The real street guide to living costs in Central Mexico

After years of reading the so-called “Guides to costs of living” being sold everywhere on the internet by book and real estate hucksters and finding the reality very different after two years of living here on the street level, I decided to do my own and give it away for free.

One “guide” said bottled water cost 1000’s of percent more than potable municipal water in Norte. I don’t know anywhere in Canada where municipal water is potable, not even Vancouver which used to be notable for its excellent water in the 60’s. All city water is chlorinated if not fluoridated and good knows what else. The only price that’s relevant is 5 gal bottles filtered water, which is 11 pesos, delivered. I don’t know why these people make these kind of sensational claims in these guides - maybe they are in the water business or something.

The following are the realistic local street prices, 2016 Central Mexico

Sometimes local mercado are cheaper, sometimes the local supermarkets such as Bodega Aurerra, my choice.

Produce local season/off season/kg
local bananas 5 - 8
roma tomatos 8 - 11
white onions 8 - 11
red leaf lettuce 5 - 9/pc
mango 8
Avocado 15 - 50
Limon 3 - 10
Filtered water delivered 11/20L
Bottle water 9/1.5L
Soda/juice 9/500ml
Beer (store) 11/btl 31/4.5 btl sz
Beer (bar) 15 - 30/btl
Coffee 160/kg
Pastry 6-9/pc
Bread 1.3/bun
Tortilla white corn 9 - 10
Salsas (homemade) 30/ week supply.
Beans 15
Rice 10
Pork 79
Beef (ground) 90
Sirloin (ground) 120
Chicken 35
Tuna (can) 7/140g
Oil vegetable 28/L
Oll olive 65/L
Eggs brown 17/doz
Tequila (so-so - tops) 80/350
Mezcal (so-so/ tops) 300-500

All imported items are same or more than Norte.

All local items are very cheap comparatively.

Shoes and leather goods are highest quality ( Europe and Asia imports these…yeah..Italian and Spanish shoes are from mexico ) and cheap.

                Street                      mall

Leather shoes 400 1200
leather jacket 600 1500
Jeans 100 800
t-shirts 30 300
Tops 80 400
Shades 30 500
Baseball cap 70 300
Mtn bike 1400 6000
Cruiser bike 1000 5000

Dinner (fish) 35
Lunch (chicken) 15
Sandwich 15
hamburger 18
Chile relleno 10
Rice cooked 15/L
Beans cooked 15/L
Fresh juice 12/500ml
Fruit water 10/500ml
Coffee 10-15

Services

Laundry 15/kg
Shoe soling 150
Busker tip 2
Server tip 2-5/person
Bus city 6
Aircon travel 150/60km ex. Puebla-DF
Taxi 40/4 km approx.

Rent. wth furn, kit, utilities.

Studio
Basic 800
Decent w/internet 1000
Very Fancy w all mod cons 3000

One bedroom
basic 1000
Decent 2000
Very fancy all mod cons 5000

2 bedroom house small
Basic w/nothing 1000
Power 350
water 100

Big nice 2 bedroom walled garden 5000