informative and I look forward to binge watching the rest of your videos.
Hi, Katherine! I'm so happy to have you here 🤗 Please let me know if you have any questions about Querétaro or moving to Mexico in general. I'm here to help 🤓
Yes it surprised me. To answer the question in your video regarding cell phone bills, I pay about $22-$25 depending on the exchange rate, here in Costa Rica.
I don't need the subtitles but they were there when I started. Sometimes there are funny mistakes as the ap doesn't hear the spoken language very well. Querétaro was translated as Kenneth Otto. Very funny.
Thanks for watching, Michael! That's interesting that you've heard the electricity in Mexico is expensive. I believe it is subsidized in many parts of the country. Had you heard it was expensive in a particular city?
Yucatan state can have very expensive electricity. There are different levels, if you use alot (air conditioning) you jump to the most expensive level.
It varies from state to state. I live in Mexico City and I pay around $700 mxn a month, only 2 people. Electricity is subsidized but there are levels of consumption, the lower level the better subsidy you get.
You can also, for the health insurance, pay directly to IMSS, it may be not the best for small check ups for the lines and waiting time, but for cathastrofic incidents, as accidents, cancer, or else is the best and cheaper, for check ups you can go to farmacias similiares, a los of times the doctors y farmacias similares are just retired IMSS doctors.
Plus I really like that it's pay as you go. Contracts are the worst 😅 It also works in the US so I don't have get a different SIM or plan when I'm there visiting. Thanks for watching, Jalf!
Hello Alex! Can you help me better understand how 2 go about changing my USA AT&T account 2 one in Mexico? We're going 2 be visiting there for about 5 months, then returning to our home in Texas. We'll decide if we're going move permanently and go from there. BTW, I've watched a TON of videos from a lot of different ppl regarding moving 2 Mexico 🇲🇽. You are one of the best that I've seen. I appreciate that you give real life, valid information and that you do not drag out videos unnecessarily. Your poise, etiquette and professionalism are refreshing 2 watch. Thank you for what you do for people! God bless!
Thank you Alex. Here in UK, I am paying £37gbp $1065.55 mx electicity £47 $1349.84MX cellphone £47 $1349.84 mx Internet. So now I am retired I will be better out there. These are all per Mth So I am planning now lol
Thank you Alex, Its very kind off you. I am just waiting for my Daughter to marry her Mexican Fiance and move then I intend it go with my Fiance. We want to get married in mexico. Have a good day
Sometimes, I wake up & can't believe I get to call it home! It is even better than what I envisioned when I decided to move to Mexico 🇲🇽 thanks for watching!
@@josealbertomiramontes3047 hi, Jose! I lived in pretty much the center of Madrid in a tiny, TINY one-bedroom apartment. But, for the location, I thought the 800 euros per month was fair. I have much more space for a lot less here in Queretaro. Thanks for watching!
@@alex-wittman hola, Si las rentas en EU son carisimas y poco espacio y muy viejo casi todo lol! Gracias por tu reply!! PROUD TO BE MEXICAN! Saludos desde Los Angeles 🙏🏼
Thanks for watching! It sounds like you have a pretty good setup. I also had a plan I really like when I was living in Madrid. Cell phone providers in Europe are a lot more reasonable than the ones in the U.S.
Hi, Beverly! Thanks for watching & taking the time to leave a comment 🤗 if you have any questions about moving to Mexico or living in Querétaro, please let me know 🇲🇽 I'm here to help!
Wow, I wish I would have kept better track of my cost of living expenses in Indianapolis & Madrid so I could compare. Mexico is BY FAR the most affordable place I've ever lived & moving here has really allowed me to establish financial freedom. Thanks for watching :)
Great video , nice appartement , I want to move to Mexico as soon as the travel ban is lifted , I have one question for you , why the tap water isn’t good for cooking ? Thanking you in advance for your help.
Thanks for watching & how exciting that you're planning on moving to Mexico! I don't drink the tap water, but I will use it for cooking if I'm going to be boiling it.
