Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City

For one person, living costs are similar in Puerto Vallarta and in Mexico City: $1,602 and $1,567 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
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Puerto Vallarta Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,602

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Vallarta and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Vallarta and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Puerto Vallarta $1,602
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,430 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Puerto Vallarta $2,430
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,259 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Puerto Vallarta $3,259
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Puerto Vallarta is roughly 2% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 19% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 MX$252

$10.75 MX$199

26.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 MX$1,076

$50.3 MX$929

15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 MX$206

$11.10 MX$205

0.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 MX$78.2

$3.68 MX$68.1

14.95%

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

$1.86 MX$34.43

$1.65 MX$30.42

12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$25.59

$1.30 MX$24.08

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MX$54.1

$3.32 MX$61.3

-11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 MX$78.3

$5.54 MX$102

-23.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MX$33.17

$1.77 MX$32.68

1.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 MX$64.9

$3.05 MX$56.4

15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$2.01 MX$37.20

-0.50%

Eggs

$2.20 MX$40.72

$2.77 MX$51.1

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$185

$11.91 MX$220

-15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 MX$203

$9.33 MX$172

17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 MX$302

$15.02 MX$278

8.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$54.2

$3.08 MX$56.8

-4.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.99

$1.95 MX$35.97

-22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.88

$2.03 MX$37.54

-4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$39.43

$2.21 MX$40.92

-3.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.26

$2.02 MX$37.41

18.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 MX$58.5

$1.82 MX$33.67

74.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$25.73

$1.52 MX$28.07

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$20.97

$1.28 MX$23.65

-11.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.5

$5.27 MX$97.4

-18.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$206

$16.12 MX$298

-30.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$34.64

$1.95 MX$36.05

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$47.63

$4.25 MX$78.6

-39.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.54

$0.31 MX$5.82

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.79 MX$403

$19.85 MX$367

9.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MX$88.4

$2.00 MX$36.93

139.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 MX$56.9

$0.53 MX$9.86

481.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 MX$78.8

$5.62 MX$104

-24.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.63

$1.52 MX$28.07

1.97%

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

$21.5K MX$396.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

2.07%

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

$24.0K MX$443.2K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-4.75%

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

$85.7 MX$1,583

$62.5 MX$1,155

37.11%

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

$25.48 MX$471

$28.77 MX$532

-11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.81 MX$588

$34.45 MX$637

-7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 MX$679

$57.1 MX$1,055

-35.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 MX$276

$24.81 MX$458

-39.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 MX$161

$6.67 MX$123

31.03%

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

$335 MX$6,187

$431 MX$7,964

-22.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,188 MX$114.3K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-47.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MX$1,008

$70.8 MX$1,308

-22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 MX$638

$51.8 MX$958

-33.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,893

$109 MX$2,011

-5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 MX$1,755

$112 MX$2,076

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$24.2K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 MX$12.7K

$665 MX$12.3K

3.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 MX$38.2K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 MX$20.4K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-9.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,117 MX$94.6K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

44.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 MX$47.0K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

28.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$16.8K

$975 MX$18.0K

-6.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

11.3

3.54%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Vallarta

$687 42.9%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 3.1% $22

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 2.2% $7.1

Eating Out

Puerto Vallarta

$229 14.3%

Mexico City

$203 13% 11.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Vallarta

$143 8.9%

Mexico City

$126 8% 12.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Vallarta

$129 8.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 20% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 29.9% $16

Getting Around

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.8%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 42% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Puerto Vallarta vs $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $323, with Puerto Vallarta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

Same time as Puerto Vallarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

224,166

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto Vallarta Mexico City 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Vallarta
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Puerto Vallarta vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,602 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 10% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $335 in Puerto Vallarta versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto Vallarta. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.