Guadalajara Mexico Low Cost of Living
Guadalajara Mexico Retire Cheap in Paradise
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Guadalajara Mexico Low Cost of Living
This is Dan from Vagabond Buddha. I travel the world as I collect data about the cost of living. I have been to 65 countries so far. I started traveling in 2007. These days I am outside my home country more than 11 months of the year. I am from the USA.
This post has the cost of living data for Guadalajara, Mexico. Once I am certain that I have seen all of the best places, I will slow down my travels to about 6 months per year. I will spend the other 6 months in whatever place I determine to call home.
Above is the place where we are staying for a week in Guadalajara Mexico for $19 USD per day. Click the “Best Hotels” link above for more information and a possibility of a discount on this place.
Livability Factors: I am looking for a great place to live. I also like saving money whenever I can. In fact, that is what has given me so much freedom to travel. When you aren’t hemorrhaging money so fast in places like the USA or Western Europe, you have less stress in your life. But the quality of life means more than saving money. Here are the other things I consider when I find a place that might be livable.
Walkability: I love to be able to walk everywhere without getting in a car or bus. This is where Guadalajara loses me. This city is so spread out, that you are unlikely to be able to go more than a few days without getting into a vehicle. The Uber taxis are cheap, but they add up if you use them several times per week. This one thing bugs me so much, I would not consider living in Guadalajara. If you like having a car around this shouldn’t be an issue for you. Just make sure to get a place where your car is behind a gate, off the street.
Internet: Our wifi connection in our Airbnb place is fabulous.
Food: Guadalajara has everything you can imagine to eat. This is a world class city in the food department.
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Weather: I love the weather in Guadalajara Mexico. The warmest month is May. The average high for the day in May is 89F or 32C. The average low at night in May is 57F or 1444C. It generally cools down at night in the summer due to the elevation of 1566 meters or 5150 feet above sea level. The coolest month of the year is January. The average low at night in January is 44F or 7C. The average high for the day in January is 75F or 24C. Its rainy season is June through September when it rains 6 to 10 inches per month. There is not much rain the rest of the year.
Things to Do: There are all sorts of things to do in town. As Mexico’s second largest city, there is a very active nightlife if you like live music, concerts, theatre, modern dance, etc. Plus you are only a few hours from many other fascinating places for long weekends such as Puerto Vallarta, Chapala, etc. Also, please click the above link “Old Town Walking Tour” or “Best Day Tours” to see more things to do.
Social Considerations: There are not as many expats here as a percentage of the population as other places, such as nearby San Miguel de Allende or Chapala-Ajijic. You should learn Spanish for sure if you want to have a full life. That will be necessary if you want to call this home.
Desire to Move Here: Low. The fact that the town is spread out and you need a car is a deal killer for me.
Here are my estimated costs of living one month in Guadalajara Mexico, as a temporary visitor. If you rented a furnished apartment for the month, it could be cheaper. You can rent a furnished 1 bedroom apartment ranging from about 400 to 900 USD per month depending on how modern and how close you want to be to the best areas.
If you book my recommended flights, tours (Viator Tours, GetYourGuide Tours), or accommodations, you will pay nothing extra, but we will earn a small commission.
Monthly Cost of Living, Guadalajara Mexico, Mexico ($USD)
Expense |
Cost |
Low |
Medium |
High** |
Apartment |
$20.00 |
0 |
14 |
30 |
Moderate Hotel |
$35.00 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
Backpacker Hostel |
$10.00 |
30 |
3 |
0 |
High End Restaurant |
$14.00 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
Neighborhood Restaurant |
$5.00 |
30 |
44 |
48 |
Food Cart |
$2.00 |
30 |
12 |
4 |
Subway/Train/Metro |
$0.70 |
20 |
26 |
8 |
Bus |
$0.70 |
20 |
10 |
0 |
Taxi/Uber |
$4.00 |
6 |
10 |
20 |
Total |
Per Month |
$576.00 |
$1,095.20 |
$1,045.60 |
Total |
Per Day |
$19.20 |
$36.51 |
$34.85 |
For more information about how the above “Cost of Living Monthly Multiplier” works, please visit the bottom of this page at Vagabond Buddha. The above table does not include alcohol, excursions, or extras, and it is for one person.
**The above medium cost of living is slightly more than the high cost of living because I am using a furnished apartment rental price of $600 per month. This might require you to negotiate for a period of more than one month, depending on the area.
We go to Puerto Vallarta next. Please subscribe if you would like to receive the costs of living estimates when we go there.
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This is Dan of Vagabond Buddha. Thank you for stopping by.
Warning: I am not offering you these prices. These are just my notes and estimates from the time of my visit and this post. Your costs will likely be drastically different if significant inflation or deflation occurs or the market changes after this post. I will not update these numbers until I am on the ground again here, if ever.