BajaNomad - What costs less, what costs more, vs Denver, Colorado?

What costs less, what costs more, vs Denver, Colorado?

walterbyrd - 3-3-2013 at 02:52 PM

Looks to me like (please tell me where I'm wrong, or what I forgot):

Baja vs Denver:

-- Housing would cost less.
-- Healthcare would cost less.
-- Internet would cost more, but not much, and no great expense.
-- Cell phone rates? About the same, I think.
-- Utilities? I think would cost a little more
-- Electronics and computers? I think would cost more.
-- Furniture? Probably a little more
-- Gasoline? Probably a little more
-- Car insurance? About the same?
-- Food? On balance, about the same, I'm guessing.

Does that breakdown seem about right?

Sandlefoot - 3-3-2013 at 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by walterbyrd
Looks to me like (please tell me where I'm wrong, or what I forgot):

Baja vs Denver:

-- Housing would cost less.
-- Healthcare would cost less.
-- Internet would cost more, but not much, and no great expense.
-- Cell phone rates? About the same, I think.
-- Utilities? I think would cost a little more
-- Electronics and computers? I think would cost more.
-- Furniture? Probably a little more
-- Gasoline? Probably a little more
-- Car insurance? About the same?
-- Food? On balance, about the same, I'm guessing.

Does that breakdown seem about right?

Housing... alot less
Healthcare ....Alot less
Internet....less and about the same speed
Cell Phone rates....Less, but it about use not rates
Utilities....Less
Electronics???? More, but Why by them here?
Furnature???? About the same, but why buy here?
Gasoline.....Over a $1.30 a gallon less!!!!!
Car Insurance.....Alot less
Food....Better for you and Alot less

Does that take the guess work out of it?

This all depends on your personal life style and preferences. If you can write checks like the US government then you may want to pay more. But then If you could write checks like that you would not be asking a question.

Happy Trails

Hey, Walter

bajaguy - 3-3-2013 at 03:11 PM

Quote:

Why don't you come down here and rent someplace for a year????....it's not an Apples vs Apples comparison.

[Edited on 3-3-2013 by bajaguy]

micah202 - 3-3-2013 at 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy

Quote:

Why don't you come down here and rent someplace for a year????....it's not an Apples vs Apples comparison.

[Edited on 3-3-2013 by bajaguy]

....methinks apples in Baja come from washington state!!

,

mcfez - 3-3-2013 at 05:07 PM

Sandlefoot hit it pretty much 100%

I'll add this: no snow removal service for the driveway :-) We had the service up in Trucker and it was $$$$$$$

[Edited on 3-4-2013 by mcfez]

acadist - 3-3-2013 at 07:39 PM

Which is more? Heat in CO winter or air in the summer in Baja? CO is not Fargo!!!

tripledigitken - 3-3-2013 at 08:01 PM

Healthcare may cost less for your everyday issues. However, a time will come when the severity of ones health issues will drive one back to the states for care. You only have to have read this forum over a year or two and the stories all have a familar ring.

Are you on Medicare currenty and/or close to qualifiing for it? I would leave that option open if you can.

Seems like when one gets beyond about 75 or so, the days in Baja become numbered.

Ken

walterbyrd - 3-4-2013 at 11:40 AM

[QUOTE]Are you on Medicare currenty and/or close to qualifiing for it? I would leave that option open if you can.[/QUOTE]

I am not on Medicare, and neither are my parents.

My parents are 76 years old, and my father still works 14 hours a day (including commute), 5 days a week.

The reason my parents are afraid to retire is: they believes that medicare is inadequate to cover their medical expenses.

I suppose, this is something I need to research.

DavidE - 3-4-2013 at 11:54 AM

A person has to be FRUGAL with electrical power. A mere 450 kWh is all they allow monthly then the cost starts to go nuts. Electrical power that would cost 450 a month in the states would end up costing a thousand dollars or more a month in Mexico (DAC tarifa).

Living where COSTCO, SAM's, and Home Depot is near is a hell of a lot different than living in a remote area where selection is less and prices can be much higher except for absolute basic staples.

