The Picture-Perfect Town of San Miguel de Allende Doesn’t Come Cheap
We’re always looking for two things when we travel. First, we want authentic, non-touristy experiences (no fighting with fellow tourists for elbow room at the main sights, thank you). And we want great value for our dollar. And we honestly didn’t think we’d find either of those things in San Miguel de Allende.
So when we arrived at what’s billed as one of Mexico’s most beautiful towns, we were feeling a little worried about our month-long stay. Is San Miguel only about fancy restaurants and packaged tours? Were we just going to open up our wallets and watch the money disappear? Or could we somehow manage to have an authentic experience at a reasonable price?
Well, let’s find out. We’re at the end of our month here and this is the time when we tally up the final bill. What did we get up to in San Miguel and how much did it cost? And if you’re hesitant to go to San Miguel the way we were, what’s a good alternative?
First, however, we get it. We now understand the appeal of San Miguel and why it attracts tourists and expats in droves. This city is lovely. Everywhere we looked, even down the little side streets, we saw charming low-rise buildings in vibrant colours with flowers spilling over the doorways and balconies. And yes, the weather is the perfect mix of cool mornings and warm afternoons.
Of course it’s going to attract busloads of tourists and of course expats are going to want to live here.
Our adventures in San Miguel were of a more low-key nature versus those in Puerto Escondido. This is a city perfect for endless strolling. We kicked off our stay with a tour of the picture-perfect historic centre. We discovered the lush Parque Juarez, which was hosting women’s basketball, street food vendors, artist’s shows and dog walkers — all at the same time. We had a scenic walk to the city’s best lookout point for a view of what seemed like the whole region. We checked out the art galleries of Fabrica la Aurora. Gillian wandered through Charco del Ingenio, the city’s botanic garden.
The highlight of our time in San Miguel was actually a trip out of town. We visited the nearby city of Guanajuato, which has all the charm of San Miguel but a more relaxed, local feel. While we were there, we enjoyed what is now my favourite type of tour: a food and history tour. A bite to eat, a little historical context, another snack and so on. It was the perfect day trip.
Speaking of food, San Miguel had its share of street food options. However, what really stands out are the more upscale international dining options; there are many lovely rooftops and courtyards where high-priced cocktails and appetizers can be enjoyed. And that’s exactly the type of experience that will quickly run up the bill when you’re in San Miguel.
Of course, it’s not just the dining out that can lead to expensive lifestyle inflation. Groceries was another area of the budget that we had to closely manage. In particular, Gillian made sure to shop at the Super Bonanza and the mercado and only made a couple trips to the upscale City Market for specialty items.
Finally, there was our Airbnb in San Miguel, memorable for so many reasons.
We chose it for all the colour and the charm; the decor was basically an explosion of textures and patterns and quirky knick knacks. Sometimes our Airbnbs have so much Ikea furniture that they start to look the same — but this place was definitely unique. We especially loved the rooftop terrace.
What we didn’t love, however, were all the issues that needed to be addressed by the host. When you’re staying in an airbnb for just a couple nights and you discover that a lightbulb isn’t working, it doesn’t matter because you’re moving on right away. But when you’re staying for a full month the way we do, there’s enough time to discover all the lightbulbs that aren’t working. In this apartment, that turned out to be about half the bulbs — and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
The host was very responsive to all of our requests but we’ve had to make a lot of requests — much more than usual — and we find that really detracts from our experience. If you’re going to live in Airbnbs full time, you just have to know that they’re not all going to be perfect.
But let’s move on from complaining to costs. Starting with entertainment, we spent $107 USD. Some of this covered admission to sights but really the big ticket item here was our tour of Guanajuato. What’s interesting is that the tour costs half of what it would have cost in San Miguel so we felt it offered really great value.
Next, our transportation was $108 USD. Most of this was for our private transfer to Guanajuato; we couldn’t take a bus because of our dogs. And the rest was made up of super cheap bus rides around town.
Dining out was $376 USD. We really had to manage this category closely because there are endless eating options in San Miguel and each one is fancier than the last. Our breakfasts were typically $20 for the two of us and a light dinner with drinks usually came to $30 to 40 USD. We ate out a few times a week and the rest of the time we cooked at home, which brings us to groceries. For groceries, this was $478 USD.
Our Airbnb was $1,920 USD, which included a whopping tax of $250. Since this is our first visit to Mexico we were pretty surprised by this tax; it really drives up the cost of a rental.
