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: $1,539 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,587 in Seef.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,391 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,458 in Seef.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,243 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,329 in Seef.

Living in Puerto Vallarta costs roughly 3% less than in Seef, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 MX$185

$10.75 BHD 4.05

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.68 MX$814

$39.90 BHD 15.04

16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.27 MX$162

$9.43 BHD 3.56

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$3.56 MX$62.0

$5.61 BHD 2.12

-36.54%

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

$1.86 MX$32.41

$1.48 BHD 0.56

25.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.90

$0.78 BHD 0.29

61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 MX$45.49

$10.52 BHD 3.97

-75.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$74.1

$18.48 BHD 6.97

-77.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.76

$1.62 BHD 0.61

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 MX$59.6

$1.35 BHD 0.51

153.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 MX$41.02

$3.10 BHD 1.17

-24.19%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.77

$1.64 BHD 0.62

21.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 MX$193

$10.68 BHD 4.03

3.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$7.50 BHD 2.83

39.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 MX$294

$15.79 BHD 5.95

6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.93

$3.25 BHD 1.22

-26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.08

$2.29 BHD 0.86

-37.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.65

$2.51 BHD 0.94

-36.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.96

$1.90 BHD 0.71

17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 MX$39.17

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 MX$52.1

$1.36 BHD 0.51

119.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$25.79

$1.91 BHD 0.72

-22.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.30

$0.54 BHD 0.20

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.2

$2.57 BHD 0.97

63.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 MX$214

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$34.18

$3.75 BHD 1.41

-47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MX$58.8

$2.68 BHD 1.01

25.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.91 MX$278

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 MX$51.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MX$45.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MX$75.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.03

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

$14.7K MX$255.6K

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

$22.5K MX$392.7K

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

$95.1 MX$1,659

$91.3 BHD 34.43

4.17%

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

$22.99 MX$401

$23.91 BHD 9.01

-3.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.48 MX$549

$45.68 BHD 17.22

-31.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.29 MX$616

$72.9 BHD 27.47

-51.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.36 MX$233

Cinema Ticket

$8.11 MX$142

$10.58 BHD 3.99

-23.35%

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

$358 MX$6,247

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,225 MX$108.6K

$7,916 BHD 2,985

-21.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 MX$923

$31.68 BHD 11.94

67.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 MX$578

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,755

$120 BHD 45.38

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 MX$1,604

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.2K

$976 BHD 368

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 MX$11.6K

$716 BHD 270

-6.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 MX$34.7K

$2,309 BHD 871

-13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 MX$22.2K

$1,438 BHD 542

-11.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,398 MX$94.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,581 MX$45.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$15.9K

$3,327 BHD 1,254

-72.64%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Seef: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Puerto Vallarta and $976 in Seef. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 266% 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 $315 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 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 266% lower in Seef. 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: $986 in Puerto Vallarta versus $976 in Seef. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seef pay roughly 23% 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 $1,539 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,587 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 3% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.