Teacher Sara Tyler

Mexico: How Far Does $523 USD in Rent Go?

Mexico is a big country, so trying to figure out where to live is not easy. There is literally something for everyone. It often comes down to budget and what is your must have amenity (for me – it´s the beach!). To search there are a number of Spanish language websites which advertise rentals. They are generally cheaper than English language websites like Craigslist, but not as cheap as walking around by foot. However, since I can´t visit every city that I am interested in, I need to use the online tools that I have to help me narrow it down.

For the purpose of this experiment, I choose a 10,000 Mexican peso price point ($523 USD according to today´s exchange rate) for rentals near a beach to see what exactly I could get.

#1 – A 3-bedroom house for rent in Cancun, Quintana Roo. See the original Spanish language listing on Segundamano. It has modern amenities, includes a swimming pool and gym, as well as 24-hour security.

My heart sunk when I saw the location and how far is was to anything Carribean.

The neighborhood is located on the very outskirts of the city, 14 kilometers from the nearest public beach by car. Since I don´t have a car, I tried to click on public transportation but it´s not available.

#2 – A 3-bedroom, 1.5 bathroom house for rent in Puerta Vallerta, Jalisco. See the original Spanish language listing on Segundamano. It is completely furnished with AC in the bedrooms and has no neighbors (very important when holidays come around if you like to sleep, because Mexico is LOUD!).

The listing says the rental is 1 block from Walmart , the movie theater and a major bank which sounds convenient.

I´d have to research futher into why it rerouted me to Playa El Salado and not to one that was closer, but either way, it is 1/2 the distance to the beach as the first option.

#3 – A older, 3-bedroom, 3 bathroom condo for rent in Progreso, Yucatan. See the original Spanish language listing on Segundamano. It comes furnished as well, including a jacuzzi, and there is a view of the ocean from the house, so I know it is close.

The listing doesn´t have an exact location, since Progreso is a small town, so I wasn´t able to find out exactly where is it beyond this point.

Overall, am I going to choose any of these places? Absolutely not. I would never rent a place sight unseen. But I do have a better idea of what prices are like in certain areas than when I started.

Based on what I found out from this search, I would cross Cancun off my list and research more about PV and Progreso before deciding. Joining a few local expat groups I would ask about schools, the job market and safety as my top priorities.

Spoiler alert: I already lived in Cancun and Progreso so I know what is wrong with them for my lifestyle. (In case you are curious: Cancun is overpriced and filled with foreigners, it´s hot and crowded and you never actually get near the beaches when you live there. Progreso is 45 minutes into Merida for anything and everything by car, no schools which means no earning potential for me and nowhere to put my daughter while I do the earning.)

I didn´t include Oaxacan beaches or Southern Quinatana Roo because being so far from an international airport is a major inconvenience for me. As for the Gulf Coast, well, I already live here so I am biased.

Which option would you choose? Share in the comments below.

Cooling Down in Orizaba

We finally got to visit Orizaba, one of Veracruz´ ¨pueblos magicos¨ (magical towns) and it did not disappoint. We live in the hot and humid Port of Veracruz, so it was a nice escape to an interior town with much cooler weather. The temperature ranged from 60 degrees overnight to high 70s during the day.

Getting there

I arrived on ADO bus line from Veracruz city. The ride was about 2 hours and 30 minutes with a stop in Cordoba (a neighboring city to Orizaba). I bought the tickets in advance so they cost 219 pesos round trip instead of the normal price of 412 pesos.

43206407_10214496682184057_3159655346285314048_n — As you step out of the bus terminal, you can already see the beautiful architecture of Orizaba.

Accommodations

Upon arrival, I found a couple of hotel options but ultimately went with Hotel Posada del Viajero because of the location. It was 350 pesos for 2 adults in a room with a double bed. (just make sure to have cash, they did not have a POS system). The hotel was located in front of the market and on a pedestrian street downtown filled with shops. It was within walking distance to the bus terminal and all of the attractions.

43030786_10214491062523569_8423074249261973504_n — Basic double bed hotel room, with TV and hot water. No AC (but it isn´t needed).

Another budget option was Hotel Plaza Palacio, located near the Palacio del Hierro (Iron Palace) but it was already booked for the night.

Attractions

I went with my neighbor and 2-year-old daughter. We didn´t get to see everything that we wanted to – so I am sure we will be back, but we were able to visit/see:

Teleferico – The cable cars that bring you up the mountain to a park which has amazing views of the city, a small museum, chapel and many places to take pictures. It cost 30 pesos because we went on a weekday, and each ticket included admission to 2 local museums as well. The weekend price is 50 pesos and children under 3 are free.

