Job Discussion Forums

MELEE · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:52 pm Post subject: COSTS

In February, I polled our teachers.
The average for single teachers was 4000 a month in all expenses.
The average for teachers who are part of a couple was 6000 a month (all the partners are local and working, but all earn less than their English teacher partner)

Rents ranged from 800 to 2500 pesos.
Comida Corrida cost 20-50 pesos.

Utilities are minimal because we have a rather agreeable climate, no one paid more than 120 pesos for two months of electiricity. Most people said a 20 liter lp gas tank lasted 8 weeks, now those cost 190 pesos in our area.

Most teachers spend about 250 pesos a month on transportation, using collectivos. A private taxi run costs 18 pesos.

Telmex still have long waits to install a phone here, so that's not really something our teachers do. Cell phones use ran an average of 200 pesos a month.

Grocery expenses vary a lot. Depending on what things you eat. The further away it's produced the more expensive it is. In 2004-5 I lived in Morelia, there many things were cheaper, notably avacados and strawberries! But some things were more expensive in Morelia than Huajuapan, like oranges, H. is closer to Vercruz. And Jamaica was so much more expensive there I couldn't bring myself to buy it! Then there are all the things that vary with the season, like tomatoes, they run from 5 to 25 pesos a kilo depending on the season.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Good thread to start Melee (what happened to MamaOaxaca?)

I won't run a poll here in DF, but there are other Mexico City teachers who can add to this. It's just way too varied here.

For myself...

My rent is 6500 pesos for a furnished 3 bedroom depto. I split it with one other person.

Comida corrida in my area varies a lot. The cheapest I've seen is 35 pesos, but common is the menu ejecutivo at anywhere between 50 and 80 pesos. This usually comes with an Argentine style steak.

When I'm moving around a lot, I spend 4 or 5 pesos per day on the subway, or busses. Taxi trips, when I need one for where I need to go, cost 15-30 pesos for going maybe 5-8 km. If I use the Metrobus, I'd spend 7 pesos. I also walk quite a bit since I live centrally.

My gas is now a stationary tank and I think I'm billed on an average or fixed reading for the building (I've only just gotten my first two bills) since my bills are exactly the same at 241 pesos per month. That more than I use I think. Previously, I'd bought 30L tanks at 270 each. For a two-person household, the 30L tank lasted 4 to 6 weeks. I cooked a lot, needed hot showers (unlike in Acapulco for example), and ran a washing machine. Now, as before, gas costs are split two ways.

Water is 45 pesos every two months, split two ways.

Electricity is 50 pesos every two months, though that might go up since I bought a washing machine. Also split two ways.

I have a Telmex landline with DSL on it. That's 500 pesos per month total, or thereabouts. Split two ways.

Cel costs vary a bunch. I go through maybe 400 pesos per month on heavier use.

Groceries vary way too much to even begin to make a list, since I'll shop everywhere from Costco to the corner store to the neighbourhood Mi Mercado. Fresh fruits and veggies in the Mercado are so cheap that I go in with pocket change and come out with bags of stuff.

Maybe we could pick some specific items, run to the markets or grocery stores and compare current prices? My suggestions:

Toilet paper
Milk
A kilo of tomatoes
Sanitary napkins (sorry, the only PC term I can think of? haha)
Toothpaste
A kilo of Oaxaca cheese
...others?

danielita · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 281 Location: SLP

man I miss being in Mexico...the sticker shock of the cost of food and rent is killing me--not to mention the weather (it was 2C overnight on the weekend! BRRR!!!)

What about the cost of drinking water? The cost does vary from region to region. In Southern Oaxaca, it was 14 pesos for a 20L garrafone that was delivered to my 2nd floor apartment.

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

MELEE · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:54 pm Post subject:

Guy,
But what brand of TP? it runs from 12 pesos for 4 rolls to 42 pesos for 4 rolls!

same goes for toothpaste, femine hygiene products, and even milk

And that stuff in other parts of the country called "Oaxacan Cheese" is not worth buying, IMHO Wink

As I mentioned, tomatoes are in constant flux, this week it as 14 pesos a kilo, last week it was 10.

I pay 12 pesos for 19 liters (5 gallons) of drinking water.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Well, we'll have to name the brands. I'm on my way to the market now so I'll post it later. On TP, anything that isn't Australian sandpaper will do.

I have to agree with you on Oaxaca cheese. Takes quite a bit to get a good supplier here and even then, it's not like what I've had in the city of Oaxaca.

I just had Electropura (a division of Pepsi I think) haul a 19L garafon up three flights for 27 pesos. I can get it for less but I'm wary after hearing about what Coca-Cola was doing in the UK.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:27 pm Post subject:

Pepsi's water is called Santorini
Electorpura costs about 27 pesos here to (or maybe more) but I don't like the idea of buying a nationally distributed water--too much water coming from one source is a bad idea, too much stress on that source, and not to mention the resources used shipping the water all over the place. The one I buy at 12 pesos is from a local spring and purified with reverse osmosis.

But now that I have my rainwater catchment system up and running, my next project is a solar still to purify water. Cool

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Much better idea to get that solar powered purification system up because this...

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

notamiss · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject:

Do none of you venture the tap water? It's what we drink, with a drop of colloidal silver (e.g. BacDyn or Microdyn) per 2 liters.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

In my neighborhood the 19L garafon delivered is 10 pesos. In the tourist area it's still only 15 pesos. If we pick it up ourselves from the water purification place, we pay just 6 or 7 pesos.

For some other comparisons that may be of interest, Soriana, with locations all over Mexico, is online with a virtual tienda.
www.soriana.com

Also there is Gigante www.gigante.com.mx and some others.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

notamiss · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:27 pm Post subject:

Dragonlady · Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:47 am Post subject:

deleted

old news

melirae · Joined: 26 Feb 2004 Posts: 145 Location: Korea

I have a giant pot and I just boil water 2-3 times a week. This gets me through drinking and teeth brushing (I'm still on the fence about tap water for that). I buy the occasional bottle for drinking when I'm out and about, and then save the bottles to fill with boiled water for around the house.