WELL YES! MEXICO HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE…

January 8, 2024 by riplipboy

WELL YES! MEXICO HAS GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE…

Originally Published the Week of Jan. 8, 2024 in Western Outdoor Publications

Let me preface this article by saying, Mexico is STILL a bargain. It’s actually still the #1 tourism destination for Americans as well as the international travel community.

But, if you’ve checked lately, it’s definitely not your daddy’s Mexico anymore. Or even your older brother as far as prices are concerned.

Frankly, a lot of folks are sticker shocked.

But, c’mon, what prices have not gone up in this wacky post-covid world?

You would be hard pressed to name one thing that is cheaper than it was 4 years ago in 2020 or even last year in 2023. Everything has skyrocketed.

Gas? Eggs? Utilities? Payroll? Minimum Wage? Blah blah blah.

So, why is anyone shocked that Mexico lacks immunity from those same issues. Mexico has been rocked by it’s worst inflation in decades.

Everything from gas to tortillas to minimum wages has jumped in Mexico, just like in the U.S.

Bottom line, if it can be or had to be transported by vehicle, then the prices went up. And there are very few things that don’t require gasoline to either transport, manufacture or distribute.

It’s just economic logistics.

Just like in the U.S., citizens as well as businesses get hammered with increased taxes as well. When did they ever go down? Anywhere?

Public services need to be paid for. Politicians and bureaucrats gotta get their paychecks too (ouch).

Mexico is no different. It’s not insular.

But on top of that, the dollar has taken a dive compared to the peso.

Let me give you an example. Pre-covid, we had about a 20:1 peso to dollar exchange rate.

Therefore, for every dollar, it was worth 20 pesos. If a souvenir t-shirt cost 100 pesos, it was worth 5 dollars. Simple.

If a hotel room cost 2,000 pesos a night, it was worth $100 in U.S. dollars.

So, now, we’re flirting with the exchange rate at 16:1. That one dollar is now worth 16 pesos.

So, if a hotel rooms was 2000 pesos per night, it now costs $125 per night.

But, hold everything!

That hotel room is no longer $2000 pesos per night is it?

It’s now $2500 pesos per night. That means, the hotel room that was only $100 a few years ago is now about $156 dollars per night!!! More than a 50% increase!

Still a bargain compared to hotel rooms in the U.S. where hotel rooms are easily $200-500/night, but your Mexico vacation now needs a bigger budget.

And check this out, I saw an article where the average hotel room now in Cabo San Lucas is about $500 per night. That was LAST year.

For this year, some hotels have raised their rates as much as 50-100% higher! Where we live in La Paz, most hotels jumped $25-40% in their prices.

Extrapolate those same economic calculations to meals. A family of 4 could eat out for $1700 pesos including alcohol and including tip a few years ago. So, about $85.

That same restaurant now charges (MUST charge to keep up with costs) $2900 pesos or about $168 dollars!

So, your snorkel and scuba trips; fishing trips; booze cruises and taxi rides are all a lot more expensive than they were several years ago.

We won’t even talk about airline flights.

Just like that TV commercial…they may soon charge for a cup of water on your next flight!

But, here’s the kicker…

Like I said, Mexico is booming.

The airlines keep adding more flights to keep up with the demand. Airports are bursting at the seams or re-modeling as fast as they can.

Check it out and see that all the big Mexico tourist destinations cannot build more hotels and add more rooms and services fast enough.

And they’re not adding “economy hotels.”

These are big-time boutique hotels with all the bells and whistles. A $500/night room might get you a room on the first floor and only one window that looks at the side of another building!

Like I said earlier, this isn’t your daddy’s Mexico anymore. But, it’s not stopping anyone from coming to visit!

That’s my story…

Jonathan

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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.

They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

_____________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

Website:

www.tailhunter-international.com

Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, MexicoU.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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That's My Story

Tailhunter International, La Paz, Baja Sur