@@alex-wittman Thanks so much for making such a nice informative video! I will be retiring to Mexico 2021 from the US. After living/working in other countries also. But just a few comments, first water. It is pumped up to a holding tank at top level of the apartment, maybe from below ground cistern. So it doesnt always look and smell that great or safe to consume. So if your using average 3= 5 gallons per week at 43 mex$ that would be about 13 gallons a month = 559 mex$. I suggest purchasing a Reverse Osmosis system in Mexico to filter the water. RO systems in Mexico have additional pressure pump but for around 7000 mex$ you would never need to buy bottled water again. Plus you know that bottled water is not always safe. Its a 15 million USD industry in Mexico.
@@Heltonsdesigns thanks for watching & I'm glad you found the video informative! I appreciate your advice about the reverse osmosis system. I'm interested to look into it further & learn more. We've just gotten so used to buying the garrafones that I haven't even given thought to there being another way. Thanks again for your thoughtful comment 🤗😭
Hello, I'm going to Guadalajara in the next few months because I'm going to study and when researching the city I found your channel. I would like to know if you could make a video like this about Guadalajara
Interesting. Thanks for sharing, I’ve been exploring businesses and shops there on google maps. I’ll have to visit Queretaro soon, it’s about a 2hr 15 min direct flight for me from DFW.
My guess was $350.00 to $400.00 only because Queretaro is not a popular expat area .The further you get from tourist areas and expat areas the cheaper the price gets .your apartment is very nice .but I do have to say you guys drink a lot of water if you use 3 of those big garafones per week .
We do drink a lot of water haha. Three garafones is what we go through when it's hot outside. In the winter, it's more like two. I also use the filtered water to make coffee. The hard water from the tap was doing a number on our coffeemaker. Thanks for watching!
Great video! Its nice to see the breakdown of costs. I subscribed and looking forward to more! Do good that you can work online. Do you have a video on that? I am also a small youtuber.
Hi & thanks for watching! I do work online but have never made a video about it. When I first moved to Mexico, I was teaching English online with VIPKID & for the last year, I have been freelance writing. Perhaps I will make a video about it in the future! Thanks for the suggestion!
Electricity in Australia costs us $300 - $1000 per 3 months depending on the weather for heating or cooling. My parents in law pay $10 per 2 months in El Salvador
Hi, Ron! I have several videos about life in Queretaro including a video about why I choose to move here. If you haven't yet, head over to my channel page: ru-vid.com for all my videos. Thanks for watching!
@@viajerozz oh no, I'm sorry about that! You haven't received a confirmation email? Here's the signup page if you want to try again or you can send me an email: freebies.backpackingbrunette.com/movetomexicoguide
Your apt is lovely. I could definitely live there and be happy. I was wondering about noise, as I heard things could get pretty intense in the popular areas. Your monthly costs are VERY attractive. I look forward to more of your vlogs. I pay $80 a month for internet at 150 mbp. Consistent service. So yeah...
@@alex-wittman Thank you for your honesty. I'm 70 y o and am looking to relocate in the next two years. I will be taking vacations to Mx to get to know Q and MdeA better. Amassing research and your package is an incredible resource and so very generous of you!!! I look forward to your future videos. I thought your colab vid w/the Tangerines in the vineyard was fun. 😁😎👍
Hello, I am so happy that I came across your channel. I am moving to Mexico in August and these videos are extremely helpful. I also just purchased your Mexico Residency Roadmap and can't wait to look it over as I am ingesting so much information to ensure that I have a smooth move. I have a visit trip planned in June so I can check out rentals/vacation and I am so ready to leave the US and move to a better quality of living!! Quick question for the water jugs..do you also use that water to cook with, wash your face, brush your teeth or can you use the tap and boil it?
So exciting that you're planning your move to Mexico, Ty! I use that water to drink, prepare coffee & make ice then use tap water for everything else 🤓
In Houston ya my cell phone cost me 215 dollars per month electric bill from 370 to 200 a month 3 bedroom house and my internet with exfiniti I pay about 90 bucks a month!
Thanks for watching, Sergio! Idk how I will every be able to move back to the U.S. because the prices there are out of control & everyone is trying to trap you with a contract 😅 I love how everything here is pretty much pay as you go!