Virtually no hardware is cheaper. Furniture is mostly PINE, which has not been kiln dried and is prone to crack. The stores here haul furniture back from the states and it costs A LOT MORE than it does in the states. Mexican mattresses are garbage, and the appliances made in Mexico are not much better.

Cement is 150 pesos a bag. Twelve dollars. Price that against Colorado cement.

Los dos Baja Californias are crazy more expensive than down on the mainland Mexico. What costs 3000 pesos a month, costs half that on the other side.

Food is TWICE or THRICE as expensive here. A bolillo that costs 8 pesos in El Boleo costs 1.50 in a super mercado.

Count of computer stuff costing 200% as much. All is in español including software and keyboards.

Mexico is NOT FOR CHEAP PRICES. The cost of living is FAR LESS in southern Texas, New Mexico, etc.

Mexico is here for the Mexicanos. The lifestyle. The friendship, smiles, the easy going sometimes laid-back, take life as it comes atmosphere. No building codes, sense of non-conformity (almost chaos), opportunistic glee when one finds something long sought for, and an ability to walk a block and acknowledge twenty buenas dias, and mucho gustos. Laughing at controlled mayhem during days of fiesta, and a people who in great majority just want to talk to you, someone different. Ain't all roses, and chocolate of course, but then again as long as all of the parameters are understood and accepted it can be many many times as desirable as living north of the border.

vandenberg - 3-4-2013 at 12:01 PM

Good post David.
Even 20 years ago, one of our native friends here in Loreto, warned us that Loreto was one of the most expensive places to live in all of Mexico. And ,since the arrival of Loreto Bay, has become worse. Especially labor costs.

But, forgot to add, I wouldn't live anywhere else. :biggrin:

[Edited on 3-4-2013 by vandenberg]

MitchMan - 3-4-2013 at 04:50 PM

DavidE got it right.

Having said that, living in Baja usually is cheaper, all things considered. Generally, I find that food costs the same, real estate much cheaper and labor cost much, much cheaper. Much of everything else is the same cost or higher. Glad DavidE mentioned the cost of furniture. He is spot on. In my view, furniture is easily twice the cost in Baja, and, the quality usually very low.

The thing that makes living in Baja cheaper is the lack of availability of expensive entertainment, people choosing to eat simpler less expensive food, clothing choices can certainly be cheaper, no dry cleaning bills, driving distances are less (significantly save on auto maintenance, auto replacement, and gas), and labor is siginificantly cheaper by multiples for most all services.

What most people do in Baja for entertainment is visit each other. No $300 tickets for concerts or plays or basket ball games, going to first run movies is 1/3 the cost, no heating costs, and plenty of low cost restaurants. Also, what you save on the cost of real estate offsets by multiples those things that cost more in Baja. I mean, I paid $45 USD this year for property taxes on my house in La Paz and my lot is 9300 sq ft, two miles from Home Depot, Sam's Club, Multiplex theater, casino, new big modern shopping mall, Walmart and more. The house itself cost easily 1/6 what I would pay in Orange County, California for the same thing, not even including the fact that I am 1/3 of a mile from the beach. I guess that would make it 1/10 the cost. Saving several hundred thousand USD should count for something.

Catch three 30 lb yellowtail, four 30 lb dorado, and three 25 lb yellow fin tuna and you are set for a year of fish from your freezer. Wait for your brand of tequila to go on sale, buy limes for $.30 lb USD and make your own margaritas (using my killer recipe). Eat more of the plentiful and delicious fruit. Learn to make killer enchiladas, fish tacos, quesadillas, albondiga soup, frijoles, chile rellenos, tamales, tostadas, juevos rancheros, menudo, and chile colorado and you will realize how well you can eat for so little. BBQ more at home, mesquite grows wild out here.

bajacalifornian - 3-4-2013 at 06:43 PM

USA vs. Baja? Ya gotta be kidin me!

Colorado Springs vs Cabo

thefishaholic - 3-5-2013 at 10:06 AM

We retired here in Cabo after spending time in Mulege, La Paz and Los Barrilles. We wanted the convenience of Sam's, Walmart, Costco, Home Depot etc. Also I had some friends here already.This was a personal choice. Also the weather is better here we feel.

