Guadalajara

I spent a month here. I think it's a livable city but I don't know the value of living here long-term compared to other cities in LatAm.

Pros:
- Great bar and restaurant scene. Coffee shops are really chill. Service is really good for the most part, but everyone is too cool to be friendly (hipsters).
- It doesn't feel too unsafe, especially if you're not out late at night. It's no worse than any US coastal city. Maybe even safer. (came from Chicago, definitely safer than Chicago)
- There are some American/European expats and tourists here, but it's not like Mexico City levels. You will need to go out a lot to find them. This can be a pro or a con. I think you really need to like drinking to meet people here as there isn't much else to do.
- It's definitely a walkable city, but the public transit isn't super useful for an expat/nomad. Ubers are ridiculously cheap anyway and I never had a bad driver. You can get anywhere you need to go for a few dollars.
- Climate, at least in winter, is perfect. Not too hot or too cold. Some people don't like how it drops into the 50s at night, but I don't really notice cause I'm a Northerner anyway. Though there are some bad air quality days if you're sensitive to that.

Cons:
- If you stay in Colonia Americana or Providencia (and you'll most likely stay in either one of these hoods since they're safe and convenient), it's very yuppy. Yes, Mexico has yuppies. And that's not exactly what I signed up for visiting Mexico. So if you like Brooklyn and "cool people", this is the spot... me personally, I like a friendlier and less upper-class crowd. I don't find the people here particularly curious or eager to get to know foreigners even though there aren't that many tourists here compared to other major Mexican locations. It's not unfriendly either, I just think it's fairly townie.
- The security culture is pretty intense here. Feels a little over-the-top compared to the relative safety. A lot of "haves vs. have nots" kind of vibe here... I don't really like that. I prefer a more egalitarian atmosphere.
- Tons of grafitti in the central city. Definitely a lack of respect for private property here.
- Tourist sites are pretty boring if you're here for a short stay. I don't even think it's worth it to visit as a tourist or for only a couple of days. It's a good place to practice Spanish for a month, experience living abroad for the first time, or save some dollars in a place with mostly familiar amenities.
- The cost of living is overall low here but Mexico has gotten a lot more expensive than it used to be. I'm not sure it's a great deal anymore. Cheaper than the US, but maybe only 15% cheaper than the cheapest mid-tier Midwest city (like a Columbus).
- The grocery situation isn't great, especially in Colonia Americana. It seems like people eat out all the time.
- The best amenities are in the burbs but you probably don't want to live there. I did visit Zapopan and it feels a lot like a US burb.
- Very liberal. Again, feels like Brooklyn. If you're not a lefty, this is probably not your city.
- I think people drink and party and go to music shows here. If that's not your thing, it's probably going to be hard to meet people here.

Not a very exciting city…. Not a lot to do. It does have good restaurants & shopping. I did find it quite boring. Weather depending on the month can be very hot or cold. Wouldn’t recommend for long-term living unless you just want a chill city with not much to do. Better value for money in other cities in Latin America

GDL is great for a short trip. But, it's only March 10, and already it's getting hot. I can't imagine the heat in May or Summer. All in all, it's a great place to visit for a week or two. There's lots to do and see. But, after staying here for a month, I'm ready to move on.

I have lived all over the world the past 12 years and i have to say that Guadalajara or Zapopan where i live is my biggest favorite so far of all places. I have lived in Sweden, Gibraltar, Mauritius, Dubai, Australia, Spain, Panama, Costa Rica, Serbia, Montenegro and the US and now recently moved to Mexico and love this city more than Mexico City and Monterrey which i also tried before Guadalajara.

Its a modern and bustling metropolitan city with the feel of a small town charm and has everything you need and friendly people that give first class service and even try to speak english.

Go check it out you wont regret it!! 👌🏼

Great place. My fifth time here. Nice weather all year around and good food. Prices are good as well and internet has been consistently fast. Before you go, look up the neighbourhood as some places aren't safe.

I spent ten months in Guadalajara from roughly December 2020 to September 2021.
By the end, I personally had enough of being in a city, but it was nothing particular to Guadalajara compared to any other city of a comparable size. I really appreciated the cost of living here and the great vegan/vegetarian options for eating. I also greatly enjoyed the vast amounts of cheap fresh ripe fruit here like pitaya, en español “ tunas” a cactus fruit, coconuts, and mango. If you have access to a car, there are some beautiful canyons north of the city about 30 minutes. They’re especially beautiful during the rainy months. It’s also about 6 hours in a BlaBlaCar and less than 50 to go to puerto Vallarta or San Francisco on the beach. (second more recommended). If you stay in the northern/eastern parts of the city and the more well off areas, safety is never really a problem. The most I was wary of is getting my phone grabbed which happened to some friends while I was there. The basic rule of thumb is to not have valuables out in crowded areas and when using your phone, hold it with two hands close to your chest away from the street edges. I never felt like I was in physical danger or heard stories of any of my friends feeling like that. It is advisable to not go walking at night especially as a women. But I didn’t get the sense that it was especially dangerous to do so. Just generally a good idea. Talpalpa is a mountainous town outside of the city which was my favorite place to go to be in nature. It costs about 50 usd to hire a driver to go there. Flights around Mexico usually cost less than 100 usd. If you ever want to go to San Diego to or from, a tip is to head into tiajuana as it’s half the price in my experience.

Beyond that, the yoga scene is surprisingly strong and there are an abundance of studios. There are some parks and a lot of the streets in the richer areas are lined with very old trees, but I personally felt a bit lacking in the nature area since I didn’t have access to a car. There is a strong expat community there. Check out the Mexpats group on Facebook to connect. Clubs are decent. Music scene is also decent.

Guadalajara did seem like a great city with beautiful statues and cathedrals, amazing food, very nice people. Unfortunately my trip was cut short, I only stayed half a week. On day 3 of my stay I was mugged at knife point on Av Miguel five blocks from Av Chapultepec, thankfully they only stole my phone and I was left unharmed. Nevertheless this shook me a little bit and, along with the Nov 18 security advisory for Guadalajara and the recent cartel activity in Cancun, had me decide to cut my losses and leave. I will definitely be back in a year or two when things calmed down a bit though.

Lived here for 4 months and counting, in Americana near Chapultepec. Of course this isn't representative of the entire city of Guadalajara. There are some places you definitely should not go as a tourist or nomad. But my experience living in this part of town has been pretty amazing overall. Very walkable, tons of nomad-friendly cafes everywhere, great restaurants and unique bars on every block. It seems like an underrated place for DNs. Downtown Tlaquepaque is a cool spot to go out, and there are several big shopping malls in nicer areas of the city.

Spent one month living and discovering Guad and area. Walked, bussed and Uber when necessary. NEVER felt unsafe. My Spanish is very basic and yet was able to communicate. Friendly and helpful people! Amazing for such a large city!🌺❤️

No... I feel very safe in Guadalajara. Have you been watching Narcos on Netflix?

Is it like cartel everywhere?