MikeGB
Canadian expat in Mexico
Forum posts
299
Contacts
7
About me
Canadian
Lives in San Miguel de Allende, Guanaju
Speaks English and a subset of Spanish
Registration: 28 August 2012
Mexico income tax on Canadian pension payments by Captnflex
Hola, i am in the planning stage and looking at moving to the Lake Chapala or Colima/Manzanillo area. My questions are about having to file an income tax in Mexico on pension payments from a Canadian source if i establish my permanent residence in ...
@Blackwatch If they say that hospital stays are not covered, that is not a good thing. What about an operation (say heart surgery) in a hospital? That could get quite expensive."Interesting that you say the medical coverage is useless?" Who are you ... Read More
Mexico income tax on Canadian pension payments by Captnflex
Hola, i am in the planning stage and looking at moving to the Lake Chapala or Colima/Manzanillo area. My questions are about having to file an income tax in Mexico on pension payments from a Canadian source if i establish my permanent residence in ...
Also you can apply all of your medical expenses to your tax return which can amount to a significant amount of money they will refund you. Read More
How many people have left the US due to electronic mind control
You see what happens when ask such questions? It brings out all the nutcases and yes there are many of them! Read More
Anything to share about Zihuatanejo? by Daniel Fox
Hi ... I'm not sure if this is the correct thread ... But I am considering moving to Zihuatanejo in June, and I would like to know if anyone has experience with this real estate agency <a href="yoyaproperties.com"> ...
A family member just recently bought a condo from that group. They expect to have construction completed this month I believe. This family member has been going to that location on a number of occasions over the past 2 years and they love it. There ... Read More
Is San Miguel the place for me? by haskellbob
Hello! I am intrigued by the possibility of moving to San Miguel de Allende, and would like to communicate with you all about that. Here's a short brief about me: I'm from California. Have a BA in Humanistic Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and a ...
I have lived here in San Miguel for 3 years now and as far as I am concerned the air quality is fine. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you Alvpackman. Read More
Is San Miguel the place for me? by haskellbob
Hello! I am intrigued by the possibility of moving to San Miguel de Allende, and would like to communicate with you all about that. Here's a short brief about me: I'm from California. Have a BA in Humanistic Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and a ...
A recent bit of information:. The city is building an extension to UNAM here in SMA. UNAM is the largest university in Mexico. Don't know when it will be complete nor what faculties they will have. Might be worth looking into especially since ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
The only problem with Celaya is that it is not a very nice town. It is bigger than San Miguel and not so long ago there was a problem with bad guys holding up people coming from Costco. But those incidents were very limited. If I was choosing ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
And no doubt lots of flies. Wherever there are lots of animals of this type there are lots of flies. I like horses but would never want to live where they do. Not my kind of living space even though it is a little less expensive than where I ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
Chris and Venera: "Natives are actually charging $300 to $500 a month for 1 to 3 bedroom apartments" I would agree. There are some very good rents to be had if you look around. I pay $8500 pesos a month for a very nice one bedroom ... Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
Alleycat1:. That probably took a bit of time to put these posts together, and I thank you very much for the effort. Very interesting and have a great day!! Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
It might be an advantage to do remodel. But that is a personal choice and not one my girlfriend was prepared to make. It is more her house than mine. Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
You are right, they are not lazy. But they can be terribly disorganized. For example, the architect we have, when given plan changes he does not generate new documents that are then made available to his workers. Then what happens is the workers ... Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
That is exactly what I had heard as well. Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
Can you verify these things you are saying?Yes.Then please do so so that I can have some assurance of what you say is true. Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
Can you verify these things you are saying? Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
SteveandMarty: We are dealing with an architect. He takes care of hiring, overseeing the project and purchasing materials. He has been very flexible in making changes. But he has been very slack in hiring enough workers. Usually only two. There ... Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
Melanie, like I said before if a person has a pre-existing condition they are excluded from acquiring medical insurance. I have already tried. and mu only problem is Ulcerative Colitis that I am able to manage quite well with probiotics. Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
If that is the case why are people being denied access to Seguro Popular at the moment? Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
El Capricho. West of La Comer up on the hill. There is a lot for sale now for $1,800,000 pesos. It could possibly be purchased for about $1,600,000 pesos (for about 220 sq meters). . This is not our property because our's was bought some 6 ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
That percentage figure is soooo misleading. Percentage of what? This year there have been a recorded 58 murders (if memory serves when I read the last statistics). Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
The 500K reason is why many people build a house. We are just finishing building ours. It is 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. High ceilings and very large PVC edged sliding glass windows (more expensive than ironwork or aluminum), lots of skylights, ... Read More
Seguro Popular - Important Information by Melanie_In_Mexico
Seguro Popular is one of Mexico’s public health plans. Article 4 of the Mexican constitution guarantees access to public health care to all temporary & permanent residents of Mexico (expats with residency visa). As of May, 2019; many ...
