Life in the City

[V]

Are things improving for those of us who live in Cancun Centro?

It goes against expectations, but the repaving of the inner city side streets, which has been going at a rapid rate; the repaving of Av Bonampak north; and, the extremely good maintenance of the park near my home (SM4) makes it seem like it, to me- not to mention all the real, as well as the cosmetic improvements that have occurred at my (state) university over the last year!

Scroll through the photos to see what I'm talking about.

http://www.unicaribe.edu.mx/
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[Steve]

Not so good here on the repaving issue, potholes that have been here for 6 months are just getting deeper and new ones forming.

Friendly neighbours put lumps of concrete in them (!) to lessen the blows but it's still like a slalom course driving out.

[matkirk]

Yep got to agree with Steve - still more holes than road for me at the moment!

[Alma Libre]

the road into town north of the airport is starting to resemble Swiss cheese as well.

[rawkus]

Things could be better, but things could also be worse.

The re-paving was VERY welcomed, as our street looked like Beirut, except without the excuse of war...

The time line given was as Mexican as always: "It will take 9 days..." ...and 4.5 weeks later they were done.

One thing Im amazed at: The lack of garbage bins- NEVER lived in a city(country?) that has so few garbage bins. If there are any, they are usually the size of what we use in our flat.

I lack decent parks in the Centro. There are some small patches of grass, littered with old TV´s, mattresses, beer cans/bottles, used diapers etc.

One thing that gives me a good laugh on a daily basis, are the poor old fellas who rake leaves into piles, then leave it and somehow expects the piles to still be there until they come to pick them up at 7-8 pm...

Obviously it fails, and thus they have created chores for the following day, only for it to be repeated. I blame that on lack of organization.

I have never felt unsafe in my 5 years here, except for maybe 2 or 3 occasions, none different from anywhere else Ive lived, except that the crooks have been dressed in blue/black, carry machine guns and badges, jeje

Saturday and Sunday mornings are great for early dog walks in and around Ave Sunyaxchen(spelling?) as the party-people always manage to drop cash when the leave from Yaxchilan.

[Gringation]

I live a little outside of the Centro, so maybe my experience is a little better. All the roads around me (including my little street) have been repaved in the past few months and still look decent. (decent by Cancun standards, anyway)

We have several very nice parks in my neighborhood, at least 5 within a 5 minute walk. Too bad I work during daylight hours and can't enjoy them!

The one big problem we have is that we have a streetside dumpster at the end of every street for garbage. Nice idea in theory, but there's one by the main road that is used by people from all over the area. Since they have no key, they just dump their trash bags, Christmas trees, couches, etc right on the sidewalk. It stinks to high Heaven and it draws in dumpster divers on a daily basis.

[Cancunscorpio]

I have a question for you, V, if you don't mind.
I used to write in here before about the grocery stores in Cancun and to compare prices with Canada. I found out that food prices in Cancun are generally within the same range as prices in Canada (I'm talking an average grocery store, not an upscale one).
Can you be so kind and let me know current prices (if you happen to know them) for:
1. Bread
2. fruits (oranges, bananas, pineapples, kiwis, papayas etc)
3. Meat (pork, chicken)
4. eggs.
5. Pasta, spaghetti
6. Potatoes
7. Tomatoes and other vegetables.

sorry for the long list, just want to compare current prices.

Thanks!

[Cancunscorpio]

add on- Chedraui, Soriana etc have webpages, but never indicate any prices on them....

[V]

Can't give you prices except on those things I've picked up, recently. Tons of fruit for around ten pesos a kilo, right now. Bread about 32 pesos for a large, solid loaf of whole grain. Ground sirloin, which we use for hamburgers, around 90 pesos for 90/10 (we find the 95/5 to be too fat free!) I think we pay much the same for skinned chicken breasts.

What with the peso at near 14, a lot of things seem cheap to me, right now.

[Cancunscorpio]

Thanks, V!! That's appreciated.
Fruits seem to be a bit cheaper than in Canada, but then again, I found papayas to be very expensive in Cancun...
Bread is about the same price as in Canada.
Ground sirloin is expensive, even compared to Canada... same about the chicken....

Then again, salaries are a lot higher here, in Canada... Wondering, how much I'd pay for a selection of groceries I usually get in Canada..

[Gringation]

Here are some of those prices from my trip this week to Mega Comercial Mexicana:

1. Bread: $19 pesos for a "medium" bag of sliced wheat bread
2. Fruit: Banana ($10.90/kilo), Mango ($40/kilo), Pear ($29/kilo), Grapefruit ($8.90/kilo)
3. Meat: Ground sirloin ($82.90/kilo) and Salmon filet ($172/kilo)
5. Jar of Prego spaghetti sauce: $39.90/680 grams
7. Veggies: Tomato ($14.90/kilo), Carrot ($11.90/kilo), Poblano Chile ($23.90/kilo)

[V]

Wondering, how much I'd pay for a selection of groceries I usually get in Canada..

