Living in Rosarito Beach, Baja Ca, Mex

Be careful about depending on an agent to find you a place.  They usually show you everything other than what you are seeking and most expats Ive met who have used them were not happy with them.  They are only interested in getting a commission from the landlord/owner so don't think they have your interests as priority.
Ive lived in Tijuana, Rosarito & now in the Ensenada area and I would definitely recommend Ensenada as it is farther away from the border so you have less "undesirable" people due to the distance.  There are more deportees in TJ & Rosarito than the Ensenada area and the expats here seem to be more higher-income than in the other two areas.  You might check the La Jolla/Punta Banda area as it is nicer than e city of Ensenada and much less noise and mostly Americans.  You have to remember the closer to the border you are the more you have to deal with crime and illegal activity.

Tijuana proper has no beaches.   Playas is the beach area of Tijuana but separately geographically by several hills.  Playas is a great place to live and the crime issue is no greater here than in most Mexican venues.....I started out living in Rosarito but quickly decided to relocate to Playas ....
SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better.

David Holt is a reputable real estate person in Baja Norte especially in the Playas,. Rosarito, Ensenada areas.  You can Google him.  He handles San  Antonio  area near Rosarito.

Hi again, Everyone I talk to to seems to think I might not feel very safe or have much of a yoga crowd to teach to in rosarito, I wonder if there is any town further south, that has good surf and more of a yoga community? thanks for you input!

Hi Kelly,

Any tips on landing a position in work from home? Or is your company hiring?

I am a java developer and live in the Detroit area.  I am planning to move to Mexico and will need to have an income coming in

Thank you,
Daniel

Yoga is not very popular here in Baja and you will find them mostly in the more expensive American/expat enclaves.

I find your preference for TJ over Rosarito a bit hysterical and misled.  There are far more deportees in Tj than Rosarito.  The few that wander into R. are soon picked up and canned by the police.  In Tj they swarm and victimize 24/7.  The "crime sprees" in Rosarito are few and far between, whereas in TJ the crime is one of the highest in the nation at all times, esp murder.  The rents are higher here which attracts a more savory type of person, usually working folks and retirees who live here because they want a peaceful life.  But for those who want more "action" and cheaper rents, around drug addicts, male and female prostitutes, cheap hustlers,cons and felons, please move to TJ.  I have over 50 years of experience in Tj and know better,  Besides, if someone wants to slum it up in Tj, it's 20 minutes from here.  The statement that everyone here is over 65 is way out there.  I admit, perhaps there are more young gigalos in TJ tan Rosarito.  If that's what your looking for.....

My preference is for PLAYAS which you KNOW is entirely separate from Tijuana proper. I have never said I preferred Tijuana.   I moved FROM Rosarito because I did NOT feel safe there.  I was not comfortable walking alone on the beach, in broad daylight nor on my own around town
I lived in a gated community in a supposedly good area  which was a joke as the gate was rarely manned.   I had enough  encounters with rather undesirable persons to  make me somewhat fearful. And for the record I have traveled on my own to six continents in all kinds of cities, I am a careful traveler  but not unusually fearful.  I have had several friends leave Rosarito.  One was fairly established, now living in Mexico City, a tv journalist. 

Please do NOT include Playas in your Tijuana commentary.  PLAYAS is a great place to live.  I am 84, on my own, limited Spanish, came to Baja in 2006 with no problems.  I do not go out at night.  I do not travel into those bad areas of Tijuana but I do go to Zone Rio with no worries.

If I did not feel safe, I would not choose to live in Playas.

You could have touted the glories of Playas TJ living w/o trashing Rosarito.  There are gangs and meth labs in P de Tj and more crime than in P de R.  Just because you lived in a lousy gated community and had a few friends who moved for cheaper rent doesn't meant the entire community who live here are unhappy, like you.  I cant understand why a woman of 84 has issues with people over 65. 
Ive been to the "Zona" many times.  Big deal.  It reminds me of a typical mall in the states. 
You may have travelled around the world, to tourist traps and "gone native" for pics to show friends back home.  But whenever you see a real "foreigner" you run and hide, shivering in paranoia. 
Please enjoy your safe, secure, gated, lilly white existence  in the 3rd world.  Have fun shopping in those Americanized malls, my dear.