Except that there are people with pre-existing conditions or that are over 70 years of age that these health insurance agencies will not provide service for. So, if you fall into that category what are you supposed to do if you can't get IMSS or ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
The main problem with the Real Estate market right now, in San Miguel, is that they have overbuilt, considering the demand. There are just not enough people to buy all of the homes they are building. You would think this would cause people to sell ... Read More
Cell phone service in San Miguel de Allende by jerobrien
Friends We are planning a move to SMA in the not to distant future. We are wondering what kind of cell phone plan(s) we should have? Obviously we'll need to make local calls, but we'll want to sty in tough with friends and family at home. ...
I use Android. If you use an iPhone I can't be of much help. But with Android you open up SETTINGS and then tap DATA USAGE. There are 2 tabs at the top: Cellular & Wireless. You can set a "Cellular Limit" (which could be handy). ... Read More
Cell phone service in San Miguel de Allende by jerobrien
Friends We are planning a move to SMA in the not to distant future. We are wondering what kind of cell phone plan(s) we should have? Obviously we'll need to make local calls, but we'll want to sty in tough with friends and family at home. ...
One thing to keep in mind: Even though many sites do this, if they have been hacked your data can be freely available to them. For example, Facebook has been hacked in the past and so has Yahoo (several times). Bank sites are usually pretty safe ... Read More
Cell phone service in San Miguel de Allende by jerobrien
Friends We are planning a move to SMA in the not to distant future. We are wondering what kind of cell phone plan(s) we should have? Obviously we'll need to make local calls, but we'll want to sty in tough with friends and family at home. ...
If you configure your apps (with the exception of a few) to only use the Internet when a WiFi connection is available you won't have to worry about turning it off. Thus the battery drain should be decreased. Also, leaving your WiFi or GPS ... Read More
Cell phone service in San Miguel de Allende by jerobrien
Friends We are planning a move to SMA in the not to distant future. We are wondering what kind of cell phone plan(s) we should have? Obviously we'll need to make local calls, but we'll want to sty in tough with friends and family at home. ...
I have mine turned on all the time, but when I am the vicinity of a hotspot I use that instead. I have 1 gig included per month and have yet never used that much. I do not use Skype or any apps that require a lot of bandwidth when I am using the ... Read More
Cell phone service in San Miguel de Allende by jerobrien
Friends We are planning a move to SMA in the not to distant future. We are wondering what kind of cell phone plan(s) we should have? Obviously we'll need to make local calls, but we'll want to sty in tough with friends and family at home. ...
Gudgrief posted a great synopsis. I would like to add one thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet. AT&T Mexico (which is not affiliated with AT&T US) does not charge roaming fees in the US (don't know about Canada yet). Also ... Read More
How to drive through mexico by vantravels
Hi all, I am a Canadian looking to drive from the USA to Central America and am quite nervous about driving through Mexico in July 2017. I have heard both good and bad but with all the upset going on between the US and Mexico right now I am worried ...
Another thing I noticed, during my recent trip, was that the police don't care if you drive at 120km/hr even in an 80km/hr zone. Many cars were traveling about that speed along with myself. Even radar traps did not bother us. Many cars were ... Read More
How to drive through mexico by vantravels
Hi all, I am a Canadian looking to drive from the USA to Central America and am quite nervous about driving through Mexico in July 2017. I have heard both good and bad but with all the upset going on between the US and Mexico right now I am worried ...
