People want to know what stuff costs down here. I know ‘cause they keep sending these emails saying, “Hey g, what does stuff cost down there?” So, today, we’ll price out some groceries from the local Mercado, and talk about living in general. Without any further ado (what is ado anyway?), here are the prices in Pesos and Dollars from a recent trip to the store. I’ve done the metric to U.S. for you (you’re welcome). The first price is in Pesos, the second in USD. (Both use the $ sign.)

Ribeye steaks, about 1” thick – $2.25 / kilo – $1.02 lb

Pork leg fillets – $67.90 / kilo – $.31 lb

Boneless chicken thighs – $85.90 / kilo – $.39 lb

Frozen mixed vegetables – $33.80 / 500 gr – $1.10 lb

Refried beans – $11.90 / 430 gr – $.65 lb

Cold cuts – turkey breast – $46.90 / 396 gr – $2.60 lb

Corn on the cob, fresh – $445.50 / 5 ears – $2.42 / 5 ears

Corn tortillas, fresh, still hot, – $12.26 / 3dz – $.65 / 3 dz

Eggs, 1 dz, fresh – $29.50 / dz – $1.59 dz

Milk, 2%, – $14.95 ltr – $.79 qt

Kleenex, box of 90 – $13.35 – $.75

Hellmans Lite Mayo – $25.50 / 355 gr – $1.36 / 12.50 oz

Saran wrap – $15.00 / 20 m – $.80 / 65 ft.

Bottled water, 600 ml bottles, case of 24 – $155 / case – $8.24 / case ($.34 / 20 oz btl)

Chorizo – $16.50 / 250 gr – $.88 / 9 oz

Beer, Dos Equis lager,  – $75.00 / 6 pk – $ 3.99 / 6 pk

So, whaddya think? The numbers take a little getting used to. To have the cashier in a grocery store say $736.22 is a little freaky, until you do the math and figure out that it’s $39.15. Same with gas. First time we filled up here it was an even $500. I never put 500 of anything in a fuel tank, not even my SS 396 during the ’74 oil embargo. But again, when you do the math, it’s $26.59. Gas prices here are set by the government, and, currently, all the gas stations are Pemex and, right now, it’s $13.96 per liter – about $2.87 per gal for magma (87 oct unleaded). That’s a little more than we paid in the keys, less than some places I know in the U.S.

How about a place to live? Gotta have one.  We rented a 2BR, 2BA, 1500 SF waterfront condo on the Sea of Cortez. It’s costing us $1000 a month, short term. If we wanted to take it year round, it would go somewhere around $800. That includes water, Direct TV with a billion channels, propane, covered parking – everything but electricity. The same thing in Key Largo, where we moved from, would be around $3300 per month plus all utilities. If we want to buy it, it’s $139K. A quick search of Realtor.com shows comparable properties in the Keys from $489k to $3.4m. We’ve met expats here who have perfectly nice houses similar in size to ours that they rent for $300 – $400 per month. I’ve lived by the water or on islands almost my whole life. I’m a long time sailor, mariner, and captain. If I’m not near the water I get ajida. I’m willing to pay for that. So, I guess the answer is, it depends. You can live very cheaply here or you can spend a lot.