Although I lived in Mazatlan, Mexico Over the course of 15 years, I still find myself amazed at how much everything costs – or, how little it really is. Once you leave the resorts and tourist areas, prices will plummet.
As a 66-year-old single retiree living mainly on Social Security checks, I have to watch what I spend. But in Mexico, I just pay $420 per month for an apartment half a block away Beach. And beyond basic necessities, I spend an average of $160 a month on things like dining, entertainment, and occasional shopping.
In a country where minimum wage the equivalent of $8 to $12 per day, here’s what you can buy for $5 or less:
1. The Basics
One reason I love living in Mazatlán is that my monthly living costs are affordable. I pay $5 or less for the following basics:
- Monthly water bill for my two bedroom apartment
- My monthly electricity bill (when I’m not using the AC)
- High quality hand wash liquid
- Two hours of gardening
- One hour house cleaning service
- Nice sized decorative palm tree for my apartment
These palm trees are an inexpensive decorative option.
Photo: Janet Blaser
2. Grocery Store
In Mexico, fresh produce, dairy products and meat are accessible on a budget. Buying seasonally helps keep prices lower. Right now, $5 buys you half a dozen pineapples. In the summer, it gives you 16 pounds of mangoes!
When mangoes are in season, they are unbelievably cheap. One kilogram is 2.2 pounds; 15 pesos not even 1 dollar. You do math!
Photo: Janet Blaser
When it comes to groceries, for $5 I can regularly buy:
- 40 eggs
- 10 pounds of sugar
- 5 pounds of fresh ginger
- 5 pounds of turmeric
- Eight heads of lettuce
- 12 pounds of carrots
- 10 pounds of tomatoes
- 3 pounds of butter
- 10 fresh oysters
- One pound of freshly caught swordfish or dorado
- Whole grilled chicken with potatoes, tortillas and salsa
- 1 pound 3 inch wild shrimp
- 4 liters of organic milk from a local dairy company
- Half a pound of locally roasted organic coffee beans
A pound of fresh wild-caught shrimp costs about $5 – cheap enough that I have it whenever I want.
Photo: Janet Blaser
3. Drinks and beverages
They say beer is cheaper than water in Mazatlán, and sometimes that’s actually true! Small beach cafes will serve cheaper drinks than fancy restaurants, but compared to in the US, alcohol prices everywhere are inexpensive.
Here’s what you can get for $5:
- 10 packs of Pacifico or Tecate . beer
- Two 3-liter coke bottles
- 15 gallons of purified water
- Two 3-liter coke bottles
- Two liters of freshly squeezed orange juice
- A cocktail made with branded alcohol
- Four large bottles of Topo Chico mineral water
- Two cappuccinos or latte
- One 16-ounce craft beer, plus another 5-ounce pourer
- Three fresh coconuts
4. Full meals
Going to dinner in Mazatlán doesn’t have to break your budget. There are plenty of affordable cafes and tacos where meals range around $5.
At some of the more “formal” restaurants, certain restaurants may also fall within this budget.
Going for lunch in Mazatlán doesn’t have to break your budget.
Photo: Janet Blaser
Here are some I’ve got for $5 or less:
- Three to 10 street cakes
- Three banh tet restaurants
- Order Huevos Rancheros with coffee and juice
- BLT
- A burger with fries
- 8 boneless chicken wings and beer
- A dozen chicken wings
- Seafood soup or tortilla
- A medium pizza with four toppings at Dominos
- Almost a pound of grilled pork chops
- Four big croissants
At my local bakery, I can buy four of these butter croissants for $5.
Photo: Janet Blaser
5. Fun activities
Mazatlán is known for checkered scarf, a traditional musical style of Sinaloa that sounds like German polka. You can get a private concert from a band walking the beach for $5.
But that’s not all you can do with a $5 budget. That is enough for:
- Bike rental for over an hour
- A salsa class
- A yoga class
- A Zumba class
- A reserved seat at a movie theater
- A dozen red roses, for a great date
- Three round-trip boat trips to Stone Island – a small island located on the beach just south of Mazatlán
$5 gets you three round-trip boat trips to peaceful Rock Island, south of Mazatlán.
Photo: Janet Blaser
6. Health Products
You’ve heard that medications, doctor visits, and prescriptions are significantly cheaper in Mexico. But what will $5 really get you? These essential needs:
- Two consultations with a licensed physician
- One bottle of Pepto-Bismol 236 ml
- 30 600-milligram ibuprofen tablets
- 30 550-milligram Ciprofloxacin antibiotic tablets
- Four Oral-B toothbrushes
- Three tubes of Crest or Colgate toothpaste
Pet unwell? A basic vet visit or a shot of antibiotics is also just $5.
7. Transportation
While gas is expensive ($5 gets you just over a gallon), public transportation in Mexico is extremely affordable. Here’s what you can get for $5:
- 16 trips on Mexico City’s highly efficient Metro subway system
- Take an Uber, Lyft or Didi
- Nine trips on Mazatlán’s “green bus”, traveling along the coast
Prices like these make my life in Mexico almost stress-free. With the daily expenses so low, I can do more things that make me happy. I can live the life I love – and love the life I live.
Janet Blaser is a writer who has lived in Mazatlán, Mexico since 2006. A former journalist in California, her work now focuses on the lives of expats. Janet’s first book, “Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women’s Expats” is an Amazon bestseller. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
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