Just finished driving the route from San Miguel de Allende to Nuevo Laredo and back and no problems. No threats of any kind anywhere along the route (including at the border). Drove by myself traveling only in the daytime and using toll roads. My ... Read More
moving to veracruz/mexico by palmtree22
I am a retired teacher from the USA am WILL me moving to Mexico in the near future. My plan is to move to a city on the Gulf Coast because I enjoy scuba diving, snorleling, anything to do with the water, plus I enjoy checking out ruins, etc. I have ...
If you are referring to my post, obviously there is no scuba diving or snorkeling in SMA. Read More
moving to veracruz/mexico by palmtree22
I am a retired teacher from the USA am WILL me moving to Mexico in the near future. My plan is to move to a city on the Gulf Coast because I enjoy scuba diving, snorleling, anything to do with the water, plus I enjoy checking out ruins, etc. I have ...
You are right. I was replying to very old stuff. Perhaps the creators of the site might consider putting the date in a darker color so as it is more noticeable. Read More
moving to veracruz/mexico by palmtree22
I am a retired teacher from the USA am WILL me moving to Mexico in the near future. My plan is to move to a city on the Gulf Coast because I enjoy scuba diving, snorleling, anything to do with the water, plus I enjoy checking out ruins, etc. I have ...
ladybug18: If you are in need of info regarding SMA I maybe of help as I live here, but have limited experience: Only 5 months so far. Read More
How does one move to San Miguel or Guanajuato? by clarehowell
I'm planning a trip to SMDA and Guanajuato in August for 2 weeks and don't know where to begin. I'm a retired librarian with a limited income and I want to see, first, if I can afford housing to rent long-term. Also, I have 3 cats who ...
Clare, I live in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) and have lived here for 5 months. It is a fairly nice place but a bit more expensive than I have heard of living in other Mexican locales. Just for an example, there is small place called Tequisquiapan ... Read More
Mistakes expats make in Mexico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Did you make any mistakes when you first moved to Mexico? What were they? How did you address your mistakes? Did you learn anything from them? With hindsight, what would you do differently? Are there any tips you could ...
I am currently living in San Miguel de Allende (and this is my starting point in living in Mexico). One thing I have found that I have not made a decision about yet is that starting in mid-March the air becomes quite dry which irritates my nose. I ... Read More
Have you ever helped a neighbor? by razaraz2641
Anyone like to share their experience on above mention topic is welcome.
Your objective should not be to piss people off. You should, rather, try and reach an agreement with your neighbor. If the police had to be called I would suggest that you are playing your music much too loud. I love music as well, but I consider ... Read More
Have you ever helped a neighbor? by razaraz2641
Anyone like to share their experience on above mention topic is welcome.
"Just move"? Where can you move where they are no dogs? I agree with "Carlefarlie" about the dogs. People that own them need to have consideration for others by taking responsibility for things in their lives. As to kids ... Read More
Cost of living in Mexico - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Mexico, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
promobabe: Yes, you should be able to find something to rent for $1000/ mo. There are some places available for less than that. But it takes some effort of walking and talking to people to find them. What I would suggest is for you to stay in a ... Read More
Cost of living in Mexico - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Mexico, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
rubytue60: Yes, you can live on 2K/mo. I am currently living comfortably on $1500/mth CDN. Read More
Cost of living in Mexico - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Mexico, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
My experience, in San Miguel de Allende, has been that having cable installed was very fast (I had it installed the day after requesting it). And the service has been excellent since installation (only 4 months so far). For $349 pesos per month you ... Read More
Best usages and practices in Mexico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Living in Mexico means learning new ways of doing things and incorporating to your daily life unique practices. We invite you to share unique practices, tools or methods that could also make a difference in other countries. Here ...
The only thing I can think of, with regard to San Miguel de Allende (and possibly other places), is to consider renting what they call a "quadra-moto" for getting around. It is basically a small four-wheeled ATV that can, in some cases, ... Read More
Cost of living in Mexico - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Mexico, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
Just to clarify, I would guess these values are in Mexican pesos. Although $1500 pesos is quite low per month. That is about $90 CDN. I could not live on that. Mine is closer to $5000 pesos per month for one person. Read More
Santiago de Querétaro by rubiagringa
Hello, I will be in SMA from December 20-29 to check out the area and a student of mine mentioned that the job market for language teachers would be better in nearby Santiago de Querétaro . The cost of living may be lower there as it is ...