Haha, that's been there since we moved in! We have a key to lock & unlock it from the main part of the house but have never used it. That's pretty much all I know about it other than the fact Taylor will sometimes lock me out if I'm bugging him too much while he's trying to work 😅
Hi hun! I started watching your videos & subscribed. Planning to move to Mexico within a year or 2. I've tried downloading your Move to Mexico guide on 3 separate videos but when I click on it it says "the DNS can't be found" so it doesn't take me to anything. Is there any other way for me to get it? Also Thanks for the videos! Very helpful & informative :)
Hi, Gary! Here's the link: freebies.backpackingbrunette.com/movetomexicoguide I hope you find the guide helpful! Let me know if you have any questions :)
I already paid 47 dollars towards the package of information to Move to Mexico,! This has been sometime now, yet have not heard from you. It was paid through my CapiitalOne Adventure credit card! Any explanation as to why I have not received the package? Thank you for your reply.
Taylor, moves 3000 miles south, trims the tree and cleans up the patio, Pedro, moves 3000 miles north, trims trees and cleans up patios,…….just two immigrants, doing the work the hometown folks just won’t do…………..too funny 😁 Love the video, beautiful home 🏡
So you can't drink the water...but is it safe to shower, wash your hair, and brush your teeth?? When I lived in Korea I needed a water filter because my hair was falling out and my skin got all bumpy.
Yep we mexico have pretty much the lowest cost of living of all latin america, and queretaro is a particularily expensive city, similarly sized cities such as Leon, Merida or Aguascalientes are cheaper. Health insurance I didn't even know expats had to pay for it, as we all mexicans get it for free (well with our taxes I guess, though public insurance is not very good really, so most people prefer to see a particular doctor, which is cheap anyways).
Hi Alex! Do you know if they have bilingual schools for children in Queretaro? I have 3 children and I was wonderring if they had them and what were the tuition costs. Thank you
Hi, Rachel! There are a variety of bilingual schools for children in Queretaro. Since I don't have children myself, I'm not familiar with the tuition costs. I recommend contacting Yvonne from Host Relocation for more information. She's helped a lot of expat families get settled in Queretaro & will likely know more. Host Relocation has a website & Facebook page.
Love you place !!! We’re coming in March ! So excited !!! How long do you think we should rent an AirB&B for while we look for a n apartment like yours ? Thanks Alex 💕
Thanks for watching, Deborah! I would recommend renting an Airbnb for at least two weeks (maybe even a month to be on the safe side). Apartment hunting will take time, especially if you want to live in the city center. Make sure you download my free Move to Mexico Quickstart Guide for my best tips! Good luck!
I liked your video from the beginning because you showed us Querétaro on the map. I know where it is but a lot of viewers most likely don´t. I have seen so many RU-vid channels about living in foreign places and showing the place clearly on a map is too often ignored. Americans, in general, are ignorant of geography. I think you made a good choice by living in a city that most expats wouldn't even know about. They all seem to go to the same places, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Ajijic, Playa de Carmen, and now Bahias de Huatulco, state of Oaxaca. I guess they want to live in places where other Americans or Canadians live to be able to share similar cultural habits and not have to deal with a foreign language. Of course those places are bound to be more expensive as locals can ask for much more knowing the foreigners have more cash than they do. I live in Portugal, way up in the north near the Spanish border. I think I am the only native born American in town. The vast majority of expats here live in the Algarve or near Lisbon. The same thing happens in Spain, where British, Dutch, and Germans tend to concentrate along the Costa del Sol. In some of these places you never have to speak a word of Spanish. As a speaker of Spanish (a bit rusty now after almost fifty years of Portuguese) I would also choose a place like Querétaro (although it might be too big for me since I prefer a smaller place). Oaxaca would be nice, maybe Puebla, maybe Mazatlán. Tepic, Nayarit is also a smaller city for an expat that speaks Spanish and doesn't mind "living with the natives". It has the advantage of being closer to the tropical coast and those amazing beaches. Congratulations, you are doing a good job.
Thanks for watching, Ray & taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. Every expat wants something different from their experience abroad & while I understand wanting a familiar community, what was more important to me was having total immersion and improving my Spanish skills. To each her own! By the way, I walked the Camino Portugués from Porto a couple of years back... Perhaps I passed through (or near) your town!
