Guadalajara

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

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