Guadalajara - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Great weather 75% of the year. - Aug 2023
It is so convenient and easy living here. - Aug 2018
Big city with a small town feel. Approximately 5 million people in the metro area, but GDL itself doesn't feel huge. The quality of life is very good for a big city. It's location is also ideal: super cheap to get to CDMX and you can drive/take a bus to the beach if you want! - Feb 2017
Mexico is an incredible place to live and Guadalajara is often described as 'The most Mexican of Mexican cities.' It's not a huge tourist hub which means that rather than dealing with tourist behavior, inflated prices, bad food, and knock off crafts, you get the real thing. Guadalajara is very proud of its heritage from Mariachi to hand-made silver jewelry, this is the city for the real deal! Guadalajara is a great jumping off point for seeing the rest of Mexico too. An hour's drive from the town of Tequila (or take the train, you party animal!), 2 hours to the mountain hamlet of Tapalpa (and the best Cajeta 'caramel' you've ever had), 5 to Puerto Vallarta. You can fly anywhere and most flights are fast and fairly inexpensive. - Feb 2015
I personally think Guadalajara is the best post in Mexico. It's got most of the culture and sophistication you would find in Mexico City, but the size is much less intimidating. You don't have the same security issues that you have in most border posts, so you can really get out and see all that the city has to offer. You can drive to several famous beaches in 4-6 hours, and you can get to others with a 2 hour, US$200 flight. The weather is pleasant year-round. And of course... there's the food. Mexican food is delicious, and there's a pretty good foodie scene in town too. - Jan 2015
Everything is wonderful in Guadalajara. The weather is nearly always pleasant, the food is amazing, Mexico is completely fascinating, and it's a very comfortable city. - Oct 2014
The people and the culture are fantastic. There is a great variety of food options at reasonable cost. Shopping is easy and you can find anything you would need in the U.S. We did not find it expensive. The weather was equally amazing. There is so much to do that we did not feel that we saved any money. This said, you have to be careful traveling, especially outside of the city and during hours of darkness. There is violence so you need to exercise caution. - May 2014
The weather is perfect all year round, the food is amazing, travel to the coast is fairly easy (3-4 hours by car), travel to many other cities and towns for a long weekend is easy, the people are nice, cost of living is cheaper than the U.S. and you can get anything you would want (it is like living in Southern CA). - Apr 2014
Guadalajara is a well kept secret. It's relatively safe compared to other posts in Mexico, it's Mexico's 2nd largest city and therefore has a lot to offer; the weather is dry and warm (other than in the somewhat short rainy season), and housing is spacious and beautiful. Commutes to the consulate are very reasonable and rarely longer than 45 minutes. - Jun 2013
The weather in the winter is great. It is possible to save money depending on what you do. - Jan 2012
The Mexican people are friendly and helpful. The weather is gorgeous with sunny days and cool nights. Even during the rainy season the sun comes out for a while each day. Anything that involves a service is cheaper here, but imported things cost more than in the U.S. Guadalajara seems like the essence of Mexico: mariachis, Mexican food, and tequila can be found in abundance, and people celebrate the Mexican holidays with flair. - Jan 2011
Dining out is cheap. It's hard to spend more than $50 at the nicest restaurants for two meals and a bottle of wine. There are so many amazing little towns nearby, within 3-4 hours driving, like Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Tapalpa and Morelia. And there are nice beaches 3-5 hours away, like Manzanillo, Barra de Navidad and Sayulita. - Jun 2010
