KevinK - 3-6-2004 at 10:14 AM
This is such a basic question I almost hesitate to ask, but...just spent a couple of weeks in Baja Sur, mostly around Todos Santos and La Paz, and are
considering renting long-term somewhere near Todos.
Have spent a fair amount of time some years ago on business in mainland Mexico and was somewhat shocked at accomodation and restaurant prices in Baja.
But know that living long-term is a whole different perspective than a few weeks as a tourist. Do any of you who are long-term residents or visitors
have any perspective on costs in Baja vs. the mainland? Know we could make it on $1500 or so a month or less in small towns outside of Guanajuato and
Xalapa, but am doubting this is so in Baja. Maybe we just visited the wrong places.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Kevin....
Tucker - 3-6-2004 at 11:28 AM
I lived near Todos Santos in 1995, my perception, then and now, is that it is a gringo dominated, dollar driven area. Moved, after 3 months, to La
Paz, I've been here for the last more than eight years.
If I had rent or mortgage to pay, I could not afford to live comfortably here. Consumer goods cost more than in the states. Food prices are for the
most part very high. Labor is cheap, but getting more expensive. At his point, my actual expenses are less than $1500 per month (one person).
Things are at the point to where I'm probably making an exploratory trip this summer to the mainland to do some comparisons.
Baja costs+++++++
bajagrouper - 3-7-2004 at 11:44 AM
I was in the Guadalajara area during the holidays,the costs for everything is much less than Baja.Nice hotels were 200pesos a night,meals adv.100
pesos per day,beer in a restaurents were 12 pesos..even ran into some 28 peso comidias that were great...Now I just came back from Baja last week and
crapy hotels were 300 to 500 pesos a night,meals ajv. 200 pesos a day,and beer in restaurents were 20+pesos...along the coast of the mainland north of
Puerto Vallarta you can get hotels right on the beach for 200 pesos a night,and great restaurents too...I know these are tourist prices but I know
people that live in both areas and I would bet you could live twice as good on the mainland than you could in Baja...
Ever since the early eighties, when I started going there,
Stephanie Jackter - 3-7-2004 at 02:39 PM
Baja has been way pricier than the mainland. Basic fact of life. It's a lovely place, but has always been the private goldmine of a few families and
is now expanding to be the goldmine of many. The only thing about Baja that is or ever will be cheap is dreaming about going there. - Stephanie
KevinK - 3-7-2004 at 02:53 PM
Thanks very much to everyone for these very helpful responses. Think I'll continue to visit Baja as often as possible but spend my extended Mexico
time on the mainland for now.