1.88/5
312 reviews
Photo by Roman Lopez via Unsplash

Guadalajara

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zapopan

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Guadalajara is popular among digital nomads and expats for its walkability, cafes, restaurants, and affordable prices. Colonia Americana and Zapopan are the most common neighborhoods for longer stays. The city has a laid-back vibe and weather is generally nice, especially in winter. Internet is fast and reliable, and the food, both local and international, is frequently praised. The presence of a digital nomad and expat scene makes it easier to connect, and Ubers are cheap and convenient for getting around. For nature lovers, the nearby mountains and towns offer weekend getaway opportunities.

However, safety can be an issue—some travelers reported muggings or phone thefts, especially outside wealthier areas or at night. Public transportation isn't great, and while walkability is good in popular areas, getting around further out may require a car. Some visitors found the city repetitive or lacking in tourist attractions, and a few noted the city can feel over-policed or socially uneven, creating a bit of a “have vs have-not” atmosphere. The social scene also centers heavily around nightlife, which may not suit everyone. All in all, it's a solid pick for a short to mid-term stay, especially for people seeking a low-cost but comfortable urban environment.

AI-generated summary of reviews

i spent a lot of time, made some good friends, zapopan is the best part of the city, a lot of good places to eat, will come back for a longer stay

2 months ago

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.

1 year ago

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

2 years ago

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.

2 years ago

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!! 👌🏼

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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!🌺❤️

6 years ago

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

6 years ago

Is it like cartel everywhere?

7 years ago

✅ Great food scene

✅ Walkable

✅ Low cost of living

✅ Friendly people

✅ Good internet

✅ Expat/nomad community

✅ Mild winter weather

✅ Easy/cheap transportation (Uber)

✅ Day trips and nature nearby

✅ Affordable to live

✅ Fast internet

✅ Warm now

✅ Warm all year round

✅ Perfect humidity now

✅ Many Nomads.com members have been

✅ Very easy to make friends

✅ Easy to do business

✅ Roads are pretty safe

✅ Democratic

✅ Safe for women

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ Not many people smoke tobacco

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ Some areas are unsafe

❌ Can get very hot

❌ Limited things to do long-term

❌ Security concerns

❌ Not great public transport

❌ Uneven friendliness

❌ Graffiti and cleanliness issues

❌ Freedom of speech is weak

❌ Not very safe

❌ Not much to do

❌ Nomads.com members really didn't like going here

❌ Not many Nomads.com members right now

❌ Feels crowded

❌ Quality of education is low

❌ Hospitals are not that great

❌ People don't speak English well

❌ Not family friendly

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

23°C / 73°F mild

26°C / 79°F warm

27°C / 81°F warm

29°C / 84°F warm

25°C / 77°F warm

24°C / 75°F warm

25°C / 77°F warm

24°C / 75°F warm

22°C / 72°F mild

Real (median)

23°C / 73°F
mild

27°C / 81°F
warm

29°C / 83°F
very warm

30°C / 85°F
very warm

27°C / 80°F
warm

25°C / 77°F
warm

24°C / 75°F
warm

25°C / 77°F
warm

24°C / 74°F
warm

22°C / 72°F
mild

Humidity

nice
46%

nice
37%

too dry
29%

nice
31%

nice
36%

sweaty
71%

nice
84%

nice
88%

nice
91%

nice
75%

nice
52%

nice
47%

Most common

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
10mm

dry
1mm

dry
3mm

dry
19mm

rainy
141mm

rainy
217mm

rainy
190mm

rainy
165mm

rainy
57mm

dry
16mm

dry
7mm

Cloud

pockets
19%

clear
5%

clear
6%

pockets
17%

pockets
19%

pockets
46%

pockets
50%

pockets
46%

cloudy
51%

pockets
35%

pockets
15%

pockets
16%

Sun

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
12 UVI

avoid sun
13 UVI

avoid sun
12 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

Remote workers

1,060 people

945 people

960 people

782 people

689 people

578 people

867 people

545 people

867 people

800 people

1,020 people

840 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Based on Guadalajara's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

	Senior Backend Software Engineer @ Bitwise Asset Management
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	Paid Media Designer @ Flex
	Software Engineer II Android @ AllTrails
	Staff Mobile Engineer React Native ... @ Hostaway
	Graphic Designer Fully Position @ Meeting Tomorrow
	People Analytics Business Partner @ H1

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$1,985 / mo

12 Mbps

Puerto Vallarta

Mexico

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🙂 Okay

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety bad

Tap to open

🌦 Feels 41° 106° 32° 89° 🥵

✈️16min

$2,722 / mo

🌇 Also went here89 people

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	1.88/5 (Rank #1271) 312 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍6 liked it 👎3 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Okay
👶 Family score	Bad
🎒 Community score	Okay
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $1,813 / mo
📡 Internet	😡 Slow: 12Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Okay
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥵 Too hot: 30°C87°F (feels 31°C88°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 48%
💨 Air quality (now)	😷 Unhealthy for some: 142 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	😷 Unhealthy for some: 115 US AQI
👌 Safety	Bad
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Bad
🤝 Lack of racism*	Okay
🎓 Education level*	Mediocre
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Great
💰 Income level*	Very low: $704 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Bad
😤 People density	🧘‍♀️ Low density: 6k ppl/km² (1 per 13x13m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Okay
🧳 Lost luggage*	Bad
🏥 Hospitals	Bad
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Bad
📶 Free WiFi in city	Okay
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Okay
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Okay
👩 Female friendly	Okay
🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly	Great
🎅 Startup Score	Bad

🌍 Continent	Latin America
🚩 Country	Mexico
🗓️ Average trip length	13 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	12 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	🌦 30°C 87°F + 😊 Comfy (48%) = feels 31°C 88°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👎😷 142 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎☠️ 115 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day
🔌 Power	115V 60Hz
🚕 Best taxi app*	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 100 MXN in USD	USD 5.24
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	MXN 10,000 = USD 524
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless	💵 No, cash only (esp. for foreigners)
💻 Best coworking space	Nevermind
☕️ Best coffee place	La Borra Del Cafe
🏪 Best 24/7 coffee place	Hotel Riu Plaza
🚰 Tap water	🚫 No, not drinkable
♻️ Return rate	👍14% of visitors return
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	1,500,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$8,444 / year
😤 Population density	🤨 busy: 13x13m (169m²) per person
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 46% 👱‍♀️ 54%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 51% 👱‍♀️ 49%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 82% 👱‍♀️ 18%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Linio
🏠 Apartment listings	Comparto Depa
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Volaris
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Aero Mexico
🏥 Best hospital	San Javier Hospital

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$1,813 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,142 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$2,665 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$761 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$865 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$1,054 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$552 / month
🏠 Median home price	$183,161
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$41 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$35 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$180 / month
🍛 Dinner	$8
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$2
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$3
👩‍🏫 International school	$5,502 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$7 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$2 / trip