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Michaela & Ricardo
- Jan 20
- 2 min
Lake Chapala Mexico Cost Of Living 2020
One of the most asked questions on web boards is, “What does it cost to live in Lake Chapala?” Obviously the answer can vary greatly. I know couples who live on as little as a $1000 per month including rent and it goes up from there. Depending on your lifestyle, and whether you own or rent, the true cost of living Lakeside can vary. In this blog I've re-examined our expenditures and updated them for 2020 providing you with the most accurate average 'cost of living' possible.
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Michaela
- Jul 16, 2019
- 5 min
Being A Single Woman In Ajijic
Ajijic, Jalisco could be one of the safest and best places in the world for a single woman to retire. With it's large and well established expat community and almost infinite number of things to do, Ajijic is a safe and fun haven for retiring women of any age. Not only is it a great place to retire but with it's low cost of living it invites people of all back rounds and income levels to stay and play. Life for a single woman in Lake Chapala is very busy!!! There is a lot to
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Michaela
- Jun 24, 2019
- 6 min
A Tale Of Three Expats
People come from all over the world to retire in Lake Chapala, Mexico. Why? What motivated them to make the transition to a different county and more specifically to Lake Chapala? In this blog I sit down with three recent expats and ask them a series of questions to help us understand their reasons for leaving their home country and moving here to beautiful Lake Chapala, Mexico. Interview No. 1 Bruce Dugdale Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today. Please tell
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Michaela
- Jun 7, 2019
- 5 min
Q & A's About Living In Lake Chapala
Questions, questions! I get lots of great questions from all of you wonderful people exploring the possibility if living in Lake Chapala is right for you. So what are some people asking and are they questions that you were wondering about too? Let's find out. Q. Where are the markets and when do they take place?
A. There are markets on Monday through Thursday. The Monday market is a small one with many prepared food vendors located in the Sunrise Restaurant on the carretera
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Michaela
- May 18, 2019
- 3 min
Real Costs Of Living In Ajijic
One of the big draws to living in Lake Chapala is the low cost of living. “How low?”, you ask. Well for final figures you can check out one of my previous blogs Cost of Living In Lake Chapala 2017 or for a comparison of common everyday items, read on. Let's talk first about home maintenance. My plumber/electrician charges 100 pesos ($5.40) for a house call, and he can usually come by on the same day, even on a Sunday! If it's an easy repair, he does it on the spot and there's
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Michaela
- Apr 30, 2019
- 2 min
Surviving April & May In Lake Chapala
I think it's safe to say that the months of April and May are the least favorite months for most of the expats living in Lake Chapala. Even though our climate here is touted as having the second best climate in the world, it does tend to get hot for a brief 2 months at the end of the dry season. The good news is that during this time the humidity is very low, around 15-40%, making it more bearable than if it was the same temperature along the ocean. But still, temperatures ca
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Michaela
- Apr 18, 2019
- 4 min
Culture Shock In Lake Chapala?
How different is life in Ajijic compared to where you are from in the U.S or Canada? Is it possible for you to adapt to the unusual bureaucracy, driving, language, food and general overall lifestyle of the Mexican people? Depending on where you come from you might find that living in Ajijic is a little like living in the wild west. Laws are often only a suggestion and people do what they want to do. That's part of the reason why many like it here so much but it can also be a
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Michaela
- Mar 29, 2019
- 1 min
Street Vendors Of Ajijic
Every day street vendors set up their merchandise along the side of the carretera (highway) in Ajijic. Indeed, part of the color and flair of living in Ajijic (or Mexico in general) are the the street vendors. Day in, day out, you'll find these hard working entrepreneurs working to sell their wares from their 'street front' store. They all have their spots and are found in the exact same place day after day. As the seasons come and go you'll notice some variance in the items
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Michaela
- Mar 13, 2019
- 5 min
FAQ's About Visiting Lake Chapala
Since starting the web page “Retire In Lake Chapala”, I have received countless emails about topics related to visiting Lake Chapala for the first time. Here are just a sampling of some of the questions and the answers I gave. Q. What do I need to bring on my trip to Lake Chapala? A. Starting as early as September you might need a very light jacket, although this is completely dependent on the person. Comfortable, walking footwear is most important, as the cobble stone street
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Michaela
- Feb 28, 2019
- 4 min
Visiting Lake Chapala
Thinking of visiting Lake Chapala and Ajijic for the first time? How do I fill in all the documents, get through the airport and make my way to Ajijic? For answers to these questions and more, read on! You've booked your tickets and made your way to the airport. Your plane takes off and “Yay!” you're inbound to Guadalajara, Mexico! On the plane you'll receive (along with your pretzels and water) an immigration form and 'sometimes' a customs document. (I say 'sometimes' as oft