43201663_10214491252328314_3805875769159188480_n — All around the city, you can scan codes on your smartphone to hear tours or history in English and Spanish.

Alameda Park – We saw this park on our way down on the cable cars and had to visit. It was filled with playground equipment for kids, statues from famous children´s songs, food vendors and paid activities for children like trampolines, bouncy houses and electric cars. Along the park, the street was lined with restaurants.

43042927_10214491384731624_2098670236579397632_n — We saw this park on our way down on the cable cars. It caught our attention.

Dinosaur Park – This is the only time we had to take a taxi while we were there. It was 25 pesos from downtown to this park. The entrance was free. The dinosaur park is based off of the Juarassic Park movies and below is a picnic area with food vendors.

43195842_10214492809087232_6814379473857675264_n — The dinosaur park is filled with huge statues of the creatures from the Jurassic Park movies.

Ciudad de las Sonrisas (City of Smiles) – Further below the dinosaur park is a huge children´s park made from recycled materials. It includes a castle, school bus, helicopter, police and fire station, etc. all made from recycled wood and turned into playground equipment. It is another free attraction.

43120211_10214492835647896_1192080009934667776_n — The coolest park I have ever seen, made mostly from recycled materials.

Local Market – In front of the hotel was the municipal market which sells everything from food, fruits and vegetables, clothes to trinkets and souvenirs. I ate breakfast on the day I left. A large quesadilla and a bottle of coke cost just 30 pesos. For lunch, there are plenty of comida corrida options (typical food in which you receive a soup, an entree and drink for one price) starting at 40 pesos. I noticed that most of the market was not open until 10 AM. At 9 AM, only food stands were open.

Overall

I was very pleased with our visit to Orizaba. There is a lot of cultural activities that we didn´t get to see. For example, there is a Riverwalk with art and animals and many museums, as well as theatrical productions. The prices were so low there that I ended up shopping more than I usually do – buying 20 peso t-shirts for my daughter and bathing suit sets on sale for 60 pesos. There were many American clothing stores in the downtown area and also several large bookstores with decent prices.

Unfortunately, it was cloudy while we were there so we did not get any pictures of the Pico de Orizaba.

The only thing I didn´t like about the city were the amount of beggars on the street at night and in the bus station, soliciting for money, more so than in other cities that I have visited. And the reason we did not get to do the river walk was that is was not stroller friendly with many steps, and the animals along it were very spread out.

Teach Online without a Degree

A lot of people are able to obtain residency in Mexico, or other foreign countries, using online income. Working remotely also pays much better than local wages. I was asked for the third time this week how to get into online teaching without a degree, so I decided to compile some information into a blog post.

To begin, Mexico has great internet. In most areas, 20 MB download speeds are standard. Unless you live somewhere very rural, you will likely have 2 – 3 internet companies to choose from, averaging $25 USD per month for the service.

Below is a list of a few online companies that do not require a degree. Many will provide training and lesson plans as well. They won´t pay as much as companies that demand a 4-year degree, but you will still make more than you would locally.

Tutoring (Korea) $10 – $13 USD per hour (referral link)
Cambly (worldwide) $10.20 USD per hour (referral link)
Qkids (China) $14 – 22 USD per hour
HelloKid (China) $15 USD per hour
Hujiang (China) $12 – $16 USD per hour *requires a TEFL/TESOL certificate
Magic Ears (China) $18 USD plus bonus per hour *requires teaching experience and a TEFL/TESOL certificate

If you are interested in any of these companies, I recommend joining Hired Online ESL Teachers with Job Reviews. There are a number of recruiters and hired teachers in the group who will walk you through the interview process and answer any questions you may have.

Another excellent resource is the full list of all online companies at Good Air Language. The list is massive and companies are only separated by region, not by qualifications. It is being updated constantly as new companies emerge.

*Qualifications and pay are self-reported by hired teachers at each company. They are subject to change at any time.

Do you work for another company that doesn´t require a degree? If so, comment below.

