La Cuenta Por Favor?

Well we've been in Merida long enough to get a good sense of the cost of things. Below we offer to you a typical way you can enjoy the day in Merida without spending too much.

7:30am Wake up and realize you are paying only $8 a day to rent
a private casita with kitchen and private bath. Cost 118 pesos or $8

8:00am Walk over to the Mega Store and order a Cafe Americano which
comes with a croissant. Cost: 10 pesos or 75cents

8:30-9:30am Get your daily exercise at the Campo Deportivo or other state
provided public exercise area which includes weight rooms, cardio equipment, running track, ab machines etc.
Cost: 0 or 15 pesos for 1 hour Taebo Class

9:45 Take the 10 min bus ride to Plaza Grande Cost: 14 pesos for two people/ $1

10am Eat a nice breakfast of pancakes or eggs with fruit bowl and
coffee somewhere in downtown Merida. Cost: 60 pesos per person.

11am Check your email, write a blog entry or surf the web while sitting
on a bench underneath the trees in any park in Merida. Cost: 0 as wifi is free in all city parks.

OR

Visit the nice art museums located around the Grand Plaza Cost: 0. Museums are free.

Noon-2pm. Attend the Teatro and enjoy a wonderful performance by the
Merida Symphony from a balcony suite. Cost: 75 pesos or $5 per person.

2pm-3:00. Take a siesta. Your brain needs the sleep. Cost: 0

3:00-4:00 Get Chinese take out (with 3 items from the menu)
and go sit in Plaza Grande eating and people watching. Cost: 60 pesos per person

4:30-6:30 Visit Parque Centennial and ride the choo choo train
that takes you around the entire park. Get off the train and
enter the zoo and see pink flamingos, bengal tigers and monkeys. Cost: 1 peso (for the train)

7:00-7:30 Walk to downtown and enjoy an "expensive" meal with red wine. Cost: 110 pesos or $7.50 per person.

8:00pm Watch an Orson Welles film at the theater which is part of the Merida Fest. Cost: 0

10:00pm Take in a live musical/poetry or dance performance happening
at any of the nearby parks. Cost: 0

11:00pm Take a nightcap. Margarita or Pina Colada. Cost: 30 pesos or $2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 493 pesos or $33

It is possible to spend just ONE PESO the entire day in Merida. Here's how:

Morning: Exercise for free at the Salvador Alvarado Sports Complex including free weights, cardio and machines all outside in the bright blue sky.
Breakfast: Stop by a friend's place. Most likely, they will offer you breakfast and coffee.
Early Afternoon: Check out an art exhibition at any of the free museums particularly the History of the Maya people at the Governor's Mansion.
Afternoon: Stop at another friend's home for lunch. Most likely they will serve you lunch and cerveza or wine.
Afternoon: Visit Centennial Parque and Zoo and Ride the Train. All is free except the train which costs 1 peso.
Dinner: Stop at yet another friend's house etc. etc.
Evening: Take advantage of any number of free live events or movie showings held in and around Merida.

Extras:
Go over budget by visiting Pancho's bar during happy hour (6-9pm) and get 2 for 1 cocktails (4 drinks) for $8

Now this sounds like serious mooching. However, I do believe we did have a few days like that without even asking. Our new friends kindly fed us and took us to parties the first week we were here. However, it is our expectation that you should return the favor some time in the near future and we will!

If you don't want to feel like a moocher, then go to any inexpensive restaurant all around the city or eat ever cheaper using the sidewalk vendors.