No idea, but when we shop in the U.S., we generally feel we are paying a little more, and especially for fruits and vegetables; but, in Florida at least, wine is noticeably cheaper.

[Cancunscorpio]

1. Bread: $19 pesos for a "medium" bag of sliced wheat bread-**This is not bad pricing at all, cheaper than in Canada.**
2. Fruit: Banana ($10.90/kilo), Mango ($40/kilo), Pear ($29/kilo), Grapefruit ($8.90/kilo)-** also cheaper, but not by much**
3. Meat: Ground sirloin ($82.90/kilo) and Salmon filet ($172/kilo)-**meat and fish seem to be MORE expensive in Cancun than in Canada**.
5. Jar of Prego spaghetti sauce: $39.90/680 grams
7. Veggies: Tomato ($14.90/kilo), Carrot ($11.90/kilo), Poblano Chile ($23.90/kilo)-**again, veggies are cheaper but not by much**.

V, I perfectly understand that shopping in Florida can be a bit more expensive, but then again we can't compare salaries in Florida and Cancun.... Same applies to Canada and Cancun..

[V]

People with small salaries are actually not buying salmon, ground sirloin, skinned chicken breasts, Prego spaghetti sauce, etc. But we buy these and a host of other things that we and middle class Mexicans can afford, and like.

Were you just concerned about our poor, in posing your questions?

[Cancunscorpio]

**Were you just concerned about our poor, in posing your questions?**

Nope.... I'm just trying to figure out a possible budget and income required for an appropriate life in Cancun. :-)
Not a fancy life, but a decent one.

[ToriB]

Originally Posted by V

People with small salaries are actually not buying salmon, ground sirloin, skinned chicken breasts, Prego spaghetti sauce, etc. But we buy these and a host of other things that we and middle class Mexicans can afford, and like.

Were you just concerned about our poor, in posing your questions?

I must be on the poor side as I have yet in 2 yrs buy any of these items. My how I do miss Salmon : (

[rawkus]

Scorpio:

Im surprised how expensive groceries are in Cancun.

Back home, even "social welfare slackers" can buy loads of salmon, fruits etc. Jaja

The only thing I LOVE tu buy here are avocados and bell-peppers, which are CRAZY expensive back home during 6 months of the year(winter), since its all imported.

Other than that, I miss grocery shopping from back home. Bread is REAL bread, not crap filled with preservatives etc. Have never been able to taste the preservatives until arriving in Mexico... I am quite picky with my bread, however.

Cheese - sooooo many, but soooo few that actually taste anything at all. And also quite expensive.

The variety of fruits, and avocados and bell peppers balances it a bit at least.


Ps. Cant tell you the price of beer, but if/when you decide to come here, they are on me

[V]

I'm just trying to figure out a possible budget and income required for an appropriate life in Cancun. :-)Not a fancy life, but a decent one.

OK then, excluding health insurance, travel, and the expenses associated with dating, 14,000 pesos per month would cover your basic costs, while allowing some salmon, now and then.

As you could guess, it's easy to spend more than that, and possible to live on less....

Ps. Cant tell you the price of beer...

Who're ya trying to kid, Rawkus!

Just at the moment beer drinkers are the beneficiary of the brewers worrying that too many Mexicans may have made damaging New Year's Resolutions, and prices have been slashed in an effort to get them to change their minds.

The 1.27 liter bottle of Victoria is now 15 pesos; six packs of Pacifico are 53 pesos....
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[rawkus]

V: I bow before you!


Ps. We should try some beer someday soon. Havent visited my old hood in quite some time.

[BruceWedding]

For people who like cheese which actually has a flavor (sharp cheddar, bleu cheese, gorgonzola, feta, swiss) good luck. Everything here is mild white cheese with no flavor.

Rum is almost 1/2 the US price yet bourbon is about 30% more than in the US. Beer is cheap.

Some cuts of beef are cheap like NY strip, ribeye and sirloin but they slice it too damn thin and ALL the beef has a funny flavor for me.

As mentioned, salmon is 30% or more than US prices. Coffee isn't available the way I'm used to, like a 3lb can. And it is expensive.

One thing I miss here, being a Diet Coke addict, is being able to buy a 20 or 24 pack case. The largest they sell are 6 packs and then you have to buy like 2 liter bottles, which go flat.

My GF has commented that the vegetables and herbs don't last near as long here as they do in the US. Not sure why, maybe they don't spray the preservatives on them, but living in the HZ is a pain in the ass to go to town 3X a week for groceries.