FYI  I traveled for my business which is quite different than your fanciful idea of what my traveling  was like   I have always lived in a Mexican neighborhood in Playas  I am not trashing anyone.  My friends didn't move for cheap rent.  There were  middle class Mexican families in that gated neighborhood.  I was the only "gringo".  Your comments do not deserve any further replies.   I did have several threatening encounters in Rosarito.  In one instance only the happenstance of a passing police car which sensed the situation and stopped, rescued me,  That happened in  DOWN TOWN ROSARITO  at noon.   Having someone pull a knife and threaten me (try to kidnap me)  was enough to convince me I did not want to live in Rosarito.    My friend who moved to Mexico city after several years in Rosarito is a TV journalist.  He chose to relocate to Mexico City because of the crime rate in Rosarito. 

The age of my friends run the gamut from young adults to my own age group.  I fail to see that has anything to do with whether or not Playas is a safe place to live.

Everyone has the right to be wrong, even you,  and based on my experiences  I still maintain that Playas is a great place to live.......and not in an expat setting.  Having someone pull a knife and threaten me was enough to convince me I did not want to live in Rosarito.    My friend who moved to Mexico city after several years in Rosarito is a TV journalist.  He chose to relocate to Mexico City because of the crime rate in Rosarito. 



Have a great life. I will not consider any further comments on your commentary.  It is not worth my time.

Hi everybody,

Can we please calm down here? 

Thank you

Priscilla

Rentals advertised online (esp. those in English such as Craigslist) tend to be more expensive than the Spanish sites.  The best thing to do is find an address and visit there first before making a decision so you won't be living in a place with hundreds of stray dogs roaming the streets, loud music blaring 24/7, lots of foot traffic (which could mean looking for easy theft targets) esp. if you are a female.  Also many places that are less than $300 don't have hot water and/or kitchen appliances so you need to consider that as well.

Ive lived within the past 3 years in Rosarito & currently in the Ensenada area.  Both are about the same for housing rentals averaging $300/mth for a decent (not luxurious) plus utilities.  Expats in the Ensenada area tend to be older as they don't go across the border as often as in the TJ or Rosarito.  Beaches are cleaner in Ensenada as well since they aren't as closer to the TJ sewer system which affects both TJ & Rosarito.  Crime is probably a little less as well; the farther away from the border the less likely crime.
Food prices are about the same.  Baja in general tends to be more expensive for food as a lot of stuff is shipped from mainland Mexico.

You probably have a very different perspective on crime in Mexico than I do since you are a male.  When I lived in Rosarito I used to walk my dogs on the beach every morning but I was continually harassed by deportees there looking for handouts, etc.  It got so bad at one point that the police patrolled the whole beach area and picked up these guys (you could always tell which ones were deportees).   But you probably never had that problem with the opposite sex harassing you in Mexico??????  Also most deportees that I met while living in Rosarito told me they stayed there because the police didn't harassed them as much as in TJ.   So perhaps you are not as concerned about safety wherever you go in the world as a female is.  But this is exactly why usually expats involved in crime be it the perpetrator or victim are usually MALE>  That says something doesn't it???

Hello everyone,

@maryellen1952,

To whom are your posts intended to ? 

Cheers,
Bhavna

I too am catholic and do mass 1 a week.  I am more or less chucking everything and
would live a very simple, almost monastic  life. A major factor is  of course cost of
living.  Can you give a ballpark on rent and food, utilities etc.
Thanks, Bob

The reason so many expats don't survive here in Mexico and esp. in Baja which is more expensive is that they try to live like Americans/Canadians in Mexico, i.e., eat out a lot & spend much of their income on food, buy almost everything American (which is always more expensive than Mexican) and don't attempt to learn basic Spanish.
I don't know what one means by "artsy" but I would not classify Rosarito or TJ as "artsy"; both places are full of expats and the farther south you go the age increases so many places such as Rosarito there are lots of age 65 plus Americans.
I would start reading the Spanish online news to get a good idea of how "safe" you would consider it esp. in TJ & Rosarito who continue to have spikes in crime due to cartels fighting over drug routes.  Everyday I read any of the Baja Spanish news there are always murders in both places and many times several killings within an 8 hour period.  So the best thing you can do is read a lot of news online (don't limit to English as most don't report any bad news) and become aware of what is going on.

