Stop Posting Stuff About How "CHEAP" Mexico is!
Because it isn't cheap if you live on a Mexican salary...
The privilege and insensitivity in those kinds of statements was brought home to me recently. I applied for a job at a Mexican company in Jalisco.
The first thing I will say, is that the Mexican work week is six days, Monday-Saturday. If you are a U.S. immigrant/expat in Mexico most of your neighbors are working that schedule. Expecting a 40-48 hour work week is normal. In Jalisco, the average monthly salary is 13, 887 MXN. (Today 637.89 US) The average for all of Mexico for 2024 was 18,409 (893.32 US) I prefer to use the median because averages can be skewed by very high or very low salaries. The median is the number that defines the line between the 50% of people below and the 50% of people above. For the whole of Mexico, the Median is 29,300 (1421.83 US) Link to Source
I knew this when I saw the job posting. A Mexican company needed an assistant editor/media person to help them manage the content they were producing for U.S. consumers. It sounded fun. Busy, challenging, interesting, all good things. I sent off an email and then a resume and we set up an interview. I liked them. I think they liked me. Looking back, I wish they would have been more upfront about the salary for the position from the start. There was a good bit of responsibility and management of others involved. If I would have known the salary, honestly, I wouldn’t have applied. The position paid just under 900 US a month and insurance for me and my spouse would be part of the package. In a tiny little town, a couple could make that work.
However, the cost of living in Lake Chapala is around 1,900 dollars for two people. Another source cited 1,286 US for one person.
It would be hard to find a place to rent close to their office and still afford food. Living further out would be cheaper, but then there would be transportation/vehicle/parking costs. There were other issues in play. They needed someone right away and I couldn’t be there until March. They wanted someone with stronger WordPress skills. These were nice folks offering an interesting job. And I still want to keep writing books. For multiple reasons, it wasn’t a Cinderella match.
The experience brought home for me, that Mexico is expensive for Mexicans. If you are earning a U.S. salary and living in Mexico, the illusion is that everything is inexpensive. It’s not. There are tons of posts and videos done by remote workers/retirees/expats/snowbirds/slow travelers where words like “Cheap!” “Easy!” “A bargain!” are all highlighted and promoted as the truth for everyone.
That kind of language is kind of insulting and insensitive to the folks who live and work in Mexico. There is a disconnect. If you work hard, you can live well in Mexico, but it’s not easy. Be careful what you say. Don’t dismiss their hard work, or what it takes to make a good life on a local wage in Mexico. So…as I keep telling y’all about my journey, I’m going to be conscious of the words I use. And remember how hard my neighbors are working to provide for their families.