In this video, IL’s Mexico editor Glynna Prentice talks about the cost of living in Lake Chapala, Mexico.

Lake Chapala, located in central Mexico, is an affordable expat haven that is one of the easiest places to retire abroad, thanks to thousands of English-speaking expats and US-style amenities. You can buy condos here in the low $100,000s or rent at monthly rates starting at about $700. Glynna also talks about the low health care costs in the area.

U.S. and Canadian expats have been attracted to the Lake Chapala area for decades. Ajijic, Chapala, Jocotepec, San Antonio, and San Juan Cosalá are lakeside villages with cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and little crime. It’s a part of the world where it’s easy to afford a cook, a maid, and a gardener.

Chapala is about a mile high—roughly the same as Denver—and the climate is delightful. January is the coolest month around Lake Chapala, with temperatures reaching about 71° F in the daytime and cooling off to about 52° F at night. May is the warmest month with highs of 84° F and lows of 62° F. Guadalajara, a city of more than five million residents, is only 45 minutes away by car.

Ajijic and Chapala are havens for artists and writers. Expats and locals often get together on Wednesdays when Ajijic’s huge outdoor market is open. It’s a great place to shop for hand-made carvings and jewelry, not to mention clothes, flowers, fruits, vegetables, cooked food, and household items.

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