Travel for less than $20 USD a day in Mexico

All of my friends ask me how I can afford to travel so much. The secret is that it’s NOT as expensive as people think.I started working online full-time about 5 years ago so that I could travel even more, while not having to take time off. You can travel on a dime anywhere in the world but this article is going to focus on cheap travel within Mexico

Accommodations:

Couchsurfing : Stay for free with hosts in cities around the world. Check out hosts´ profiles on the website and read references from guests or other hosts. Accommodations range from a couch in a shared setting to a private room, depending on what the host has available. I have both hosted guests on this platform and have been a guest in foreign countries and have always had great experiences. I recommend this option for people traveling alone, as a couple and without children. If you plan to work, it is considered rude to use this platform since it is meant to include social interaction between the host and guest.

House sitting: Many house sitting websites are available to connect sitters with homeowners. This may or may not include taking care of pets. You can also advertise as a housesitter on local Facebook groups. Many people with vacation homes use house sitters in Mexico to take care of property maintenance and avoid being robbed when they are in their home country.

Airbnbs: You can rent a room in a shared house, an apartment or an entire house through this platform for much less than a hotel room. I usually choose Airbnb when traveling because I need residential internet to be able to work online. Most hosts also offer weekly and monthly discounts. I have stayed in private rooms for as low as $10 USD per night and rented entire apartments for under $20 USD per night. (If you plan to use this option, please use my referral link to sign up and you will receive $40 USD off your first stay.)

Local businesses: If you are a spontaneous traveler, try to find accommodations upon arrival and take advantage of last minute discounts or negotiate a better rate. It is not uncommon to find budget rooms in hostels, posadas or hotels for under $10 USD a night. Many of these places will not advertise online so you won´t find them on Hotels.com or other booking websites.

Food:

Instead of paying a premium rate for a hotel with free breakfast, I will either stay somewhere with a kitchen or eat breakfast at a local market. I can make a typical breakfast of 2 eggs, toast and bacon for under $1 USD if I can cook at home. If I go to the market, I will spend between $1.50 and $3 USD.

Another tip is to eat out twice a day, instead of 3 times. I will often have a large breakfast and then have a late lunch, around 3 PM. In Mexico, you can find comida economica or comida corrida in any city. These are local establishments with homemade food. The menu changes daily but typically includes a choice of soup, a main dish (there are always chicken, beef and fish options) with salad, rice and beans on the side, tortillas, salsa, dessert and a drink. Prices range from $2 to $3.50 USD. There is usually enough food for me to eat half for lunch and I take the second half home for dinner.

Even if you decide to eat out every meal, it’s easy to find budget options to keep your food costs under $10 USD per day. If you can cook where you are staying, you can spend under $5 USD per person, per day.

Transportation:

Travel on budget airlines can be as low as $40 one way within Mexico. Mexico´s budget airlines are opening up new international routes all the time, offering fares under $100 each way. Just make sure to read the fine print regarding luggage and purchase your checked bags with your ticket to avoid paying steep fees at the airport.

Public transportation is cheap, safe and reliable in Mexico, so I always forgo the car rental. In addition to the insurance, gas and tolls are expensive and it’s always much cheaper to travel by bus, or on a budget airline if you are traveling alone or with just one other person. Buses in most cities are under .75 cents each way and if you are in Mexico City you can take the metro anywhere you need to go for under .50 cents.

There are several long-distance bus services that operate in the country, depending on the location. My favorite one is ADO, which offers different levels of service and routes from Mexico City to the Caribbean coast. If you purchase ahead of time, you can receive 50% off the ticket price and they also have special deals on their APP. If you aren’t in Mexico yet, you can have someone pre-purchase the ticket in your name and you can pick it up on arrival with your picture ID. I often use the discount to be able to travel on their luxury Platino line for the price of their basic service.

Overall:

Depending on your choice of accommodations, meals and transportation needs, it´s very easy to travel within Mexico for under $20 USD per day. If you end up in a walkable city, with a Couchsurfing host, and able to cook your own meals, you can do it for under $5 USD.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed some of my ideas to save big on your travels. Using these platforms and strategies, my daughter and I are able to take 6 to 8 budget trips or vacations a year, instead of one to two expensive ones. If you have additional ideas on how to travel on a budget, leave them in the comment section below.

Round-Trip Flights to Mexico from $172 USD this October

Mexico´s biggest discount airlines, Vivaaerobus and Volaris, have been adding new routes to the United States and Central America. They are similar to Spirit or Frontier Airlines in the USA, the fare is a base fare with taxes included, but you will have to pay extra if you decide to bring luggage or want to purchase a bigger seat, VIP check-in or print out your ticket at the airport counter. Either way, their fares are so low and you can often get domestic flights in Mexico for under $100 round trip. Right now they are having a big sale for travel in September and October. Below are some sample airfares, but click on the hyperlinks to visit the websites and see for yourself.

