Living or Retiring in Catemaco
Electricity
Kilowatt cost is federally regulated and excessively high, (11 cents per KW in the US vs 21 cents in Mexico)
but is also heavily subsidized for low volume users. Billing is every two months. A typical newcomer will be
happily surprised with the low cost of the first few bills until the electric company adjusts the tariff.

Expect to pay 1500 pesos every 2 months for a careful 2 person household without AC, or a lot more, or less
depending on equipment and usage. Wattage is standard 110 watts. Most houses have 2 prong outlets, so buy
3 prong converters.  Line protectors are an absolute necessity for computer equipment.

Propane or LP Gas
Almost all stoves and water heaters operate on gas, but there are no gas pipes, or gas tank rentals.
A new tank will cost about 600 pesos and you should buy two with a switchover. Gas tanks are delivered on
unpredictable schedules, but can just as unpredictably be ordered for delivery. Unless you fill your own tanks
at one of two suppliers a few miles north of Catemaco, your beautiful new tank will be exchanged for a
dilapidated one on your first refill. A full tank (10 gallons) weighs about 90 lbs and costs 190+ pesos to fill and
you may be cheated. A tank should last about 40 days for 2 people. Propane gas is cheaper in Mexico than the
US,  2.75 per gallon vs 1.40 per gallon. Large stationary tanks can be bought and are filled on order.

Water
The state of Veracruz runs the local water company. Water is gravity fed and has very little pressure.
Depending on where you live you may not have water 24 hours a day, so a rooftop storage tank is a necessity.

The water is not drinkable, mainly because of antiquated water lines that have intrusions of ground water. Cost
at present is 95 pesos per month, including sewage. If you have a large garden your water bills grow
exponentially.
Water filters (40 peso cartridges) are a must and you will know why after you change the first one in a month.
Bottled water is a necessity and there are 6 or more suppliers delivering 5 gallon jugs for 13 pesos each. But
first you have to buy new ones, 45 pesos each.

Water Heaters
Curiously many local water heaters have no automatic turn on and off function. I found that out the hard way.

Trash
Pickup is several times a week, but not necessarily on the same days. If you have a nice garbage can,
someone will probably steal it. Cost is 4 pesos per bag / container, and if you are not home when the garbage
man comes, you will be running all over town to find a place to dump it.

Locks
If you rent, the owner owns the locks. Changing keys costs about 100 pesos.
Rental
There are dozens of properties for rent. Almost all are unfurnished and lack stoves and refrigerators. Prices range from
1200 pesos on way up. Almost all lack screening. Owners do their own rental and there is no real estate listing for them.

I've lived in 3 rental place over the last 7 years, 1000, 1500 and 2500 pesos. Each needed above 5000 pesos to make the
place livable, including major cleaning, paint, some new outlets, a better breaker, screens, water heater, etc.
There is now a gringo ghetto in Catemaco consisting of a trailer park with 6 or 7 casitas, fully furnished, usually fully
rented at around US 400 a month.

Owning
Catemaco and most of Los Tuxtlas is within the 31 mile federally reserved coastal zone of Mexico and you need an FM3
visa or better to buy property and you can only legally own it via a fideicomiso, which costs anywhere from an
application fee of  US 3000 dollars on up plus 700 dollars and up a year to maintain.

Zoning laws and building codes exist but are not enforced and can really affect your serenity. Property taxes are
ridiculously low, less than $15 per year.

Buying
There are dozens of homes for sale ranging from hovels to mansions.
Average home cost for someone considered middle class in Catemaco, is between 300 and 600,000 pesos, usually built
on a 35 by 70 foot lot. Anything near US middle class standards is above one million. There is almost no small property
available along the laguna, and a good size buildable lot with a view will be more than 500,000, while tiny lots in the
boonies are selling for 20,000 pesos.

Catemaco is in the real estate stone age and does not honor listings. 99% of homes are for sale by owner and abetted
by hundreds of street people, waiters, taxi drivers and hotel employees.

The listings on the Doña Tere pages are not a realistic portrayal of what is locally available. Because of the
unenforceability of listing contracts we are hesitant to deal over the phone or internet, especially with Mexican buyers. It
is just too upsetting to see our listings sold by others.

If you have moved to Catemaco we'll do our best to find you something suitable. If you are just visiting, stop by and I'll buy
you a cup of genuine homegrown Catemaco coffee.

Building
Construction requires several permits and the paying of the equivalent of social security taxes to workers.

