•¿Can We Retire in Mexico on $1000 Canadian?

We don't fit into many of the categories of couples trying to migrate to Mexico -- first of all we hope to find a very quiet place where not a lot is happening in terms of tourists or development...We are trying to find a quiet spot to do some healing, rather than a party lifestyle or high scale retirement. And we are trying to do it on about $1000-$1200 Canadian a year. Are we crazy, or barking up the wrong tree?.... (more) Answer by Carl Franz

•Mazatlan: Costs, Housing, Work

Hola Lorena and Carl: as you predicted, since you published my first letter concerning life here in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, I' ve been getting a ton of letters asking about retirement and other prolonged stays. The most common question these folks have is, "How much is it gonna cost me each month to live in Mazatlan.? ... (more) by Art Jones

•Mazatlan: Retirement, Attractions, Costs, Medical & Dental Care

I traveled extensively in Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica for about a year before I settled in Mazatlan.... I guess I stayed here because of the Centro Historico. The old port of Mazatlan is absolutely enchanting. It is almost like living in a small port village. It is very easy to forget that we are surrounded by a fairly large city. It has a kinda Mediterranean feeling. (more) by Arthur Jones

June 2001, from Puerot Vallarta: Cheap & Easy,

But, to recap very briefly: Something comfortable and livable -- though likely very plain and utilitarian -- can be rented in a traditional outlying suburb of Puerto Vallarta for as little as $200 to $400 US a month. (Peso equivalent, of course, and yes, with all essential services such as cable tv, phone, internet, and bus, etc.)

My wife and I are also extremely frugal minimalists, but we don't hesitate to invest when we find a bargain in real estate. For example, in the spring of '95 we bought a fairly large, comfortable home here. It's in a traditional, non-touristy suburb. You can get much more home for your money if you avoid the tourist zones (which have become breathtakingly expensive, and have an annoying feeling of unreality and hype-in my opinion).

....My wife and I keep our focus on the dollar, with by far the bulk of our money still in dollar-denominated investments in the US. We routinely transfer small amounts by wire into our peso account as needed.... (more) by Robert & Deborah Foster

•Mexico on 5 Tamales A Day: What Does It Really Co$t?

As we continue research for our book on living, working and retiring in Mexico, the cost-of-living questions rears its head... time and time again. Can I really live like a bachelor king on $500 a month? How about $900? Is $2,000 okay for a family? Did I hear somebody say $4,000? Help!

We’ll explore this topic here on a regular basis, but my quick answer to all of the above is an ambiguous “Yes, but....” In Michoacan or Minnesota the true cost of living basically depends on your ability to economize. If you can comfortably “do without” such frills as frequent long-distance phone calls, daily maid service, American-made Corn Flakes, and the Sunday New York Times, you’ll probably get by in Mexico without undue suffering. We know lots of people who get by quite happily on monthly budgets of $1200, $1000, and even much less.

On the other hand, if your current monthly expenses tear a huge hole out of a $5,000 paycheck, chances are good that you’ll need serious retraining to economize in Mexico.... (more) by Carl Franz

•A Realistic Budget