Why do you live in Cancun?

[V]

Well, Life, I guess that makes it a "two-fer"!
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People who live in Cancun know what it costs to live here, but people thinking about living here are often curious about it, so I thought I'd include a few comments about what certain things cost here, relying on our experience to provide the examples. Other posters may have things to add, based on their experiences, to flesh out the information.

So, what does it cost, to live in Cancun? Cost of living in Mexico is mainly dependent on just how much living you require. Mexico is a place you can live cheaply, but you will be doing less living, if you do. The costs that follow are for a couple.

We pay 8,000 pesos per month rent, for a two bedroom, completely furnished apartment (right down to the sheets, silverware, and all appliances, including washer and dryer), with a swimming pool in the complex. It is centrally located, convenient to public transportation, and safe. Get the same place unfurnished, and it would go for 7,000 per month; another place, without a pool, but in a similar part of town, might cost 6,000.

We pay less than an annual average of about 400 pesos per month for electricity, and gas and water are included in our rent. We use air conditioning much of the time, and run a washer and dryer.

We pay about 3,000 pesos per month for everything we buy in the grocery store. We eat at home a lot, eating a lot of fruit and vegetables, and some meat- always the top quality of what's on offer in the supermarket. We like fresh shrimp, exotic cheeses and some processed foods, like peanut butter. Anything we want to eat at home, we buy. We eat little of what people would call "junk food", which tends to be expensive, as well as not very good for your health.

When we go out, typically to middle class, Mexican restaurants, we spend an average of 350 pesos, including drinks and tips. We try to avoid eating in restaurants of poor quality, as well as avoiding those known to be expensive.

Our cable TV, internet service, and telephone cost 500 pesos per month, combined.

We both have cell phones, and they cost us a total of 350 pesos per month to operate, with a moderate level of use.

We don't have a car, so we go everywhere by taxi, which costs 20 pesos per ride within the city center. Go further out, and the fares can reach 22 to 25 pesos. Taking a taxi from a taxi stand can cost more, and we do this when we go shopping and buy a lot; then, we pay 35 pesos.

Of course there are a great many more things that people routinely pay for, and I won't try to enumerate them all; but, we also go to the movies on Wednesdays, paying 36 pesos, each, for tickets.

I have intentionally omitted expenses for other forms of entertainment, alcoholic beverages, clothing, medical/medical insurance and travel as these will vary greatly, according to your requirements, and can add significantly to the cost of living, here, or anywhere else.

[RiverGirl]

The property taxes on our house cost us less than $50 USD per year...that's our whole housing bill. Granted we have to maintain the house on top of that. And the house is severely undervalued, that is it's market value is far higher than the book value that we pay taxes on. But all-in-all this is a cheap place to own a house.

Now don't even get me started on how "expensive" it is to own a condo here...the condo we own here just gives us fits...not because of financial cost but because getting people here to "get along" and manage a common building is like...um...herding cats...no, actually, it's worse.

After seeing what I've seen in 6 years of living here I would only recommend condo/townhouse ownership here to PEOPLE I DO NOT LIKE! It's not a wise investment here.

But owning a house here, well, that can be a bargain.

[TraceyUk]

I just want to say school fees are expensive here! So families thinking of moving here need to take that into consideration.
Tracey

[V]

Tracey, do you think you, or someone else, could give us specifics on that?

[RiverGirl]

When my daughter was at IAS I thought it was quite inexpensive compared to the private schools I had her in back in the US (less than half the cost).

Also I paid IAS for the full year at the beginning of the school year and got a significant discount.

But if you are trying to make a living in this economy and don't have savings to prepay and get a discount then the cost really becomes a matter of perspective.

[V]

What about some numbers, ladies, "expensive" is relative, isn't it?

[Steve]

Originally Posted by V

What about some numbers, ladies, "expensive" is relative, isn't it?

Not a lady, but do have a 4, soon to be 5 yr old in school at Britanico.

Cost is just short of 4,000 pesos a month, with a 10% discount for early monthly payment takes it to around 3,600. But I think they are one of the, if not the most, expensive schools here. Add to that books, materials, uniform, school trips etc. It certainly aint pocket change.

