Oaxaca on About $12 Per Day: One Broke Gringo's Observations

Oaxaca, the capital city in the Mexican state of the same name, is not a place to camp out. Every square inch of space is walled in, paved over, or patrolled 24/7. When I first landed here a few weeks ago, on the late run of the minibus from Pochutla (a little town on Mexican route 200, known mainly to viajeros for its proximity to Zipolite, the only officially sanctioned nude beach in Mexico), I tried sleeping on a bench in the Zócalo and was promptly rousted by a security guard. I spent the rest of the night walking around to stay warm. But I've learned a few things since then, and, if you have a few minutes, I can share them with you.

This morning I awoke to the sound of traffic, after someone left the dormitory door open. I'm staying at Hostal Santa Isabel, possibly the most affordable of the many inexpensive hostels here at MX$70 per night. Included in the price, besides a dorm bed, are use of the kitchen; purified drinking water; and wireless internet (a shared computer is available for those without laptops). I walked the four blocks to the Zócalo (town square), and had a café americano (MX$12) at The Italian Coffee Company. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and marimbas playing as I sat and sipped my watered-down espresso. Crippled people came by begging for coins and, ugly American that I am, I told them "no". I'm down to about 3 US dollars after that coffee, and I might want another one, and/or possibly a beer (MX$13 to MX$20 at most bars), before bedtime tonight.

Yesterday morning, I found the Gigante supermarket, actually just a short 5 blocks or so from my hostel, and bought some rice, beef, and a few vegetables for MX$44. It will last me till tomorrow morning, though the meat is running low and my cena tonight will very likely be almost all rice with a little onion and chiles. The day before that, I discovered the meat vendors at the west entrance to the Mercado 20 de Noviembre, who cook your purchase right there; the chorizo I bought that morning for MX$30 lasted me until late afternoon. I've been looking for brown rice, but so far no luck. I asked Paul, a co-owner of my favorite coffeehouse here, Café Los Cuiles (café Oaxaqueño MX$8), if he knew of a source but he wasn't aware of anything specific. I'll try the Soriana store tomorrow after I get paid; as I remember there's a GNC right outside of it. It's a bit out of the way, and I'm not even sure where it is on the map, but I've walked around enough that I ought to recognize a few landmarks once I reach the area.

The whole downtown area (centro) is only about the size of midtown Manhattan; I'm pretty sure you could walk up and down every street in a single day. But a lot of what you'll see is touristy restaurants and shops, fine for those on vacation with money to burn, but mostly to be avoided by lazy freelance computer programmers who don't want to commit to more than a few hours of work every week. Between finding a cheap hostel with a kitchen and "free" water, learning your way around to the two big mercados south of the Zócalo and either the Gigante or Soriana supermarkets, and limiting your luxuries to one or two coffees or beers per day, you can live very frugally in this little jewel of a city in southern Mexico.

Directions to the important places from the Zócalo:

Mercado 20 de Noviembre: from the southwest corner of the Zócalo, walk south two full blocks. On your right and ahead of you is the mercado, the whole city block. Walk ahead a half block, so the Bancomer is on your left, to find the entrance with the meat vendors.

Hostal Santa Isabel: from the northwest corner of the Zócalo walk 4 blocks west. This is Calle Mier y Teran, and you'll see a Domino's Pizza on your left; but you take a right. Walk almost to the end of the block, towards a T-intersection. The hostel will be on your right, just past a lady selling chicken empanadas if you arrive in the afternoon.

Gigante supermarket: follow the instructions to the hostal above, but continue past it to the T-intersection, take a left, and continue the distance of about 4 blocks (a plaza takes up a large part of the distance). You'll see the market right in front of you, on the far side of the road.