Patzcuaro Mexico Retire Early Low Cost of Living

Patzcuaro Mexico Retire Early Low Cost of Living
*Best Patzcuaro Free Old Town Walking Tour and Map
*Best Day Tours
*Best Restaurants
*Best (and) Cheap Hotels
*Best Flights, Buses, Trains
*Livability Factors and Desire to Retire Early in Patzcuaro
*Cost of Living in Patzcuaro
Best Travel or Retire Cheap to Paradise Locations in the World

Patzcuaro Mexico Retire Early Low Cost of Living

This is Dan from Vagabond Buddha. This is my Patzcuaro Mexico retire early low cost of living guide. I am traveling around the world finding the best retire early low cost of living destinations in paradise. I have spent most of the last 11 years enjoying the world, 65 countries so far.

The beautiful woman at my side is Qiang Hui of Hoboventures. She is from Malaysia. I met her in Kuala Lumpur in 2016 and she started traveling with me in 2017.

The last 5 weeks we have been investigating the best retire early low cost of living locations in Mexico. We have visited Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Guadalajara, Chapala, Ajijic, Puerto Vallarta, Morelia, and Patzcuaro. Before this we were in South America.

This post includes my cost of living data for Patzcuaro Mexico. We have 7 more stops in Mexico on this tour! Are you curious where we will go next? Then follow us.

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But first, here are some facts about Patzcuaro Mexico I found on Wikipedia:

1. Patzcuaro was founded in about 1324 as the capital of the Tarascan state in pre-Hispanic Mexico.
2. Later the capital of Tarascan shifted to nearby Tzintzuntzan, where one of the largest most beautiful temples in Mexico is located.
3. This general area of Mexico has been inhabited by humans since 700 BC.
4. Spanish Conquistadors arrived and started murdering, enslaving, and raping the indigenous people here in about 1525. Catholic priests joined in about 1525 AD.
5. One of the most notorious of these sociopathic criminal invaders was Conquistador Guzman who arrived in 1526. He was greeted peacefully by King Tanganxoan of the Patzcuaro people. The King came bearing gifts of gold and silver. Guzman tortured him until the edge of death and then burned him alive. Guzman was angry because there was no more gold in this region. The Patzcuaro people observed the character of the Spanish and wisely retreated to the Mountains.
6. The Roman Catholic Church sent Bishop Vasco de Quiroga to heal the wounds created by sociopathic Conquistadors. Quiroga is known historically as the protector of the indigenous people in this area. He attempted to get the King of Spain to ban slavery, Quiroga also tried to implement Thomas More’s Utopia in this area. He had some limited success at both endeavors. With the good intentions of trying to save their souls, Quiroga largely destroyed this part of the world’s history and culture. Quiroga attempted to remove all evidence of indigenous spiritual symbolism encoded in their temples. He destroyed the world heritage that the pyramids and temples represented, and replaced them with rudimentary churches and convents.
7. Patzcuaro is well known for the Day of the Dead Celebrations and the Day of the Dead figurines you see all over the world now.

Best Patzcuaro Free Old Town Walking Tour and Map

Here is the Youtube video of our Patzcuaro Free Old Town Walking Tour. You can watch this video when you take the tour and it will explain the significance of each stop. Click the Google Map link below this Youtube video so it can direct you to each destination on the tour, as you listen to this video.

Every visit to a colonial-era town in Mexico should include the main square. So we start this Patzcuaro free old town walking tour at the main square, called Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. Click the below Google Map of our Best Patzcuaro Free Old Town Walking Tour to get started:

Click ==>>this link<<== on your smartphone to get started on your free Google Maps walking tour of old town Patzcuaro, Mexico. Make sure to use a local SIM card in your smartphone so you are not paying local roaming prices. Roaming in Mexico with a foreign phone can cost hundreds of USD per month.

Vasco de Quiroga Plaza (Plaza Grande): Plaza Grande was dedicated to Bishop Quiroga in 1964. A bronze statue of the Quiroga was placed in the center at that time. The plaza is surrounded by colonial-era mansions. The mansions have been converted into hotels, retail stores and restaurants. Unlike most colonial-era towns, the church is not on the main square.

