Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
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Puerto Vallarta Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,635

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Vallarta and in Santiago

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 Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Puerto Vallarta $1,635
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,465 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Puerto Vallarta $2,465
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Puerto Vallarta $3,295
Santiago $2,564

Living in Puerto Vallarta is roughly 36% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Vallarta is 22% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 MX$256

$10.19 CLP 9,931

36.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 MX$1,054

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$200

$8.54 CLP 8,323

27.63%

Cappuccino

$4.06 MX$74.5

$3.19 CLP 3,115

27.27%

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

$1.95 MX$35.86

$1.68 CLP 1,637

16.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.45

$1.22 CLP 1,191

13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$56.7

$4.21 CLP 4,101

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 MX$79.7

$4.66 CLP 4,539

-6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MX$34.99

$1.32 CLP 1,283

44.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 MX$64.1

$1.80 CLP 1,756

93.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.07

$1.58 CLP 1,543

27.85%

Eggs

$2.25 MX$41.33

$4.25 CLP 4,141

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MX$182

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-11.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.00 MX$202

$6.75 CLP 6,580

62.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 MX$296

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

51.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$52.5

$2.04 CLP 1,991

40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.53 CLP 1,497

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.50

$1.59 CLP 1,549

21.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$38.99

$1.75 CLP 1,708

21.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.02

$1.08 CLP 1,051

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 MX$58.5

$1.51 CLP 1,476

111.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$25.55

$1.17 CLP 1,145

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$21.16

$1.07 CLP 1,041

7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$5.14 CLP 5,015

-12.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 MX$200

$5.88 CLP 5,732

85.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$34.42

$1.55 CLP 1,513

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 MX$49.77

$2.27 CLP 2,218

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.42

$0.85 CLP 829

-27.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.37 MX$392

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

-48.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 MX$84.4

$0.39 CLP 383

1079.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 MX$55.3

$0.84 CLP 820

258.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

-62.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.71

$1.50 CLP 1,467

4.00%

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

$21.4K MX$393.8K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

18.47%

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

$24.7K MX$453.5K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

14.31%

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

$85.6 MX$1,572

$151 CLP 147.3K

-43.33%

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

$26.25 MX$482

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

118.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.63 MX$599

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

72.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 MX$676

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

8.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 MX$279

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

29.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.75 MX$161

$7.37 CLP 7,185

18.72%

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

$328 MX$6,021

$434 CLP 423.3K

-24.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,190 MX$113.6K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

-43.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 MX$1,010

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

8.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 MX$641

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,897

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

53.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 MX$1,796

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.9K

$555 CLP 540.8K

134.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 MX$12.8K

$372 CLP 363.2K

87.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 MX$37.5K

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

102.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 MX$21.0K

$779 CLP 759.1K

47.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,090 MX$93.4K

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

90.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,598 MX$47.7K

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-0.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$948 MX$17.4K

$791 CLP 771.7K

19.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

5.39

117.07%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 3, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Vallarta

$699 43.2%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 46.7% $326

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.5%

Santiago

$236 20% 25.1% $79

Eating Out

Puerto Vallarta

$230 14.2%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 18.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Vallarta

$145 8.9%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 26% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Vallarta

$131 8.1%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 21.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 10.6% $5.8

Getting Around

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.7%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 13.8% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Vallarta pays 20% 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: $57.0 in Puerto Vallarta vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

02:54 2:54 AM

3 h ahead of Puerto Vallarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

224,166

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto Vallarta Santiago 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Vallarta
Santiago

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 Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Puerto Vallarta, 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: $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago runs roughly 94% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $328 in Puerto Vallarta versus $434 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Puerto Vallarta. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Puerto Vallarta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Puerto Vallarta and Santiago 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 Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.