BajaNomad

Peso price in San Ysidro?

larryC - 10-1-2011 at 09:16 AM

The peso has been 13+ to the dollar now for a while. Has anyone exchanged pesos in San Ysidro lately and what exchange rate did you get? Last I checked, a week ago or so, the peso was 13.5 but the casa de cambios were giving only 12 to 12.1.
Larry

Udo - 10-1-2011 at 09:24 AM

I don't think the cambio businesses exchange US funds for free...i.e. they are making money somehow.

DENNIS - 10-1-2011 at 09:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I don't think the cambio businesses exchange US funds for free...i.e. they are making money somehow.


There's is usually 2% below the bank rate if they want to be competitive.
Other than money laundering, they make most of their money offering short term, secured loans at usurous interest rates.

Cisco - 10-1-2011 at 09:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by larryC
The peso has been 13+ to the dollar now for a while. Has anyone exchanged pesos in San Ysidro lately and what exchange rate did you get? Last I checked, a week ago or so, the peso was 13.5 but the casa de cambios were giving only 12 to 12.1.
Larry



Wednesday, a week and a half ago I was in the red shack cambio, the one where you leave the parking lot you can only turn right, and it was 12.5.

There is another one in the building behind it (to the south) that I will check out next time (Probably Tuesday) also.

They are competitive with each other for business.

Udo - 10-1-2011 at 09:31 AM

GREAT explanation, Dennis!

DianaT - 10-1-2011 at 09:34 AM

At Costco in Chula Vista it is 12.35 to buy. You can check their current rate on line at http://expresspawnshop.com/

Probably not the absolute best rate around, but just convenient while we find too many things to buy at the hundred dollar store.

DENNIS - 10-1-2011 at 09:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
At Costco in Chula Vista it is 12.35 to buy. You can check their current rate on line at http://expresspawnshop.com/

Probably not the absolute best rate around, but just convenient while we find too many things to buy at the hundred dollar store.


Not very good at all considering Yahoo Finance has the Peso at 13.77 til Monday.
That pawnshop shows some poor rates.

woody with a view - 10-1-2011 at 09:46 AM

i have an expresspawn right down the road. good to know. i'm getting leery of the atm's in san q (GN is out of the way). too easy to get jacked by some lowlife as you walk outside......

DianaT - 10-1-2011 at 09:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
At Costco in Chula Vista it is 12.35 to buy. You can check their current rate on line at http://expresspawnshop.com/

Probably not the absolute best rate around, but just convenient while we find too many things to buy at the hundred dollar store.


Not very good at all considering Yahoo Finance has the Peso at 13.77 til Monday.
That pawnshop shows some poor rates.


Interesting---we always make the assumption, possibly the wrong assumption, that the rate at Costco is reasonable as there are always several people from south of the border exchanging money there. I guess like us, they just find it convenient.

woody with a view - 10-1-2011 at 09:55 AM

and that yahoo rate is probably the inter-bank rate, not for us shmo'es on the street....

Gruñón - 10-1-2011 at 09:57 AM

This morning at 8:30 Banamex ATM in Ensenada paid me the rate of 13.76 x 1.

DENNIS - 10-1-2011 at 09:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
and that yahoo rate is probably the inter-bank rate, not for us shmo'es on the street....


It seems to be the same as the rate, before fees, at the ATM's....the bank rate.

DENNIS - 10-1-2011 at 10:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Gruñón
This morning at 8:30 Banamex ATM in Ensenada paid me the rate of 13.76 x 1.


There ya go. Not bad.

woody with a view - 10-1-2011 at 11:52 AM

anyone gonna spot me $500 for the next 2.5 weeks?

i guess i could hope for Europe to take a (bigger) dump in the next 2 weeks, but that would be gambling!

the only gambling i do is if the Chargers win!

J.P. - 10-1-2011 at 02:42 PM

Like everyone says someone is going to profit from the exchange. the banks give closets to the fair exchange plus the added security of not carrying a wad of cash and shopping around for the best rate. my bank charges a crossborder fee which is reasonable to me. Its not smart to go much farther than Ensenada without an adequate amount of money.

BajaRat - 10-1-2011 at 03:00 PM

13.85 at market close today

DENNIS - 10-1-2011 at 03:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaRat
13.85 at market close today



Yeeaaah...but the US market is closed today. :light:

BajaRat - 10-1-2011 at 03:43 PM

Yeah,
bout that,with this 48 hr schedule Sundays are just Mondays to me.

Sorry

SoCal-Bob - 10-17-2011 at 04:46 PM

On Friday 10/14 I checked at the Baja-Mex in Otay, across from Carls Jr. off Siempre Viva Road just before the border.

They were selling pesos at 12.903 : $1US.

Pemex just on the other side of the border was giving 13.1 and Smart & Final in Ensenada was giving 13.0. So it would not have been beneficial for me to have exchanged.

I asked the yellow vest guys in the lines coming back how much they were buying pesos for and they said 13.05p : $1US

DENNIS - 10-17-2011 at 05:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I don't think the cambio businesses exchange US funds for free...i.e. they are making money somehow.


2%...off bank exchange rates is the norm. They do compete with one another...kinda.

larryC - 10-18-2011 at 07:37 AM

I crossed the border on Monday morn the 3rd of Oct. Most of the exchange places were selling pesos for 12.7 to 12.75 for a dollar. We made a stop at Walmart so I decided to use the ATM there and see what exchange rate I got. There was a 27 pesos fee for the transaction, I got 4000 pesos and after checking on line a few days later found that I got 13.33 pesos for my dollar. Not bad all in all. I have no idea what the limit is but I usually exchange $2000 usd. Probably more than the atm would authorize.
Larry

Roberto - 10-18-2011 at 08:44 AM

I can tell you that in TJ yesterday, it was around 12.7+. It's been hovering around there for at least a week.

yellowklr - 10-18-2011 at 07:54 PM

12.75 today at the costco chula vista

rzitren - 10-18-2011 at 08:48 PM

I got 13.0059 on San Ysidro Blvd east of 805 at 7PM tonight 10/18/2011