Palace of Huitzimengari: Look for the above building on Plaza Grande. This palace belonged to the son of the last Tarascan King, Antonio Huitzimengari. Huitzimengari was also the godson of the first viceroy of New Spain. If you can’t beat them, join them?

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Casa de los 11 Patios (House of Eleven Patios): The house of eleven patios was constructed in 1742. It was built for Dominican nuns. The number of courtyards grew as the convent purchased adjacent homes. It was restored in the 1960s and now functions as local art shops and workshops.

Temple of Sagrario: Construction of the temple was started in 1693 and was completed 200 years later.

Temple of the Company of Jesus (Church of San Ignacio de Loyola): This church houses valuable religious paintings. It also held the remains of Quiroga until they were moved to the Basilica.

Basilica of Nuestra Senora Salud (Our Lady of Health) (Basilica of Patzcuaro): Two blocks east of Chica Plaza is the Basilica of Patzcuaro. The Spanish destroyed a Patzcuaro spiritual site to erect his Basilica. This Basilica served as the Cathedral until 1850 when the Cathedral was moved to Morelia.

Gertrudis Bocanegra Plaza (Chica Plaza): One block north of the main plaza is Chica Plaza. This plaza is named after Gertrudis Bocanegra. She was tortured and executed by the Spanish for her participation in the Mexican Independence movement. She was involved in a secret communications network that facilitated cooperation between the various rebel armies.

If you book my recommended flights, tours (Viator Tours, Get Your Guide Tours) or accommodations, you will pay nothing extra, but we will earn a small commission.

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Best Day Tours and Map of Patzcuaro

Guided Tours

I usually suggest a Viator Tours and Get Your Guide Tours for the best deals on guided day tours around the world. However, neither had many options in Patzcuaro on the week I was here. Plus, click both links when you are here to see if things have improved (Viator Tours, Get Your Guide Tours) If you know of a great tour operator around Patzcuaro that I can suggest, please let me know below in the notes below.

Self-Guided (Cheap Bastard) Tours

Here are a few free self-guided day tours around Patzcuaro, in case you are cheap like me.

Best (and Cheap) Michoacán’s Monarch Migration Tour

This tour is if you happen to be h unforgettable. It is a must if you happen to be here when Monarch butterflies migrate. The best time to see the Monarch butterfly migration is between late January and the end of March. It is not cold enough yet before then for the butterflies to flutter their wings to stay warm. You will find the cheapest price by shopping the tour operators around plaza grande. It is not customary in my culture (USA) to ask, “What is your best price?” But Qiang Hui routinely asks and gets a 10 to 30% discount. Talk to a few before making up your mind. Booking online before your arrival with a ‘special’ tour guide can easily double the price you will be quoted on the ground here. I suggest getting the discount and then tipping the tour guide if they do a great job. We are here in August so we don’t get to see this.

Best Day Tour to Morelia

You must see Morelia while you are in Patzcuaro. See my buses, flights, and trains section below to get from Patzcuaro to Morelia. Once in Morelia, take our Morelia Mexico Free Old Town Walking Tour.

Best (and Cheap) Day Tour From Patzcuaro: Nearby Villages of Janitzio Island, Tzintzuntzan, Quiroga, and Capula

Here is the Youtube video of our Best (and Cheap) Day Tour From Morelia to nearby villages Janitzio Island, Tzintzuntzan, Quiroga, and Capula. Just ignore the last stop on the below video.  Click the Google Map link below the Youtube video so it can direct you to each destination on the tour, as you listen to this video. This tour requires you to have access to a vehicle. If you do not have access to a vehicle, you can purchase a tour package for about 500 Pesos ($25 USD) per person. Just look for the tour operators around Vasco de Quiroga Plaza (Plaza Grande).

Every visit to Patzcuaro Mexico should include the nearby villages of Janitzio Island, Quiroga, Tzintzuntzan, and Capula. Click the Google Map or the link below the map to begin your self-directed tour.

Click ==>this link<== to begin your tour.

