The Cost of Living in the Riviera Maya

It’s taken us over a year to compose this blog post. We wanted to make sure we had a year’s worth of data and documentation in order to provide the most accurate information on the real cost of living in the Riviera Maya.

But before we get into the details of our numbers, we want to start with a disclaimer: The cost of living in the Western Caribbean (or anywhere for that matter), will vary greatly depending on the lifestyle and circumstances of each person.  There is no right or wrong answer.  

Now that we have stated the obvious, let’s get started.  The information we are about to provide DOES NOT include the cost of purchasing our home, or any costs associated with the purchase (closing cost, furniture, etc.).  Our numbers deal strictly with the cost of living and carrying out our normal daily activities.  

Within the next year or two, we will add a comparison column so that we can see if or how our expenses have changed.  

We hope, that in some small way, this information helps you to determine and understand some of the expenses associated with living in paradise!

ENJOY!!!

SPECIAL NOTES:

>We do not currently have a Home Owners Association Property Manager (HOA) fee to pay.  Since we are a very small condominium complex (six units), the home owners have elected to manage the property ourselves.

>We currently do not pay a separate, individual (per unit) water bill.  There is a common water bill that is divided by all six owners.  

> Any repairs or updates to the property (called special assessments) are paid for on an as-needed basis and shared by all six owners.

>We do not smoke or drink alcohol beverages.  This may impact the numbers below.

Category	Expenses per month (in pesos)	Expenses per year (in pesos)	Additional Notes
ATM fees	NA	NA	International transaction fee and ATM fees (fees based on financial institution you use)
Barber shop	$120	$2,400
Bottled drinking water	$100	$1,200
Clothing	$100	$1,200	Most of our clothes are purchased in the U.S.; on occasion we buy items in Mexico
Colonos	$600	$7,200	Paid quarterly via PayPal. This fee is for community services (such as, security, road upkeep, grounds keeping, etc)
Common Water	$250	$3,000
Day spa	$500	$6,000
Dining Out	$1,500	$18,000	Life's little pleasures; we are addicted to Plank Restaurant's brunch
Electricity - Common CFE	$83	$1,000	Paid bi-monthly; for outside lighting, pool lighting, pool pump, and water pumps
Electricity - Personal CFE	$100	$1,200	Paid bi-monthly; all of our appliances are energy efficient and we rarely use our air conditioner
Entertainment	$500	$6,000	The majority of this amount is for our annual VIP tickets for Cirque du Soleil show - JOYA. Read our review on this blog and on Trip Advisor
Grocery shopping	$2,000	$24,000	Plant-based diet
HOA – Grounds & Maintenance	$500	$6,000
HOA – Special Assessments	$333	$4,000	These expenses are paid on an as-needed basis for the condo's common areas
Household supplies	$1,000	$12,000	Toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, detergent, etc
Insurance	$500	$6,000	Paid annually; home owners insurance
Medical	$83	$1,000	As needed; includes one doctor's house call and over the counter medications
Membership – Costco	$75	$900	Paid annually in U.S. ($55 USD). Membership used in Mexico and U.S.
Membership – Sally’s Beauty Supply	$6	$72	Paid annually in U.S. ($5 USD). Membership used in Mexico and U.S.
Membership – Sam’s Club	$55	$660	Paid annually in U.S. ($45 USD). Membership used in Mexico and U.S.
Office supplies	$167	$2,000	Bought large supply of ink that will last several years
PayPal fees	$30	$360	Fee is calculated as $4 pesos plus 4% of transaction amount
Pest control	$167	$2,000	Quarterly service
Property tax	$50	$600	Get 50% discount for INAPAM card (senior citizen)
Telephone/Internet - Telmex	$587	$7,044	Flat rate that includes international calls and 5MB/s Internet
Translation services	$167	$2,000	As needed
Transportation – Airport shuttle	$150	$1,800	For 1 roundtrip service
Transportation – colectivo	$500	$6,000	Beats cost of maintaining a vehicle
Transportation – taxis	$100	$1,200	As needed; for large shopping trips
Trust (fideicomiso)	$625	$7,500	Paid annually
Total Monthly Expenses	$10,948		SPECIAL NOTE:  no individual water bill since all water use is in Common Water bill
USD conversion at $16 pesos per $1 USD	$684.25