Construction material cost is similar or higher than the US. Anything out of the ordinary is much higher. Fortunately
custom work masonry, iron and woodwork is much less expensive because of low labor costs.

General contractors are available to build, but the custom is to use a maestro (master bricklayer, etc.). He will be paid
weekly about 1200 -1800 pesos weekly and will hire assistants at 700-900 pesos (2009). Then you'll need a plumber, an
electrician, an iron worker, a glass installer, a carpenter, a tile layer and whatnot.  The latter all work on estimate and
compared to the cost of the "maestro" are comparatively expensive.

A  rock bottom concrete block house shell costs about US $12 per square foot, without input of any of the other
tradesmen, like windows, electric, plumbing, etc.

Catemaco and San Andrés have numerous hardware stores and building suppliers. Their inventory is extremely
utilitarian. The nearest larger building supply center is in Acayucan, 50 miles away., Veracruz City now has a Home
Depot with an adequate but expensive and amputated selection.
You need a tourist visa to live in Catemaco. The visa has a maximum duration of 180 days and cannot be renewed
without leaving the country, unless you apply for an FM3 or FM2 visa. You can apply for those visas either in Veracruz
City or Coatzacoalcos and it will take a minimum of 3 trips, unless you get lucky. Renewals usually take 2 trips.

FM3 visa
This is basically a multiple entry and exit visa, is issued for one year and is renewable for a total of 5 years.
The visa allows you to maintain a US plated car in Mexico, which only you can drive, to open a bank account, get  a
Mexican drivers license  (750 pesos), buy Mexican insurance, and to do any legal transaction, including buying property.
The basic requirement is to have proof of monthly income of 250 times the minimum wage in Mexico City, about 12,500
pesos, or proof of a year's income in an account. Application fee is about 2400 pesos, yearly renewal is 1295 pesos
(goes up every year).

FM2 visa
This is a residence visa issued for one year and renewable for 5 years.
Benefits are the same as an FM3, and after 5 years you can apply for an immigration visa, which does not need to be
renewed yearly. Same requirements as FM3
(The application and renewal fees may have changed lately, read immigration below)

Both FM2 and FM3 visas cannot be renewed outside of Mexico! Although you can apply for visas outside the US, you
still have to visit an immigration office within Mexico upon arrival.

Legal Status
Technically, as an FM2 or 3 visa resident, you will have most of the rights of a Mexican citizen, except for voting, some
property restrictions in the coastal and border areas, and political participation. Practically, if you run afoul of Mexican
law, to avoid deportation, you will be at the mercy of the best attorney you can find and deep financial pockets. It is a
complicated issue, that generally affects almost no foreign visitors unless they mess with Mexico.
Household Help
Good help is hard to find, same here as there. Going rate is 100 pesos per full day plus food.

Laundry
Drop off laundry service is now available at many places, but no public laundry, except in a few hotels. There is
one dry cleaner in San Andrés.

Language
Almost no one in Catemaco speaks English, but there are dozens of language schools teaching English in town
and San Andrés. There unfortunately are no facilities for learning Spanish.

Expatriates
This is not Miguel Allende. Generally expatriates avoid each other, except for the ghetto dwellers in a local trailer
park. At present, I believe there are a total of maybe 50-60, including many Europeans, plus a handful of so called
"pochos" - Mexican US citizens who have come to live here.
This page should  answer some of the usual questions we
get from readers.

Catemaco, Veracruz is a paradise of spectacular natural
beauty, balsamic climate, a no stress atmosphere and fairly
decent access to most anything interesting in Mexico.

The notes below are not unique to Catemaco. They probably
apply to any small town in Mexico that is off the gringo track.
Living
Links
Utilities
TV
Cable TV costs 275 pesos monthly and offers no options or a listings guide. Many channels offer English programs.
Satellite TV is also available. Non cable TV barely receives 3 Mexican channels.

Phone & Internet
Telmex is the local monopoly. There may not be phone lines where you live. Even if there is an existing line, installation
cost will be about 4000 pesos. I pay about 1000 pesos a month for full internet and free local and national calls.

Cellular phones
Even the street sweepers carry them. Best local service is provided by Telcel and Movistar. Cost per minute is
outrageous, and most of the county has no reception. Best local phone to buy for a local traveler is a Telcel analog
phone, if you can still find them. They have about 20% better reception.

Newspapers
No English papers, magazines or books are available in the area.