I have been to Rosarito beach many times but that was 20 years ago. I love it there and am thinking of moving there. Just a few questions. Can I trust the banking system? What about using a cell phone? Who do I contact to help me find a 1 bedroom apartment I heard some apts have no fridge stove etc? I have a truck what about insurance repairs shops and driving there? Im going to come down in October and check it out. How is the lobster at puerto Nuevo still great?

If one has any doubt that Rosarito is any safer than Tijuana you might read this.  Unfortunately since most expats doesn't speak or read Spanish they have very limited info about what is really going on where they live.  Most of the English rarely addresses the issue of crime.  This has been translated from Spanish.  A good site to read for news which includes both good and bad is the Baja y Mas Facebook page.
Crime report for Rosarito for first seven months of 2015. That makes it the most deadly city in North America.
http://fulano.info/forum/thread-17845.html

Hello,

I have been considering relocating to Baja from Canada. Single male 56. I am wondering if you have made the move yet, are you still looking for a room-mate, etc. I am a kind, quiet, easy person to get along with, and it would be nice to know someone there, share a place with, etc. - either rent, or purchase.
Looking forwards to hearing from you,
Tony

this message was for Brogan:
Hello,

I have been considering relocating to Baja from Canada. Single male 56. I am wondering if you have made the move yet, are you still looking for a room-mate, etc. I am a kind, quiet, easy person to get along with, and it would be nice to know someone there, share a place with, etc. - either rent, or purchase.
Looking forwards to hearing from you,
Tony

Hi Tony > If you are looking for a room mate, i would suggest you to post an advert in the shared accommodation in Mexico section. Thank you and good luck.

maryellen1952 wrote:

If one has any doubt that Rosarito is any safer than Tijuana you might read this.  Unfortunately since most expats doesn't speak or read Spanish they have very limited info about what is really going on where they live.  Most of the English rarely addresses the issue of crime.  This has been translated from Spanish.  A good site to read for news which includes both good and bad is the Baja y Mas Facebook page.
Crime report for Rosarito for first seven months of 2015. That makes it the most deadly city in North America.
http://fulano.info/forum/thread-17845.html

Why would you put a link to a well know Baja/Mexico hate site infested with trolls and their sock puppets?

Good Morning I am thinking of moving to rosarito was there years ago and it has sure grown up. I have been trying to get someone to answer some questions I have but have had no response. If someone could help me that would be great
Hank

Check the Facebook Baja y Mas site as it is up to date news about Baja and all news is translated from Spanish news.  The majority of the English news never mentions anything about crime so if you read only those you have a very very limited view of what's really going on.  Unfortunately Rosarito has had a spike in crime for several years which you will find on the Facebook site.

The same news is all over the Mexican newspapers but if you don't read Spanish you won't know.  Perhaps you're one of those expats who doesn't like to read bad news and would rather keep your head in the sand.  As the saying goes "ignorance is bliss".

maryellen1952 wrote:

The same news is all over the Mexican newspapers but if you don't read Spanish you won't know.  Perhaps you're one of those expats who doesn't like to read bad news and would rather keep your head in the sand.  As the saying goes "ignorance is bliss".

http://rodrigoplayground.blogspot.ca/20 … eview.html

As if you know about Baja exclusively only after a few years. Maybe you should get a clue and not me. By the way this statement of your´s is typical troll bait. I´m done:

Sadly crime is everywhere. you have to learn how to deal with it and also sexual harassment is everywhere too.  Last week some one hit my car with their hand then claimed I had hit them.  I yelled at them in Spanish and they left.  This was not in Mexico where I want to go live but in the USA.  I had stopped to go get coffee at a dunklin donuts where it was necessary to speak Spanish to get the order across.   I find Mexico much politer and nicer but then I am used to the Yucatan.

I would like to know where I can mingle with expats and get around with people who can help with my new lifestyle was I to move to Rosarito.

At 84  I no longer qualify for the health coverage insurance  I had as a "traveler".  Nothng available  post 75 years  Rosarita has some good clinics.  My choice  is  Oasis of Hope in Playas.  $35 ER visit. English speaking MDs.  Some American educated. Trauma Center,  Cardiac Trauma Center,  Pediatric Health Center.  Oncology Center.  in the heart of Playas near the mall.