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 ... Read More
Cost of living in Mexico - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Mexico, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
Here is a list of rental websites that may be of interest. They can be used to look up rentals all across ... Read More
Move to chapala by pbozz
Hello. My sister and I r planning to move around chapala area approx. October. We r in Pacific nw, tired of gray skies and rain. We both have traveled a lot. We lived in PV a year but it was way too hot in summer. I lived internationally 20 years ...
pbozz: I think you may find the costs with living in Lake Chapala are about the same as in San Miguel. They are both quite "gringoized" which seems to cause a bit of inflation. Asthma is an issue with altitude for sure. But, is it ... Read More
is it true ? too much robberies ? by moreto62
posted by cathy Dupree 2 months ago I live in Ajijic which is beautiful but want to give another slant on living in Mexico. I am leaving after 5 years because my partner died and the mess that was left with no will was magnified by the corrupt ...
Yes, I know about the heat for only a few months. But the humidity is the kicker. Not for me. But good for some. Read More
is it true ? too much robberies ? by moreto62
posted by cathy Dupree 2 months ago I live in Ajijic which is beautiful but want to give another slant on living in Mexico. I am leaving after 5 years because my partner died and the mess that was left with no will was magnified by the corrupt ...
Retired. The best way to be. Read More
is it true ? too much robberies ? by moreto62
posted by cathy Dupree 2 months ago I live in Ajijic which is beautiful but want to give another slant on living in Mexico. I am leaving after 5 years because my partner died and the mess that was left with no will was magnified by the corrupt ...
What did you find uncomfortable? Read More
How to drive through mexico by vantravels
Hi all, I am a Canadian looking to drive from the USA to Central America and am quite nervous about driving through Mexico in July 2017. I have heard both good and bad but with all the upset going on between the US and Mexico right now I am worried ...
Excellent plan. Just got back from seeing them a few weeks ago. If you want to see them this year you don't have much time left. They are reportedly only here for about 1.5 months. We saw them in a place near Zitacuaro, Michuacan (about 1.5 ... Read More
Santiago de Querétaro by rubiagringa
Hello, I will be in SMA from December 20-29 to check out the area and a student of mine mentioned that the job market for language teachers would be better in nearby Santiago de Querétaro . The cost of living may be lower there as it is ...
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). Read More
I would like practice my english
You might have trouble finding English speaking people living in Mexico City (at least expats that is). None of us expats would like living in such a place. We like the more suburban types of places (less traffic, less noise, less pollution). But, ... Read More
Studying in Mexico
There is a very nice university in Guanajuato but I don't know what the costs are. They seem to have a complete curriculum though, but I don't know what there strong points are. Read More
travel from Sayulita to San Miguel de Allende by gfahrenbrink
My husband and I are spending a week in Sayulita, then need to travel to San Miguel de Allende for one week. What is the best and safest transportation mode for this? Bus, fly, or drive?
Leon is not the only airport for this area. Queretaro is actually closer than Leon (about one hours drive as opposed to 2.5 hours). Read More
San Miguel Surrounding areas
Be careful about real estate agents. They have an agenda that may not coincide with your needs. But the advise about visiting and checking the neighborhoods is good. One thing about Los Frailes (where I currently live) is that it can be a little ... Read More
Pets in Mexico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Many of us in Mexico have four-legged friends. What about you? Do you have one or more pets? Share your experience with us! What are the formalities to import pets in Mexico? What about pet adoption procedures in the country? ...
I would suggest not checking with the US Consular office. Check with the airlines directly. They are the ones that know what they want. It might save you some time. Read More
Moving to Mexico with a Cat and no Car by nikolas4squid
I've been looking around the forums for an answer to the various parts of my questions, but I don't seem to becoming up with exactly what I want to know. When I move, I won't be bringing tons of stuff- just my clothes, a couple of ...