Now we find most things we want/need at National Stores but realize that Mex made is usually inferior (plumbing, elec parts) but you can buy 3 for the cost of one.

Other than Med (basic is good here but we go back to CS for majors) most things are less if consumed as if you are on a budget (like the USA).

We enjoy a better lifestyle here vs Colo in relation to our income.

We say we vacation up North but live here Oct-June.

Housing is the big question wherever you chose in the Baja.

You will meet and make awesome friends wherever you go in Baja, both Mex and Gringo.

If you want better est of costs U2 me.

walterbyrd - 7-26-2013 at 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acadist
Which is more? Heat in CO winter or air in the summer in Baja? CO is not Fargo!!!

To be fair, Colorado summers get pretty hot as well. No Pacific ocean here.

What are summers like in Baja? I am guessing hot and dry, but not as bad as Arizona.

Hook - 7-26-2013 at 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by walterbyrd

Quote:

Originally posted by acadist
Which is more? Heat in CO winter or air in the summer in Baja? CO is not Fargo!!!

To be fair, Colorado summers get pretty hot as well. No Pacific ocean here.

What are summers like in Baja? I am guessing hot and dry, but not as bad as Arizona.

Starting at the top of the Sea of Cortez and coming around the cape and back north, the summers along the coast of Baja might be described:

-San Felipe to Bahia de Los Angeles; very hot (95-110+) and generally dry, except for chubascos.

-Santa Rosalia to Cabo San Lucas: hot (85-100) and generally humid

-San Lucas to Mag Bay: warm (80-90) and generally humid

-Mag Bay to Bahia Tortuga: mild (75-85) and pleasant, any humidity is often fog or a passing chubasco

-Bahia Tortuga to Tijuana: cool (70-80) and pleasant, any humidity is generally fog or overcast. Chubascos are rare.

Inland temps depend on elevation and coastal proximity, especially if influenced by the cool Pacific water mass. It can vary greatly.

Thanks my synopsis. Anyone else?

[Edited on 7-26-2013 by Hook]

mtnpop - 7-26-2013 at 02:54 PM

Walter,
well we pend our summers outside of Westciffe and Oct-Jun in BAJA... south
When we returned this June to the market sticker shock really set in... We get veggies, fish, shrimp off a Mex. truck or 2 almost any day of the week for boocoo less than Walmart, etc. .. Our property taxes around $40 per year and if paid by Dec 31 a 30% disc is given. Try that in Denver.. High speed internet runs right at $30usd per month and we use majicjack and slingbox on it with no problems... Water bill is $10usd per month. electric is about $25 per month with no air conditioning running.. Your diet changes to fresh fish, chicken, and fresh veggies grown in BAJA.. 1/2 kilo carnitas with tortillas and a beer on Sat more than feeds 2 abut $10usd.. No crime to speak of we do movie night on the patio, along with somewhere to eat continually...
canned goods at the market are a little higher.. Beer is cheaper and with a meal usually around $1.50usd try that at Chili's
I could go on and on but we would be glad to talk anytime...
Quite a few of us from Colorado there in the winter and some are there full time now...
Medicare,,, my plan covers $25K out of USA but I haven't had to test it yet.. Dental about 1/4 to 1//3 the cost and state of the art equipment at our dentist..
Oh. Palm tree fires are way different than Colorado wild fires trust me..
We were just talking, we figure our basic costs for the 8 months runs about $3500usc and we don't usually want for anything...
Get to be in WheatRidge for the 4 year old grand daughter b'day tomorrow o'boy...
As earlier stated,,, come down and rent for a year or 2 in different areas so you get a feel... different on the west snd east sides of BAJA...
looks like I got too long winded....

Bajahowodd - 7-26-2013 at 04:59 PM

A few observations.

First, just using the entirety of Baja for a comparison fails to factor in a number of things, among which would be whether you are looking at high cost toursit oriented locales or more remote ones. In the remote ones, transportation costs to avail you of certain goods and amenities will increase the price by time and money.

Second, I have read studies by international companies that state that internet speed in Mexico, with the exception of a few high value enclaves, is much slower than the US. For that matter, average US internet speeds put it in 9th place internationally. Mexico can probably blame Carlos Slim for this problem.

