Monthly budgets by household

Housing by city

• Furnished 2-bed, Mérida Centro: US$600–1,000
• Furnished 2-bed, Ajijic: US$700–1,200
• Furnished 2-bed, Oaxaca City: US$500–900
• Furnished 2-bed, Puerto Vallarta: US$800–1,600
• Furnished 2-bed, San Miguel de Allende: US$1,200–2,400
• Furnished 2-bed, CDMX Roma/Condesa: US$1,400–2,800
• Utilities (electric, water, gas): US$40–100 highland, US$120–250 with AC in Yucatán/coast
• Fiber internet (100+ Mbps): US$25–50

Food & groceries

• Groceries, couple cooking at home: US$300–600/mo
• Mercado produce for a couple: US$15–25/week
• Comida corrida (fixed-price local lunch): US$4–7
• Sit-down dinner for two, mid-range: US$20–45
• Coffee at a specialty café: US$2.50–4
• Domestic beer at a restaurant: US$2–3.50

Healthcare

• IMSS (public, residents only): US$400–700/year
• Private plan for expats under 65: US$100–350/mo per adult
• GP visit private (walk-in): US$25–50
• Specialist visit private: US$40–90
• Dental cleaning: US$25–50
• Dental implant (Los Algodones / Cancún medical tourism): US$700–1,400

Transport

• Gasoline: US$1.15–1.35/liter (~US$4.30–5.10/gallon)
• Uber, cross-city Guadalajara: US$3–7
• Local bus fare: US$0.35–0.70
• ADO first-class intercity bus (5-hour route): US$25–50
• Domestic flight (CDMX → Mérida): US$40–120 one-way

What costs more than you'd expect

• Cars and electronics — often more expensive than in the US
• Property purchase inside the "restricted zone" (50 km of coast, 100 km of border) requires a bank trust (fideicomiso) — ~US$600–800/year
• Imported grocery brands — 20–50% markup over US shelf
• AC electricity on the coast — Yucatán summer bills can hit US$300+/mo
• Beachfront and Polanco rents — approach US suburban levels