  I keep my US HMO and when I need something more than just "routine" treatment I cross the border to Scripps.  Interestingly enough, I once called the Rosarito 911 equivalent 4 years ago.  The ambulance   came with an English speaking MD. Cost for the ambulance was $7. My 'emergency" was treated at home. I did not need to go to a cliinc or hospital.  No charge for the MD/s services.

With the right kind of visa  you can get national insurance.  I have never
tried to do this but I have friends that  use it and like it.

Once when I felt quite ill (seriously so) I crossed with a friend who was driving enroute  to Scrippsm going through the regular crossing lanes at 8 pm.  (no sentri)  When we got to the USA customs booth, the  agent could immediately see that I was in great distress and offered to call 911 for me.  I knew WHY I was in distress as,
I had had this kind of episode a few times before in my life and knew the drill.  I knew that we could continue on to Scripps without endangering my life.  I also knew that I  was looking at a hospital stay of several days which would be covered by my HMO.

I understand there is also a lane for medical emergencies which I was unaware of at that time.  I just mention this to show how helpful the customs agent was.

Reading through this thread on Rosarito reminds me of the fable of the four blind men describing a elephant.  The man who touches the elephant's leg says it is a tree, the man who touches its trunk says it is a snake. It seems most here have only a small glimpse of the larger picture. As poster Maryellen suggested, you have to read the Mexican newspapers every day to get a true picture of what is happening.

A Mexican NGO (non-governmental organization) called the Consejo Ciudadano para la Seguridad Pública y Justicia Penal, A.C. (Citizen Council for Public Security and Penal Justice) did a study on crime, and determined that Rosarito is the 5th most violent municipio (county) in all of Mexico.

- mexidata.info/id4079.htm

If that does not convince you, take a look at the Mexican government figures for Rosarito:

http://thefulano.space/Wordpress/index. … s-of-2015/

I am interested in hearing about living in Rosarito or other towns south from there.

Hi Folks, Greetings from San Diego.
We are visiting Rosarito very soon to prepare to relo.
There was a tip here about Rosarito Rentals. Thanks. Can you tell us more about Southern Rosarito? We are looking for a nice affordable 2/1 or 2/2 with ocean views but not to far from where people congregate, so we can meet new friends!

We are building our MX budget and eating out aside, and using farmers markets local grocery (and occasional runs to Costco) is $500 a month a reasonable number for 2? It may seem obvious but is MX Costco cheaper than US version?

Any tips about work visas or health insurance  for gringos? Thanks so much.

Crime is something we don't obsess on, but safety tips, including neighborhoods to choose ( not all US folks is fine) is appreciated. Finally are there free or inexpensive Spanish intensives so we can ramp up our Spanish fast? I can read a bit, have vocabulary but need Spanish 1 to get going. Thanks everyone.

I'd like to move to Rosarita. I'm searching for a shared place.

I had great success with my Magic Jack telephone in Puerto Penasco....I totally recommend it if you have a decent internet connection.

I guess you misunderstood me. I was asking about living in Roarito Beach Mexico

somewhere on the conversation string someone mentioned phone service....especially long distance for calls back to the US....I was commenting on the use of magic jack for long distance phone service....

sporty2001 wrote:

I have been to Rosarito beach many times but that was 20 years ago. I love it there and am thinking of moving there. Just a few questions. Can I trust the banking system? What about using a cell phone? Who do I contact to help me find a 1 bedroom apartment I heard some apts have no fridge stove etc? I have a truck what about insurance repairs shops and driving there? Im going to come down in October and check it out. How is the lobster at puerto Nuevo still great?

Every cell company in Mexico offers calls and text to the US at local rates.

There are plans starting at 100 pesos a month that give you unlimited calls and text plus a small number of MB of data.  100 pesos is about $5.50USD/mo.  All you need to do is buy that companies chip and install it in your unblocked phone.  If it's still blocked, getting it unblocked should cost less than 250 pesos.

With the company I use, Movistar, the chip was free with the first month's plan.

Hi Pax, I was reading all your very interesting responds - do you know if one  needs a car permit for rosarito? or a tourist visa?

Thanks