Now before adding it all up, we can confirm that yes, San Miguel can be an expensive city, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re mindful about where you buy your groceries and how many fancy dinners you have; if you do more independent touring, you can still have a full experience here and it doesn’t need to break the bank.
That said, we were really impressed by Guanajuato and if we were coming back to this region, we’d likely choose to stay there. It’s got all the charm of San Miguel, the historic centre is even bigger and there are way more local eating options. If you’re hesitant about San Miguel the way that we were, you might consider Guanajuato instead.
Our total spend for a month in San Miguel was $2,990 USD. And what’s really interesting about that amount is it’s basically the same as what we spent in Spain earlier this year. Some tourists might think of Mexico as a low-cost destination but we wouldn’t say that applies to San Miguel.
Of course, we had no idea what to expect when we first got here. Everyone had said to us, if you’re going to Mexico, you have to go to San Miguel. And when so many people say a town is this amazing, we were thinking how could it possibly live up to its reputation. If you want to see our first impressions of San Miguel from our very first day here, you can take a look here.
15 Comments
Jason Hull
I had about the same experience as you did. I really wanted to like SMA because it’s just so, so, so picturesque, but, wow, did I have a bipolar experience with people. On one hand, I had amazing conversations with some absolutely fascinating people, one of whom was at the Fabrika coffee garden, and one of whom we subsequently wound up seeing again in both Puerto Vallarta and Vienna. On the other hand, I met the Texas missionary who came down every year “to teach these ignorant people how to live” and the person who’d owned a place in SMA for 10 years but refused to learn Spanish “because I don’t need to.”
Charco is worth the hike! I hiked up there (in July, no less) from just up the hill from the plaza. While I DEFINITELY needed a shower once I got back, the park was really neat!
All of our friends who spend a lot more time in Mexico sing the praises of Guanajuato. We’re worried it’d be a little small for us, but if you think smaller is a feature rather than a bug, we’ve heard from our friends that corroborate the experience. Also, the Spanish Experience Center has a location there; we had Javier from the GTO branch as our teacher last time we took classes, and he was really good.
Our Freedom Years
Wow – what a range of experiences you had! Based on all the feedback we’ve received, it sounds like San Miguel is great for long term stays, eg for expats and retirees, because it offers such a robust community. Meanwhile, Guanajuato is a great spot for shorter stays and certainly for travellers who are budget sensitive. It seems that one of the best aspects of being in Mexico is that there are so many great destinations to choose from — definitely something to suit every preference and budget!
Shelley Wininger
My husband and I were in SMA for a week and then Oaxaca for a week this past February (2022). We decided to spend a month in SMA this next February, 2023. I understand your issues at an Airbnb, since we also had issues, both in SMA and Oaxaca, that were fairly easy to fix. The advantage to having been to SMA once already is knowing, after looking at a map, where our old Airbnb was, to where our new Airbnb will be located. It’s an area that I remember walking around a bit, which makes it more exciting, since it’ll mostly be new.
I live in a very diverse neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, which makes me very aware of cultural differences, and appreciating the differences. I only know minimal Spanish, so learning more will be one objective of mine.
I want to thank you for your article. I now know that Querétero will definitely be a day trip at least once during the month. 🙂
Our Freedom Years
You should also check out Guanajuato if you haven’t been yet — it’s another very charming colonial town. Good luck with your Spanish! It’s been an uphill battle for me but certainly even a little bit of Spanish is very helpful.
Donald eigendorff
We have spent a good deal of time in San Miguel over the years and I think your review is right on target. It’s a beautiful colonial city with great people, food, and art. While it is more expensive than other Mexican cities, I think it’s important to point out that it’s still way less expensive than the US or Europe. A great meal for two at one of the many beautiful upscale restaurants in San Miguel with drinks, tax and tip can be had for under $100 US. The same type of meal in Palm Springs, where we live, would be $200 US.
And I agree, Guanajuato is an amazing place – the birthplace of Diego Rivera with a museum for his work, and a famous and very beautiful opera house. However, for many travelers, Sam Miguel may be a better option for a month’s stay. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination, but that’s precisely what makes it easier for many travelers – a bit more familiarity.
Also, the restauranr and art scene in San Miguel is hard to beat. So my recommendation for first time visitors would be to make San Miguel your base and visit other magnificent places like Guanajuato, Delores Hidalgo, and further afield, the beautiful colonial city of Morelia. And I would always recommend a stay at the beginning or end of your trip, in Mexico City. Like New York City, Mexico City is very cosmopolitan city with great museums and endless sights.
