Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Puerto Vallarta Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Puerto Vallarta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,035 in Lagos versus $1,554 in Puerto Vallarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,094 in Lagos versus $2,386 in Puerto Vallarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,153 in Lagos versus $3,217 in Puerto Vallarta.

Living in Lagos is roughly 31% more expensive than Puerto Vallarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lagos 52% above, Puerto Vallarta 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 €14.06

$10.75 MX$188

52.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 €44.70

$47.49 MX$831

9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 €7.16

$9.48 MX$166

-11.81%

Cappuccino

$2.40 €2.06

$3.50 MX$61.2

-31.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.81 MX$31.70

20.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.26 MX$21.99

31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.54

$2.68 MX$46.87

54.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.79

$4.38 MX$76.6

-25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.58 MX$27.73

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.39

$3.53 MX$61.8

-54.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.35 MX$41.18

-8.09%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.90

$1.97 MX$34.53

71.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 €10.32

$11.25 MX$197

7.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 €6.38

$10.48 MX$183

-28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 €9.66

$16.41 MX$287

-31.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.58

$2.34 MX$40.92

28.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.44 MX$25.12

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.62 MX$28.30

-9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.26 MX$39.55

22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.93

$2.21 MX$38.75

2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$3.02 MX$52.9

-21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.38

$1.49 MX$26.16

8.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.15 MX$20.20

-29.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 €5.26

$4.29 MX$75.1

43.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.54 €3.03

$11.63 MX$203

-69.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.96 MX$34.34

-23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.13

$3.34 MX$58.4

-25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.01

$0.55 MX$9.64

327.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 €35.91

$15.91 MX$278

163.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 €2.94

$2.95 MX$51.6

16.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$2.65 MX$46.38

-69.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.37 €14.87

$4.11 MX$72.0

322.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.32 MX$23.15

48.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K €29.1K

$15.0K MX$263.2K

126.31%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.9K €34.2K

$22.3K MX$390.5K

78.90%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$115 €98.9

$94.4 MX$1,652

22.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.97 €18.81

$23.67 MX$414

-7.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.71 €38.28

$31.87 MX$558

40.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.21

$36.09 MX$632

52.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.41 €24.32

$13.34 MX$233

112.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 €5.61

$8.11 MX$142

-19.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$547 €468

$355 MX$6,206

54.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,349 €6,291

$6,343 MX$111.0K

15.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 €45.37

$51.9 MX$909

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.01 €20.55

$32.89 MX$576

-27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 €61.1

$97.9 MX$1,712

-27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 €59.9

$94.3 MX$1,649

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,049

$998 MX$17.5K

22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €991

$680 MX$11.9K

70.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 €1,748

$1,967 MX$34.4K

3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 €1,898

$1,274 MX$22.3K

74.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,072 €3,486

$5,310 MX$92.9K

-23.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,040 €4,314

$2,575 MX$45.1K

95.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,313 €1,124

$999 MX$17.5K

31.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.5

-56.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lagos: April 28, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,225 in Lagos and $998 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lagos pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Lagos vs $47.00 in Puerto Vallarta. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $314, with Lagos cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lagos vs Puerto Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lagos and Puerto Vallarta differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,035 vs $1,554 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lagos pays 31% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,225 in Lagos versus $998 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lagos pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Vallarta – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Lagos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,554 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,035 in Lagos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Vallarta but tight or insufficient in Lagos. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Vallarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lagos and Puerto Vallarta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Puerto Vallarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lagos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.