# Lake Chapala versus David Panama



## karristreet (Apr 1, 2018)

We've visited Ajijic this past January & Spent a month in Panama as well. We'd love to hear from someone who's also visited both places.

What are the pros and cons that you've experienced? 

We are in bracket around $3,000.00 USA per month, and of course like everyone want our retirement dollar to go as far as possible.

Thanks for your feedback.

K & D


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Never been or heard of David Panama but when I was looking for a place to retire in Mexico some of my criteria was weather and time to return to San Francisco CA in case of an emergency...I picked a small coastal town north of Puerto Vallarta because the weather was a little cooler than Merida but the main reason was the 3+ hours direct flight...Now after 11 years I am relocating to the same elevation as Lake Chapala and close to GDL for non-stop flights to SFO...Here is a comparision of these 2 factors:

David Panama......................Lake Chapala
day high =86℉....................78℉
nite lows =74℉....................61℉
chance rain=45%..................76%
humidity = 100%..................0%

Flight examples:
non-stop fly= 10H30M PTY to SFO/ $616.........
non-stop fly =4H5M GDL to SFO/ $229.............Hope this helps.


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## costaricamex (Jul 7, 2017)

I’ve been to both places although not lived there. I am not sure when you say Panama but then mention specifically David as a place to consider living in?

Maybe you mean Boquete Panama which is close to David and has many ex-pats and better climate with higher altitude?

Anyway as chicoise8 has pointed out David temp and humidity is high. Internet says high of 91 today in David and 79 in Ajijic today.

As for the 3K a month you should have no problem living in either place for that amount. Depends on how much luxury you want but that is a good budget.

I would suggest what many others here would also suggest is to do your homework and then if you have narrowed down these two locations go and rent for a while and try to find expats maybe to find out more details of day to day living and healthcare etc.

Personally I thought David was basically a very hot place with little culture and history and mainly a regional hub city for shopping and transport. 

I much prefer Mexico for better food, cheaper a bit than Panama and as pointed out transport time and cost better and faster.

Good luck wherever you end up. Just take it easy before making long term commitments.


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## rmajijic (Jul 15, 2017)

I was in David and Boquete back in around 2007/08 and settled in Lake Chapala in 2013 where I currently reside. David was nothing special as the other poster mentioned but it may have changed. Boquete, I didn't like because the clouds came in the afternoon and the drizzle started, not to mention the town itself was nothing special at all. (at least back then)
Lake Chapala has so much going for it including an incredible climate, close to the major international airport, better restaurants, amenities, etc that is is really hard to beat as a retirement destination. BTY, $3000 per month in Lake Chapala gives you lots of clearance even for a couple but depends too if you buy or rent as you can easily spend over $1000 on rent alone.
You can PM me if you have questions about Lake Chapala


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

rmajijic said:


> …as you can easily spend over $1000 on rent alone.
> You can PM me if you have questions about Lake Chapala


$1000 usd is currently around $18,000 mxn. I don't know the Chapala rental market at all, but in Guadalajara that amount of money would rent two or three modern apartments.


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## rmajijic (Jul 15, 2017)

I don't keep track of the rental market in Guad but I am sure you are right Tundra Green. Rents here are high and have been going higher with increased demand. Long term rentals are a bit better (if you can find something) and you can get reasonable places for $750-800 (nicer places are over $1000) but the days of $400-500 are generally gone. Of course it all depends on the accommodations themselves and how close to Ajijic you are.


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## hyracer (Aug 14, 2011)

rmajijic said:


> I don't keep track of the rental market in Guad but I am sure you are right Tundra Green. Rents here are high and have been going higher with increased demand. Long term rentals are a bit better (if you can find something) and you can get reasonable places for $750-800 (nicer places are over $1000) but the days of $400-500 are generally gone. Of course it all depends on the accommodations themselves and how close to Ajijic you are.