One final note – there are many places to study art and Spanish in San Miguel which can really add to the experience of a month in San Miguel.
Gracias por la oportunidad para compartir mis ideas.
Donald – let’s say Diego in Mexico.
Our Freedom Years
I agree with your take on staying in San Miguel as a base and then visiting the surrounding towns. Certainly San Miguel offers a lot by way of community that isn’t necessarily available elsewhere in the region. And the prices are less than what you would pay in the US, Canada or Western Europe.
We’ve actually just finished up a month in Mexico City, which was truly a wonderful experience. You can see all the highlights in our latest post and video: https://ourfreedomyears.com/why-mexico-city-blew-our-minds-and-our-budget/
Gina Marie
I have been living in San Miguel de Allende for approximately two years now. I did leave for the months of April and May, which are reportedly the hottest, driest months of the year. I spent those two months in Italy this year.
Before settling in SMA I came here for two weeks, Guanajuato city for two weeks, Oaxaca city two weeks, and Queretaro for two.
I loved them all.
I chose to return to SMA because it was just an easy landing for a single (widowed) woman of my age (70) with no Spanish language under my belt (taking private lessons) and also because of the large expat community of women my age, alone & on their own.
I thought Guanajuato was gorgeous, but the University there attracts a lot more of the younger population, which is not a complaint, but an observation. There seemed to be a larger concentration of young people in their 20s. I can see how it would be a blast to be there for some time in my younger years.
Oaxaca was amazing. The Mexican crafts and art just overwhelming. A beautiful city for walking, much more level than the streets of San Miguel DA. Beautiful public parks everywhere.
I’ve just returned from a couple of days in Guadalajara last week. Another beautiful historic center, gorgeous, but I think it’s just a bit too large for me. It is the second largest city in Mexico just behind Mexico City. Some of the sites I wanted to see were a 20 to 30 minute taxi ride. It is a sprawling big city.
I don’t know how I stumbled upon your page, but I just wanted to drop a line and say your review of San Miguel seems quite accurate. I am working hard to discover all of the hole in the wall food options after having spent way too much $$ on all the restaurants in Centro and it’s perimeter. And there are dozens more I have not yet explored. The restaurant scene here is insane.
Anyway, good review.
Our Freedom Years
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! To your point, we’ve heard from a number of people familiar with the region that while San Miguel has higher prices versus the other cities, it also offers more by way of community. We had a taste of this when we went to the Saturday organic market and saw that there was a very vibrant expat community there. Good luck with your exploration of San Miguel’s food scene — sounds like a fun adventure!
Simone Barber
Hi Gina, thank you for sharing your experiences! I am looking to move to Mexico for a about a year, and I was wondering if you could share more about your experience in Oaxaca City and if you would consider living there?
Cassandra Garcia
Been to SMA several times but I would not live there. Way too many extranjeros and a Disneyesque almost contrived version of Mexico. Prices are way too high and I felt a love hate relationship with the locals who need the money that working for the gringos brings but has driven them out their own town. We chose Merida as a place to retire full time. There’s only about 10K US nationals in a city of one million so we blend in. Four years in as residentes permanentes…No regrets.
Our Freedom Years
We found that opinions are very divided about SMA. Glad to hear that it worked out for you in Merida! We’ve heard great things about it — sounds like it would be a great home base.
Sharon kruger
Looks lovely
Our Freedom Years
It’s a beautiful city — we couldn’t stop taking pictures!
Emily
I was in Guanajuato a number of years ago and absolutely loved it. We didn’t make it to SMA on that trip, but it has been on my radar for the past couple of years. One of my concerns about Mexico in general, though is the fireworks. Like you, we will have our dogs with us. One of our dogs is terrified of fireworks. Since they are an important part of celebrations in Mexico, I’m worried we will end up torturing our poor pup. What was your experience with fireworks in SMA and really all over Mexico since you were in a number of locations?
Our Freedom Years
Hi Emily – Hope you saw my response to your question in the Oaxaca post.
https://ourfreedomyears.com/why-mexicos-top-foodie-destination-is-worth-the-trip/
We experienced a lot of fireworks in San Miguel and also some in Oaxaca (but not to the same extent). One of our dogs is terrified of fireworks but we did the best job we could to help him relax. If it’s a very serious problem, you might consider looking into some of the aids that are available, e.g. thunder shirt or calming supplements, although I haven’t personally tried any of these. Good luck with your plans!