[RiverGirl]

For 2007-2008 the expenses I paid at IAS amounted to a little over $50,000 pesos for enrollment. That included books, uniforms, locker rental, year book, tuition. There was a 10% discount for prepayment of tuition. Other expenses (Model U.N. trips and things) come up throughout the year, but those were the basic expenses.

The preschool I sent my daughter too in Colorado was about $900 USD a month x 9 months = around $8000 USD a year.

The private high school she's in now in Colorado is almost $20,000 USD a year including a lot of trips. Last year they spent 2 weeks backpacking, another 2 weeks canoeing part of the Lewis & Clark trail, and they took 2 trips to Mexico to work in orphanages and study US/Mexico border issues.

Cost has never been a deciding factor in where we sent our daughter, quality of her education and quality of community are the deciding factors.

[V]

FM3, VISITANTE RENTISTA

If you are interested in living in Mexico, and wish to have official permission to do so, one of the ways to do this is with an FM3 Visitante Rentista. Rentista means wealthy, but in practice that just means you have financial resources sufficient to live in Mexico, without working, for a period of one year.

The resources required may be in the form of an income stream from abroad, or cash in the bank from which you can draw; and, if based on an income stream, then the equivalent of $13,250 pesos per month. If based on money in the bank, there is no clear guidance on this in the law, but a sum the equivalent of 15 times $13,250 pesos should suffice, as it would be more than the total of 12 months of the required income stream. (The law also states that you only need half these sums, if you own your own residence, in Mexico.) If relying on money on deposit in the bank, more is better, up to a point, so no doubt is left about your ability to support yourself for one year.

The amounts mentioned above are for one person; but, a married couple, applying together, may not need the equivalent of 2X the above sums, but should have significantly more than that required for one.

If you intend to rely on an income stream, then it must be reflected as a regular deposit to your bank account in your monthly statements.

As with anything, knowing what you'll need, and preparing ahead of time may make the difference between success and failure. Now, as to what you'll need to have, in order to apply.

a) the original, and a copy, of the application, itself;
b) your passport, and a copy of each and every page of it, whether blank, or not;
c) the original, and a copy of the document given you when you entered Mexico: for many of you this will be an FMT;
d) a letter in Spanish, signed by yourself and addressed to the National Institute of Migration, in which you request a change of your status in the country to that of non-immigrant, Visitante Rentista, to live in Mexico at your own expense, relying on resources from outside the country;
e) the last three monthly statements (originals) from a bank account standing in your name, which either reflect the required income stream, or the balance on deposit, if you're relying on a sum on deposit, rather than an income stream (you will have brought these bank statements with you when you entered Mexico, so you are ready to begin this process), and a copy of each statement;
f) official translations of the three bank statements (easily obtained in Cancun, after you arrive), and copy of each translation;
g) proof that you've paid the initial fee required of you with the application, consisting of the receipt you will be given when you pay the required fee at any bank in Mexico, and three copies of same;
h) proof of your actual residence in Mexico, which can be a paid utility bill, bearing your actual address, for a utility service which is billed in your name; or, if the utility account is in the name of another, then- a letter from that person, 1) signed under a declaration they are telling the truth; which 2) shows the address of the property; and, 3) names you as living there, with 4) the date on which you began living there- together with a copy of their personal identification; and, a copy of each and every one of these.

These documents, submitted to the Immigration Offices, are sufficient to start the process of review. In Cancun, you may be told to come back in one week, at which time you will be told if your application has been approved. If approved, you will be given a date and time to return, and a new set of instructions to follow. You will be asked to pay an additional sum at a bank; and to have photos made of you which follow certain guidelines, both front and side views.

There will be additional visits to be made before the process is complete, but if you've gotten this far, the rest should be easy.
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To read about a real life experience with this process, you can find an example on page "4" (the previous page) of this thread.

[TraceyUk]

Fees at IAS have increased. We have 2 kids and pay just over 11,000 pesos a month for school fees. The inscription was more than a months fees, add books and uniform and it becomes quite expensive.
Compared to the private school my girls went to in the UK it is cheap- but the school in the Uk was worth it!
I believe IAS gives a reduction for the third child of any family.
Tracey

[V]

THE TIGERS

One of the pleasures of living in Cancun is that it's a big enough city to have a wide variety of sports and other entertainment events. Let's talk about sports, at the moment.