I would say that is correct, Ajijic is where most things happen and demands higher rent prices. Living a few miles away in Chapala or a few miles further in the opposite direction toward Jocotopec you'll find cheaper rent prices. However I would recommend having a car if you didn't live in or close to Ajijic proper. My wife and I walk or take the bus as we live in Ajijic (taxis are cheap too). But if we were forced to move because of the ever spiraling rental/housing market then we feel we'd need a car.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

You can live in Ajijic without a car but I sure would not do it , I would feel pretty trapped.. unlike San Cristobal de las Casas where I do not beed a car as the public transportation is great. In Ajijic the shopping areas are in various parts of town and the bus system is ok but not really great and the cabs have to be ordered rather than hailed on the street.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

It's a nice thought to plan car-lessness, but when you consider the challenges of getting things done without one, second thoughts are likely to appear. The best cars for getting around the narrow streets in the various towns around Lake Chapala are the small ones. Not great for a big road trip, but less expensive to buy and maintain.

Your budget is very doable and you should be able to find a nice rental for under $1,000 US in this area. That depends on your needs, of course.

I recommend the Lake Chapala area as a starting point because of the many amenities, the weather and the variety of activities available.


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## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

Unless you have a serious Aversion to Mexico ,over all the bad reputation it gets, David in Panama is a boring place but can work for you. Not on the beach, not in the hills, just enough development to survive and maybe Boquete nearby to beat the heat if you can easily find a good place to settle in.

A world of difference ,between any country in Central America and Mexico.
Including south America in the comparison. 

After wandering every country on Central America(except EL Salvador), also time in Peru and Ecuador, Mexico has solved all my inconveniences with the other places.

Number one being all the options Mexico has. Mexico seems to have more options than all of central America combined. You can get way back in the hills in a one Donkey town where the only thing that chages is the cars going by, or find so many cities and so many very decent beach options. 

Lake Chapala is likely the best way to beat the summer heat. 
David is hot and it gets really hot down there between January and March.

If you can afford just one move or don’t have time for trial and error wandering, make it Mexico unless you just have something against Mexico. Maybe all the danger stories?

I can say i have been to 22 countres now but in my mind there is no honest bragging for me when i recall and still suffer from residual effects of having endured some of the countries i wish i had never gone to. I wish i had been to fewer countries or maybe chose other places. Good thing is i don’t ever have to go back to them and i removed all doubt about why to never return.

Panama is my favorite in Central America, but Mexico is a whole other world and beats the climate options, commerce options, ease of travel to and from USA or Canada, so easy to drive my car to Mexico, every Mexican city or major town has a Walmart, mall, autozone and more from USA name brands.
Central America, has maybe still only one walmart, the one in San Jose Costa rica. Maybe they added another in Panama by now, but Mexico has been way ahead since before Central America got even its first Walmart. 

I am not a huge fan of Walmart but it ends up being essential to me once a month. 
In mexico it goes as far as Sam’s club and Costco. I was in Sears at the mall in Mexico yesterday. And they had Pier One imports inside. 

Mexico is Huge with more area than all of central America combined. So there is more ground to cover for options, in Mexico than there is in all of Central America.
Way more beach options in Mexico and across a lot of climate zones. From True desert to true jungle with Jaguars and such. Crocodiles in the fresh water in my area. 
And you can have semi cold winters up north in the desert if you like(no snow) -sweltering jungle summers or dry searing desert summers.

Winter months in Mexico is world class paradise weather from Mazatlan downward. I exclude North of Mazatlan because Hermosillo can have more than just a few winter days that are too chilly for tropical feel. Especially with such frequent polar vortex dips these days. Paradise to me, means no doubt that every single day is warm enough to dip in the beach water. 

Also, not as much rain going on in Mexico depending on where you go, but as i said, the options for easy goodbye to rainy days... are in Mexico. 

If you want to make one trip and not waste time, settle for Mexico. 
From Mexico, you can always wander into Belize or Guatemala to get a feel for deeper down the line. 
I took a bus from Panama city all the way to Managua Nicaragua and stayed 6 months there and then did the same bus liner as return trip to Panama. Then went back to nicaragua for another year.
I made adventure trips to Honduras and Costa Rica during that year in Central America. Keeping my eye always on what the options for everyday living were. Quite dull and limited compared to Mexico and i am a simple routine kind of person. Every category of Options dwindles very far down outside of the few major cities in Central America. 
Mexico is not like that. There is a whole lot going on all over and there are more major cities in Mexico than in all of Central America. Mexico city alone has the population of Panama, Costarica, Nicaragua and more, combined. And more development in Mexico city than in all the major cities of those countries combined. 

