moving to mexico -- annual costs

I did not move to Mexico to save money.

And, that is good because there are a number of costs here that are more or about the same as when I lived in Salem.

But my annual payments to be a member of my Mexican community fall into the "can it be that inexpensive?" category.

Each January, I reach into my file cabinet and pull out the four folders that constitute my Rendering Unto Caesar payments -- post office box, car registration, property tax, and my combined water, sewer, and garbage. Because I need to go to three separate communities, I break them down into separate task days.

Mexico's economy has long provided the foundation for a strong, growing middle class. Like everywhere else in the world, upward mobility means more purchasing power for new products. The resulting increase in cost of living is not noticeable as long as wages kept pace with those upward pressures.

The negative economic effects of The Virus not only stopped the growth of the Mexican middle class; it caused a large portion of families to tumble back into poverty. What did not change, though, was the pressure of price increases. Mexico's official 5% rate of "inflation" makes the collapse worse.

For that reason, I was interested to see how my annual costs would increase.  

I already told you about my annual payment for water, sewage, and garbage in paying the piper -- at a discount. I pay that bill at the "city hall" in Barra de Navidad -- a new building this year. My bill for year was $1,916 (Mx) -- less than $93 (US). For a full year of services.

The increase from last year? 91 pesos. Less than $5 (US). A 5% increase.

I also told you that I had attempted to pay two bills in two different places on the same day by driving over to the post office in San Patricio Melaque to pay for my annual postal box rental. That was 7 January. I was not surprised when the postmaster told me the paperwork was not yet ready. I should come back next Tuesday -- the 11th.

Instead, I waited an extra day and returned on the morning of the day I took my ill-fated covid test. And you know how that went. But those events were still to come.

Of course, the paperwork was not yet ready. It had not even been started. But, because I was there, the clerks churned out the document in less than 5 minutes. I paid my money and was on my way to the testing lab.

Oh. yes. The cost was $300 (Mx). Less than $15 (US). And no increase. I have paid the same amount since I opened the box about ten or eleven years ago.

As you know, I have been otherwise occupied for the past week. My covid test said I was positive, but I had no symptoms. Even so, I stayed out of the way of others for a few days until I could get a clean bill of health.

That meant I could drive to Cihuatlán and pay for my last two governmental impositions.

The first stop was to pay for my automobile registration. Because there is a small discount for paying in January and everybody's registration expires on the first of the month, the small office is usually crammed with people. It seemed that even more people showed up last year during the height of The Virus.

When I walked into the office on Thursday, I was only one of four people. Unlike DMVs the world over, this particular office has always worked with the efficiency of a German private company.

I handed the new plastic circulation card I received last year to my favorite clerk. He tapatapa-tapped on his computer keyboard, asked for my payment, and I was on my way out the door with a receipt in hand having spent less than 45 seconds at the counter.

The cost for a year's vehicle registration? $700 (Mx). Less than $34 (US). I think that would be less than most northern states. There was an increase of 27 pesos or $1.31 (US) from last year. 4%.

My last stop was at the "county" office building to pay my property tax. When I lived in Oregon, this was one of my most expensive outlays, and politically most irritating.

Last year, I spent hours waiting in line to get my tax bill. I then waited hours in another line to pay it. 

This year, similar to the DMV office, both lines were short. You can see the hallway in front of the office in today's photograph. Last year, the lines went out the entry to the building.

I probably spent only 20 minutes paying the almost-embarrassingly low $2,369 (Mx) -- $115 (US) -- for a full year of property taxes. In Salem, that would be about two weeks of property tax. 10 years ago.

I was certain the increase was going to be much higher than the $79 (Mx) -- $3.86 (US) -- on my bill. Only a 3.4% increase.

I may not have moved to Mexico to save money (and, in truth, when all of my expenses are added together, I do not), but for these four taxes, I am living in the cost-of-living bargain basement.

So, for property taxes, car registration, and water, sewer, and garbage, what kind of increases have you encountered in this inflation-weary world?