# Rental costs in Guadalajara



## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

Hi, I've lived in Mexico for almost a year and am going to move in August. I haven't checked out Guadalajara yet but am looking to put it on my list because people keep saying it fits what I'm looking for in a new place.

Do any of you know the rental costs in Guadalajara or a good source for getting them? I find online ones tend to be on the high side. Also, I find that numbeo has Guadalajara rents being very low. Expatistan has them as being very high.

Specifics:
- 1 or 2 bedroom
- doesn't have to be cavernous but don't want to be claustrophoic either. Some breathing space and stretching room.
- clean, quiet, good condition
- furnished. Doesn't need to be grand by nice and comfortable
- safe neighborhood

I keep hearing about these areas: la Barranca, Tlaquepaque, Zapopan and Tonalá.

Another way of looking at this is what can you get for 6K pesos or (preferably) less per month? 

Thanks


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You are casting a very wide net. Anything you can imagine, and some you cannot, will be available in those several municipalities.


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

Then, please help me narrow it. I was told those are nice central neighborhoods. Not true? Is the below 6K for a furnished apartment doable in the nice central neighborhoods of the city?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

May I suggest that you take a look at a map and then use Google earth to check out the downtown areas of the municipalities that you have mentioned, as well as surrounding residential areas. You have asked about an area that probably contains some 6 million inhabitants.
What, exactly, are your plans? Retirement activities, volunteering, travel, city night life, shopping centers, other expats nearby, language capabilities, etc.?
Then, perhaps others will chime in with suggestions. There are members living in the Guadalajara Centro and others in other areas. I am in Chapala, to the south about an hour by car.
Your Specifics with comments:

- 1 or 2 bedroom = Very easy to find anywhere.
- doesn't have to be cavernous but don't want to be claustrophoic either. Some breathing space and stretching room. = Cavernous will not come at that price, but with our weather, you can stretch and breathe anywhere.
- clean, quiet, good condition = Generally, cleanliness is not a problem. Quiet is harder to find. All places need maintenance & it is oten done by the tenant; easier that way.
- furnished. Doesn't need to be grand by nice and comfortable = Not grand is easy, comfortable is more difficult.
- safe neighborhood = Why do all newbies always ask that question; clean and safe??? Like where, for instance? Most of us feel safer here than in most US cities & many suburbs.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Are Tlaquepaque, Tonalá and Zapopan part of Guadalajara or adjacent suburbs?


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

RVGRINGO said:


> What, exactly, are your plans?


I will most likely be working out of my home. I want to live in neighborhood that is relatively central and where I can get 80 percent of what I want done within walking distance: restaurants, grocery stores, parks, gym. 

And, if they aren't in my area, easy access via walking or public transportation to cultural activities such as museums, art galleries, live acoustic music, etc.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

boomerexpat said:


> I will most likely be working out of my home. I want to live in neighborhood that is relatively central and where I can get 80 percent of what I want done within walking distance: restaurants, grocery stores, parks, gym.
> 
> And, if they aren't in my area, easy access via walking or public transportation to cultural activities such as museums, art galleries, live acoustic music, etc.


I believe that Tundra Green lives in a neighborhood like that in central Guadalajara. Hopefully, he'll chime in soon with some comments that will be helpful to you.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Isla Verde said:


> Are Tlaquepaque, Tonalá and Zapopan part of Guadalajara or adjacent suburbs?


They are separate municipalidades, each with its own government. Any one of them would provide the services and ambiance that Boomerexpat seeks. Personally, I would prefer Tlaquepaque for slightly cleaner air and a more upscale environment, yet with affordable housing. 
Google should be his friend in finding his way around & looking at rentals. Of course, the more economical ones will not be advertized, but the excercise will be very informative.