Why 2 flights? Have you looked into flying into Queretaro. The cost maybe higher, but the distance from Queretaro to SMA is less than Leon and Mexico City. About one hour driving time to SMA from Queretaro. You could have one of the shared van ... Read More
Prescription diet dog food in SMA
I think you can find most of these at Petco. They carry lots of varieties of Royal Canin (special diets included). It is in a mall up the hill from SMA proper. Here is their email address: info@petco.com.mx You can ask them directly what they ... Read More
Move to chapala by pbozz
Hello. My sister and I r planning to move around chapala area approx. October. We r in Pacific nw, tired of gray skies and rain. We both have traveled a lot. We lived in PV a year but it was way too hot in summer. I lived internationally 20 years ...
pbozz: Why Lake Chapala? Have you ever visited there? Have you ever visited other places in Mexico? Another place you might consider is San Miguel de Allende if you wish to be around other expats. Or Guanajuato is a beautiful place as well: ... Read More
How to drive through mexico by vantravels
Hi all, I am a Canadian looking to drive from the USA to Central America and am quite nervous about driving through Mexico in July 2017. I have heard both good and bad but with all the upset going on between the US and Mexico right now I am worried ...
Anne, you may have had this happen to you, but I can assure you these events DO NOT occur "often" in all parts of Mexico. Where did this happen to you? Read More
is it true ? too much robberies ? by moreto62
posted by cathy Dupree 2 months ago I live in Ajijic which is beautiful but want to give another slant on living in Mexico. I am leaving after 5 years because my partner died and the mess that was left with no will was magnified by the corrupt ...
AlicatAZ: If you can find a place on the ocean in Mexico that does not have high humidity, let me know. If you can afford to leave and go live somewhere where the humidity and heat are not too intense, as they are in many of the ocean-side places ... Read More
is it true ? too much robberies ? by moreto62
posted by cathy Dupree 2 months ago I live in Ajijic which is beautiful but want to give another slant on living in Mexico. I am leaving after 5 years because my partner died and the mess that was left with no will was magnified by the corrupt ...
Coatepec is at about 4000 feet above sea level. It mustn't be that cool in the winter. I am currently living at 6000 feet above sea level (San Miguel de Allende) and it is cool at night here, but not unbearable. Coatepec sounds like not a bad ... Read More
What's the real story with living in Mexico? by Normoldguy
Hi Everyone Don't really know where to start...Lived in Montreal my entire life. went to school here, got married to my high school sweetheart at 22 yrs old...(way too young)...managed to stay married for 46 difficult years,,and its time to move ...
You posted this almost a year and a half ago and the latest posts have little to do with your original request for info. I hope you have found something by now and maybe you are now living in Mexico. I certainly hope you made that choice. It is a ... Read More
What's the real story with living in Mexico? by Normoldguy
Hi Everyone Don't really know where to start...Lived in Montreal my entire life. went to school here, got married to my high school sweetheart at 22 yrs old...(way too young)...managed to stay married for 46 difficult years,,and its time to move ...
Statistics are "statistics". Be careful how they can influence your decisions. They also can be VERY misleading. The stats you have posted say nothing of where in Mexico (or in the US). They say nothing of the way it is now. They say ... Read More
What's the real story with living in Mexico? by Normoldguy
Hi Everyone Don't really know where to start...Lived in Montreal my entire life. went to school here, got married to my high school sweetheart at 22 yrs old...(way too young)...managed to stay married for 46 difficult years,,and its time to move ...
Don't worry about finding a kindred spirit to travel with: Just do it! You will be happy you did. Also, consider house-sitting while looking for a place. I had someone come from Canada to look after my cat while I was away for a month. This ... Read More
What's the real story with living in Mexico? by Normoldguy
Hi Everyone Don't really know where to start...Lived in Montreal my entire life. went to school here, got married to my high school sweetheart at 22 yrs old...(way too young)...managed to stay married for 46 difficult years,,and its time to move ...
Consider San Miguel de Allende. The reason I suggest this is that there are many other single expat women that live here and some have lived here for many years. Very safe. And of course, there is no great requirement here for Spanish. It always ... Read More
Cost of living in Mexico - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Mexico, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
The questions Priscilla has asked can result in the contents of a book, but I will do my best and obviously will not include all there is to consider. I live in San Miguel de Allende (SMA) and I have found that the rental prices (at least from ... Read More
Netflix and Roku by msantiago1256
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that netflix is in Ecuador! I knew they where expanding and it was only a matter of time but they are already here and the selection is almost better (in terms of quality if not quantity) than back home. Has ...