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Michaela
- Feb 15, 2019
- 2 min
Real Costs Of Living In Lake Chapala
A common question about living in Lake Chapala is how much it costs to live here. I can tell you from personal experience that it is about 60% less (between a third and a half) of the cost of living in the Vancouver, Canada area. To give you an idea, here is a few of the recent expenditures that I have paid. I am using the current exchange rate. (14.25 CDN & 19 USD) Car insurance (year) = 5906 Pesos - $414.45 CDN - $310.84 USD Maid (6 hours) = 500 pesos - $35 CDN - $26 USD Re
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Michaela
- Jan 19, 2019
- 6 min
Things To Do In Lake Chapala
Are you looking at retiring to Lake Chapala? Are you wondering if there is enough for you to do? Wonder no more. Here is a (scratch the surface) list of activities you could take part in. Play Tennis or Pickleball - The Lake Chapala area is graced with numerous tennis courts, both hard and clay surface, plus two, 6 court, pickleball facilities. Full information about pickleball is located on the Pickleball In Ajijic Website. Go Dancing – Many of the restaurants and clubs have
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Ricardo (Guest)
- Jan 5, 2019
- 3 min
Why I Moved To Ajijic
She was gone. I still couldn't believe it. It had all happened so fast. It ended with me reading the last line of a 3 page printed document. “I love you but I want a divorce.” I breathed rapidly, sitting on the sofa, trying to catch my breath as my world shifted under me. The past was gone. All a lie. Six months later, with the house sold and most of my meager belongings in storage, I strode out for adventure and hoping to find a purpose in my life. My first stop was Barra de
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Michaela
- Dec 18, 2018
- 3 min
Best Day Trips From Lake Chapala
Visiting Lake Chapala but want to explore a little further afield? There are several great trips that can (and should) be done so that you get a true feel for all that this area of Mexico has to offer. So make sure your visit is long enough to include some or all of these attractions. Tequila Let's start right off with the good stuff. The trip to Tequila is now only 1.5 hours with the opening of the Guadalajara Macro Ring Road. There are an astonishing number of tequila facto
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Michaela
- Nov 23, 2018
- 3 min
10 Things Living In Ajijic Has Taught Me
I truly feel that the move to Ajijic 8 years ago has changed my life! For the better! What a wonderful, fantastic opportunity this has been for me. And to top it all off, I met the love of my life in Ajijic. In this incredibly small town, in a different country, here of all places it magically came to pass. So what, you might ask, has been so significant that I want to put it all down on paper and tell the world? Read on and find out how living in Ajijic has changed my life.
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Michaela
- Nov 11, 2018
- 6 min
How Bad Is The Noise In Lake Chapala, Mexico?
This question is often asked by future expats on web boards and social media platforms. Is this something to be concerned about when contemplating a move to Lake Chapala? Well, yes and no. It all depends upon you, where exactly you live and and your willingness to adapt. Following is a letter I found posted on a social media platform which captures some of the exasperation of one expat living in Mexico: Hello fellow expats,
Many people move to Mexico and experience the noise
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Michaela
- Oct 26, 2018
- 2 min
Old and New Friends in Ajijic
Its that time of year again! Once again we are nearing November and soon there will be an influx of snowbirds who spend 3-6 months over the winter in beautiful Lake Chapala. This is an exciting time of year, as people who have expatriated here for good get to see and catch up with the many friends who have not yet made the full commitment to living here full time. It's amazing when living in Lake Chapala how many friends and acquaintances you accumulate. Today was another wo
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Michaela
- Oct 6, 2018
- 4 min
San Miguel de Allende or Ajijic? Which Is Better?
This is a frequently asked question by potential expats looking to move to Mexico. So which is better? Recently I took a one week vacation to San Miguel to find out for myself. After having lived in Ajijc for the past 8 years and having heard and read lots about San Miguel, I had already formed some opinions, but what did I find out? Did San Miguel live up to all the hipe? First Impressions My first impression was that San Miguel is big! Much bigger than Ajijic and much more
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Michaela
- Aug 21, 2018
- 3 min
4 Questions You Must Ask Yourself Before Retiring To Lake Chapala
Retirement and the encroachment of old age means you need to view life differently. It takes planning in finances and health. How do you want to live the rest of your life? Where is the best place for you to spend your remaining years? Is expatriating to Mexico right for you, and, more specifically, is Lake Chapala the right spot for you to call home? Use these questions to help you decide if a place will really work for your retirement, now, and in the future: Who will look
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