Last updated: July 2026
Buying a beach place in Rocky Point is the easy part. The question I get right after “can I even own here?” is always the same: what does it actually cost to buy it, and to keep it every year?
Good news up front — owning here costs a fraction of what the same lifestyle runs in Arizona or California. But there are a handful of costs unique to buying and owning in Mexico as a foreigner, and you should walk in knowing every one of them. Here’s the honest rundown, split into what you pay once and what you pay every year.
What you pay once — closing costs
When you buy, your one-time closing costs run roughly 5 to 6 percent of the purchase price. On a recent $334,000 purchase, the buyer’s side came to about $19,000, or 5.7 percent. Here’s where that goes.
The biggest single line is the property transfer (acquisition) tax of 3 percent of the price — about $10,922 on that $334,000 example. After that, most costs are flat, not tied to price: setting up the Mexican bank trust runs around $3,100, the notary public’s fee is about $1,850, and then there’s closing coordination, an appraisal, the public registry recording fee, and a few small certificates (no-liens, no-water-or-tax-debt, city certification). A useful rule of thumb: budget the 3 percent transfer tax plus roughly $8,000 in fixed fees, and you’ll be close.
Two notes worth knowing. The sales commission is customarily paid by the seller, not the buyer — it shouldn’t appear in your column. (When you do sell, those costs shift to your side of the table; I break them down in What Will You Actually Net? Capital Gains (ISR) & Selling Costs.) And on a resale, you can sometimes assume the seller’s existing bank trust instead of setting up a new one, which can trim that trust-setup line; we confirm that deal by deal.
Every year — property tax (predial)
Now the ongoing costs. First, the one that surprises people in a good way. Mexican property tax, called predial, is low by U.S. standards. It’s based on the home’s assessed catastral value — not what you paid — so it tends to run well below what an American owner expects. Depending on the property’s value and location, most Rocky Point owners pay from a few hundred dollars a year up to around $1,500 on a higher-value beachfront home.
One tip that saves real money: predial is usually discounted if you pay it early in the year, typically January or February. Pay it up front and you keep the discount all year.
Every year — HOA / community fees
If you own in a resort community or a beachfront condo — Las Palomas, Las Conchas, Bella Sirena, and the like — your homeowners’ association dues are usually your largest recurring cost. For most oceanfront homes and condos, budget roughly $400 to $600 a month. That’s not money down a hole: it typically covers the pools, beach access, landscaping, common-area upkeep, and the controlled-access security that makes these communities feel safe and turnkey.
Fees vary by building and by how many amenities the community carries, so always confirm the exact dues for the specific property before you buy. Newer master-planned communities can run noticeably lower — my own development, Viviente at Sandy Beach, sits closer to $165 a month — so it’s worth comparing.
Every year — the bank trust (fideicomiso)
Because Rocky Point is in the coastal “restricted zone,” foreign buyers hold title through a Mexican bank trust called a fideicomiso. You own and control the property fully — you can sell it, rent it, remodel it, or leave it to your heirs — the bank simply holds the trust.
The ongoing cost is the bank’s annual trust fee, which currently runs about $500 to $700 a year and is generally a flat fee, not a percentage of your home’s value. (The setup you paid at closing was the one-time part; this is the yearly line.)
Every year — utilities
Electricity (CFE) is the swing cost, and it’s the one that catches new owners off guard. For most of the year, bills are small. But Rocky Point summers are hot, and if you run the air conditioning hard from June through September, your bill can jump to a few hundred dollars a month — especially once heavy usage pushes you into Mexico’s higher “DAC” electricity tariff. If the home is a part-time getaway, your yearly average stays low; if you’re here through the summer, budget for those A/C months.
The rest is easy. Water and trash service are modest, usually a small flat monthly charge. For internet, most owners use Starlink or a local fiber/cable provider, generally $50 to $120 a month depending on the plan.
Every year — insurance and upkeep
Homeowner’s insurance isn’t legally required, but for a beachfront property it’s smart — hurricane and flood coverage especially. Mexican homeowner policies are affordable relative to the U.S.; get a quote for your specific home and coverage level.
Beyond that, budget for the ordinary care any second home needs: cleaning, pool service, and someone to keep an eye on it while you’re away. These scale with the size of the home and how often you use it. And if you plan to rent the place out when you’re not here, a property manager typically takes a percentage of the rental income in exchange for handling bookings, guests, and turnovers — worth it for most absentee owners.
The bottom line
Add it up and owning in Rocky Point is refreshingly manageable: closing costs of about 5 to 6 percent when you buy, then a modest predial bill, your HOA dues, a flat annual trust fee, and utilities that only really climb when the A/C runs all summer. For a lot of owners, a beachfront place here costs less to hold each year than a spare bedroom does back home — and you get the Sea of Cortez in the deal.
This article is part of my Rocky Point seller series. If selling is on your horizon rather than buying, start with my step-by-step guide to selling your Rocky Point property as a foreign owner, then run your numbers in the companion piece on capital gains and selling costs.
Every property is different, though, and the exact numbers depend on the community, the home’s value, and how you use it. Thinking about buying — or already own and want to know if your carrying costs are in line? Book a meeting with me and we’ll walk through the real one-time and annual budget for the specific property you have in mind. No pressure, no obligation.
I’m a real estate broker, not a tax attorney or accountant. Property tax, trust, and cross-border tax rules change and vary case by case — before you rely on any figure here, confirm the specifics with a licensed notario público and contador.
Joseph Sanchez is an AMPI-certified real estate agent with RE/MAX Legacy and the developer of Viviente at Sandy Beach. He serves as president of Rocky Point Home Builders and is a proud U.S. Veteran. Originally from Chicago and a Southern Illinois University at Carbondale alumnus, Joseph now resides full-time in Puerto Peñasco with his wife and three children for over 15 years. For more information email rockypointrealestate911@gmail.com.