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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,572 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,589 in Seef.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,437 in Seef.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,255 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,284 in Seef.

Living in Puerto Vallarta costs roughly 1% less than in Seef, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 17% above, Seef 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$10.59 BHD 3.99

1.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 MX$808

$39.56 BHD 14.91

19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 MX$162

$9.74 BHD 3.67

-2.77%

Cappuccino

$3.49 MX$59.9

$5.65 BHD 2.13

-38.23%

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

$1.85 MX$31.81

$1.47 BHD 0.56

25.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$21.08

$0.78 BHD 0.29

57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$45.74

$10.41 BHD 3.92

-74.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MX$75.6

$18.53 BHD 6.98

-76.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.88

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 MX$60.6

$1.36 BHD 0.51

159.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 MX$41.81

$3.12 BHD 1.18

-21.79%

Eggs

$1.97 MX$33.73

$1.55 BHD 0.59

27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 MX$197

$10.51 BHD 3.96

9.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 MX$182

$7.78 BHD 2.93

36.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.53 MX$284

$15.61 BHD 5.88

5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 MX$39.91

$3.20 BHD 1.21

-27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.68

$2.18 BHD 0.82

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.31

$2.56 BHD 0.96

-35.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.78

$1.80 BHD 0.68

25.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.94

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 MX$52.8

$1.36 BHD 0.51

125.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$25.17

$1.91 BHD 0.72

-23.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.67

$0.55 BHD 0.21

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$72.4

$2.72 BHD 1.03

55.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 MX$209

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$33.54

$3.89 BHD 1.47

-49.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MX$58.3

$2.63 BHD 0.99

29.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.59 MX$268

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MX$50.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 MX$47.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 MX$73.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.93

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

$14.6K MX$249.9K

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

$22.6K MX$387.2K

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

$96.1 MX$1,650

$90.5 BHD 34.12

6.20%

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

$22.93 MX$394

$24.34 BHD 9.17

-5.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.76 MX$545

$46.05 BHD 17.36

-31.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.67 MX$612

$73.4 BHD 27.68

-51.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.06 MX$224

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 MX$139

$10.81 BHD 4.08

-25.07%

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

$356 MX$6,108

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,399 MX$109.8K

$7,833 BHD 2,952

-18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 MX$921

$32.22 BHD 12.14

66.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.14 MX$586

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MX$1,710

$121 BHD 45.70

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 MX$1,574

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.7K

$969 BHD 365

0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$11.5K

$725 BHD 273

-7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 MX$34.1K

$2,370 BHD 893

-16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,478 BHD 557

-13.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,276 MX$90.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,559 MX$43.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,001 MX$17.2K

$3,343 BHD 1,260

-70.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: June 6, 2026

Last update for Seef: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Puerto Vallarta and $969 in Seef. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 234% 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: $47.00 in Puerto Vallarta vs $40.00 in Seef for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $256 per month, with Seef 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

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

Puerto Vallarta is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Seef earns 234% less. 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: $973 in Puerto Vallarta versus $969 in Seef. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seef pay roughly 24% 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 $40.00 in Seef. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,572 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,589 in Seef, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Vallarta but tight or insufficient in Seef. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Vallarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Puerto Vallarta and Seef 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 1% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.