@@alex-wittman You walked along the coast. I live inland in Chaves, opposite Verín. We have one of the caminos passing through our town but few people take it. Chaves is an ancient town with a Roman bridge and a population of about 25,000. A bit smaller than Querétaro. I lived in Brasília for about 20 years so I know what it is like to be in a big city. My wife is also from a city of over one million in Brazil and both of us prefer the small city life. We are only 90 minutes from Porto if we want something more urban.
@@rayvogensen2983 sounds like you're in a great spot, Ray! I really love Porto, but village life in Portugal seems lovely 🤗 where you are it sounds like you have the best of both worlds!
@Ray Vogensen Hi Ray, kindly post a link to a video that covers cost of living, medical insurance, etc. in Portugal. I'm hearing good things about retiring there. Oh, can a single male retire on US $1,000 /mth or less? Thx.
@@adad1270 I can't think of a video that covers all of those areas. Yes, a single man can live well there on 1000 dollars a month, not like a king, but comfortably. It depends a lot on where you live. Lisbon, the Algarve, and even Porto have seen rents skyrocket in the last years due to ex-pats and owners converting their buildings into airb&bs. Avoid Lisbon if you can. Braga, Setúbal, Coimbra, Aveiro, and Guimarães are better options. Or even smaller towns like Viseu, Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo would allow you to pay lower rent. Remember that rent is always the biggest cost. In the national healthcare system, you pay nothing if you are enrolled in the Social Security System. That means you would have to pay taxes. If not, private healthcare runs between fifty and 100 euros a month, depending on the copay and your age. If you are over 70, it would not be possible to get good private healthcare. Portugal is a great option. A lot of people speak English, there is little corruption, the infrastructures work well, violent crime is almost non-existent, you can drink the water out of the tap (not like Mexico) and you are close to Spain. I live right near the northern border and we often go over to eat something different or to buy cheaper gasoline. There are no borders anymore. I can drive to Lisbon in four hours, Madrid in four hours, the international airport of Porto in 90 minutes, and the French border in 7 hours. I can't complain.
Hi, John! You will need to open a separate Prime account specifically for Amazon Mexico. You can read more about it in this blog post: backpackingbrunette.com/online-shopping-mexico/
Thank you. Just found your channel. Cell phone $85 in Canada. Question. I’m assuming one must speak Spanish to live in your city? Also enjoyed your info re changes with Mexican immigration status
Wait what? I live in Chicago and pay $85 USD for my cell phone monthly and and RU-vid, Facebook Instagram does eat up my data once it's used then it slows it down...WOW we are highly overcharged here....Living here at this point is like cheating yourself and now im looking into treating myself....Thank you for the video
Great info. ...thanks🌞 I would like to try out living in Mexico for 4 -6 months ..soon !! I would like to at least have a motorcycle to ride around on though...dont know if that would be possible BTW i pay per month $58 cdn for cell phone ...$300/ month for my property tax and $100/ month home insurance...+++ natural gas avg. $100..electricity $60 +++ ...mexico is looking cheap.
Yes, when you examine the cost of living side by side, Mexico definitely looks like a good option! I think trying out life in Mexico sounds like a great idea to test the waters & see if it's the right fit for you. Where are you thinking about living? I've seen motorcycle rentals available in many places (especially beach towns) & I'm sure you could work out a discount for a long-term rental.
@@alex-wittman Hi...Im not sure yet ,my first intention would be to spend at least a month or so in one location, then move on . living more like the locals i guess. Dont need to be near the beach ...Probably try puerto vallarta area and venture from there. It wont be til next winter at the soonest though.
My phone bill in Colombia was like $12 for a 10GB plan 30 days. Here in California it's $55usd for 30 days, unlimited GB, but rather have the $12 plan. Lol
Hi, Christine! I don't have any links for specific apartments, but if you download my Move to Mexico Quickstart Guide (link in the video description), you can get my top tips for apartment hunting in Mexico plus a renting in Spanish cheat sheet. My insurance is with GNP. Thanks for watching!