Mail
I don´t trust Mexican mail, because I used to lose mine. A 25 year Catemaco resident disagrees and says he has no
problem. He has a post box in the only post office in Catemaco. Fedex, UPS, & DHL deliver in Catemaco.

Money
Bancomer is the only bank in Catemaco. There is also a Scotiabank ATM  next to the clock tower. In San Andrés are 7
more banks. There is no money changer in Los Tuxtlas. Banks only exchange dollars until 2 pm, with passport
identification, and the local pawnshop only accepts gold and silver.

You need an FM3 or better visa to open an account. The only major US bank with a Mexican connection is Citibank
which owns Banorte. You'll need accounts in both banks to do costless transfers.

Credit Cards
and leave your American Express card at home.
As for cash withdrawals, US credit and ATM cards may be used to withdraw cash. Bancomer will spit out up to 5000
pesos, the ScotiaBank machine has a slider that will not confiscate your card in case you screw up. Aurrera in S.A.
returns up to 1000 pesos cash with use of an ATM card. At present (2009), El Rodeo (mini super) and Coppel (shoe
store) are the only stores accepting cards in Catemaco.
Needs
Housing
Legal
Medical
Your chances of dying increase here.

Emergency
EMT equipment, staffing and availability is rudimentary. Bring your own defribrillator if you think you'll need it.

Hospitals
Catemaco has a poorly staffed 16 bed hospital. San Andrés has 2 larger, so called second level, hospitals. In addition
there are several smaller clinics

Doctors
There are dozens of medical offices in Catemaco, including an English speaking doctor.
Dentists are on every street, and so are laboratories which most clinics and offices do not have.
Visits to specialists in San Andrés cost 300-400 pesos, private doctors charge 15 to 150.

Drugs
There are almost 20 inexpensive generic pharmacies. Only three or four deal in brand names, with costs similar to the US.
Any unusual drug will require a special order. Pharmacy and clinic doctors get a commission on prescriptions issued!

Insurance
Private health insurance is sold over the internet. There is no agent in Catemaco, but there are several in San Andrés.
Major medical with a 2000 dollar deductible and 20% copayment cost me 8000 pesos to age 65, and 14,000 pesos 65 -70.
Mexico has the equivalent of inexpensive Social Security insurance that a foreign resident can enroll in once a year.
Locally, anyone who can afford so, generally stays away from government health services, unless hospitalized.
Transportation
You can drive a US plated car as long as you have a valid visa. Technically you are supposed to renew your permit,
whenever you renew visa, with Mexican Customs, but I know nobody that does so. Only you are authorized to drive the
car, and that excludes your gringo friend, your Mexican wife and your mechanic.

Mexican Cars
You can drive a Mexican car with anything that looks like a license.
New cars are slightly more expensive in Mexico because prices are fixed. Used cars are also somewhat more
expensive. US cars often have some different parts than the same Mexican brand.
There is one small parts store in Catemaco, and many more in San Andrés, which also has 5 new car dealers. There are
dozens of mechanics, but not one has a lift in Catemaco.  Any unusual part can take weeks to get either from Mexico City
or mail order.

Gas
Gasoline prices are government fixed and at present are about 2.80 dollars per gallon. There are 3 stations in Catemaco,
but none on the coast. A station once pumped 9.5 liters into my 8 liter gasoline jug. Naturally I don't use that station  
anymore. By the way, there are 3.75 liters in a gallon

Accidents
You will not go to jail if you have an accident, but you might!
Car insurance is an absolute necessity, although most provincial Mexican drivers have none. Usually non personal injury
accidents are handled on the spot by local traffic police, who wickedly often place the blame on whoever has the least
cash or lacks political uncles.

In an accident with injuries only your insurance or deep pockets will keep you out of jail until blame has been assigned.

You cannot buy Mexican insurance with a tourist visa, and you cannot renew US insurance for Mexico over the internet
unless you have US insurance.

There is no insurance agent in Catemaco, but there are in San Andres. Banks also sell insurance. I´m paying 2300 pesos
annually for liability coverage for my clunker. Car theft is a rarity in Los Tuxtlas.

Public Transport
There are excellent intrastate buses, good inexpensive intercity buses and horrible municipal buses.
Almost all communities are served by cheap piratas (converted pickups hauling up to 15 people).
Taxis abound, starting at 15 pesos.