Cancun is the home of the "Tigers of Quintana Roo" baseball team. One of the best of the teams in the Mexican League of Baseball, they finished second in 2009 in their run for the championship of all of Mexico.

This season, I had the pleasure of attending one of the last three games, a championship playoff game, with two other expats: it was the first "Tigers" game for all of us and, although I'd enjoyed sitting in the stadium in Arlington, on a hot summer's night, watching the Texas Rangers play, I wasn't sure what to expect, here. We sat in the "cheap seats" on the third base line. We were the only non-local looking people in our section.

Though the beer was flowing freely, sold in the stands for 20 pesos a bottle, the crowd was well behaved, and enjoying the game. We were extended a number of small courtesies. People smiled often, making us feel welcome, seeming to appreciate that we were sharing the game with them, and moving over to offer their seats, when we first arrived. All in all, in was a very enjoyable evening, though the Tigers lost.

I'm looking forward to the new season: perhaps the "Tigers" will make it all the way this time! Tickets for the games run 20 to 80 pesos.

[V]

I mentioned earlier that, living here, we have the opportunity to take advantage of the low season discounts to stay in the Hotel Zone, or at Isla Mujeres, for a "mini" vacation. My wife and I have tried this a number of times, this season, staying just 24 hours, each time.

The hotels and restaurants appreciate your business, even more: you get a chance to feel generous by tipping just a little more than you would, otherwise; and, you get a chance to try out a number of different lodging possibilities at amazingly low prices, every year, at low season. To go on "vacation" in the hotel zone, Cancun, we just board a city bus!

Finally, you get to have a really relaxing time, with an almost deserted beach, and your choice of beach chairs....

It's 88 degrees, here, today. What's the temperature where you are, this 31st day of October, 2009?

[GONZO]

36 degrees. Ughhhhh.

Is this your nomination for cutest in the AAOC??? :wink:

[V]

Nice of you to suggest it, Gonzo, but immediate family members are, as is typical of contests of that type, ineligible.

Thanks for the weather report, makes us who live here happy to hear it!



I just returned from an early morning swim in the sea, where I made the photo, above. The sea, as usual, was clear and that lovely turquoise color, the water temperature perfect.

That's the Western Caribbean for you, this time of year!

[GONZO]

Thanks for the nice beach shot V, I think

[V]

Cancun was the host for the Gran Premio Viva Mexico Cancun 2009, a criterium for professional cyclists. A criterium race consists of many laps around a (relatively) short course, 3,5 kilometers, in this case. Criteriums are good for spectators as the riders pass by repeatedly during the race, which seldom lasts more than an hour.

Something like this can make you glad you live in Cancun. The world's greatest cyclist, Alberto Cantador, was here, as well as a number of other highly ranked, professional riders, to participate in the Gran Premio Cancun, run on the streets of the hotel zone. As you might expect of a professional event, things were well organized; and, a helicopter carrying a camera circled overhead throughout to record the action.

Several hundred people were in attendance to watch the 14 lap, 50 Km main event.
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As an major international entertainment venue, the city continues to attract a number of events and performances to appeal to a wide range of tastes, and interests.

[RiverGirl]

I believe his name is spelled Contador.

The following comment was submitted to my blog today:

Fact: Cancun is two things and only two things. It is a tourist destination for fat Americans and it is a drug city. Once you get those facts you see why Cancun is such an uncivilized dump.

It's only hope lies in a devastaging hurricane that renders the entire slop house asunder.

Quite amusing if you ask me. There ARE people who are more sour on Cancun than your resident Dietary Grinch. Bwahahaha!

[V]

The poster's response to Cancun that Rivergirl spoke of, visceral as it is, isn't very enlightening, for it could be said of a number of cities in the U.S., as well.

Here are a few observations I'd make about Cancun, and life in Cancun, which I find true.

You've said before, Rivergirl, that life here, for retirees, is a different life from those who have tried to work, here. That is undoubtedly true. I've worked in a number of foreign countries, but Mexico was the hardest place to get permission to work of any place I've been. I spent a great many hours, and considerable money, getting mine.

Further, I've never had so much difficulty getting work started for myself, anywhere. It's not easy to overcome the perception- perhaps it's more than that- that there are Mexicans who are just as capable of performing a job as you are, and more in need of one, to boot- not to mention that it's their country, with a right to control access to jobs for the benefit of their citizenry.

