"Magic Town" Mexico on $1,500 a Month

Becky Ryder, a retired court reporter, has the best of both worlds—her favorite times of year, Spring and Fall, in Kansas City with her kids and grandkids. And in between, she escapes the Summer heat to enjoy the ambience of one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos (magic towns) famous for wine and cheese in the beautiful town of Tequisquiapan. That's a bit of a mouthful so it's known as Tequis (tech-eees) for short.

Tequisquiapan, in the state of Querétaro in Mexico's central highlands, ticks all the boxes for Becky. "I wanted mountains, so I decided to settle in Tequis," she says. "I drove through Tequis with a friend and fell in love with it. It was small, and people didn't switch to English, which is perfect because I wanted to speak Spanish."

Because the cost of living in both towns is relatively low, Becky can keep her Kansas City home and afford to rent. In Tequis, a two-bed, two-bath apartment is a five-minute walk from downtown for just over $700 a month.

"It's a romantic little town famous for wine and cheese," Becky says. "But it's small and more economical."

A great lunch in the main town plaza tourist zone is only $7.50. In comparison, in most tourist zones in any city worldwide, you can expect prices to double or triple. Even back home in Kansas City, Becky notices the difference. She explains that, "I take my two granddaughters for a mediocre meal and it's $70 to $80. Whereas in Mexico it's a third to a quarter the price."

Things are just more affordable in Tequis. Which is why Becky can live comfortably on around $1,500 a month. And it's not just eating out and entertainment. Getting a handyman to fix appliances is only $10 and they do good work.

Even health and dental care is a quarter of the cost. Becky's son got dental implants after a car accident for $3,000, whereas back in the States it would have cost him over $10,000. Not only that, the entire dental surgery worked all day Saturday and offered to come back in on Sunday if there was a problem, sharing that "they went above and beyond" to make sure everything was perfect.

Becky loves her summer escapes to the magical town of Tequis.|©iStock/Ivan Malagon Fernandez

Of course, living in two countries isn't for everyone. Each has its own appeal and when Becky's in Mexico she walks everywhere. She says she misses driving and sometimes misses big box stores with an entire aisle just for cereal. Or going shopping, because it can be hard to find her size in Mexico.

Then when in the States she misses her life in Tequis. The more relaxed, quieter lifestyle in Tequis is balancing. While having family time each week with her kids and grandkids back home is great, in Tequis there's more time for hobbies.

Becky says that Tequis just got a pickleball court and she loves it. Playing four times a week, she laughs, "I'm addicted to pickleball." That and teaching English keep her nice and busy.

That was another box ticked when looking for the perfect place to live in Mexico and she's tried a few.

Living in Oaxaca for three years, then in Cuernavaca in the state of Morelos south of Mexico City for three years, Becky says that this time she's found the place she wants to settle. Tequis has everything Becky wanted. An expat Facebook group that's not too big. Being close to an international airport to easily travel to and from the States. And a school where she can teach English.

Plus, what's not to love about a magic town in the heart of wine and cheese country!

Becky says that a bottle of sweet red regional wine is $4.50. And that's from one of the top wineries, Freixenet which has the largest sparkling wine cellar in Mexico.

Which is great for her favorite part of the day. Her afternoon happy hour with beautiful views from her rooftop. The rooftop is also the perfect place to watch the sunrise.

Cheese and wine might not be the first thing you think of about Mexico, but in Tequis it's a must-try.|©Bel Woodhouse

Becky said these times of day and the community in Tequis are why she wants to stay.

Becky wanted to learn Spanish and become fluent. In these smaller towns you can easily do that. It enriches your life and the Mexican people are so warm and welcoming it's worth learning the language.

"Now I've got a lot of friends and I think it's nice to talk with people, and connect with the community," she says.