Our move to San Andres Cholula, Puebla, and leaving Uruapan, Michoacan behind was a sad decision but also a happy one. We had many good times and good memories in Uruapan with many friends that we consider family. But after being in San Andres Cholula for over a year, we have grown to love it here as well. There have been some amazing new adventures and we have made wonderful new friends too. You can compare Uruapan, Michoacan with San Andres Cholula, Puebla but honestly, they both have their pros and cons. Although being so different, I love both cities and states.

Why Did We Move to San Andres Cholula?

The only reason we left Uruapan and made the move to San Andres Cholula, was because our English Bible congregation in Uruapan was closed. There were few native English speakers in Uruapan so there was no longer a need to have an English Bible congregation there. Our English Bible congregation in Morelia, Michoacan was also closed, so currently, our only remaining English Bible congregation in Michoacan is in Patzcuaro.

After a bit of searching and consideration, we decided to move to San Andres Cholula. There is a healthy English congregation here and many ex-pats and tourists that speak native English. This was a family decision. When I say “family”, that includes our family of six, my parents and grandmother, and my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. We are a blended family of 12!

Not only did we like the English Bible congregation, but we liked the city. San Andres Cholula is basically attached to Puebla City. Puebla is very modern in my opinion and the main roads are laid out very well. San Andres Cholula has a small-town feel but it is actually quite large, especially with San Andres Pedro located right next to it. The San Andres Cholula pyramid, (with the church built on top), is a main tourist attraction for Mexico. But even with that attraction, San Andres Cholula does not feel Americanized. We have visited several places in Mexico, (like Cancun for example), where we felt like we were back in the US. I don’t feel that way in Cholula.

Do You Like Living There?

Yes! I love it. I think we all like it here. We miss several things about Uruapan, like the national park, the tianguis, some of the restaurants, our dear friends, and the smaller city life. We miss the mountains and trees in Michoacan, and especially the beautiful beaches. But Puebla and Cholula have so much to offer, it feels like a new adventure.

We have so many city parks here, and the shopping is endless. We have new tianguis, new restaurants, and new friends. We have volcanos and natural springs and pyramids. We are only 1.5 hours from Mexico City, which is great for flights. And we are only about four hours from the beach in either direction, either north to the Gulf of Mexico or south to the Pacific.

Some things I do not like about living here are the city traffic and the commute times. I don’t like the pollution and allergies, although we had the same problem in Uruapan. I don’t like all the firecrackers and loud fiestas in our colonia, San Rafael Comac. And I do not like all the poor, sick street dogs. I have never seen so many street dogs in poor health in all my life :-(

What is The Cost of Living in San Andres Cholula?

The cost of rent is more expensive in Cholula and Puebla City than in Uruapan. Especially in the west or south of the city because this is a desirable area. We pay more for water in Cholula but that is only because we have a cistern. Our water is delivered to the house which is more expensive than city water. The other utilities including electricity, propane, phone, and Internet are about the same as Uruapan. They are installing a city propane line on our street which is exciting because this will significantly lower the cost of our propane bill and it will enter the house automatically. Perhaps in the future, they will install a city water line.

We spend more on gas for our truck because we drive more in Puebla. It is a much bigger city so getting around is going to cost more than living in a small city like Uruapan. Our other expenses like groceries and clothing have also increased due to having older kids versus little kids. I have come to the conclusion that the older the kid, the more you spend. Medical has gone up due to necessary healthcare. And our maid expense has increased because we have a much bigger house.

So my old post on living expenses in Mexico is officially out the window for us. Right now I can write that we live in Cholula on about 3200 USD a month for a family of five. That does not include savings, emergency, or travel funds. Perhaps one day we will be able to lower our cost of living but not today!

Where Have You Been The Last Year and a Half?

In Puebla! No seriously, this question is for anyone who was familiar with my blog and noticed my disappearance. And for them, my answer to that question is simply, “Life.”

Our family has been through a lot over the last couple of years and Covid-19 is low on that list. Every person and every family has ups and downs in life. I just chose not to publish our downs online. At least, not all of them, and not until we are ready. My hope is that we will go up from here.  I want to be positive. Not naive, just positive. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

You know, we did not get Covid until October of this year? Can you believe we went that long without it? In October it ran through our family but fortunately, none of us had more than a bad cold or flu.

Some of you may wonder why I wrote above, “a family of five”. Well, happy news… Our oldest daughter was married on December 4th in Mexico. Actually, she had a civil ceremony in North Carolina, USA a few days before. Then we had her wedding talk and reception in Mexico on December 4th. It was absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to share some pictures with you when we get them back from our photographer. Anyway, after her wedding, she moved to North Carolina with her husband and his family. So with one child gone, that leaves three at home, thus a family of five.

In conclusion, I thought I would share a video of our home in Cholula with you. If you are curious about how much we pay for rent, check out the last minute of the video. I usually post photos of our homes so people who want to move to Mexico can see rental options. This time I decided to do a video. If you have any questions, leave a comment. Have a great day wherever you are! Signing off, Tina