Santiago de Querétaro

How did you find Queretaro?

By the way, Juriquilla is not a city. It is a suburb of Queretaro (which you may now know since you have already been and gone).

Dear Gringa Rubia,
.
Just a few clarifications about Queretaro....

Yes, there are a lot of Expats living and working there. SMA has a much larger Expat retiree community. Queretaro is one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico and as such, is not cheap. There is a huge demand for affordable housing by all of the new families relocating there from other cities in Mexico. 

Hope this information helps!

Thanks,
Melanie in San Miguel de Allende

Melanie-  Do you think cost of living in Queretaro is similar to SMA?  I am new to the forum and considering retiring to Mexico but suspect I'm a little late in the game for SMA if I am looking for more affordable cost of living.

rob.burwell wrote:

Melanie-  Do you think cost of living in Queretaro is similar to SMA?  I am new to the forum and considering retiring to Mexico but suspect I'm a little late in the game for SMA if I am looking for more affordable cost of living.

Hi Rob, we are not living in SMA nor Queretaro but in La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit.

So, I am giving you to the Web link we used to check cost of living and comparing 2 cities. The link compares QUERETARO to SMA, QUERETARO is way cheaper in regards to rent/purchase house but a bit more on. Also, at the bottom, you will see other cities and the distance. You can select other cities, it also provide other valuable info  (proprely, health, crime, etc) by clicking on the upper left corner (lines).

Our personal opinion, we have been travelling/living in Mexico since 2003 and we prefered Queretaro but...it's a matter of individual taste. Before commiting, rent, visit and explore (ie: Dolores Hidalgo, Guanayato, Patzcuaro, Morelia, Celaya, etc).

Buena suerte, GyC

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c … Comparison

Hi Rob,

Finding affordable housing in SMA hinges on your ability to connect to off-the-map opportunities. I am referring to non-publicized rentals by local Mexican, and of course, Spanish-speaking landlords.  You might ask; "how do I achieve this?" Well, the best way is to come to SMA for a month to connect to the right people. If you don´t speak Spanish, it would mean finding someone who does who can help you make these connections and explore neighborhoods and knocking on doors.

Another contributing cost factor is distance from Centro. Rentals in town are the highest. If you are willing to explore colonias (neighborhoods) on the outskirts as well as outside of town, your chances of finding something more affordable increases.

I don´t want to say that using real estate agents is a bad thing, however most properties are listed in USD and rates are high.

Hope this helps.
Melanie

Melanie_In_Mexico wrote:

Hi Rob,

Finding affordable housing in SMA hinges on your ability to connect to off-the-map opportunities. I am referring to non-publicized rentals by local Mexican, and of course, Spanish-speaking landlords.  You might ask; "how do I achieve this?" Well, the best way is to come to SMA for a month to connect to the right people. If you don´t speak Spanish, it would mean finding someone who does who can help you make these connections and explore neighborhoods and knocking on doors.

Another contributing cost factor is distance from Centro. Rentals in town are the highest. If you are willing to explore colonias (neighborhoods) on the outskirts as well as outside of town, your chances of finding something more affordable increases.

I don´t want to say that using real estate agents is a bad thing, however most properties are listed in USD and rates are high.

Hope this helps.
Melanie

Hi Melanie, this is a helpfull advice. Were we are now cost of rentals are cheaper if you go with the local landlord and in pesos.

Adios, GyC.

Thanks to both Melanie and Mexicogc forconsiderin your info and links.  This is great fun looking and considering, and re-considering, and...  We are still a ways from fully retiring and plan to go soon to SMA for a look-see.  Probably spend a week or so.  I will look at some of your suggestions and decide how best to spend our time.  Maybe avoid SMA and go elsewhere.  We are driven by climate (SMA sounds great) and cost of living. We are not poor but need to make what we have last longer than we might be able to in the US.  We just returned from Port Townsend WA and really liked it.  But lower cost of living???  Probably not.   Thanks again.  Rob

I am currently living in San Miguel and I can vouch for some of the comments of being here in order to find something.

When I first arrived here I was staying at a B&B and trying to find a place. I started with real estate agents but found them absolutely useless. After they heard I did not want to spend anymore than $1000 US per month I never heard from them again. And that was about 5 different agents.

As it was I lucked out in meeting a Mexicana with a house that she wanted someone living in when she was not present. So I was able to rent a completely self-contained  one bedroom apartment in her house for $420 CDN/mth. So, getting around and talking to people is certainly the best way to find a place.

However, since then, I have found some resources that I made need to use in future and that you may find useful. They contain more realistic prices than you will find through a real estate agent. Here they are:

http://www.locanto.com.mx/http://casas.mitula.mx/http://www.inmuebles24.comhttps://www.segundamano.mxhttp://www.lamudi.com.mxhttp://www.rentasyventas.com/index.phphttp://www.icasas.mx

Thank you for that link to cost of living - some great information!
We are in Queretaro right now looking at apartments for rent.

Thank you for all these real estate resources. I am using them to research apartments in Queretaro and am learning a lot about the areas and relative prices.

Hello!

Would anyone be willing to take a 1 to 2 hour long video of the Plaza de Armas (bonus points if it is night time and the fountain is in it!!!!) And post it on YouTube? 

Also, any suggestions of where to inquire about this for someone willing to help!

My partner misses Queretaro terribly and it is part of his heart and anchor... I plan to bring Mexico to him with dinner and this video up on a big TV soon!   

- Creativehelp