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks Isla and RVGringo. I've been used to spending time in smaller cities in Mexico and am trying to get my head around the enormity of Guadalajara. How hard is to get via public transportation from these satellite towns to the central area where there are cultural events or do a lot of them happen in these towns?

the only other big city I checked out was DF and its central areas are pretty famous and bunched together so that was easy.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

boomerexpat said:


> Thanks Isla and RVGringo. I've been used to spending time in smaller cities in Mexico and am trying to get my head around the enormity of Guadalajara. How hard is to get via public transportation from these satellite towns to the central area where there are cultural events or do a lot of them happen in these towns?
> 
> the only other big city I checked out was DF and its central areas are pretty famous and bunched together so that was easy.


I've never been to Guadalajara, so I can't help answer these questions.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Guadalajara Centro will keep you entertained for a very long time. There are also interesting events, museums, etc. in Tlaquepaque and even in Tonala, bolth of which are easy to get to by local bus or taxi.


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

RVGRINGO said:


> Guadalajara Centro will keep you entertained for a very long time.


So, it sounds like it is best to live in one of the neighboring municipalities and commute in for main events. So, I will start checking more thoroughly into those.

Is the air much better out in these neighboring areas or about the same? The main knock I've read on Guadalajara is the inversion in the winter. Is that as bad on the outskirts?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

The winter inversion is bad in the southern barios of Guadalajara, but seldom too terrible in Centro for too long. Generally, the air is better in Tlaquepaque, a good shopping area and dining area for many Tapatios, especially on weekends. You will find rental options within a block or two of centro in Tlaquepaque.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

boomerexpat said:


> So, it sounds like it is best to live in one of the neighboring municipalities and commute in for main events. So, I will start checking more thoroughly into those.
> 
> Is the air much better out in these neighboring areas or about the same? The main knock I've read on Guadalajara is the inversion in the winter. Is that as bad on the outskirts?


The worst air is to the south towards the airport, but it is not that bad elsewhere. There is a 500 meter deep canyon on the northeast side of Guadalajara that prevents the city from spreading in that direction. Consequently the air in that direction is cleanest. In fact on the other side of the canyon, you are out in the country even though the city is just a few kilometers away. But it is not very accessible over there. You either walk down and up the canyon or drive around it.

Guadalajara Centro is the most convenient for the arts, museums, theaters, restaurants, bars, shopping, mercados, and public transit. Many, maybe most, of the bus routes are radial from the center of the city. So from there it is easy to get a bus in any direction. The center of Tlaquepaque is pretty touristy and upscale artsy craftsy. The rest of Tlaquepaque is pretty boring. The center of Zapopan is a nice spot in the evenings. The rest of Zapopan is upscale with most of the high end malls and department stores. Tonalá is known for its ceramics and furniture outlets, but there is not a lot to recommend it beyond that.

In my opinion, the only reasonable place to live in Gdl is in Centro, but not if you want a suburban life style with grass around the house, distant between neighbors and malls with acres of cars. Bugambilias is a large colonia with lots of expensive residences, many on large US style suburban lots. Providencia is another expensive colonia. The prices in the Santa Tere Mercado are higher than others because it is the closest mercado to Providencia.

If you want to live somewhat out in the country, there is a large park/forest on the west side of town, Bosque La Primavera. There are lots of subdivisions around it. But it is an hour bus ride into the center from there.


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> T
> .The center of Tlaquepaque is pretty touristy and upscale artsy craftsy. The rest of Tlaquepaque is pretty boring. In my opinion, the only reasonable place to live in Gdl is in Centro,
> 
> If you want to live somewhat out in the country, there is a large park/forest on the west side of town, Bosque La Primavera. There are lots of subdivisions around it. But it is an hour bus ride into the center from there.


Thank you for the detailed overview. Seems like the centro would make the most sense then. what streets should I use as my boundaries for checking out that area?

The two serviced apartments I found so far (seems like an easy way to get started for the first month or two) are in Tiaquepaque. Do you know of any serviced (pay by month, furnished with utilities set up) in the centro?

