Job Discussion Forums

Enchilada Potosina · Joined: 03 Aug 2010 Posts: 344 Location: Mexico

Mexico could be a great place to teach but unless you're very lucky working for people here just wears you down after a while.

SLP is great example of this: there used to be a ton of foreigners here teaching English but now there are very few. This is mainly because the language schools here simply exploited natives to death and they stopped coming. The colegios and unis don't really pay enough to survive on, if you're interested in more than partying and eating beans, and there's not much else around plus the cost of living is now bordering on the ridiculous.

I think the key to doing well/being happy in Mexico is to get established then do your own thing. Working for grotty language schools is soul-destroying after a while, hence the plethora of negative comments.

Daytona · Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 7

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:53 pm Post subject: Re: Realistic expectation

Daytona · Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 7

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:54 am Post subject:

Yeah, 10,000 is what a lot of teachers earn. Being a native English speaker even without a degree will open doors. You can live quite well on 10,000 pesos a month. I live in a small town now, so what things cost here is not going to be of much use to you. But when I lived in Mexico City, here is an outline of what I paid monthly (I didn't pay rent, but apartments in the area I lived in rented in the 2500 to 3000 range)

Rent: 3000
Electric : 300 every two months
Phone/Internet: 380 pesos
Metro Tickets per month (40 rides) 120 pesos
2 or 3 taxis a month :100 pesos
Food: 500 pesos a week or less (I am a vegetarian, so if you eat meat it will be more)
Three lunches per week in a Fonda 100 pesos
Cell phone: (pay as you go) 100 pesos a month (I sent lots of text messages, instead of making calls)

Some things are incredibly cheap like public transportation and fresh fruits and vegetables in season, doctor visits and medicine, to name a few, whereas luxury items and imported goods are as expensive as they are in the US, for the most part.

Daytona · Joined: 07 Nov 2013 Posts: 7

A very big thank-you, my friend! That info is exactly what I've been looking for.

I tried to put together a mock monthly expense table through research, however my numbers were way off. Even when I allowed for a buffer amount each side. Good to get it into some perspective.

Money wise, I'm glad I will be able to pay my way. I have definitely read a lot of negative remarks, and I used to worry. I then started to wonder if it is because they left for Mexico expecting to live a luxurious life similar to home, or perhaps expecting to make a profit. Just my (minimal experience) guess.

As long as I can live like a local, I'm happy. Smile

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:11 pm Post subject:

mzuri · Joined: 30 May 2011 Posts: 78

@ badbeaglebad -

I see you work online - how fast/reliable is the internet access in your location?

I teach English online and Mexico is a possible place for me to be in 2015. (My plan would be to get six-month tourist visa then renew for another six months by way of a visa run.)

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 6:54 pm Post subject:

mzuri · Joined: 30 May 2011 Posts: 78

Thanks very much B3!

Reassuring info.

lagringalindissima · Joined: 20 Jun 2014 Posts: 105 Location: Tucson, Arizona

I taught at a school in Mexico in 1999 (tec in culican) where the students behavior was so out of line they came and went as they pleased-- and yes for most teachers, not just me. But I liked "the good half" of my students very much. If you weren't at a school that allowed behavior like running in and out of classes at will, it could indeed be a rewarding place to work.