What is the Min Wage in Puerto Vallarta Mexico for Hotel Staff?

Question

I recently visited PV. I was told on several occassions that the hotel staff only made $6.00US / day. I don't mean to be naive, I can see the poverty, but I honestly don't think this is true for the working class and they tell tourists this so that we tip more. As a benchmark, you see Gatorade posters everywhere selling for 34,50 pesos. That's $3.50 right? I saw a local restaurant, selling local all you eat meals for $100 pesos. That's $10 right?. Can someone please explain.

Answer 1

that is true.  and believe it or not, there are many people in the world you cannot afford to EVER eat out...it's a dream.  those prices are for tourist...since that's what vallarta is, a tourist town.

these people have uniforms, get a meal when they work, take a car pool or 20 cent bus ride....they don't have the expenses like people in the US, they can't afford them!  most secretaries in mexico have a uniform, and a meal is included at their job, because of the low pay.

people also live in their parents house until they ar married, and their grandparents live there too.  most people have owned their home for generations, so there is no rent.  so...with no car, no clothing requirements for work, no eating out, no rent, and no luxuries...you can see how someone may be able to survive...just barely.

Answer 2

What they told you is true: our "official" minimum wage in Mexico *IS* a bit under 6 USD a day , as unbelievable as that sounds. However, there are few people who actually get paid the min. wage: mainly workers at factories, peasants at the countryside, garbage collectors, people that clean the streets.... those are the kind of jobs that get paid the min. wage. As for the hotel staff, maybe the maids, cleaning personnel in general, waiters and the kitchen aides do get paid the min wage, but of course not the receptionist or the manager or the restaurant's Maitre d'hotel or even the G.O.'s... just as it happens everywhere, there are different kinds of jobs, different levels and obviously different wages. They don't get paid fortunes either and it's a very exhausting job, but they don't get 6 USD per day for sure. Also, keep in mind that the poorer people cannot afford those 100 MXN meals or gatorades...... they have to stick to much simpler stuff that they can afford. I'm sure you stayed on the Malecon / downtown / hotel zone / marina area during your visit, but if you had gone farther up the mountain you would have seen some poor houses where these people live and you would have believed that these people were actually making  6 USD a day. That's just the way it goes for many people in my country, unfortunately.

Answer 3

It is true that the minimum wage is a little under $6 USD per day.  The people that made that kind of salary cannot afford to eat out.  There are places you can eat for $20 pesos or about $2 USD, but even that is a huge chunk of their income.

Many of them have tortillas and chiles as their main source of food.  That is why is being so devastating to the lower class the increase on the price of corn.  even a few cents is critical for that kind of income.

Jobs in hotels with foreigners are very attractive for locals.  For a tourist is nothing to tip one or two dollars, but for them represents a huge increase of revenue.  Hotels know it and often hire for minimum wages jobs like maids, bellboys, etc.

An IT college graduate with 5 years experience can earn about $1,000 USD per month or about $13,000 USD per year and that is considered a very reasonable salary.

Basic school is free, medical coverage is free, medicines in most cases are free and many of the "basic" food elements are subsidize and its prize controlled by government.  And that is how they can afford to survive.