The bus Line i took from Panama to Nicaragua was Tica Bus. Not so great but was the best of the options then. It runs from Panama city all the way to southern Mexico where you can get many other bus options to other parts of Mexico. About a 4-5 day trip and each major city stop has a hotel to spend the night in the bus station. Very secure and fenced in with very high walls. The bus station hotels let you spread a grueling 4 day ride into a a week or longer if you want. Gives a chance to tour each city along the way. 

Good info if you decide you need to go to panama to see what you are Not missing. 
I like Panama city and worth the visit but i do not like to live in big cities other than clean USA cities with air polution monitoring and control.

Also flights to Panama. Panama is the Central American Hub airport, so flights to Panama from Mexico, should be cheap. If you really have to go to panama to see what you are Not missing.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Just this comment: Weather is such a large consideration since you are stuck in it 24/7/365. If it weren't, I'd be living at the beach instead of inland. As it is, I get my "beach fix" in January.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

lagoloo said:


> Just this comment: Weather is such a large consideration since you are stuck in it 24/7/365. If it weren't, I'd be living at the beach instead of inland. As it is, I get my "beach fix" in January.



After 11 years living in a beach town just north of Puerto Vallarta I sold it and am moving to a beautiful little valley at about 4000' elevation where it is spring time every day...


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

chicois8 said:


> After 11 years living in a beach town just north of Puerto Vallarta I sold it and am moving to a beautiful little valley at about 4000' elevation where it is spring time every day...


Where, where.... tell us where!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Oconahua, jalisco..maybe?


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Very observant citali...


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Yes, certainly more observant that I!!!

There must be a story here Chico. Wanna share how one ends up at the ‘end of the road’ probably far away from any English speaking expats?

Being the curious type, I came across this..... http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3473-the-tecpan-of-ocomo-largest-indigenous-palace-in-mesoamerica


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Thanks for that. Fascinating story.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

RickS, close...It was this article that caught my interest in first place wanting to visit this area:
The remarkable road to San Marcos, Jalisco : Mexico Travel


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RickS said:


> Yes, certainly more observant that I!!!
> 
> There must be a story here Chico. Wanna share how one ends up at the ‘end of the road’ probably far away from any English speaking expats?
> 
> Being the curious type, I came across this..... The Tecpan of Ocomo: largest indigenous palace in Mesoamerica : Mexico History


The article doesn't mention Xuachimontones, just outside the village of Teuchitlan. This archeological site is famous for its round pyramid bases and was also discovered by Phil Wiegand. It is right on the way from Guadalajara to Etzatlan and Oconohua as described in the article.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

TG, we are not being observant, if you looked at the link I posted and looked between the La Vega walkway and the Obsidian Mines you would have seen this paragraph:

The circular pyramids of Teuchitlán
Turn right just beyond the Pemex station, at 12.7 kilometers, to enter Teuchitlán. Thanks to some 40 years of hard work on the part of archeologist Phil Weigand and his Art Historian wife Acelia, we can now peek into the lives and works of the amazing civilization that ruled western Mexico two millennia ago. The Teuchitlán museum in the town houses replicas of 2000 year-old clay models showing everyday folk enjoying life around the unique Guachimontones or circular pyramids which were the trademark of their civilization. To see the restored pyramids themselves, head north out of town a kilometer and a half and soak up the area's good vibrations. Don't miss the ball court. In its day, it was the biggest one in Mesoamerica.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

chicois8 said:


> TG, we are not being observant, if you looked at the link I posted and looked between the La Vega walkway and the Obsidian Mines you would have seen this paragraph:


Good point. It was mentioned in the article you linked but not in the one RickS posted and that I responded to. With the two, I probably was redundant in pointing them out.


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