Isla Janitzio: Make sure to take a boat to visit this small island in Patzcuaro lake. Walk to the top where there is a statue of Jose Maria Morelos, the Mexican Independence hero. Make sure to wander around a bit outside the marked tourist paths. This island with its purely indigenous population has no cars. Along those pathways, there are stands for souvenirs and restaurants. It is a very colorful little island.

Tzintzuntzan: In 1530, Spanish Conquistador Guzman was greeted in peace here by Tangáxuan, the king of the Purépecha people who built the pyramids on the hill above this village. Tangáxuan greeted Guzman with gifts of gold and silver. Guzman responded by torturing Tangáxuan to the edge of death, trying to get more gold. Then Guzman burned Tangáxuan alive. There was no more gold or silver here. Make sure to visit the Ex-Convent of San Francisco that dates back to 1540. There is a great museum in the convent. Make sure to notice the indigenous symbolism the Franciscans used to attract the indigenous population to join the church. Also, walk around and check out the works of the local artisans. The Franciscan monks built the convent by destroying much of a sacred indigenous Tarascan temple. Make sure to visit the Tarascan ruins of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, Mexico. See the next picture

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Tarascan Ruins: These massive ceremonial structures were built by the Purépecha. The Purépecha controlled a territory in size second only to the Aztecs. The Purépecha kingdom originated in about 1325, but the capital was moved here to Tzintzuntzan in about 1450. These ruins are about 570 years old. Excavation started in 1992, found a room dedicated to storing the heads of enemies killed in battle. An on-site museum includes artifacts found during excavation.

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Quiroga: The town is named after Bishop Vasco de Quiroga. Bishop Quiroga was sent to heal the wounds created by the gratuitous murder (by fire), torture, enslavement, and rape by Guzman and his men. Bishop Quiroga set up schools to teach the indigenous people how to read and write. His leadership also encouraged the artisan cooperatives around Patzcuaro Lake so the locals could trade with other communities. Enjoy the lovely artisan shops and local street food. There is a great Saturday market here. Quiroga is famous for the street vendors selling pork tacos called carnitas.

Capula: This village is known for the intricate day of the dead figurines you find all over Mexico. Make sure to visit the Artisan Cooperative, but also walk around the village and visit other studios.

If you book my recommended flights, tours (Viator Tours, Get Your Guide Tours) or accommodations, you will pay nothing extra, but we will earn a small commission.

Best Restaurants in Patzcuaro

Since we were here on a day tour, we only had one meal in Patzcuaro. It was suggested by friends and was delicious.

La Surtidora: We loved this place. I had a baked portobello chile with queso tamale inside. Qiang had a salad of mixed greens and fruits. The check was 160 Pesos $8 USD.

Best (and) Cheap Hotels in Patzcuaro

The old town area of Patzcuaro is the best area to stay. You will love walking out the front door of your accommodations and experiencing the colonial-era feeling without having to get in a Taxi.

The following are accommodations you should consider. They go from most to least expensive.

Casa de la Real Aduana Boutique Hotel: (3300 Pesos, $165 USD, per night) This would be over $500 per night in many parts of Europe or the USA. The gorgeous colonial-era decorations, the courtyards, and the luxury presentation will make your visit unforgettable. The location is amazing and everything is at your doorstep. Check out the pictures and reviews and prices. It was about $165 USD per night on the day we searched.

Hotel Los Escudos: (950 Pesos, $48 USD) Hard to imagine that you can get such a beautiful colonial-era place for so little. Check out the pictures, reviews. This was $48 USD per night on the date we searched. The location is perfect.

Hotel Concordia: (750 Pesos, $38 USD) This one is right in the high desirability zone. Check out the reviews, the pictures, and the price. Hard to beat this price at $38 USD per night on the day we searched.

Hostels (400 Pesos, $20 USD): We didn’t see any hostels: This one is almost as cheap as a hostel but you get your own room. The area is walkable to everything.

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Please click here for recommended flights, tours (Viator Tours, Get Your Guide Tours) or accommodations.

