[DB-Baja]

Not sure on most of those items except for the propane. I have found that just about everywhere we go down there, it’s usually about 10 dollars to fill a 5 gallon LPG tank. So, based on your monthly consumption, you can figure from that.

[BajaGringo]

These are good questions Andy but be aware that the answers will not only vary from areas on the mainland but here in Baja as well.

Here in the San Quintin area:

1. Average electric bill
CFE will bill you bimonthly for your electric consumption and an average house here that uses gas for cooking and drying clothes runs around 800 -1000 pesos per billing cycle or about 20-25 dollars per month.

2. Cost for LPG gas for cooking, hot water and dryer
LPG usage varies a lot from home to home and if I were to guess a monthly average here I would put it at around 40 dollars per month if you have gas in the kitchen and laundry.

2. Landline phone, cellular and internet
Telnor here offers tiered service for phone and internet with packages ranging from 25 dollars per month that gives you 50Mbps service up to 75 dollars per month for 1000Mbps service. Cell phone service also comes with many different package options and one of the most popular costs just 10 dollars per month that includes unlimited calling to the US, Canada and Mexico with unlimited access to social media + 4 GB of web surfing.

3. Groceries for 2 people with exotic tastes and who like to entertain
This is also based on what you like to eat and whether you need to buy a lot of imported items. An average couple here spends around 200 dollars each month on groceries but with more expensive tastes I would say 350 up to even 500 dollars is possible, based on how much local vs imported.

4. Gardener (twice a week)
Figure around 150 to 200 dollars per month.

5. Housekeeper (full day 3X a week)
Somewhere between 250 to 300 dollars, based on hours and work type/load.

[andyp]

Thanks for that. We have been doing some serious talking these past few weeks as my company recently announced that several positions will be allowed to work remote beginning in the second half of 2023, including mine.

Lots to think about right now and I’ll probably post some more questions as we figure out what we are going to do.

[BajaGringo]

Excellent news @AndyP – congrats!

[laguera]

It sounds like the numbers @BajaGringo listed sound about right for his area but up closer to the border in Ensenada, expect for rents and home prices to be significantly higher, food in general about 20% higher and any direct labor expenses (maid/gardener) to be about 30-40% higher on average. But with those higher costs comes access to more services than what may be available in San Quintin.

[six-one-niner]

The true cost of living is a really complex calculation and to get a good idea on what to expect you need to decide where first. Once we know “where”, we can give you better advice as to how much you can expect to spend each month, based on your family size and lifestyle.