Whether you’re thinking about moving to Mexico or are just curious about the cost of living in Mexico, it’s only natural to wonder: How much does rent cost in Mexico?
Since moving to Querétaro, Mexico, in October 2017, I’ve shared my monthly cost of living expenses. But, I thought it would be helpful to focus an entire post on all the expenses related to renting an apartment in Mexico.
I wrote this post to accompany the house tour I shared on IGTV. To see the house tour yourself, follow me on Instagram: @alexnotemily.
Thinking about moving to Mexico? Check out this step-by-step checklist for moving abroad so you don’t overlook a single detail.
How to Find an Apartment in Mexico
For some context, I’ve been living in Querétaro for almost two years now. Home to right around a million people, Querétaro is three and a half hours northwest of Mexico City.
If you’re interested in the whole crazy story of how I found an apartment in Mexico, be sure to check out the post below.
Read More: How I Found an Apartment in Querétaro, Mexico
As much as I’d hoped to find a furnished apartment in Querétaro, the market just wasn’t what I’d hoped for. In the end, location won out, and we decided to rent an unfurnished apartment in the city’s historic center.
Can a U.S. citizen rent an apartment in Mexico?
Yes! In fact, you don’t even need a temporary visa to do so.
During our apartment hunt, all the landlords we met with were willing to rent an apartment to foreigners. Some, interestingly enough, found it preferable.
However, you will need a Mexican national to cosign on your behalf. In Spanish, this person is called a fiador (guarantor).
If you decide to skip town, your landlord is legally allowed to ask your fiador to cover your rent. When they sign, they have to provide proof of income or property ownership.
My mom’s cousin, who lives in Querétaro, graciously agreed to be our fiadora.
If you’re not as fortunate to have family in the city you’re hoping to rent in, you could offer someone money to sign on your behalf. But, you’ll probably have to pinky swear not to dip before the rent is due.
Another option, one I’ve heard has worked for other expats, is to offer to double the security deposit.
Cost of Renting an Apartment in Mexico
Now, let’s get into all the expenses associated with renting an apartment in Mexico.
Rent
I’m guessing this is the expense you’re most curious about.
For our two-bedroom two-bath apartment in Querétaro’s historic city center, we pay $10,500 MXN per month.
In United States Dollars, that’s $534 USD.
Our neighbor, who is Mexican, lives in a one-bedroom one-bath apartment and pays half that amount.
Gas
Of all our utilities, gas is the most expensive.
In addition to our hot water heater, it fuels both our range and oven.
While all our utilities fluctuate from month to month, we pay $330 MXN per month on average.
That’s approximately $17 USD.
Water
With all the plants we have, I’m surprised our water bill isn’t more.
We pay $200 MXN per month on average.
That’s around $10 USD.
Drinking Water
No one, not even Mexicans, drinks the tap water in Mexico.
Instead, we buy garrafones (5-gallon jugs) of water from the corner store. Each garrafon costs $43 MXN. We usually go through two a week ($86 MXN), so eight per month ($344 MXN)
That’s approximately $18 USD spent on drinking water per month for a household of two people.
Electricity
Since electricity is pretty much everyone’s most expensive utility, our monthly electricity bill is probably going to blow your mind.
Read More: 9 Things That Are A Lot Cheaper in Mexico
I’m sure there’s a reason why it’s so cheap. I just don’t know it.
On average, we pay just $31 MXN per month for electricity.
That’s less than $2 USD ($1.60 USD to be exact).
I should note, though, our house doesn’t have heating or air conditioning. While that might sound unbearable to some, it’s actually not a big deal at all.
The adobe walls keep the house cool when it’s hot, and on the few days it gets really cold here, we just bundle up.
Laundry Service
While our apartment in Mexico has a lot (two bedrooms, a separate dining space, an office/gym and an interior courtyard), it didn’t come with a washing machine.
There is a hookup for one, but who wants to spend money on a washing machine when you can spend it on travel?!
For a while, I was taking my clothes to a drop-off laundromat in my neighborhood. But, when that closed, I had to find something else.
I decided to try out Mr. Jeff, which is a laundry service that both picks up and drops your clothes off at your house.
Because convenience is king, I purchased a “membership package” that includes four loads per month. Mr. Jeff offers a variety of packages, and my package covers all the dirty clothes two adults can accrue in a week’s time.
Mr. Jeff has an app, and I love how easy it is to schedule pickups. It takes two days for them to wash your clothes. Then, they bring everything back folded and smelling really freaking good.
The laundry service costs $776 MXN per month.
In USD, that’s around $40.
Internet
Would life, honestly, even be worth living without WiFi?
That’s a question I was forced to grapple with when we first moved to Querétaro in October 2017. For the full story about how difficult it was to get internet in Mexico, check out the post below.
Read More: WiFi Woes: What To Do When Everything Isn’t Perfect
In addition to binging on Netflix and scrolling Instagram until my eyes fall out, I use the internet for work. So does Taylor.
Since we both teach English online, it was super important we had a connection fast enough that would support us videoconferencing at the same time.
Read More: Want to Teach English Online? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
We signed a contract with a company called Megacable. At 100 Mbps, our fiber-optic connection is more heavy-duty and, therefore, more expensive.
Our package also includes cable and a landline. We don’t use the latter, but like I said, it’s a package.
Per month, the internet costs $749 MXN.
That’s approximately $38 USD.
How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Mexico?
So, now that you know about all the individual expenses associated with renting an apartment in Mexico, what’s the grand total?
Well, in all, we spend $659 USD per month to rent an apartment in Querétaro, Mexico. In recap, that figure includes:
- Rent
- Gas
- Water
- Drinking Water
- Electricity
- Laundry Service
- Internet
Does that seem pretty reasonable? Well, it gets even better, amigo.
