Job Discussion Forums

[gordogringo]

I have been having conversations with students, taxi drivers, and even my significant other about prices in Tijuana over the past few months. Some say the prices and wages make Tijuana seem more like the states than Mexico. Others say it is a great deal in Tijuana. Since I can only compare with Vera Cruz,much cheaper than TJ, I would be interested in hearing from you folks just how much cheaper or more expensive living in your neck of Mexico is. The numbers provided are averages based on talking to long time residents,personal experience, and for wages newspaper ads and talking to factory owners. There is of course always higher and lower. Rent or purchasing a home is always posted in dollars. I have yet to meet or hear of a landlord or home seller that will take pesos here.

Rent: For a average relatively safe colonia 2 bedroom 1bath -$350-$500
For a location very near the border (popular for gringo commuters)
$400-$600
For a run down heroin alley type area- every big city has one- $200.

Local wages: production line factory worker- $8000 pesos for a 12 hour day 5-6 days a week.Does not include mandatory overtime or holiday bonus pay.
janitor/ clean up person - 5000-6000 pesos.

office staff - for everything below management 6000-9000 pesos for a 8-9 hour work day. Most all office staff are out the door by 5:30 pm. There are few if any unions for office workers here. All factories are union. So factory workers make more.

ESL Teachers- Mine make $800 a month. I have to use graduate students and retirees for the most part. All live on the US side and get free trolley and bus passes. Some schools pay less but have no native English speakers on staff.

Groceries for a family for one week-350-500pesos. Assuming a small family and nothing fancy.

home prices- in a average quiet colonia 3 bedroom 1 bath 150-175,000 US.

Near the playas-220-250,000. Slightly higher for gringos.

Public transit- 8-10 pesos. Taxi 50-70 pesos for an average ride

Utilities- average 1500 pesos for 2 months electric.
200 pesos for water per month
Tank of propane- 400 pesos for 2 months supply.


These are just a few numbers. So do you get a better deal or does Tijuana seem a bargain?

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[mapache]

In Southern Mexico, private schools pay native speakers more to teach. Native speakers get from 50 - 90 pesos per hour and Mexican teachers are paid by the number of students in their classes. Sometimes this is as low as 20 pesos per hour.

[gordogringo]

[Guy Courchesne]

TJ doesn't sound very different than many other places, except for the electric bill...about 3-4 times higher than DF, at least. Public transport always seems more expensive to me outside of DF.

[gordogringo]

Not anymore. Did have some problems originally but one of my investors is 9th generation Tijuanan. Is a handy ally to have and well connected. He called a few friends and no mas migra problemas. I am seriously hoping his son in law wins the next election and will be governor of Baja. That should permanently eliminate all problems for me.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[gordogringo]

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[ls650]

Generally, those numbers are quite a bit higher than here, a relatively pricey beach resort town in Oaxaca. Away from the popular beaches prices are cheaper here than what I list.
Utilities seem to be MUCH cheaper in Oaxaca.

Rent: For an average relatively safe colonia 2 bedroom 1bath $2500/month

Local wages: restaurant/hotel worker/janitor 3000 pesos/month for a 12 hour day 5-6 days a week.

office staff - for everything below management 4000-5000 pesos for a 8-9 hour work day.

ESL Teachers- Private school 7500 /month.

Groceries for a family for one week 350-500pesos. Assuming a small family and nothing fancy.

I don't know much about the real estate market, but I'm sure it's substantially less.

Public transit- 2 pesos. Taxi 16 pesos for an average ride

Utilities- average 200 pesos for 2 months electric.
40 pesos for water per month

[scottmx81]

It sounds significantly more expensive than here in Morelia.

Average 2 bedroom 1 bath: $2250 - $3000 mxn.

You can get a small 2 bedroom, Infonavit style home here for $300,000 mxn. $1,000,000 mxn could get you a really nice home, the entry level price into the new, exclusive Tres Marias neighborhood (with golf course, etc).

Electric: $350-1000 for two months. Most families probably don't go over $500, unless running electric heating, air conditioning, etc.

Gas - $285 pesos / tank.

Your wages seem a bit higher in Tijuana. Formally employed office staff at a good company would make that much, but not as likely at small businesses.

I don't know about factory workers in particular, but that sounds like a very good salary for unskilled labour.

ESL teachers make about 45 - 70 pesos per class hour.

[gordogringo]

The majority of TJ's inhabitants are those that could not sneak across the border or are saving money to do so.They are primarily here to make money. The good wages are probably a draw for that. Western Union is open extended hours on payday's here so people can send money home before they head to the bar. The students from the factories are getting subsidized English lessons as an incentive to keep them in Mexico rather than making a beeline for California or Arizona. I am seeing more farmers from California here recruiting and connecting people with coyotes to get them over the border and into the fields at a $100 a day wage.

[MamaOaxaca]

I think TJ sounds pretty out of wack, in more ways than just the prices!

My house cost me 260,000 pesos. I can't imagine what sort of masion I could have got for 250,000 us dollars!!!! None of our teachers pay more than 2000 pesos a month for rent. The typical taxi ride is 20 pesos, but our city isn't big so distances are short. Collective taxis cost 4 pesos.

We've talked about electricity bills before. My jaw always drops at how much some of you pay. My bill is around 150 pesos for two months. But I need no climate ultering appliances so that must be the difference.
I pay 50 pesos for month for water, but my fraccionamiento is on a private system, most public water users pay less than 50 pesos a month. 20 kilos of gas LP cost just under 200 pesos, I have a high efficiency on demand water heater and often use a solar cooker, the 20 kilo tanks usually last me 3 or 4 months. A Garrafon (5 gallons) of drinking water costs 12 pesos. I spend about what you do on groceries, but I could spend a lot less if I had to.

[scottmx81]

Public transit- 8-10 pesos. Taxi 50-70 pesos for an average ride

I forgot transit in my post. Buses and combis cost 4 pesos in Morelia, and a typical taxi ride costs 25-30 pesos, that will get you right across the city.

Looks like prices in TJ are nearly double the typical prices in Morelia for many things.

[J Sevigny]

Guadalajara is much cheaper than that.

Public transportation costs 4.5 pesos. It just went up from 4 pesos.

I pay 3,200 for rent and most of my colleagues consider that a fortune.

The craziest figure you mention is the cost of electricity. I pay like a tenth of what you pay. Water and gas are included in my rent.

Line workers here make jack. At Solectron, they make circuit boards for less than 100 pesos a day, often much less depending on their educational levels. Some higher level, desk employees make much more, of course.

Teacher salaries are all over the map. It's not hard to make more than 10,000 a month doing business classes and working 25 or 30 hours a week. But a lot of people are getting by on chain school salaries, freguently less than 5,000 a month.