Raising a young family in Mexico

[chiliverde]

Hello all,

Would love to hear from those with experience with kids in Mexico. Recently relocated to Bangkok and really enjoying it, but feeling very far from family in the US. Beginning to wonder if looking eventually towards Mexico would offer a lower standard of living similar to here, while being easier and cheaper to go home.

My family lives in California, which is just so incredibly expensive. Plus there's just something electric about living abroad. I've been living abroad for almost 15 years now, and it makes me feel way more alive than I fear I ever would in the states.

Already well aware that the salaries in LA are nothing like over here in Asia. That said, any other advice would be welcome.

Thanks

[Heliotrope]

There's a certain IS (or should I call it a Foundation?) in Monterrey that has the best pay for ISs in Mexico, and it might be the most professional and pleasant IS in Mexico to work in as well.
From what I've been told Monterrey isn't the most attractive Mexican city to live in though, but it might still be nice.

[buffalofan]

It would be a great place for kids IF any school there paid a decent salary. Even at the ASF schools, you won't be making much after tax. If you need to save money for a kid(s) college fund, it is a complete non-starter IMO.

Mexico is awesome for visits (Mexico City is one of my favorite cities on earth) and I think it would be a good place to retire. Working there is whole different ballgame.

[PsyGuy]

I concur with @buffalofan, you cant save or budget what coin isnt there to begin with. Even the elite tier ISs dont pay great coin, once you hope on a plane. Its fine, great even, affording a very high lifestyle as long as you stay on the economy, than you can live pretty close to royalty. As soon as you have outside financial commitments, it all evaporates. Mexico is great if your looking at that sub retirement position where the kids are out of Uni, everything paid off and you just want to enjoy a cervesa on the beach or by the pool.

[chiliverde]

Thank you, everyone. If anyone with experience would indulge me, I'd love to kick this ball down the road a bit further to just game out some possibilities for the future. Here is our reality now in BKK:

1. Around 4,000 usd salary a month after taxes
2. Upper tier 2 school
3. Do really enjoy living here, with the caveat being that I am feeling very far from home (California)
4. Young son getting free, amazing schooling while we are here
5. Partner who for the moment is not working (situation can and will change, but let's consider him out of the discussion)
6. Flights every two years but no housing allowance, or pension (we do have accident and major medical healthcare, not really international standard)
7. As the single wage earner for the moment, we are not able to save anything, but are living comfortably.
8. School itself has pros and cons. Is it a dream school? No. But they are family friendly and I am growing as a teacher.
9. I'm a 35 year old Elementary classroom teacher with a Masters and 14 years experience, for what it's worth.

Mexico appeals to us for reasons previously stated, mostly lifestyle, travel opportunities, and closer to home.

Other realities:

The places we are willing to live are really limited, and kind of rule out the places you could make serious money. We wouldn't live in China, Africa, or the Middle East. We love Southeast Asia, the only drawback is, it is far from both our homes. I am also under no illusions that I am an easy hire, considering I currently come with 2, and hopefully eventually 3, dependents.

So....

Are there schools in Mexico that would provide a slightly lower salary (let's say 3,000-3,500 a month after tax) BUT with a housing allowance sufficient for a family? And perhaps with pension? Then maybe we would be shaking out similar to here.

Any other realities, obvious or otherwise, that are different in SE Asia and Mexico? I'm operating under the assumption that for a young family with a more conservative reach, safety is an overblown concern for the country. Feel free to correct me.

Would our dollars in BKK stretch as far in Mexico?

I know these are all generalizations, but I guess that's how it goes when you are considering a place you know little about. Any and all advice is greatly welcome.

[chiliverde]

Let's also open up Colombia as another viable option, since it's only 4 additional hours away.