October Deals on Vivaaerobus:

Houston to Veracruz (via Mexico City): $172 USD

New York to Mexico City: $284 USD

Los Angeles to Guadalajara: $173 USD

Untitled presentation (6) — Vivaaerobus´ light fares include a personal item only. If you plan to bring luggage, it´s more affordable to upgrade your ticket at booking.

October deals on Volaris:

Chicago to Cancun: $270 USD

Miami to Monterrey: $241 USD

San Diego to Merida (via Mexico City): $195 USD

Untitled presentation (8) — Volaris´ V-club fares include discounts on flights and 2 carry-on bags.

Overall, I find that both carriers are similar in cost and service. I prefer flying Vivaerobus within Mexico but internationally, Volaris has more routes and flight options. And if you fly frequently, or are bringing luggage, you can save a lot of money by joining their V-club.

Have you flown on either airline? Feel free to comment on your experiences below.

How to Find Cheap Rentals in Mexico (or anywhere abroad!)

Forget real estate agents! I have lived in 8 cities in the past 8 years and I have never used a realtor. I have rented places from $80 USD a month, a room in Mexico City, to $425, a 4 bedroom, furnished house in Progreso, Yucatan. Instead of overpaying by going through a realtor, use these tips to get the best rental price for your budget.

Do the work yourself. Realtors that speak English often specialize in high-end rentals. The more they can rent a place for, the more money they make. Also, steer clear of any rentals listed in USD. You can end up paying more as the exchange rate changes.
Hit the ground walking. When you get to your desired city or neighborhood, take the time to walk around. Write down numbers when you see a for rent sign. You will be dealing directly with the owner in most cases and will receive a better deal.
Speak the language, or find someone who does. If you aren’t fluent in the local language, ask a friend or hire someone to make the phone calls for you. It is not uncommon for foreigners to receive a higher rental price when the owner hears your accent. If you don’t have anyone to call for you, try downloading Whatsapp. It is an application frequently used in Mexico and abroad. Use Google translate to send a message to the owner (just make sure not to keep your profile picture blank) directly.
Negotiate. A nice American couple who I met in Progreso lent me their very comprehensive research into rentals in the area. In most cases, they were able to negotiate better rental prices, sometimes up to 50% by offering to rent for 6 months to a year. Your best chances to negotiate will be during the low season or in a city with few expats.
Check all of your options. If you are new to a city or unsure of making a long commitment, consider staying in an Airbnb or a posada (a hotel that rents rooms by the month). Many Airbnbs give weekly and monthly discounts so you can take as long as you need to make a decision – and won´t end up pressured into an overpriced contract. I have stayed in Airbnbs for less than $300 USD a month with all expenses paid.
Furnished or Unfurnished? If you are planning to spend less than a year in a given area, it will probably be worth it to spend more for a furnished rental. Apartments and homes in Mexico do not come with appliances like in the United States. You will be expected to buy a refrigerator and stove, in addition to other furniture. But if you plan to be in one location for a year or more, it is usually better to rent unfurnished and buy what you need secondhand. There are a number of Facebook sales groups in any given city and homemade, local furniture is available for low prices in Mexico.

Do you have any more tips on how to find cheap rentals for expats? If so, leave a comment below.

Real Life Budget in Veracruz

My daughter and I moved to Veracruz from Progreso about 3 months ago. I update my budget posts periodically when we have major changes (like my daughter is starting school next week). These are our monthly expenses as of August, 2018. Note that everything is based on monthly figures and in Mexican pesos:

Rent: 3200 for a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom house located 1 block from the sea
Electricity (without AC) 20 pesos per month (bills come every 2 months)
Water is included with the rent
Internet/cable: 500 pesos
Cellphone: 100 pesos
Private preschool: 2060 pesos
Nanny, part-time, 3 evenings a week: 900 pesos
Diapers/wipes/Nido milk: 710
Groceries/eating out: 2000
Spending money (eating out, transportation, etc.): 4000

Total: $13,490 or $703 USD based on today´s exchange rate.

Overall, this budget is slightly higher than my previous one. When we first moved here our expenses were $679 USD per month, $24 USD less than we are spending now. But since my daughter is going to school next week, I am able to return to work full time and bring in more income. So, overall we have more money left over at the end of the month for traveling.

What is your budget like? Feel free to comment below.

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