Job Discussion Forums

[Samantha]

Is housing not THE major expense in a teacher�s budget? Travel expenses around a big city quickly add up too, whereas in a smaller center a teacher quite probably can walk a few blocks to work.

What other regular expenses do teachers incur that you would say you find cheaper in the big city? It would actually be kind of fun to compare apples to apples with various posters around the country (including populations). Maybe this should be for a new thread.

[Guy Courchesne]

Housing certainly is the biggest expense. As a percentage of what one will earn though, I've found smaller centers to be more expensive. Obviously I don't know the whole country, but I've been surprised as to how much housing will cost in other places, Guadalajara in particular.

Regular expenses to incur that are cheaper in bigger cities...travel definitely. I haven't seen a place that is cheaper for transit than DF, though you're right in that if you're walking then that's certainly cheap!

I find both restaurants and groceries to be about 20% more expensive, or more, outside Mexico City. That's an average impression of course, since you can eat very cheaply anywhere in Mexico I think.

I've always chalked up the premium on food and consumer goods outside Mexico City to more competition here.

What other expenses can we think of? How about utilities?