Technically streaming is illegal in the entire world. It is just that Ecuador doesn't do anything about pursuing anyone who does this. In fact, from what I have heard there are businesses in Ecuador that resell movies on DVD after they have ... Read More
Property prices in San Miguel de Allende by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Finding affordable housing in San Miguel de Allende is number one priority for newcomers. Tell us more about the estate market in your district/city/region. What are the most desired places to live? What are the most affordable ...
What are the most desired places to live? My answer is obviously biased, but I think living on the outskirts of El Centro (in San Miguel de Allende (SMA)) is better. El Centro can get a bit noisy as SMA tends to have many events that involve ... Read More
Buying a Car? by MikeGB
What are the things one must do to make sure there are no problems with ownership when buying a car in Mexico? 1) What is the procedure for making sure the car has no debts against it? 2) Are there any other things that need to be checked for ...
What is a Katrina car? Read More
Buying a Car? by MikeGB
What are the things one must do to make sure there are no problems with ownership when buying a car in Mexico? 1) What is the procedure for making sure the car has no debts against it? 2) Are there any other things that need to be checked for ...
How do you go about making sure there is clear title? When you visit the Transito office to do the transfer, do they do the checking for you or can you ask them to perform the check? Then there is the what shape is the car really in part?.I ... Read More
Buying a Car? by MikeGB
What are the things one must do to make sure there are no problems with ownership when buying a car in Mexico? 1) What is the procedure for making sure the car has no debts against it? 2) Are there any other things that need to be checked for ...
How can you tell a reputable car dealer from one that isn't? I need to know the details so that I can make sure a car dealer or private seller does their due diligence. Read More
Buying a Car?
What are the things one must do to make sure there are no problems with ownership when buying a car in Mexico? 1) What is the procedure for making sure the car has no debts against it? 2) Are there any other things that need to be checked for ... Read More
Netflix and Roku by msantiago1256
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that netflix is in Ecuador! I knew they where expanding and it was only a matter of time but they are already here and the selection is almost better (in terms of quality if not quantity) than back home. Has ...
There is, apparently, 2 that are recommended. 1) Victoria * many episodes and with subtitles. It is a soap opera, but apparently not too bad. This is on Netflix. 2) "La Mirada de Mujer" on Youtube I haven't tried either ... Read More
Netflix and Roku by msantiago1256
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that netflix is in Ecuador! I knew they where expanding and it was only a matter of time but they are already here and the selection is almost better (in terms of quality if not quantity) than back home. Has ...
DSL is probably the poorest type of connectivity you could use. The reason is that DSL operates over telephone wire which is very subject to electrical interference and moisture. It also has a very limited cabling distance. If your house happens to ... Read More
Netflix and Roku by msantiago1256
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that netflix is in Ecuador! I knew they where expanding and it was only a matter of time but they are already here and the selection is almost better (in terms of quality if not quantity) than back home. Has ...
Nards: "I would only get one of these boxes if I had fiber optic and at least 10Mbps of download speed." There is no need to have 10Mbps for streaming. It works fine at 3Mbps. What is most important is that you have minimal contention ... Read More
Common misconceptions and clichés about life in Ecuador by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Old clichés die hard, as the saying goes... and living in Ecuador can generate lots of misconceptions in the eyes of the people. What are the most common misconceptions about the expat lifestyle in Ecuador? What are the ...
CC: I guess you are being somewhat facetious with your misconceptions. They definitely do not apply to everyone. I would say #9 is accurate and #4 is somewhat correct. You can definitely live for less money in a reasonable style, but not like a ... Read More
Common misconceptions and clichés about life in Ecuador by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Old clichés die hard, as the saying goes... and living in Ecuador can generate lots of misconceptions in the eyes of the people. What are the most common misconceptions about the expat lifestyle in Ecuador? What are the ...
