Affordable Rentals in Mexico- Do They Still Exist?

Even in an expensive city like San Miguel de Allende, you can find reasonable rentals if you take some time to do research, do research with Spanish keywords, and look at the Mexican sites vs the International sites.

Or look on Facebook Marketplace vs. the Expat groups that are run by real estate companies.

Examples Of Affordable Rentals

For example, this 3 Bed 1 Bath House in San Miguel de Allende. Fully furnished, with lots of light, and not too far from the city center.

This one is currently renting for $13,000 Pesos a Month. That’s about $760 USD or About $1,000 CAD

One of the benefits of not living in a city center is you don’t get the constant noise of traffic, nearby bars, fiestas on the street on weekends, and street vendors at all hours.

But perhaps you don’t have a car and want to be closer to the centro. Living in Centro in most Mexican cities is by far the most convenient. You have everything within walking distance. Taxis and public transport are widely available. And you won’t have to worry about driving.

And in San Miguel De Allende Centro, you can still find affordable rentals too! But it pays to know how to look for them, what words to use, and what platforms to search.

I found this one on Facebook Marketplace and was looking for a specific area near centro.

This cute 1 Bedroom 1 Bath Petite but super comfortable casita is in a quiet & very safe centro neighborhood. Lots of light, fully furnished. Everything is almost new, from furniture to wiring and plumbing.

They have nice furnishings, and they even have air conditioning and heating. They also claim to be on a flat street, so you don’t have to worry about the hills in San Miguel with this one.

And you have a nice courtyard shared with the other tenants. So you can read, meditate, or just soak some sun without leaving your place. Plus, you have your own private balcony.

It’s renting for $13,000 Pesos a Month.

Now, of course, you would have to know what neighborhoods you’re looking at on a map and have an overall sense of what shopping or other retailers are nearby. If you’re new to any city (San Miguel de Allende in this example), then it pays to work with a realtor.

They are your advocate and guide to give you an overview of what areas might fit your lifestyle. Not to mention, they also know how to negotiate a contract on your behalf. As well as guide you on whether a lease agreement is written in your best interest or not.

Working With A Realtor in Mexico

A common misconception is that working with a realtor means you will only see high-end houses in Mexico. That can be true depending on the realtor and which real estate office they work with. But it’s also mostly untrue. At least not when you work with our recommended realtors. In fact, one of the main questions I ask when vetting our sources is whether they have a minimum budget they work with.

If they tell me their minimum budgets are $20k+ pesos a month, then I pass on them.

Because not all my customers are moving to Mexico with deeper pockets, most of the realtors we recommend do have a $10k peso-a-month minimum budget they ask for. Mostly because finding a rental below this amount is harder, and those landlords don’t want to pay a realtor a commission.

Working with a realtor has many benefits! Not only will they help guide you on a contract, but will also be a liaison to help ensure you know what you are signing. Like our guidance from the COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide, a realtor is an expert. And as the expert, they can ensure you ask the right questions before signing the dotted line.

Even More Affordable Rental Examples

Here is an example of a cute rental. One of our recommended realtors from the online guide in San Miguel de Allende is helping one of our customers rent.

It rents for $10,500 Pesos a Month (about $600 USD) in San Miguel de Allende. It’s a 1 bed 1 bath and is in a nice centrally located neighborhood. This means our customer can walk basically everywhere if they want to.

All bills except electricity is paid by the landlord. Electricity in this part of the country runs about $20-$30 USD/month for a 2-person household. It’s very affordable!

You Can Find These Rentals Also!

I share these examples to empower you!

To help you see that there ARE affordable rentals. Even in an expensive city like San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, or even in Ciudad de Mexico- considered to be the most expensive city in Mexico.

The important thing you have to remember is that it will take some homework. And in some cases, you may need to rent the higher-end rental for your first 6 months to a year before you get your bearings and meet the locals or get to know the market better.

That’s truly how you find the BEST rentals in Mexico through word of mouth. Because many rentals are NEVER published online, but you won’t know that until you spend some time here.

Be Realistic- You Can’t Live Like A King on Pennies

But you also have to be realistic.

The nicest condo in Puerto Vallarta, facing the beach, will be expensive even if you get an awesome deal! The same can be said in any city of Mexico- the nicer the rental, the better the location, or the more high-end it is, the more expensive it will likely be.

For example. If you look online for rentals in Puerto Vallarta with an ocean view, you can expect to pay $20k pesos monthly or more for a 2 bedroom.

Like this example below of a rental facing the ocean in the Gringo Gulch neighborhood of Vallarta. This one rents for $20k Pesos a Month.

For ocean-facing, that’s still a bargain!

Learn To Live Like A Local Would

It’s all part of the journey of moving to a different country with a different currency and a different language. In the beginning, you will live like a foreigner.

But later, when you start learning, you’ll see your living cost drop.

You’ll learn how to do things on your own, and you learn how to live like a local- that’s where the magic happens!

My point is, don’t get discouraged if all you see are expensive rentals online. The affordable rentals are out there… But you have to know which stones to turn.

In the meantime, I can help you take those steps with these emails and all of our resources on our website. That’s all we do every day- is focus on helping you move to Mexico the right way!