Then, there's the problems involved in getting services, such as home repair, performed well, and at a fair price, which those who live here begin to encounter, after a time. I could go on, but life is "easy" here only for those who don't need to work, or do much of anything else, other than enjoy the sun and the sand.

Having said that, as a very large foreign country, where a language different from our own is spoken, having a rich history, there is much to enjoy and appreciate here, in Mexico, for those who have a capacity for enjoyment, and appreciation.

[RiverGirl]

Starting your own business here, as I did, is tough. But one major stumbling block, which is alleviated simply with the passage of time, is that people here don't want to do business with foreigners who they think might up and move away in a few months.

So as you stick it out here it gets easier to get business...your credibility goes up just because you've survived here for a while. (Same goes for making friends here, lots of us don't run out to make friends with newbies who might be gone next month.)

When we first came here a Mexican woman (from Acapulco) told us that Cancun was so hard to live in that if you managed to live in Cancun for over a year you were FROM CANCUN!

So now I'm Cancunense! And I have more work than I can do.

[V]

I agree with Rivergirl, persistence is required to succeed, here, perhaps more so than other places. Some of it could definitely be related to the fact that foreigners come here, many of them make first efforts to get something started, then leave. The locals may have simply learned to ignore those first contacts.

To get an opportunity to speak with a "decision maker," there were several occasions in which I had to call on the same office five times.

It took me three months to get things "up and running." It's never taken that long any where else I've lived.

Here's a saying I've admired since I first ran across it.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb."

[V]

Having been in Cancun, now, for six months, and finding it necessary to speak Spanish, I've been learning quickly. My greatest teachers, and the people I've had the most fun with, speaking Spanish, are the taxi drivers. I take anywhere from 6-8 taxi rides a day, as I go about my business, so this provides plenty of opportunities. They tend to work 12 hour days, seven days a week, so they have little chance for diversions of any kind, other than talking with passengers.

My model for social interaction, in this culture, has been the conversations I've overheard between the drivers and often middle aged women when sharing a taxi with other passengers, something that occurs, here, with some regularity. The elegance and warmth of the manner in which these women have interacted with the drivers is something to behold. "Old school," I guess we could say they are. They seem to understand, and empathize with, the difficult lives the taxi drivers lead, and offer them solace in the form of a gentle, and soothing conversation, full of human warmth.

One of the things I've discovered is that taxi drivers, and perhaps most other Mexicans, have a great sense of humor. I was trying to recruit one to run in the XXV Annual International Night Marathon, Cancun, 2009 (if you think that's a mouthful, try it, in Spanish), which will include a 6KM run, as one of the events you can participate in. At the end of an animated discussion of the details, when I asked him if he would run the 6K event, he said, "I'll think about it," but with an expression on his face which said, "Just kidding," knowing ahead of time I'd think the response humorous.

Now that I can interact with the local people rather easily, I find they are very responsive to attempts by foreigners to communicate with them and, more often than not, do not get involved with your Spanish so much as with trying to understand what you're saying. This makes the effort to speak their language all the more rewarding.
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I've mentioned, before, what a great venue for entertainment and sporting events Cancun can be. Below, is another example of one of the many opportunities you have, from time to time, in Cancun, to try something just a little different from your usual, day to day activities, if you're here, full time.

Sponsored by the Benito Juarez Municipality, Cancun, and known as the First Preliminary Race for the International Night Marathon, Cancun 2009, it was held on the 27th of September and offered 5, 10 and 15K runs for all ages down to 12 (age 12-17, 5K only). Winners were recognized overall, and by category (age, sex). Entry was just 37 pesos. Registration for the race began one hour before race time, at the start/finish line, just below the bullring, on Bonampak.



Exactly 180 registered participants took part in the races. They got underway at 0730, with all runners starting together. Those who were participating in the 10K event ran two circuits of the 5K route. Bonampak, below the bullring, was closed to traffic and made a nice course for the event.

As expected, all age groups joined in, with the youngest allowed just 12 years old (no upper age limit). Awards were given for men, and women's top three finishers, overall; and, for men's and women's top three finishers by age group.

It was truly a "fun" race, with all ages, shapes and sizes trying their hand at it. The atmosphere was light, and the crowd urged everyone on, the last person to cross the line in the 10K, at just over one hour and 15 minutes, getting the biggest hand of all. Everyone who wanted to participate was able to do so, and complete the distances they chose.