Third, if one qualifies for Medicare in the US, there are myriad Medicare plans supported by major health care firms. There may be a certain amount of delay in getting certain non-critical services, but the government controls the pricing. The cost for Medicare is incredibly low. It is a bargain.

monoloco - 7-26-2013 at 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook

Quote:

Originally posted by walterbyrd

Quote:

Originally posted by acadist
Which is more? Heat in CO winter or air in the summer in Baja? CO is not Fargo!!!

To be fair, Colorado summers get pretty hot as well. No Pacific ocean here.

What are summers like in Baja? I am guessing hot and dry, but not as bad as Arizona.

I would add that along the Pacific the hot season tends to be much shorter. Here in Pescadero/Todos Santos the daily highs have only recently climbed into the low 80's, and generally any hot humid weather ends by mid-October.

DavidE - 7-26-2013 at 05:26 PM

COST? Gimme a break. How to you COMPARE the cost of a fully insulated centrally heated and air conditioned home with natural gas, against a concrete pillbox or Saltine Crackerbox?

You learn to ADAPT. No radicchio for the salad. Oh sugar, no lettuce or tomatoes today either. Like Acme brand salad dressing? Anything and everything canned in the store "Con Limon"?

Steak with a speed rating imprinted on the sidewall?

Shoes that stop at size nine.

Anything with a XX on it ain't clothes. It's something in a green bottle.

Oh I just GOTTA take a shower. What's this @#$!? No water!

What does "No Tenemos No Hay" mean?

"Oh good. It expires in September...................................................2011"

"STOP! STOP! If i told you once I told you a million times - if it comes out of the tap, it's lethal!"

"What's that dark spot in the road ahea...........YAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Lee - 7-26-2013 at 07:21 PM

I"ve said this in a post somewhere. I fish from shore, never been in a panga though they catch the bigger fish. I fish for an hour every morning. I catch enough fish to eat and live indefinitely. That's not a fish story. I give much of it away-- guess I could barter. Sometimes I lay some on Alec at Baja Beans and get a latte or two. Veggies/tortillas, etc., run around $15/week. Tequila and cerveza extra.

john68 - 7-27-2013 at 08:59 AM

Walter--

We spend November-May in Los Barriles and the rest of the year in Arvada.

It all depends is the best answer. If you spend the summers on the SOC side of the peninsula, the AC costs are going to be pretty high (we use an evaporative cooler in CO--not practical on the SOC side because of high summer humidity).

Our internet speed in Mexico is relatively expensive if you take into account the much lower speed.

Property taxes are much, much lower in Baja than CO.

Food, beer and restaurant costs about the same as CO. Availability of some foods and medicines can be a problem.

Except for boat costs, we probably spend less when we're in Baja than we do in CO. More simple pleasures--reading, visiting, gardening, etc.

U2U if I can help more.

Good luck.

John

DavidE - 7-27-2013 at 09:55 AM

When you wake up the day before christmas and the temperature is 46 degrees your only remedy is to throw on clothes. Homes have zero insulation. I do not know the percentage of failed plans of folks who intended to spend their retirement south of the border but I suspect it is way way higher than fifty percent.

I recommend examining your lifestyle. Determine your daily "habits" extract those that you are not willing to live without. Then do without for a few weeks in the states. No morning newspaper, no frost on the pumpkin. No Thai food, no Raider tickets, or 16 different types of salad greens. No Famous Grouse or Glenlivet scotch, no place to escape to for four months in the summer. Passing hurricanes that can leave the power off for days.

ADAPTING or the lack of ability to, is the key. Some folks especially in urban environments get fed up with kamikaze drivers. Others flip out when their place gets raided and their valuables grow legs. Boredom can be a huge enemy for some. I've seen couples move to Mexico and the better half get into cat fights with fellow gringas. The next thing the poor guy knows, they are having a fire sale grade garage sale, everything must go.

179 days spent at their intended retirement spot in the LOW SEASON may help to ferret out potential problems.

bkbend - 7-29-2013 at 08:15 AM

Why would anybody want Raider tickets in the first place?

DavidE - 7-29-2013 at 08:32 AM

cause Lozenges ain't got no football...