Living in Jalisco as a Foreigner: Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Lake Chapala

Jalisco is the home of mariachi and tequila, and it offers very different lifestyles within a few hours' drive. Guadalajara is a large, modern metro area with a strong technology and manufacturing sector, universities, and hospitals. Lake Chapala, about an hour south, has one of the oldest and largest communities of US and Canadian retirees in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific, draws beach lovers, seasonal residents, and remote workers.

Most foreigners who settle here use temporary residency based on income or savings, or permanent residency for retirees. If you are planning retirement, start with retiring in Mexico.

Note that the towns just north of Puerto Vallarta, including Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías, and Sayulita, are in the neighboring state of Nayarit, not Jalisco. That affects which INM office serves you and which state's travel advice applies.

• Guadalajara and Lake Chapala sit at about 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Winters are mild and sunny, the hottest and driest months are usually April and May, and the rainy season runs roughly June to September.
• Puerto Vallarta and the coast are tropical. Winters are warm and dry, which is the high season for visitors. Summers are hot and humid, with heavy rain. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30.
• The highlands (Tapalpa, Mazamitla) are cooler, with cold winter nights.

Costs vary more by area than by state:

• Guadalajara is usually less expensive than central Mexico City for comparable housing, with a wide range from working-class districts to upscale Zapopan.
• Lake Chapala has become more expensive as demand from foreigners grew, and some services are priced for them, but many residents still find it cheaper than coastal resort towns.
• Puerto Vallarta is the most expensive part of the state for housing. Rents rise in the winter high season, and many listings in tourist areas are quoted in US dollars.

See the cost of living guide and renting in Mexico. We do not list prices because they change quickly and vary by neighborhood.

• Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) sits south of the city, on the road to Lake Chapala. It has flights to many US cities and connections across Mexico. From Ajijic it is usually a 30 to 45 minute drive.
• Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) is in the north of the city, near Marina Vallarta, with many seasonal flights from the US and Canada in winter.
• Between cities: comfortable long-distance buses link Guadalajara, Chapala, and Puerto Vallarta. The drive from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta takes several hours through the mountains.
• Inside Guadalajara: light rail lines, bus rapid transit, city buses, and ride-hailing apps. Many foreign residents at Lake Chapala and in Puerto Vallarta own a car.

If you drive a foreign-plated car from the US or Canada, you need a temporary vehicle import permit. Once you are a resident, read about driver's licenses and Mexican plates.

Guadalajara is one of Mexico's main medical centers. Private hospitals include Hospital San Javier, Hospital Puerta de Hierro in Zapopan, and Hospital Real San José, and the city has several medical schools. Lake Chapala has clinics, pharmacies, and small private facilities, and residents travel to Guadalajara for specialists and surgery. Puerto Vallarta has private hospitals that serve residents and tourists, with some complex cases referred to Guadalajara.

Legal residents can apply for voluntary IMSS health insurance, which is low cost but has waiting periods and excludes some pre-existing conditions. Many foreigners also buy private health insurance.

Conditions vary widely across the state. Read both governments' advice, which is organized by state:

• US State Department travel advisory for Mexico: read the Jalisco entry.
• Government of Canada travel advice for Mexico: as of its September 17, 2026 update, Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel within 50 km of Jalisco's border with Michoacán, excluding Mazamitla and the area around Lake Chapala. Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta are not in that regional warning, and the country-wide advice is to exercise a high degree of caution.

Advisories change, so check them again before you sign a lease. See our safety guide.

Most people get a residency visa at a Mexican consulate first. Check whether you qualify with the solvency calculator. After you arrive, you have 30 days to start the canje, and INM says you must use the office that covers your home address.

INM lists weekday morning hours. Ask your office whether it handles your specific procedure, such as renewals or a work permit, or whether it sends the file to Guadalajara.

Yes, but the rules depend on location. Mexico's Constitution reserves the restricted zone, land within 50 km of the coast or 100 km of a border, from direct foreign ownership.

• Puerto Vallarta and the whole coast are in the restricted zone. Foreigners buy homes through a bank trust (fideicomiso). See buying property with a fideicomiso.
• Guadalajara and Lake Chapala are outside it. You can hold title directly after signing an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).

In every case a notary public (notario público) formalizes the sale. Avoid land that is still communal ejido land unless it has been properly converted; see ejido land.