Which are the best places to live in Mexico City not expensive?

Mexico City is very expensive. Because is very populated, the cost of housing is very high. I am not trying to scare you or discourage you. Just be prepared.

Anything in "central" Mexico is extremely expensive for a safe location. You could easily pay $2 or $3 thousand USD to rent a small apartment.

I would estimate your cost as follows:

- rent: $1,000 per month for a small apartment centric or a medium house in suburbs;

- utilities: $300 (excluding phone)

- gasoline is about $2.50 per gallon;

- cars, clothes, electronics are about 15 to 20 % more expensive than the US.

- food is a little cheaper than most US cities. For example "economic" restaurants give you a complete menu for about $4 USD. Obviusly you can spend as much as you can in an expensive one.

One item you cannot overlook is school. If you are a mother you have to realize that there are no public schools for foreigners. Depending on the school you could pay from hundreds to thousands of dollars at month.

It is dificult to say which areas are safe. Every area has its ups and downs. You can check the suburbs to the north Satelite or centric places like Polanco. Butr do not disregard traffic. The last place I worked was only about ten miles away from my office using a "freeway." It would take me normally 45 minutes to an hour to do the ride each way. Some times it could take me two hours each way.

Good luck, it is a big city, you might want to try some short term rent before committing.

You definitely have to find a home near your work place. Traffic can be time and money consumming, so you may want to pay a higher rent but save in transportation and save some precious time when commuting.

There aren't really "safe" zones, you can have security issues mostly anywhere..... I do feel safe where I live (I've lived alone for almost 6 years, in the northwest part of the city) and never had a problem, but I do know of people who have been robbed in this area.... so you just really have to avoid the "BAD" areas, but there is no place that can guarantee you will be safe always (not even close to universities). So I think you should first check where you'll be working and then ask about the best CLOSE areas where you can live.

Utilities, they don't vary much regardless of where you live. Regular monthly phone bill should be around USD $20, electricity USD $10-20 (depending how much you use your TV, PC, your household appliances, etc.), gas would be probably the most expensive (for cooking and having hot water) -- USD $20-30 a month, again depending on how much you use. Food, yes you can find cheap places to eat a 3-course meal for 4-5 USD and expensive restaurants as well. Going out...... if you're a heavy drinker you'll be spending probably USD $50-60 on a night out or even more, depending on whether you go to a dancing place, a restaurant-bar, the area of the city where the club/bar is located, etc. So it's all very relative........ you'll be the one who will determine how much you can spend monthly and will adjust yourself to going to places that you can afford.....

Best place is subjective. The highest income most excluisive neighborhoods are: Lomas de Chapultepec, Polanco, Bosques de las Lomas, Colinas del Bosque, Jardines del Pedregal, Lomas Virreyes, Santa Fe, Bosques de Tlapan, Jardines de la Montaña. If being around wealthy people makes it a good place to live these are your neighborhoods. Interlomas is a very high income area, but it's in Mexico State close to Bosques de las Lomas, and Santa Fe. If being around intellectuals and artists or alternative lifestylers makes a good place to live then Polanco, Colonia Roma, Colonia Condesa and Coyoacán are the neighborhoods for you. The latter three are all middle class areas with a few working class infiltrations. Mexico City is the safest city in Mexico. Some of the most costly neighborhoods, like Jardines del Pedregal have controlled access streets, but once you get out of the controlled area you are in a zone that has a lot of mugging, carjacking and kidnapping - OK 5 of my friends have been victimes of violent crime there and one had 3 cars stolen at gunpoint. Every middle class or upper class neighborhood in Mexico City has at least one large mall or shopping center. The most fun areas are downtown, Roma-Condesa, Coyoacán and Polanco

I'm thinking your best bet is around the university on Metro Line 3. Is that where you're going to be working?

Forget about having a car in Mexico City--that will save you some money. The Metro's cheap to get around the city--try to avoid rush hour when it's packed with people and pickpockets.

The south of Mexico city is cheaper like Coyoacán

I´m mexican and i can tell you Mexico city, sucks!! come to the north! maybe Monterrey there you can find a lot of universities, and less pollution and insecurity than Mexico city. good luck!

in Ajusco a farmers town to the sw of the city is some cold place but nice....and cheap