Another reason for choosing Ajijic: the low cost of living.

Our final list of candidates included both Sayulita, on the Pacific coast north of Puerta Vallarta, and San Miguel de Allende, a couple hours north of Mexico City. But our research indicated that the cost of living in Ajijic was lower than either of those locations. We’ve seen 4 bedroom houses for rent in Ajijic for under $800 USD per month, while we couldn’t touch that in other locations for less than $1500 USD.

Ajijic is also a walkable town, with great public transportation, meaning we don’t need to purchase a vehicle. And school tuition is less in Ajijic than either of the alternative locations. It all added up to a place where we could actually live on our budget, with a little left over.