We have 5 dogs...any chance we could find rentals with our pack ? How many times can you keep doing visa runs and getting another 6 month tourist visa ? Thx....love your videos !
Thanks for watching! I don't have any experience renting with pets and five dogs is quite the pack, so if you have the budget for it, it might be worth your while to work with a relator. As far as visa runs, some foreigners do it for years & years (there's no definitive number of times it is allowed). But, one day you could come across an immigration official who just says "NOPE, not anymore." I've heard stories of that happening, but none of them were firsthand accounts. Personally, doing visa runs forever would have made me kind of nervous, so I'm glad I went ahead and got my temporary residency.
I don't know anyone personally who has done that, so I am guessing it might be fairly expensive. Drinking purified water from the big jugs I showed in the video is standard.
Hi Alex. This was the first video of yours I've seen, and it was really well done-- congrats! Thanks for the info, and for showing off your apartment. It looks absolutely lovely! I'm also a backpacker (Camino de Santiago, 2017 :) I've been thinking about doing the snowbird thing, so I can explore and stay in shape while it's grey up here. (too easy for me to get depressed and out of shape over the winter.months here) I've researched a lot of locations in central Mexico-- Queretaro seems to bubble up toward the top consistently. Are there many scenic areas nearby where one can hike safely? Also, how easy is it to base there, and then get over to other parts of central Mexico-- say, down to Morelia, or over to Guanajuato/ SLA, or up to San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas? I've heard the long distance busses in Mexico are comfortable and reasonably priced-- not sure how COVID's affected travel that way. Thanks in advance for any advice, and best of luck as you keep making videos! :)
Hi, Joe! I'm not sure when you're planning on coming to Qro, but the pandemic has closed some of the parks near the city. There's a national park that's popular with hikers just 15 minutes or so from downtown called El Cimatorio, but unfortunately, it's temporarily closed I think Qro makes a great base from traveling around central Mexico. Personally, I like traveling via bus. It's an affordable & comfortable option. Buses run from the central station here to all the cities you mentioned. Even during the pandemic, they're still operating, but some routes are at reduced capacity or make fewer trips. Hope that helps & thanks for watching!
My cell phone service with Verizon was $65/mo with 10 MB of data. After moving to Mexico and using their Travel Pass for international access, it rocketed to $127 the first month. I had tons of rollover data on the main plan, but apparently, that doesn't get applied to international calling. Boo. I have to switch, but I'm concerned about all the accounts I have that are tied to my U.S. phone number for two-factor authentication.
Oooo yes, from what I've hear about international plans, they're super expensive. I understand your concern about losing your U.S. phone number, I'm had my two-factor authentication struggles over the years since moving abroad.
Too bad your are not quality testing the audio on your otherwise very detailed, inspiring and update info videos, to which you will probably get a lot more traffic if you upgrade one more thing. The camera that you are shooting the videos with , it's the microphone is not designed to decently record some one that speaks to it from 3-4 feet away and on top of it,, you are standing very far from the opposite wall, which makes your voice very muffled, terrible echo, distorted like it's coming from inside a barrel. You need to buy a wireless mic that clips to your shirt no farther than 4-7 inches away from your mouth. If you need to record in a relatively empty room, you need to pick up 2 pieces if 2-4 inch foam, 4 X $ feet and position them ina 45-degree angle behind you, close to the back wall and outside the angle of view of the camera, so they won't be viewable in the frame of the video !
@@eneb8937 that was for one year. But, it has gone up a bit & the dollar isn't quite as strong as when I made this video. This year, it's around $800 USD/year per person. I plan on making a 2021 cost of living in Mexico video with updates.
Hi, Lonnie! When I first moved to Mexico, I was teaching English online with a company called VIPKID. Last year, I made the switch to freelance writing. I have information about both jobs on my blog: backpackingbrunette.com/
@@alex-wittman oh my, thanks for replying! I was just curious to see if there was a different feel in different areas of the city. Like if there’s a “cool part of town” or a more residential part, etc. For example I live in LA and we have silverlake /echo park as the hipster-y side of town, Santa Monica/ Venice on the beach...