[FV2020]

I'm from the US, and I absolutely love Mexico and hope to live there some day, but the salaries are too low for us right now. We are a teaching couple and do not have kids. Most salaries we saw were in the range of 22-24,000 a year for a master's degree and 8 years of experience; those jobs didn't include housing. We read some expat blogs that broke down their finances in Puerto Vallarta, and that was really helpful. We'd live fine on those salaries in Mexico, but couldn't save or pay down debt (which we need to do). Salaries in Mexico City were higher (around $40,000), but the cost of living there is so much higher; also, those jobs are much more competitive it seems.

You mentioned Colombia, and I have seen some schools in Bogota that pay decently well (around $40,000). I would also consider Panama--there is at least one school there with excellent pay, and Panama City is a wonderful place!

[PsyGuy]

@chiliverde

No, you just wont find that coin in Mexico or LCSA except maybe at the elite tier ISs, in which case you will at best match your salary and get housing, but your still going to have salary caps, and your still an extremely expensive (logistical hire) and all for a primary vacancy. If the stars and the planets are all in alignment, and you get the golden ticket, than yes your scenario is possible, but were talking 1 maybe 2 ISs and then everything else has to work out.

Its possible you could find some kind of pension, but a municipal pension for Mexico isnt really worth anything, and the private IS ones would require a lot of service and contributions before you would get anything that makes it worthwhile. There are a handful of ISs in the region that contribute to US social security, you could live in Mexico on even a small retirement. You just cant save and budget what you dont have in coin to start. ITs to go the LCSA when they are done, and basically semi-retiring, and they need somewhere cheap but close to the US. With three dependents that have to go to Uni, thats not happening in the LCSA.

Opportunity crime is far more prevalent in the LCSA than it is in parts of Asia, like SG or JP. Its more probable that you will have peripheral contact with organized crime in the LCSA than you will in Asia, but thats because its a lot easier not to see it in Asia.

Your coin would go farther in Mexico than it would in BKK depending on how comfortable you are with living on the economy, some street tacos and a cerveza are just as cheap in Mexico as street noodles and a chang in Thailand.

[Illiane_Blues]

Yeah, we'd like to go to Mexico, but won't go until we're close to retirement due to the very low savings potential, and plan to possibly spend our retirement in Mexico.

@Heliotrope
Yes, the Monterrey school is the one with the best pay, but you don't get free tuition for your kids there, so not an option for families. I think they don't hire teachers with kids at all.

[Heliotrope]

> @Heliotrope
> Yes, the Monterrey school is the one with the best pay, but you don't get
> free tuition for your kids there, so not an option for families. I think
> they don't hire teachers with kids at all.

They don't? That's a bummer.
I should have taught in some countries, like Mexico, earlier in my career (when still young, single & childless), but hindsight is 20/20.
Nowadays my list of potential future schools is limited, due to air pollution, savings potential for retirement, safety, quality of schools, and other factors. When I just started teaching, I didn't care about any of that, but ended up in countries that would still make my current 'safe' list, where I've should have chosen countries that aren't on the list anymore. Thank god for holidays though.

[chiliverde]

Wow, that is surprising and discouraging about Monterrey, especially since on their website they describe their approach to teacher packages as "progressive." I wonder exactly why they have that as a policy, but from reading the reviews it sounds like that wouldn't be the only policy over there that is currently turning heads..

[PsyGuy]

@chiliverde

Parents/ownership, they are at wait list, and ITs kids represents a real loss of revenue, and they can afford to be selective.

[Illiane_Blues]

chiliverde wrote:
> Wow, that is surprising and discouraging about Monterrey, especially since on their
> website they describe their approach to teacher packages as "progressive." I wonder
> exactly why they have that as a policy, but from reading the reviews it sounds like
> that wouldn't be the only policy over there that is currently turning heads..

You should apply anyway, its not a rule that's written in stone, and perhaps you get lucky.
If you do, you'll be at the best school in Mexico, although still not a great place to save a lot of money, but it's a great country and close to the US.

[reisgio]

Just move back to California; it's basically Mexico these days anyway.

[chiliverde]

Just a small cost of living difference I would imagine.