With the hot humid days it's easy to say it's too darn hot and for awhile think the reasons to love PV aren't as many as I had earlier (although after spending time in cold, rainy Los Angeles this week I have to rethink the too hot part).
Cost of living is higher in PV than it used to be and higher than in many other parts of Mexico--mostly because it is a tourist destination (or was until the swine flu news and/or the economy kept/keeps tourists away in droves), but, in general it has a lower costs of living than in the US. Below are some recent costs (rule of thumb is what you spend for 2 bags of groceries in the USA buys you 4 in PV):
Cable TV-- $25 a month (I am sharing a dish with one other person, when we add two more neighbors the cost will be $12.50 each per month--150+ channels including main channels from the USA)
Fruit--huge papaya, huge sweet pineapple 80 cent each 2 breakfasts from each
Other groceries: big box of corn flakes $1.50, dz eggs $1, qt fruit juice $1, qt milk .90 cents, loaf bread 80 cents.
Love the goat cheddar I found last week...will be going back for more of that ($4 for a big chunk)
I shop at Costco, WalMart and Soriana
No deposit on cans or bottles but everyone is required to recycle
Dining out: Can be about the same as here for Starbucks, Outback Steak House and gourmet places. I found a great little bistro that has a prix fixe menu for 55 pesos every night (that's $4 USD!!!)--last meal I had there was a great salad and a beef in a chocolate/chile sauce plus veggies--it was delicious
Bar drinks.. happy hour seems to be ubiquitous...from 12 noon to approximately 7pm depending on where you go...2 drinks for $4 seems to be average (love the mojitos at Jacks Fish House--they are 'to die for' with fresh mint and fruits...lots of choices and Jack makes great fish & chips...he comes San Francisco where he had restaurants...Friday night is All You Can Eat Fish & Chips for approximately $10)
Movies: Wednesday night all theaters cost $3 per ticket...most are first run. English with Spanish subtitles
Other things I like: No daylight savings so the sunset is around 8:30 or 9:00pm now. A Pirate ship comes in to the bay my condo faces around sunset and shoots off fireworks nightly (also they feature them downtown too which I can also see from my place), very friendly people, Art Walks of all the galleries on Wednesdays during 'The Season', can leave my trash outside my door (except Sundays) and someone picks it up within the hour (this is just at my condo..don't know about other places...I do have a garbage disposal)
That's it for now....more later....
