Living in Mexico: A Hedge Against Gringo Gouging

No amount of denial will make the dual-price system in Mexico go away. In Mexico's Heartland, you are liable to see this operational more so than in other places, but then again, not. Where this is particularly applicable is in the irrevocable habit Mexican landlords have of charging Americans and Canadians far more for rental properties than they do Mexicans. Some are honest. I would take a guess most will gouge you.

I know one lady who charges a Mexican $400.00 for a property (and still that's too much) but charges Americans almost twice that. This lady robbed us blind until we developed enough contacts in the community to move out and into something more reasonable.

Having contacts is how Mexico's culture works. It is a group-dominated society as opposed to the "I am American, hear me roar" individualism that dominates America. Mexico, when it functions smoothly, does so based on relationships. It is a "who you know culture." No amount of flustering American bravado is going to get you anywhere in Mexico. You've got to develop relationships in Mexico.

Where my wife used to teach ESL, the Mexicans would routinely demand tuition discounts from the Mexican director based on "whom they knew." There were times when I wondered if any of the students actually paid the going rate for classes at the school. The parents of the students would dicker with the director over the fees. They said they "deserved" a discount for their child's English classes because of the relationship they claimed to have with someone prominent in Guanajuato.

The same goes with housing. When you first move here as an expat, we encourage everyone to rent. You will probably be gouged through the ceiling in rents. However, this will give you some time to develop relationships within the community. When you begin making contacts with someone well known in the city, then you can name-drop when trying to do most anything in this region.

However, here is the clincher. In order to make these contacts, you have to speak the language and show a high degree of familiarity with Mexico's culture. Why would they help you if you are a Gringolandian who never ventures out into the community to associate with the common Mexicans? And, how can you, if you cannot or will not develop a high enough degree of spoken fluency in Spanish?

You can't depend forever on bilingual Mexicans with whom to interface with the real Mexico outside your Gringolandia Bubbles.