Mexico Real Estate Blog

One of many motivations for moving to Mexico is that labor here costs very little – even paying a better-than-average wage is much less than what you would pay in the US or Canada. This is part of the more general benefit of a low cost of living.

Even Americans who really couldn’t have considered hiring a cleaning lady or someone to mow their lawn back home, can do so without a second thought here.

But then comes the question – should I be paying these workers more?

My Answer

My suggestion is this.  Find out the range of the “going rates” for the kind of work you are considering.  Pay at the top end of this range – or very near to it.

For example, let’s say that wherever you happen to live the “going rates” for a full-time maid, 6 days a week are between 4000 and 8000 pesos per month (about $360 and $720 USD.)  I’d say go for the top end of that range and pay between 7000 and 8000 pesos.

Why?  These are my reasons.

1. You Get the Cream of the Crop

If you pay the better wages, you’ll be more likely to get the interest of the more dedicated and skilled workers.  Once they’re working for you, they’re also going to stay aboard and/or give you priority.

This is true everywhere, but when you’re talking about wages this low, people will jump ship and change jobs over night for a 100 dollars more a month. You may not want to keep everyone you hire on, but when you find the right people, you don’t want such a small amount of cash to be the reason you loose a great worker.

As a Mexico real estate owner, this means you’ll be giving your home the best attention, getting the best landscaping, etc.

2. They Work Hard!

No 8 hour days in Mexico! The Mexicans who do work hard (i.e. the ones you’ve kept on by paying on the upper end of the range) work really hard – in all likelihood much harder than you or I have in our lifetimes. Besides long days, Mexicans are willing to offer dedicated work for those long days.

Instead of going for lower work ethic at a lower price, you’ll do better to keep and encourage that work ethic with a reward they consider substantial.

3. You’re Giving Back to the Community 

Mexico and your town has welcomed you into a new home; by paying workers a good wage, you’ll giving back specifically to them and their family, but also into the local community in which you live, where they’ll be spending that money.  It improves quality of life and keeps a positive relationship between expats and locals.

Some people would say I’m “moralizing” here, but I really do think it’s an important point.  Being good is … well, “good.”

4. This May be a Person You Get to Know Well

It could be misleading to call this a “friendship;” Mexicans have a much broader range of relationships that they recognize in day to day life.  One of these is “patron” and “worker” which indicates a greater degree of personal connection and responsibility than our “employer – employee” concept.  While it’s not what we would call a “friendship,” it can turn into a lifelong, positive and healthy relationship, even long after they no longer work for you.

(Of course, this isn’t true of one-time contractors, but is an important consideration if you’re hiring a maid, gardener, etc. on a long- or even medium-term basis.)

5. It’s Still Very Cheap

Even the top end of that range ($720 per month – which may well be considerably above the top rate wherever you choose to live) is very inexpensive for full-time help with cleaning cooking, running errands, etc.  The same is true of other services you’ll pay for here.

Can’t Afford It?

If you can’t afford the top end of the going rate is, then pay what you can; so long as it’s above the average you’ll still enjoy the benefits listed here to some extent.

Or maybe you only need a maid for 3 days a week, and a gardener/handyman for 1 or 2 days a week.  There is a good deal of flexibility with hiring long-term help here.

In any case, you’ll find that hiring good help in Mexico is inexpensive and will allow you to live more comfortably within whatever budget you’re living on.

—
Doug Morgan was born in Dayton, Ohio and went to college at Buckeye State. Moving to Louisiana after college, he became President of his New York Stock Exchange company at the age of 28. His later career shifted to Florida and the investment business, where he was a financial advisor and branch manager for over 30 years. He bought his first condominium in Mexico in 2008 (from Top Mexico Real Estate), initially as a vacation home, but a year later he retired and moved full time to Playa del Carmen. Contact Doug at (512) 879-6546.

The TOP Mexico Real Estate Network; “Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!”

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