Bikes and Motorcycles
With a little huffing and puffing, Catemaco City is easily traversed by bike. Small motorcycles are becoming more popular
and more annoying every day. There are numerous repair shops.
Crime
There is crime in Catemaco. Today's headline was about someone stealing an empty shoe box.

I can walk or drive 24 hours a day anywhere in Catemaco and feel safe. My Mexican partner/wife disagrees and
thinks I am nuts.
But I do not feel safe leaving a house unoccupied, and therefore have iron bars on all windows and doors, same as
anyone in Mexico.

Official Mexican crime statistics show almost no crime in Los Tuxtlas. That is because supposedly more than 95%
goes unreported anywhere in Mexico. There is a very obvious police presence in Catemaco 24 hours a day, except
for traffic police which only seem to work 10 hours a day.

The federales (high way patrol) are a highly dangerous breed with amazing powers to do you harm. Swallow all
your pride and treat them with utmost respect! And unbelievably, some are honest and will offer to arrest you if you
try to bribe them!

As far as I know, there are no speed traps in Los Tuxtlas, nor breath analyzers. Wrong! Just saw the first radar
detector (2009).

Corruption is a way of life here. Don´t fight it, unless you can prove you are right!  Carry money in small
denominations! Once you live here, make a substantial annual donation to the city traffic police force, and they will
leave you alone during the next year.
Entertainment
You will be in the wrong place if you depend on others to entertain you.

Restaurants
There are dozens of inexpensive eateries, offering typical Mexican fare of average quality, on mostly interchangeable menus.
San Andrés has some more advanced eateries, but you need to travel to Veracruz for anything rated "cuisine", or even a US
hamburger. Sushi, Chinese, and Italian are available in San Andres. Catemaco has one Italian restaurant.
Nightlife
Assorted open air discos designed for 15 year olds destroy the late night ambience on the Malecon. At present there are only
1 1/2 clubs that qualify as adult friendly (2009).

Red Zone
The carretera (federal highway) houses a dozen or more cantinas all unofficially catering to prostitution, both straight and gay.
Adjustments
You may not last long in Mexico if you retain unMexican attitudes!

Noise - Although noise pollution laws exist, Mexico is much more noise tolerant than other countries.
Courtesy - Mexican generally are much more courteous than other nationalities, and expect the same.
Time - Punctuality, keeping appointments, and on time performance are not as obligatory as in other countries.
Hands - Hand shakes are obligatory, but absolutely keep your social hands off women!
Driving - If a Mexican driver knows you saw him, he will generally take the right of way. Don´t look at him or her!
Bad Mouthing - Generally conversing Mexicans know more about your country and their own than you do. Shut up!
Illiteracy - Especially in the countryside do not expect your written directions to be understood, or that your Spanish is literate.
Lying - You can lie as much as you want. Mexicans do so mostly because they are too courteous to tell you the truth.
Education
There are no English speaking facilities in the area.
Mexican education begins at age 3, with 3 years of kindergarden, followed by 6 years of primary, 3 years of secondary,
3 years of bachillerato,  and 4+ years of university attendance. All schools, except universities, are well represented in
More than 60% of the population has less than secondary education, or is illiterate.
Please advise errors or omissions
Food
There are lots of inexpensive fresh fruits and vegetables available from stalls and street vendors in Catemaco,
including unusual flavors and versions. Standard store veggies are not on par with fluffed and polished  US
Meats and poultry are usually slaughtered fresh and of fair quality. Just don't think steak in Catemaco.
Cost is similar to the US. Catemaco still lacks an integrated grocery store, instead there are dozens of vendors of
different food groups. There are several so called supermarkets with a size and selection of big 7-11's.
Milk is only sold in 6 months shelf life cardboard cartons, but there are many varieties of fresh cheeses. Frozen
food is not sold in Catemaco, except by ice cream vendors.

Liquor is freely available with prices below the US for Mexican brands. Beer is more expensive. Cigarettes
runabout 28 pesos per pack., and indoor no-smoking laws recently took effect in Catemaco.

The nearby town of San Andrés was invaded in the last few years by small stores of Walmart and Soriana and
stock most common necessities. Anything out of the ordinary needs a trip to Veracruz. And favorites require an
internet mail order catalog.
The local grape vine is effective in letting gourmets know when something new is temporarily available in San
Andrés, such as smoked salmon, cheddar cheese, large napkins or blueberry jam.

Click here to see a sample of 2009 food costs.
Doña Tere Bienes Raices