Benito Juarez Municipality provided security, emergency health services, drinks along the route and at the finish for the runners, and masseuses/trainers for those who needed assistance in the form of massage at the end of the event (a number took advantage of this offering). Sliced oranges were also provided the runners to help them get back up to speed after the event.

All in all, it was a well done event, with fun the main objective, although times were recorded for every runner on the course.

[V]

I'm retirement age, and for people like me having ready access to a reasonable quality of medical care is important. Cancun is a large city, said to have almost one million inhabitants. As such, it has a range of hospitals, public and private, to choose from, as well as scores of private clinics where you can find a reasonable quality of medical services- all kinds, including specialty care- at prices well below that of the U.S. As a result, a significant number of visitors to Cancun are here to seek medical care and treatment: most popular among these are cosmetic surgeries, and surgeries designed to help control serious problems with weight. If you look at the patient boards of the private hospitals, as many as half the admissions will be for procedures falling into one of these two categories.

If you are here, long term, you may want to seek official permission to live here in the form of an FM3, issued by Mexican Immigration. Those who hold an FM3 are eligible to enroll for health coverage in what is the largest provider of health care in Mexico, the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, or IMSS. Even for a person 60 or older, it costs a very modest 3,000 pesos per year: those who are younger, pay even less. A person with full IMSS privileges pays nothing for any of the services: this includes hospitalizations, clinic visits, specialist care, treatments of all types, and drugs, among other things. Putting it simply, having paid the annual assessment, everything after that is "free".

Cancun is lucky to have one of IMSS' most modern, and best equipped of the IMSS hospitals in the system, the Regional General Hospital, Region 17.



Thoroughly modern, and just two years old, it occupies an entire large city block.




Regional General Hospital, Region 17, is a tertiary care center, offering treatment and diagnostics, often unavailable at general hospitals, under the direction of medical specialists. Patients come here by referral from one of the other nine IMSS hospitals, polyclinics, and family medicine clinics in Cancun.



At left, a doctor chats with a patient in Cardiac Intensive Care. The machine to the left of the bed provides a continuous read of the patients blood pressure, while the machine to the right of the bed, a continuous electrocardiogram, all easily seen by the doctors and nurses caring for the patient. The machine, back left, controls the intravenous solutions flowing into the patient's body.

In the Hemodialysis Unit of Regional General Hospital, Region 17, on the right, a patient receives treatment. There are twelve hemodialysis machines in the unit. At the time of my visit, seven patients were undergoing treatment, simultaneously. This very costly and sophisticated treatment is available, for free, to those with full IMSS privileges.

IMSS has well developed policies, nationwide, reqarding enrollment of foreigners who are living, with official permission, in Mexico. There are exclusions for pre-existing health conditions, as well as limitations on services available during the first year following enrollment.

[V]

Although there are many reasons why living in Cancun is advantageous for those of retirement age, one of the more amusing is the Mexican Government sponsored system of discounts for a wide variety of services and products for those who are 60 years of age, and older. It operates under the "Instituto Nacional de las Personas Adultas Mayores," INAPAM, for short. As I understand it, businesses and professional people participate on a voluntary basis, but the INAPAM card, issued by the government, is valid all over Mexico, and the savings can be great. Xcaret Park, for example, gives a 50% discount to those with the INAPAM card. For most national parks and museums, entrance is free to holders of INAPAM cards. Other examples of discounts available from participating companies and service providers, are as follows:

* 50% discount on public buses

* 5% discount on purchases at Gigante stores nationwide (some local stores may offer even larger discounts)

* 20% discount on medication purchases at Farmacias del Ahorro pharmacies

* Up to 30% discount at restaurants and pizzerias

* 10% to 50% discounts from participating attorneys and accountants

* Up to 30% off the cost of automobile service work and 30% off the cost of new tires

* 25% off hardware, 20% off construction materials, and 20% off the cost of construction work

* Up to 50% off at a hair stylist

* 25% off floral arrangements

* 25% off dry cleaning

* Up to 50% off veterinarian and pet grooming services

* 50% off language classes

In the future, I'll update this with exact details on how to go about applying for the card, for those who may be interestested.

