Job Discussion Forums

[Gaynor]

Hello,
Can anyone give me a rough idea of living costs in Oaxaca city? I have been offered a teaching job of no less than 19 hours, at 46 pesos an hour.
I see from previous emails that this is an average wage for the area, but with this amount of hours, will I just be making ends meet, or will I be able to enjoy the sights and the culture sometimes too?

If you have lived in Oaxaca and can help me out, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Gaynor

[MELEE]

In Oaxaca you can subsist or you can live or you can LIVE!
I live in the state of Oaxaca, not Oaxaca City, but I visit at least once a month. This past month I went about 5 times because I was in a paper trail night mare--hence my lack of recent posts.
When I visit Oaxaca, I consider myself to be on vacation. The town in which I live is not known for it's, well let's just say it is not known. And in no way could be considered undiscovered, it's not known for a good reason.

So anyway, when I go to Oaxaca, I eat well. I sleep well. I live well. I usually spend about $400 pesos a day!

But like I said that is living well.
But from talking with other people who live there (some have moved to my town, some I've met there.) An apartmet in the center of town will run you about $2000 pesos a month. Most English teachers are forced to share. The city buses cost $3 and a taxi with in the main part of the city is $25 pesos. You could probably find a room to rent in a more remote part of town for about $500 a month. Set lunches in the market stalls are from $15 to $25 pesos--but in the charming restuarants around the zocalo expect to pay at least $50 for a meal. If you cook for yourself, you can cut down on food costs, but furnished apartments are ment for tourists and "snow birds" so they cost more like $3000 to $5000 pesos a month. Which means you have to set up the kitchen yourself purchasing a stove, a fridge, pots, pans, dishes, and all the trimmings.

Most foreigners who live there are there because they love the place, not because they are making money. And I have to admit it is intoxicating (except for when the teachers are on strike--camped out in the zocalo so that the whole place smells of urine)

I hope this helps,

MEL

[LM]

I calculated that you would be making 3500 pesos more or less a month, before deductions.
I'm afraid you are probably going to need at least twice that much to get by.
I suggest finding a family to board with so you don't have to buy too much and finding private students or another language school to give you more hours once you get there.
Suerte.

[isabel]

I would look somewhere else for work unless either you love being dirt poor, or you have a savings account with which to supplement your income. There are other places- usually cities such as Puebla and Mexico City- where you can make a decent income in Mexico. In places like Oaxaca, and my personal favorite, Guanajuato, you will not make much money for one very good reason- these places are wonderful, and lots of people from Canada and the U.S. want to live there.

Earn your money in the less preferable places (although I love Mexico City, so I don't consider it less preferable) and go to visit the beautiful places on the vacations you can afford. I have lived in beautiful places, full of wonderful things to do that I could not afford, and eventually I hated the places.