[Cancunscorpio]

That's exactly what amazes me most-grocery prices in Cancun. I'm not picky or need any kind of fancy stuff, but I really find food prices in Cancun inflated way too much in comparison to Canada or USA.
I don't care about the alcohol, but the rest seems to be almost at par with prices here in Toronto, may be a bit cheaper at Mega Comercial Mexicana, which seems to be the place to buy groceries recently and which happens to have prices available online to look at!!! Prices at **Mega** are generally cheaper than prices here in Toronto, but not by much.

Another question: I tend to read a lot about Cancun development and planning, they seem to have some good projects going, but why don't they open a Mega or a Chedraui in the Hotel Zone?????
A lot of people live there, some hotels offer **breakfast only** option. It'd simplify a lot for many many people!!

[Gringation]

Originally Posted by BruceWedding

For people who like cheese which actually has a flavor (sharp cheddar, bleu cheese, gorgonzola, feta, swiss) good luck. Everything here is mild white cheese with no flavor.

Mega Comercial Mexicana has an imported cheese stand (by the ham counter) with the options you mention above, and then some. More expensive than the Mexican cheeses, but definitely affordable for the occasional treat. I've splurged $30 pesos or so on some blue cheese in the past.

Or for those who want Mexican cheeses with a kick, I recommend anything jalapeño flavored

[SamCancun]

All the prices you quoted Gringation, I would say that Bodega Aurera is cheaper on everything.

On the corner of Corales (head down the bonampak towards punta sam, left at the last oxxo a little bit after the new road on the right starts) and straight up to the lights, as if you were heading towards Cancun Mall (Av 20 de Novembre?)

The molida especial in there is very cheap and often tastes better than the sirloin. Stuff like pre-cooked brown rice (orange packet, forget the make) is 13 pesos when i've found it at 25 pesos in chedraui and 30 in Soriana (the Waitrose of Mexico LOL!)

Either way, it looks like prices here, Canada and the US are all cheaper than England, my mum said a loaf of bread was 2 pounds! I said 'mum what happened to a 19p tesco value loaf! She said she didn't know what tesco value was ;-)'

[SamCancun]

Also if your looking for half decent cheese, Cheddars (our new name for Chedraui) has Sharp and Extra Cheddar for a half decent price.

[Cancunscorpio]

Does this Bodega Aurera carry anything and everything from fruits and veggies to eggs, meat, pasta, bread and butter so to say?? Does it look similar to Mega or Chedraui in its concept or is it more like a food depot of sorts, like a wholesale outlet??

[SamCancun]

Originally Posted by Cancunscorpio

Does this Bodega Aurera carry anything and everything from fruits and veggies to eggs, meat, pasta, bread and butter so to say?? Does it look similar to Mega or Chedraui in its concept or is it more like a food depot of sorts, like a wholesale outlet??

Yeah it's a standard supermarket, owned by Walmart. I've noticed that prices change depending on what part of town your in, for instance, Chedraui in Las Americas is probably the most expensive of the Chedrauis and the one furthest down Lopez Portillo (opposite the market, next to KFC, not the one where they have the circus next to it) is the cheapest we've found.

[matkirk]

Two pounds for a loaf of bread!!!! A loaf of standard bread in Sainsburys, better than that bimbo cr*p they call bread here is 47p or 9.5 pesos - cheaper than here!

Groceries in England, especially when you take into account average wages are way cheaper than here.

[BruceWedding]

Originally Posted by Gringation

Mega Comercial Mexicana has an imported cheese stand (by the ham counter) with the options you mention above, and then some.

Awesome! Where is it?

And I've got to checkout this Bodega place too.

[V]

I guess we're talking about the Mega next to Costco, eh G.? In that case, I'll drop in to have a look at those cheeses, next time I go to Costco, and my bus to the university takes me by the Bodega Aurera that Sam is talking about, every day.
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Sometimes changes bring unintended consequences, as we all know, and it's no exception with attempts to improve "life in the city".

Several months ago, large numbers of new city buses hit the streets of Cancun, a welcome development for those of us who use the city buses to get around. Unfortunately, this change brought some unintended consequences.

The problem is that these buses represent several different private companies, and with more buses on the streets an intense competition for passengers has arisen, prompting the drivers to a recklessness less common, before. Many of them, maybe a majority, are driving faster than ever, and making abrupt stops, throwing passengers about. I was in a near miss, recently, in which the driver was speeding on Av Tulum, at the roundabout near the ADO, when a line of cars ahead suddenly slowed. The driver hit the brakes, but couldn't stop in time: fortunately, there was enough room in the roadway for him to miss the cars ahead by veering to the side. Without that clearance, there would have been a terrific, rear end collision.

I'll do my part by "taking names" and filing reports of reckless driving, but I'm afraid this may not get better until a serious accident calls the problem to the authorities' attention.

[Jim in Cancun]

Not sure if anyone has noticed but 3 or 4 of the big stores (Bodega Aurrerá being one of them) this week have been closed and fined for selling out-of-date products so check dates.