Best Flights, Buses, Trains

I am in Patzcuaro Mexico today. We have been traveling around Mexico for 6 weeks. We have been to Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Guadalajara, Chapala, Ajijic, Puerto Vallarta, and Morelia before coming to Patzcuaro. We were also in Playa del Carmen and Tulum for 6 weeks last year.

I have been exploring the world since 2007, 65 countries so far.

We took the ETN Bus from Puerto Vallarta to Morelia. We traveled from Morelia to Patzcuaro on a day tour arranged by Maria, our Airbnb host in Morelia. Juanito, her family friend of decades, and his wife Laura, took us on the day tour of Patzcuaro. He also drove us to nearby villages for 1000 Pesos, which is $50 USD, roundtrip. It felt more like traveling with family and friends than being with a tour guide.

Buses: We have taken both ETN and Primera between various cities in Mexico. You will need to check their web page to see if they have a bus from your city to Patzcuaro. You can visit the English ETN website. You can also right click any web page in your Google Chrome browser. That will translate any website into English (or whatever language you speak).

Morelia International Airport (MLM): You can fly into Morelia International Airport (General Francisco Mujica International Airport). You can use Uber to get to your accommodations so you don’t have to negotiate directly with drivers. An Uber from MLM to Patzcuaro Centro is about 440 Pesos, $22 USD. Check the Taxi stand inside the airport to see if you can beat that price.

International Flights: The cheapest flights usually depart on Tuesday and Wednesday. Skyscanner finds the cheapest flight no matter where I am going in the world. Get a Mexican SIM card for your smartphone when you land in Morelia International (MLM). You will need a SIM to order your Uber rides, to check bus schedules, and to use my Google Map walking tours. Get your phone unlocked before you leave your home country.

Train: There is just one passenger train still running in Mexico and it does not go to Patzcuaro.

Please book using my recommended flights, tours (Viator Tours, Get Your Guide Tours) or accommodations. You will pay nothing extra, but we will earn a small commission. This is why we are able to keep creating these travel guides.

If you would like to live cheap or retire early in paradise, learn how to make money online, or how to live internationally possibly with less money than you spend at home, please subscribe to Vagabond Buddha or get a free copy of my Ebook.

Patzcuaro Mexico Livability Factors

This is Dan from Vagabond Buddha. As I travel the world, I document the best low cost of living in paradise destinations. With this knowledge, people can retire early and enjoy the world. This is my Patzcuaro Mexico low cost of living guide. I left the USA in 2007 and have visited or lived in 65 countries so far.

If you would like to learn how to be a digital nomad, make money online, or how to live internationally possibly with less money than you spend at home, please subscribe to Vagabond Buddha or get a free copy of my Ebook.

This post has the data for Patzcuaro Mexico retire early low cost of living. There are more expats per capita living in Patzcuaro than nearby Morelia, but not as many as other places in Mexico.

If you love this part of Mexico but want to be in a more Urban setting, then check out our Morelia Mexico early retirement guide. Morelia is only about 70 minutes away, so you can check it out before you make a decision. Just Google “Youtube Vagabond Buddha Morelia” if you want to watch our videos about Morelia.

Livability Factors: Before living somewhere, I would need to consider a few livability factors. These include walkability, weather, things to do, Internet reliability, food choices, social considerations, expat opportunities, real estate prices, and cost of living. I stir all that into a soup with my feelings about a place and assign a high, low, or medium livability score.

We were here on a day tour from Morelia so these numbers are only superficial. I would need to spend more time here before firming up these levels: High, Medium, or Low.

Walkability: High. The historical old town center of Patzcuaro is totally walkable. I wouldn’t even need a car to live here.

Internet Reliability: High? The Internet worked well in coffee shops. I would need to try to upload a Youtube video before I would know for sure.

Food: Medium. For a town of this size (80,000 people), there seems to be a fairly good selection.

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Weather: Medium. Patzcuaro Mexico sits at an elevation of 2140 meters (7200 feet) above sea level. This holds the temperatures down in the summer months. The warmest month of the year is May. The average high for the day in May is 79F or 26C. The average low at night in May is 51F or 11C. The coolest month of the year is January. The average low in January is 38F or 3C. The average high in January is 67F or 19C. The rainy season is June through September when it rains about 6 inches per month (150 mm). I like it a little warmer than this.