PEI Red: The most expensive costs are rent and food on a monthly basis. So, if you are from the US the cost of living is definitely less. I pay $400 US per month for a very nice unfurnished 3 bedroom 2.5 bathroom apartment with great views. I doubt ... Read More
Internet quality in Cuenca by expat42451
Hello to all I have been living in Quito the last 2 years. Internet here has progressively grown worse in my neighborhood--my work depends on it being up and stable(streaming data on financial markets). I am using Netlife but in the Orchidias ...
What indications do you see when you start to experience problems? What lights are on, on the router when this happens? Does Netlife use a cable modem between your router and their outside equipment? If you can give me the IP address of your ... Read More
Expand your social circle in Ecuador by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Moving to Ecuador means leaving one's family and friends behind. Creating a circle of friends or joining an existing one should therefore be paramount in order to fight loneliness in your host country. But how can one develop a ...
I met an Ecuatoriana soon after arriving here. She later became my girlfriend. And now I have a new family and lots of Ecuadorian friends (most as a result of knowing her). But this is not going to be an option for everyone. The best thing to do is ... Read More
The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community by Nards Barley
I designate this thread as the unofficial web page for the Cuenca Expat community. I also designate myself as the unoffical spokesperson. It is actually a continuation of my [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224582]non-blog[/url], ...
Gag!!! I will pass on that one. Hope your English classes turn out to be a good experience for you. Read More
The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community by Nards Barley
I designate this thread as the unofficial web page for the Cuenca Expat community. I also designate myself as the unoffical spokesperson. It is actually a continuation of my [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224582]non-blog[/url], ...
I hope I am not perceived as hijacking your thread Nards, but I thought you and others might be interested in a few books I have read recently, especially because the US Presidential election is soon to come. The books are: 1) Dark Money (2016) ... Read More
Making phone calls in Ecuador by Maximilien
Hi, When settling in Ecuador, one of the priorities is to be able to make phone calls. How to proceed to get a landline installed in Ecuador? What are the mobile operators? What is your average monthly budget? Thank you in advance for ...
Good to know. Thanks for the post. I was considering them as an option. Do you know if they start billing once the call is answered or do they start billing once it starts ringing? Read More
Making phone calls in Ecuador by Maximilien
Hi, When settling in Ecuador, one of the priorities is to be able to make phone calls. How to proceed to get a landline installed in Ecuador? What are the mobile operators? What is your average monthly budget? Thank you in advance for ...
I installed the MagicJack Connect app on my smartphone and then applied for a pay as you go to test it out. It cost me $4.99 US ($6.47 CDN). I then tried to call a government phone number in Canada. It was an 855 number. The call answered but was ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
I don't know how this has gone for other people, but the recommendation has always been to have your documents translated in Ecuador. I guess the quality of translation has not been good for some. Maybe you got lucky with the translator that you ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
For me, and a number of others I have read about, International Living is the last place we would go for advice. There are many blogs that detail how people have gone about the process. Googling for "Ecuador blog" is one way to find them. ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
And if you are planning on applying for citizenship the restriction is even greater. My understanding is that you cannot stay out of the country anymore than 90 days during the three year period after you obtain your cedula. You have to wait 3 years ... Read More
2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines? by gardener1
I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of Ecuador visa applicants who post here and have gone through the permanent residency visa process in the last two years. So for all the hoopla Ecuador gets as a great place to emigrate to, ...
The consul in Vancouver is a pain the a$$! If you send the birth certificates to the Ecuadorian consulate in Ottawa or Toronto they will quite happily deal with the large shiny birth certificates. They did for me. And you don't need T4A's. ... Read More
Ecuador's citizenship by Chezhka
Hello everyone! I am thinking to immigrate to Ecuador. My final goal is to change my current citizenship but I can't find any info on how naturalization process works in Ecuador. Could anyone please send me a link and/or any information where I ...
amyf: What did you find difficult on the exam? It might be nice to have some idea of what the questions are like Although CCMedia posted that the 300 questions are available for study beforehand. Can you point us at a website where these ... Read More
The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community by Nards Barley
I designate this thread as the unofficial web page for the Cuenca Expat community. I also designate myself as the unoffical spokesperson. It is actually a continuation of my [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224582]non-blog[/url], ...