[V]

As promised, here is the step-by-step for applying for INAPAM's, official Mexican Government discount card, for all you holders of an FM2/3 who are at least 60 years of age. This is one of the quickest and easiest of the many bureaucratic processes you will go through during your stay in Mexico, if you want to fully take advantage of all that is offered, here.

To apply for your INAPAM card, you'll need the following, originals: your passport (you may or may not be asked for this, to prove you're at least 60 years of age); your FM2/3; your C.U.R.P. (Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion, a unique personal I.D. number assigned you by the Mexican Government), and your proof of residence address.

Your proof of residence address must be of the same quality as that used to secure your FM2/3; that is, proof of your actual residence in Mexico, which can be a paid utility bill, bearing your actual address, for a utility service which is billed in your name; or, if the utility account is in the name of another, then, in addition- a letter from that person, 1) signed under a declaration they are telling the truth; which 2) shows the address of the property; and, 3) names you as living there, with 4) the date on which you began living there- together with a copy of their personal identification.

You take these, and go to the offices of D.I.F., Desarollo Integral de la Familia, just below Av. Miguel Hidalgo, Ruta 5, in SM94. When you enter, on the west side of the territory, you will immediately encounter an information/guard booth, where you will be directed to the back of the property, a distance of about 70 meters. If you look around, after your walk, you will find signs for INAPAM. There are two small offices in which enrollments are taking place, one to the right, easily found; and, one to the left, more or less straight across the garden, also marked with an INAPAM sign, but in a short hallway which opens into the garden.

Again taking advantage of what I think I've discovered about these big agencies- that they are not so busy later in the day, after the rush of business caused earlier in the day by those wishing to beat the rush- I went at 2:30 PM. There was no one in line, but a case was being processed in each of the two offices, so I took a seat in the open air, and waited for my turn: the process involved takes about 25 minutes, so I didn't have to wait very long.

You will need to take a Spanish speaker with you, unless you have confidence in your Spanish, as the whole interview will occur in Spanish. You will be asked to produce all the originals I mentioned earlier, which will be scanned, eliminating the need for you to bring any copies. You will also be fingerprinted, all ten prints, and photographed. At the interview you will be asked many questions relating to the type of dwelling you live in, its furnishings, and equipment. You will be asked, with particularity, about who else lives with you, and who is to be contacted in the event of an emergency. At the end of the process, your originals will be returned to you, and you will be presented with a wonderfully official looking, Government of Mexico I.D. card with, not just one, but two photos of you, your C.U.R.P. number, your signature, your thumbprint, your full name, date of birth, address and phone number; and, the name and phone number of the person to contact in case you're found wandering the streets, unsure of who that person on the card is!

After all this, you're now ready to get out there and spend, using your new INAPAM card, which has no expiration date, meaning you only have to go through this process, once!

(I asked if it was possible to get a new card, if you change address and phone number, for example: I was told it was possible, but not considered necessary, so far as INAPAM was concerned, establishing your eligibility for the card being a one time affair.)
__________________

For those who may, as yet, not have a C.U.R.P. number, here's how you get one.

GETTING A C.U.R.P. NUMBER
To get your C.U.R.P., go to the Registro Civil, in Cancun, on a street which flows into the Parque de las Palapas, at the northwest corner of the park. The office which dispenses the CURPs is at the back of the building, on an alley, and is easy to find, once you've found the office of the Registro Civil. There is a window with a small sign above it, reading, "CURP."

To get your number you present your FM2/3, and wait....... for about thirty seconds! The numbers are generated by a computer and, if there is no one ahead of you, it just takes as long as is required to type in your name on the computer. The office hours are 8 AM to 8:30 PM!

As with many things, there can be a catch: you must have an INM case number entered in your FM2/3. To know if you do, look at your FM2/3, and find the page labeled, "Anotaciones de Registro Nacional de Extranjeros". You may see a number, labeled, "Expediente Num," followed by a number starting with, "CUN," and, if you do, that's good!