Things to Do: Medium. This is a charming colonial-era village of about 80,000 people. If you go 10 minutes by car in almost any direction, you are in the forest. In town, there are restaurants, gift shops, bookstores, and coffee shops. There are surrounding villages with arts and crafts. There are ancient archeological sites to explore. If you speak Spanish, there are typical groups and clubs for a town this size. The is the Internationally known and attended Day of the Dead Festival every year on November 1st and 2nd. You are only a few hours drive from Mexico City and other colonial-era towns like San Miguel Allende and Guanajuato. Puerto Vallarta is about 10 hours away by bus.

Social Considerations: Medium. You will need to learn Spanish to live here. Spanish if you want to have a meaningful and interesting life. Once you can speak Spanish, your things to do and social opportunities will be better.

Expats Groups: I found one comment by an American expat who says there are 300 expats living in Patzcuaro. In his 2013 post, he states:

There is an active expat community here. Social events such as art openings, concerts, monthly expat cocktail party, the weekly “men’s breakfast,” volunteering at the girl’s home for disadvantaged Mexican youth, teaching English to interested Mexicans, finding a group to play bridge with… there’s more of course. But these lead to engaging social relationships with Americans/Canadians and especially the local Mexicans.

Real Estate: Real estate prices in Patzcuaro Mexico range from about $80k USD to $400k USD in this post.

Desire to Move to Patzcuaro: Medium. If I was looking for peace and quiet to write a novel or paint, this would be fine. But I am a little more Urban in nature. This is a bit too rural for me. I would put Guanajuato first, Puerto Vallarta second, and Morelia or Ajijic third. But we have 7 more stops planned for Mexico so check back with me in 3 months.

Patzcuaro Mexico Cost of Living

This is Dan of Vagabond Buddha. Here are my cost of living estimates for Patzcuaro Mexico.

Patzcuaro Mexico Cost of Living: Here are my estimated costs of living one month in Patzcuaro Mexico, as a temporary visitor. These estimates might be lower if you rented an apartment month to month. You can rent a furnished 1 bedroom apartment here ranging from about 400 to 750 USD per month depending on how modern and how close you want to be to plaza grande.

You will probably not find great deals online (i.e., $400 USD). You will have to walk the old town area and speak directly to the landlords. Just rent an Airbnb apartment for about $30 USD per night for the first month. Then start walking around to find your own little piece of paradise.

Monthly Cost of Living, Patzcuaro Mexico ($USD)

Expense	Cost	Low	Medium	High
Apartment	$25.00	0	14	30
Moderate Hotel	$38.00	0	12	0
Backpacker Hostel	$20.00	30	3	0
High-End Restaurant	$7.00	1	4	8
Neighborhood Restaurant	$4.00	30	44	48
Food Cart	$2.00	30	12	4
Subway/Train/Metro	$0.40	20	26	8
Bus	$0.40	20	10	0
Taxi/Uber	$3.00	6	10	20
Total	Per Month	$821.00	$1,138.40	$1,069.20
Total	Per Day	$27.37	$37.95	$35.64

The above table is just my notes from my time here. The above numbers are for one person and do not include alcohol, tours, or extras. I do not guarantee these prices for anyone.

For more information about how the above “Cost of Living Monthly Multiplier” works, please visit the bottom of this page at Vagabond Buddha.

Please subscribe here or on our Youtube Channel if you would like to receive the costs of living estimates for our next Mexico stop. We are heading to our next city in the morning. Are you curious where it will be?

Please book using my recommended flights, tours (Viator Tours, Get Your Guide Tours) or accommodations. You will pay nothing extra, but we will earn a small commission so we can keep making these travel guides.

This is Dan of Vagabond Buddha. Thank you for stopping by. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?

Warning: I am not offering you these prices.  These are just my notes and estimates from the time of my visit and this post.  Your costs will likely be drastically different if significant inflation or deflation occurs or the market changes after this post.  I will not update these numbers until I am on the ground again here, if ever.