La Frijolada is good but it is still not like what you would get in Mexico and it is expensive for what you get. And it is not like Taco Bell. Read More
The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community by Nards Barley
I designate this thread as the unofficial web page for the Cuenca Expat community. I also designate myself as the unoffical spokesperson. It is actually a continuation of my [url=https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224582]non-blog[/url], ...
Hey Nards, you must living on some kind of income. Your house wouldn't provide that. So did they not like the source of your monthly income? The reason I ask is that I will be attempting to make application in Mar 2017 and I will base my income ... Read More
Tips and advice to thrive in Ecuador by Priscilla
Hi, When living in a foreign country, you have to adapt to a new environment, various cultures and different social codes. How did you manage to adjust to Ecuador? How long does it take to feel at home? Would you say it is an easy ...
You must not get out very much. Most of the locals dress very casually which is typical of many cities I have lived in and visited in North America. I think you might be a little too fashion conscious. It might be best for you to just relax a little ... Read More
First Visit to Cuenca in May by BGCG
My wife and I are considering retiring in Cuenca in 2017 and we will make our first exploratory trip in May. We would appreciate any tips on the best places to meet expats for meaningful conversation and also a recommendation of a realtor who can ...
We may be able to help you with short term accommodations if you are interested. You can message me directly by clicking on the "letter" icon near the top of this webpage. Read More
First Visit to Cuenca in May by BGCG
My wife and I are considering retiring in Cuenca in 2017 and we will make our first exploratory trip in May. We would appreciate any tips on the best places to meet expats for meaningful conversation and also a recommendation of a realtor who can ...
This is not correct. There are spiders in Cuenca. Some small and some as large as 2 inches from back to front legs. The larger spiders come out after there has been lots of rain. If you live in a highrise you would probably never see the big ones ... Read More
Getting Best-Internet in ‘Forbidden’ Areas by cccmedia
Writing on an obscure “residential areas” thread, poster V. Simple told Expat.com readers that he solved his problem with inadequate Internet at his building in Quito's La Carolina area. He needed and got municipal permits from ...
While fiber is nice to have it is not essential. I have good success with TVCable here in Cuenca without fiber. I do all kinds of work on the Internet but do not have the need to download or upload large files frequently like some people do. The ... Read More
Netflix and Roku by msantiago1256
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that netflix is in Ecuador! I knew they where expanding and it was only a matter of time but they are already here and the selection is almost better (in terms of quality if not quantity) than back home. Has ...
I have also heard that there are some VPN services that still work. They claim that because they use a dedicated IP address for each client that their service will still provide access to US Netflix content. But I am not so sure this will work for ... Read More
Netflix and Roku by msantiago1256
Hi, I was pleasantly surprised to find that netflix is in Ecuador! I knew they where expanding and it was only a matter of time but they are already here and the selection is almost better (in terms of quality if not quantity) than back home. Has ...
The posting from Cactusvpn does not present a correct picture: Neflix does not want to limit who has access, but rather they are being forced to limit access to their US service in other countries because of media licensing issues. Basically, their ... Read More
Tips and advice to thrive in Ecuador by Priscilla
Hi, When living in a foreign country, you have to adapt to a new environment, various cultures and different social codes. How did you manage to adjust to Ecuador? How long does it take to feel at home? Would you say it is an easy ...
But clearly she has explored all possible other avenues without success. The police even laughed at her. So, this is an additional option. And even if the neighbors do discover that she is doing this, what are they going to do about it? By the way, ... Read More
Tips and advice to thrive in Ecuador by Priscilla
Hi, When living in a foreign country, you have to adapt to a new environment, various cultures and different social codes. How did you manage to adjust to Ecuador? How long does it take to feel at home? Would you say it is an easy ...
There is something that might help. I have an Ecuadorian friend whom acquired a stun gun (that is what my Ecuadorian friend called it) . It doesn't stun the animal: It make a high pitched noise that they do not like. As soon as you use it the ... Read More
Bugs in Cuenca by MikeGB
Sometime ago and before I came to live in Cuenca, I had read various logs stating that Cuenca seemed to have very few bugs. I guess these comments are relative to where you are from. But I can assure you there are bugs in Cuenca. I have lived in ...
Hey guys. This about the bugs you see in Cuenca. Not elsewhere! Read More