Because my boyfriend and I split everything 50/50, it costs me…
$329.50 per month to live in a lovely, two-bedroom two-bath apartment (more like a house, tbh) in Querétaro’s historic city center.
If that sounds pretty good to you, be sure to check out these other posts about living in Mexico:
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Hey Alex.
I am curious what you like about Mexico over Spain?.
My wife is Mexican and we live in California. We have long desired to live in Spain but she and I are also considering Queretaro for reasons such as proximity to U.S. and others.
Would love to know your thoughts since you’ve lived in both countries.
Thanks!
Hi, Patrick!
There’s so much I loved about living in Spain, but I’m really happy with my decision to move to Mexico. First, I love the proximity to the U.S. It’s so much easier (and so much more affordable) to go back to Michigan to see my friends and family. Similarly, the cost of living here is great. Even though Spain is also very affordable, you get so much more for your money in Mexico. In Madrid, I lived in a tiny apartment, and in Mexico, I essentially have a whole house for a fraction of the rent I was paying in Spain.
I miss the expat community and nightlife in Madrid, but the proximity to the U.S. and the cost of living here make living in Qro much more sustainable for the longterm. As much as I loved Madrid, I always felt like a foreigner there. In Mexico, it’s been a lot easier to integrate.
I hope this helps, and please feel free to shoot me an email if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Alex
What all do you need as far as paper work , etc , for me , my dog , a friend to live , work , etc in Mexico , what are the procedures , etc to get permission from the gov . Can you become dual citizenship
Hi, Belinda!
The exact paperwork you will need depends on where you’re moving to Mexico from, how long you plan on staying and what type of work you will be doing here. If you’re planning on making the move permanent, I suggest looking into temporary residency. You will need to have that for a few years before you can apply for permanent residency. I suggest visiting the website of the Mexican embassy in your country for more details.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Alex,
I’m an US citizen from Texas. Since my wife passed away I no longer have any family members in the States. I am thinking of setting up residency in Mexico. I am 60 years old and have decided to retire. I have both Social Security and a nice pension. My mother was a Mexican citizen by birth and she never gave it up when she married my father in the States. Does having a mother that was Mexican benefit my getting residency in Mexico?
I was planning on first setting up in Monterrey Mexico first. I currently have family there and was hoping they could assist me with getting my temporary residency visa? I have been to Mexico during my younger days and have visited cities such as Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Oxauca, Puebla, Monterrey and Acapulco to name a few so I am familiar with many of the customs. Do you have any insight on how a foreign single bachelor would fit into Mexican life?
I really enjoy your YouTube channel and it’s content which has been so helpful in my potential plans.
Ed
Thanks for reading, Edward & I’m so glad to hear you find my YouTube channel helpful!
I suggest contacting an immigration lawyer or consultant about your specific residency situation, but if you have your mother’s birth and death certificate, you should be able to apply for dual nationality which would be even better than temporary residency.
As far as adapting to life in Mexico, I think the more Spanish you speak the easier it will be. Since you have family in Mexico, starting your life here close to them will help you adjust and meet people. And thanks to the internet, it’s never been easier to connect with new people. Check out expat groups/forums in the cities you are considering as well as social platforms like Meetup.
Wishing you all the best with your future move to Mexico!
Alex, thank you so much for your blog and for the video on apartment hunting. We are thinking of Puerto Vallarta and would like to go up to $1,000 a month (the 2B 2B there that are modern seem to be going for more than $500), but we are stressed about the conversion USD to pesos – if say the USD declines and it becomes 10 pesos then we would have to pay the equivalent of $2000 USD for those months…
So would people allow a contract in USD that guarantees we always pay $1000 USD no matter the conversion, and if they do, then how could we pay it (we cannot haul thousands of $$ from the US to MX when we leave…). Thank you and happy holidays!
Hi, thanks for reading & I’m so glad to hear that you found my content about apartment hunting helpful. How exciting that you’re thinking about moving to Puerto Vallarta! Since Puerto Vallarta is popular with foreigners, I think there’s more of a chance that you could work out the deal you have in mind than in a city like Queretaro. If I were in your position, I would consider working with a realtor in PV since they will likely have a better idea of how possible that is. As for getting your money to pay rent, if you have a temporary residency card, you will be able to open a bank account & I imagine that just like in the US you can order foreign currency if you give your bank enough notice. Thanks again for reading & best of luck with your move to Mexico!
Hi! I’m also considering moving to Querétaro soon. Would you say that the amount you pay for rent is a common price for the space and location you are in? I have been searching on Facebook marketplace and Querétaro groups, but I have yet to see apartments like yours at the same price range.
Hi, Arlett! I feel very fortunate to have found this apartment, but I think there are lots of jewels in the center. From the online searches I’ve done though, the results for properties in the center are pretty limited. I understand that you want to get an idea for what is available prior to comingto Qro, but to be honest, many places in the center aren’t listed online. Often, the landlords are older & they prefer to find renters via word of mouth. So really, the best way to find a place like ours is to come to Qro & start pounding the pavement/asking around. I know that’s probably not ideal, but putting in the effort will up your chances of finding a gem. Good luck!
I’m thinking of move to Mexico I’m a massage therapist and personal trainer I have about $7000.00 to make the move any advice my name is Randy
Hi, Randy! My advice is to dedicate as much time as you can to learning Spanish. I recommend italki for finding an affordable one-to-one tutor. Knowing Spanish will help you with everything from finding an apartment to working with clients (if you plan to work in Mexico). Lots of people wait until they move to Mexico to start learning Spanish, but the more time you spend on it beforehand, the better off you will be. I have lots of other advice on my YouTube channel! All the best, Alex