Bosque sounds great but my guess is 1 hour will just be too much for regular to and fro but it may be a great place for me to check out on weekends.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

boomerexpat said:


> Thank you for the detailed overview. Seems like the centro would make the most sense then. what streets should I use as my boundaries for checking out that area?
> 
> The two serviced apartments I found so far (seems like an easy way to get started for the first month or two) are in Tiaquepaque. Do you know of any serviced (pay by month, furnished with utilities set up) in the centro?
> 
> Bosque sounds great but my guess is 1 hour will just be too much for regular to and fro but it may be a great place for me to check out on weekends.


Bosque La Primavera and the Barranca (Canyon) are both great places to hike. The Barranca is more readily accessible.

For the boundaries of Centro. I would say Calzado Independencia on the east, it gets a little sketchy further east. Maestros on the north. Maybe Chapultepec or Glorieta Minerva on the west and La Paz or Niños Heroes to the south. Parque Revolución is halfway between the Cathedral and Chapultepec. The Cathedral is the true center and close to Teatro Degallado and Teatro Diana and museums. Chapultepec is the hub of night light on Friday and Saturday evenings. I am undoubtedly biased but when I looked for a place, I started at Parque Revolución and branched out from there. It is at the corner of Vallarta/Juarez/Javier Mina (one street, three names) and Federalismo.

There are lots of signs for rentals on telephone poles and occasionally on buildings.

If you come to town, we could get together for coffee or a beer. I could go on about the city for longer than you will want to listen.


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> If you come to town, we could get together for coffee or a beer. I could go on about the city for longer than you will want to listen.


Tundra, very helpful and I would like to take you up on meeting. I haven't figured out the schedule but I think I'll be there later next week. Let me treat you to a bite to eat and let's do a walking conversation, if you don't mind. I find it very informative to walk around while getting an local's insider's take on a city. If not, I'm more than willing to pick your brain while sitting.


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## Adveyesr (Jun 11, 2014)

We lived in Jardines Alcalde just 2 blocks north of Parque Amarillo off of Juan Zubaran. It is just northeast of the intersection of Av Alcalde and Circunvalacion. About a 15 min taxi ride north of centro. It was a 3 bedroom home for right at 6,500 pesos/mo, but I get the sense that we probably overpaid a bit. The house was unfurnished and shared a wall on each side with the houses next door, had no back yard, only a small patch of grass in front which is extremely common in GDL. It did have a roof top area with a maid’s quarters (so technically a 4 bedroom). We hung our laundry to dry up on the roof and could have used it for a patio like area had we decided to stay longer. 
There are numerous parks in the area, so that is where you would go to “breathe and stretch”. There was a large park less than 3 blocks away from where we lived that had a community pool, basketball courts, soccer fields, huge playground for kids and a jogging track that went all the way around the park. It cost 4 or 5 pesos to get in each time, but it was worth it to have a place to run where you didn’t have to worry about the traffic. A tall person like me couldn’t run on the sidewalks because of how narrow they were and all the low hanging tree branches. The parks are the social hubs of the neighborhoods where everyone goes in the evenings. There were virtually no gringos in this neighborhood, so you would get the full cultural experience. Within easy walking distance there were restaurants (even a Pizza Hut), a couple coffee shops, a couple ice cream parlors, fruit and vegetable markets, several meat markets, hair dressers, hardware store, pet store, several abarrotes, internet cafes, a papeleria, tortilleria…etc. If you eat like a local, there would be no need whatsoever for a car. Many people had small restaurants as part of their home that they would open for the evening meal only. Places like this is where you find the most amazing food! There was also a Sorianna about a 10 min walk away as well as a couple banks, dance studios, as well as a gym. Even with a family of 6, we rarely used our car. You also have street vendors walking up and down the streets selling anything from pillows to steamed bananas, bread…etc. As far as safe, there is no such thing anymore. Look at the school shootings in the U.S., we had some violence in our neighborhood in GDL and the neighbors had meetings to discuss and bolster the local neighborhood watch program. We also had many of our Mexican neighbors give us advice and help watch out for our family. The best thing you can do is be respectful of your neighbors and their culture, make an effort to humbly learn Spanish and get to know them, they will help watch out for you and/or give you great advice about what to do and what not to do.
Public transportation is not a problem in GDL, there are buses EVERYWHERE! Not to mention gazillions of taxis. You are never more than a couple blocks from a bus route. There’s also the Macrobus that is the big long bus with dedicated lanes where it can travel without incurring traffic delays. It goes down Independencia from Parque Mirador in the north all the way to Centro. Right off the Macrobus line in Centro there was a Wal-Mart and a Sears. Interesting though, in the US, Sears is kind of a discount/value store…in GDL is was considered upscale and things were not necessarily cheap!
Zapopan is really nice, so my guess is you will pay more than 6,000 pesos/mo month, but don’t know for sure. Zapopan has more of the US stuff like KFC, Applebee’s, Outback, Starbucks a huge Wal-Mart, and a really, really nice outdoor type mall with the real expensive department stores like Gucci, Coach, and the like.
Tlaquepaque is also nice, although it seemed like the historic/art district was the nicest and the surrounding neighborhoods were normal Mexican neighborhoods where you could probably find a place for the 6,000 pesos/mo. There were some very nice art galleries and upscale restaurants in the downtown historic district. 
Hope this helps….


