The one item I cannot find in the US are Cheetos called Torciditos. They are cheese and chile flavored. I've looked for them at every supermercado in the OC in addition to all swap meets selling those puffy orange wheel snacks. No luck anywhere.
Typically I go to the 7-11 close to where everyone exits off the cruise. This time we decided to venture further and found Calimax. It's apx two blocks northeast to Papas and Beer. It's clean, the selection is decent and they have a ton of chips! :) My Cheetos were 27.50 pesos for 150 grams (4.5 oz) or 13.90 pesos for 100 grams. The math doesn't add up to buy the bigger package but it's still cheaper than buying at a 7-11. I also got some spices, containers of packaged salsa and allergy meds for a fraction of what I would pay in the US. We walked out with two full bags and it was $12 US. Score!!
The bank has a better conversion rate than money exchange so I used my credit card everywhere I went. At the time I went, it averaged out to 20+ pesos to 1 US dollar if I charged it vs 18:1 if I had converted my $ for pesos.
For those uncomfortable wandering off, i would suggest to travel in pairs. A woman from San Diego who travels here often said anything more than 2 blocks past Papas is sketchy. Calimax would be on the border if that was true. read more