Cost of Living

The Cost of Living in Mexico This page is still under construction. The costs shown here were compiled here in Lerdo, Durango in February 2004. They represent regular, every day prices and do not include special sales. Most were taken directly from my supermarket register slips (revealing my eating habits). Fresh produce may cost less at the mercado (farmer's market) or from street vendors. All prices change from time to time, and some of the food prices are certainly seasonal, but I hope this will give you some idea of what to expect in Mexico. The US dollar prices are based on an exchange rate of 11 pesos = 1 dollar. This rate fluctuates constantly; this is a approximate rate in February 2005.
					This page is meant for folks thinking about a move to Mexico. It is not aimed at vacationers, thus I have not included cost information for hotels, recreational/tourist sites, spas, or restaurants. Admittedly, eating out is part of regular living, so let me just say you can find good food in any price range -- from a 40 cent taquito from a street vendor to a high-priced meal in an upscale restaurant. Housing costs are not included here because it is too subjective and area dependent. It is safe to say that one can find a place to live in any price range in any city. Whether you will like what you find at the low end is another matter. Except in the largest cities and tourist areas, a nice two-bedroom house or apartment can be found for as little as US$250/month and less in many places. You can also find places for $50/month that are plain but serviceable. The days of living high on the hog for cheap in Mexico are gone forever. Depending on your life style and where you are coming from, living here may or may not cost less. I live a simple life style and came here from Los Angeles, so my cost of living is much less in Mexico. In fact, my basic living costs (not including travel) are less than my housing plus utility costs in Los Angeles. But if I had come from a small mid-western town to live in a gated gringo community in a costal resort area, my cost would probably have gone up by quite a bit.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables	Pesos	Units	US $	Units
Asparagus	99.90	Kg	3.87	pound
Avocados	12.90	Kg	.53	pound
Bananas	7.95	Kg	.33	pound
Broccoli	10.95	Kg	.45	pound
Cantaloupe	5.95	Kg	.25	pound
Carrots	4.95	Kg	.20	pound
Gapes, white seedless	29.95	Kg	1.23	pound
Lettuce, iceberg	7.49	each	.27	each
Limes	4.59	Kg	.19	pound
Mushrooms	26.90	Kg	1.11	pound
Nectarines	19.95	Kg	.82	pound
Onions, white	9.90	Kg	.41	pound
Peaches	19.95	Kg	.82	pound
Potatoes, new	19.95	Kg	.82	pound
Potatoes, regular	11.95	Kg	.49	pound
Strawberries	5.40	Kg	.22	pound
Tomatoes	9.95	Kg	.26	pound

Meat and Fish	Pesos	Units	US $	Units
Chicken, whole fresh	18.90	Kg	.78	pound
Crab, imitation	12.56	Kg	.52	pound
Fish, catfish	23.90	Kg	.99	pound
Fish, Mero	24.98	Kg	1.03	pound
Fish, salmon	77.99	Kg	3.22	pound
Fish, white	19.95	Kg	.82	pound
Ham	27.00	Kg	1.11	pound
Hamburger, regular	22.75	Kg	.94	pound
Hamburger, low fat special	59.90	Kg	2.47	pound
Hamburger, sirloin	93.90	Kg	3.87	pound
Hotdogs		Kg		pound
Liver, beef	9.90	Kg	.41	pound
Pork chops, smoked	51.27	Kg	2.11	pound
Pork chops, thin		Kg		pound
Shrimp, large, cooked composite	67.90	Kg	2.78	pound
Shrimp, small (salad), cooked	87.90	Kg	3.62	pound
Shrimp, medium, raw	163	Kg	6.72	pound
Stake, T-Bone	69.90	Kg	2.88	pound

Dairy and Eggs	Pesos	Units	US $	Units
Butter	4.35	1 stick	1.58	pound
Cheese, cheddar	54.94	Kg	2.27	pound
Cheese, Chihuahua	21.39	Kg	.88	pound
Eggs, large	10.32	doz	.94	doz
Mexican cream	21.90	900ml	2.09	1 quart
Milk, low fat	15.00	1.89 lt	1.36	1/2 gal

Groceries	Pesos	Units	US $	Units
A1 sauce	42.90	350g	4.01	12 oz
Beans, pinto	13.40	Kg	.55	pound
Bread, large whole wheat	12.99	1 loaf	1.18	1 loaf
Bread, small multi-grain	12.59	1 loaf	1.14	1 loaf
Cereal, Fiber One	13.99	350g	1.27	12 oz
Cereal. Fibermax	44.90	800g	4.08	28 oz
Coffee, Taster's Choice	95.14	340g	8.65	12 oz
Coke/Pepsi	8	1 liter	.73	1 liter
Coke/Pepsi	14	2 liters	1.27	2 liters
Potato chips	17.50	200 g	1.59	7 oz
Mayo, light	40.00	838g	3.64	30 oz
Mustard, Dijon	23.95	350g	2.18	12 oz
Prego sauce	28.90	794g	1.19	28 oz
Rice	5.40	Kg	.22	pound
Salad dressing, Ranch lite	30.00	956g	2.73	32 oz
Tuna, small can	5.95	each	.54	each

Spirits	Pesos	Units	US $	Units
Beer, Corona	5.50	325 ml	.50	11 oz
Kahlúa	89	980 ml	8.09	980 ml
Tequila, El Jimador	114		10.36
Whiskey, Jack Daniels
Wine, low price table	50		4.55

Misc.	Pesos	Units	US $	Units
Gasoline, premium	6.99	liter	2.41	gal
Gasoline, regular	6.10	liter	2.10	gal
Diesel	5.00	liter	1.72	gal
LP Gas (cooking and hot water)	230	30Kg	20.91	30 Kg
Telephone, basic monthly with taxes, 100 free calls	180		16.36

Internet service from the telephone company -- MX$1400/year = US$127 annually = US$10.61/month
Internet service from others -- about the same as in the USA.

Electrical Power (Monthly)
1st 75 KWH	.531	KWH	.048	KWH
Next 50 KWH	.891	KWH	.081	KWH
Above 125 KWH	1.871	KWH	.170	KWH
Parts of México have different summer and winter rates.