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## boomerexpat (Jan 11, 2013)

Everything I read and hear about Guadalajara makes it seem like a great place. From what I can gather, it seems like the most well-rounded place in Mexico: cultural activities, good medical, variety of food, access to nature, interesting people, and architecture.

The only downside I can see to it from a distance, and it is a big one, is the horrible pollution in the winter. It is rated as one of the worst on the planet. I wonder if they will improve that any time soon like, to a significant degree, they did Mexico City?


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## Adveyesr (Jun 11, 2014)

The pollution is probably the result of the dry season coupled with so, so many busses. There are also many, many cars and taxis, so unless they had some kind of clean fuel busses, not sure how they would improve it. When the rains come, the air did seem a lot clearer. It is also a challenge keeping the floors in the house clean. You had to mop everyday and even then your feet would be black. 

The coast of Oaxaca is also beautiful, lots of cultural things, medical is not so good, the people just as interesting, however no real architecture to speak of other than the churches in each community. Although a much more relaxed and slow pace of life than GDL. Puerto Escondido was beautiful in a rustic sort of way.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Adveyesr said:


> The pollution is probably the result of the dry season coupled with so, so many busses. There are also many, many cars and taxis, so unless they had some kind of clean fuel busses, not sure how they would improve it. When the rains come, the air did seem a lot clearer. It is also a challenge keeping the floors in the house clean. You had to mop everyday and even then your feet would be black.
> 
> The coast of Oaxaca is also beautiful, lots of cultural things, medical is not so good, the people just as interesting, however no real architecture to speak of other than the churches in each community. Although a much more relaxed and slow pace of life than GDL. Puerto Escondido was beautiful in a rustic sort of way.


It is definitely worse in the dry season. The air is not hazy as much as there is a bit of grit and soot.


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## zainfidel (Jul 7, 2014)

TundraGreen said:


> Bosque La Primavera and the Barranca (Canyon) are both great places to hike. The Barranca is more readily accessible.
> 
> For the boundaries of Centro. I would say Calzado Independencia on the east, it gets a little sketchy further east. Maestros on the north. Maybe Chapultepec or Glorieta Minerva on the west and La Paz or Niños Heroes to the south. Parque Revolución is halfway between the Cathedral and Chapultepec. The Cathedral is the true center and close to Teatro Degallado and Teatro Diana and museums. Chapultepec is the hub of night light on Friday and Saturday evenings. I am undoubtedly biased but when I looked for a place, I started at Parque Revolución and branched out from there. It is at the corner of Vallarta/Juarez/Javier Mina (one street, three names) and Federalismo.
> 
> ...


I just moved to town yesterday. Would love to meet up for a beer to discuss living in the GDL, if the offer still stands. Let me know the best way to contact you. Thanks!


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