GETTING A "EXPEDIENTE NUMERO"
If you have a blank following this notation in your FM2/3, you can correct this by returning to immigration, Cancun, and asking at the desk inside, to the right, against the front wall, that your case number be entered. When they entered mine, it required they make a phone call, and wait for a response from the other agency, followed by entering the number in my FM3, once they had it in hand. It took about 45 minutes, in a busy INM office, for this to be accomplished while I waited.
________________

From this you can see that, even if you had to complete all three steps you could, by starting at around 12N (INM closes at 1 PM), have everything accomplished by about 3 PM, the same afternoon! Not bad, all things considered.
________________

It wouldn't be fair to the people I met, and who assisted me in the process, not to comment on- the taxi driver who took me to the offices of D.I.F., amused that a foreigner would ask to go there; the guard at D.I.F., who so politely gave me directions to the proper office without asking any questions; and, the young man, Gerardo, who interviewed me, prepared all the formalities and, ultimately, presented me with the INAPAM card- and say what a thoroughly pleasant task they all made of it for me.
________________

Edit, Feb 14, 2011: the new format of the FM3/2s has changed some of the details which appear above, which makes reference to the old format, booklet, in use before the "card" format came into use.

[V]

Anybody else out there that's got the INAPAM card? Where would you suggest I go first, to taste the pleasure of using it? Should I ask for separate checks, if my wife and I go to a restaurant, since she doesn't have one?

I had the pleasure, recently, of being given a 30% discount on services at Hospital Hospiten, just because I was living in Cancun. I could easily adapt to asking for discounts, I just need a little more practice!

By the way, the INAPAM card appears to be impressive to locals. Few of them seem to have seen one, and those I've shown it to marveled that a foreigner would have one (though I had learned from internet research, before coming to Mexico, that it was one of the things available to FM2/3 holders who were at least 60 YOA.)

[mixz1]

Slightly off topic, but when we renewed our FM3s this month we asked Mauricio to take care of the Registro Nacional de Extranjeros numbers for us, which he did. Yet another reason why we avail ourselves of his services.

[V]

I'm sorry, Mixz1, that should have been a reference to an INM case number, not registration with the Registro Nacional de Extranjeros, in my previous post, which I've since corrected. If you've got a number, starting with CUN, in the blank following the words, "Expediente num", you're set!

Anybody else out there that's got the INAPAM card? Where would you suggest I go first, to taste the pleasure of using it? Should I ask for separate checks, if my wife and I go to a restaurant, since she doesn't have one?

Still looking for suggestions: does anybody have this card?

[I did a search of the posts to this forum and could find no mention of the INAPAM program, but I know that doesn't necessarily mean nobody's got one.]

I did have a chance to use the card already- but as identification- in the very formal process of leasing an apt with all the legal formalities.

[V]

It's now six days since I first inquired here about the use of this card by any other posters and I'm beginning to suspect that our small number of posters to "Living in Cancun" (which may be less than a half dozen, if we include only those 60 and over) may not have had any experience with this. [One of the problems I've run into, also, in trying to use the card, is unfamiliarity: the program changed names, not too long ago, from INSEN to INAPAM. Many locals have heard of INSEN, but few have heard of INAPAM, and none that I've encountered have ever seen the card.]

Not having a response, I'm planning to start contacting the big retailers, at the national level, to get their programs regarding discounts, based on the INAPAM card, then educating the local store managers about their company's position, if necessary.

To consistently enjoy the full benefits of this national program, it may be necessary to educate the managers of each store you like to patronize so they, in turn, can educate their staff. As you, and I, may only shop at a half dozen places, routinely, this is not as big a task as it might otherwise appear.

My plan is to get the company position, in writing, then ask the store manager to endorse it, by signing. I will then have the letter available to present to the store attendants, when necessary. If I'm successful, I'll be happy to share these letters with other posters who have obtained the INAPAM card.

[V]

I'm planning to start contacting the big retailers, at the national level, to get their programs regarding discounts, based on the INAPAM card, then educating the local store managers about their company's position, if necessary. *** My plan is to get the company position, in writing, then ask the store manager to endorse it, by signing. I will then have the letter available to present to the store attendants, when necessary. If I'm successful, I'll be happy to share these letters with other posters who have obtained the INAPAM card.

Some of the ones that come to mind, immediately, that I'll contact are Walmart, Chedraui, Soriana, Commercial Mexicana, and Ahorra Farmacia.

If you are at least 60 YOA, and have others that you'd like me to include, please post here with the names of one or two of your favorite, large chain stores.

[mixz1]

Home Despot, I mean Depot.