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: $2,126 in Lagos versus $1,766 in Puerto Vallarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,256 in Lagos versus $2,686 in Puerto Vallarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,386 in Lagos versus $3,607 in Puerto Vallarta.

Living in Lagos is roughly 20% more expensive than in Puerto Vallarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lagos 55% above, Puerto Vallarta 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.87

$14.61 MX$252

16.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €50.2

$61.1 MX$1,053

-5.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 €7.16

$11.65 MX$201

-29.44%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.40

$4.31 MX$74.3

-36.19%

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

$1.61 €1.41

$2.04 MX$35.25

-21.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.50 MX$25.87

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.96

$3.20 MX$55.2

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.97

$4.48 MX$77.3

-23.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.98

$2.04 MX$35.24

-45.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.13

$3.69 MX$63.6

-64.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$2.24 MX$38.58

-27.68%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.38

$2.59 MX$44.71

49.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.00 €15.69

$10.06 MX$173

78.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 €7.17

$12.63 MX$218

-34.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 €13.65

$18.24 MX$315

-14.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 €2.49

$2.88 MX$49.64

-1.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.57 MX$27.07

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.20

$1.94 MX$33.47

29.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.33

$2.16 MX$37.29

23.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.21 MX$38.16

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.27 MX$56.4

-35.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.70 MX$29.37

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.34

$1.25 MX$21.60

-68.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 €5.45

$4.68 MX$80.8

33.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €5.89

$12.35 MX$213

-45.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.44

$2.06 MX$35.49

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.19

$3.11 MX$53.6

-19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.62 MX$10.73

172.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.13 €30.63

$22.45 MX$387

56.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 €5.07

$4.47 MX$77.1

29.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.92

$2.83 MX$48.87

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.27 €15.05

$4.80 MX$82.8

259.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.60 MX$27.51

26.87%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.9K MX$394.7K

49.00%

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

$37.4K €32.6K

$26.1K MX$450.6K

43.18%

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

$152 €132

$133 MX$2,298

14.00%

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

$21.84 €19.04

$33.72 MX$581

-35.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.10 €34.95

$35.00 MX$604

14.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 €48.21

$40.88 MX$705

35.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.55 €24.89

$15.79 MX$272

80.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 €5.68

$9.72 MX$168

-33.02%

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

$555 €484

$375 MX$6,470

48.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,858

$6,300 MX$108.6K

79.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 €74.1

$59.3 MX$1,022

43.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.97 €40.94

$36.69 MX$633

28.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 €66.0

$109 MX$1,879

-30.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.1

$102 MX$1,759

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,038

$1,440 MX$24.8K

-17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €967

$736 MX$12.7K

50.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,534 €2,209

$2,172 MX$37.4K

16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$1,270 MX$21.9K

60.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,029 €3,512

$5,350 MX$92.2K

-24.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,042 €4,395

$2,577 MX$44.4K

95.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,288 €1,122

$941 MX$16.2K

36.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

11.7

-69.74%

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

Last update for Lagos: September 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,190 in Lagos and $1,440 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lagos pays 37% 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: $58.0 in Lagos vs $61.0 in Puerto Vallarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $343 per month, with Lagos cheaper across the board.

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 20% in total monthly costs ($2,126 vs $1,766 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Lagos, 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: $1,190 in Lagos versus $1,440 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lagos pay roughly 22% 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 $61.0 versus $58.0 in Lagos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,766 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,126 in Lagos, a $2,500 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 20% less than in Lagos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.