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Our Puerto Vallarta budget for four weeks of travel… This includes the cash we brought down, the exact amount we spent on food and groceries, and what to budget for accommodation in Puerto Vallarta.
To be completely honest, we did not think visiting Puerto Vallarta would be this expensive. Especially after we lived off of $25 a day including flights and all transportation in South America. Anywho.. let’s dive in.
Our Puerto Vallarta Budget Explained
We visited Puerto Vallarta for six weeks starting June 6th to July 14th, however, a chunk of that time was spent at a timeshare with family. The following is a list of all our expenses during our time in Puerto Vallarta, minus the resort stay with family.
Keep in mind, when we visited it was in the low season, so prices for things like transportation, accommodation, and flights to Puerto Vallarta were all much cheaper than other times of the year.
Traveling to Puerto Vallarta on a budget is easy. It’s also very easy to spend a ton of money in Puerto Vallarta. We could have definitely spent less on our trip, had we booked places in advance, if we weren’t looking for good wifi, and if we rationed our taco intake!
Sometimes we travel and think about every penny we spend. This time, we went in aware of the money we were spending, but also knew we were getting paid for some of our travel, and had just sold most of our belongings, giving us a nice travel budget as well.
At the end of this post, we share the exact amount of money we spent and what we recommend for a Puerto Vallarta Budget.
Puerto Vallarta Budget For Accommodation
When booking accommodation for Puerto Vallarta, it’s best to do it in advance. Originally, when we decided to head to Mexico for 5 weeks, we were looking at rooms that were $10-$15 USD per night.
However, because we didn’t jump on those prices and book in advance, the prices actually went up.. nearly double in some cases. This was a major misfortune, as we ended up spending way more on accommodation than originally planned — a major extra cost we didn’t really plan for.
First Seven Nights in 5 de Diciembre
(June 6th – June 13) = $228.02 USD ($4,551.77 Mexican Pesos)
Using AirBnB, we booked a week at a place that had solid reviews for good wifi and a great rooftop terrace. We wanted to stay in one place for the entire first week to be able to get our feet underneath us after a whirlwind of moving out of our rental, and also just so we could spend some time working.
Accommodation could have been found for cheaper for this time, however, we needed good wifi and wanted AC.. so we spent a bit more.
Three Nights in 5 de Diciembre Closer to Beach
(June 13th – June 16th) = $100.87 USD ($2,013.58 Mexican Pesos)
Again, using AirBnB we booked three more nights in the main area of Puerto Vallarta. We wanted to actually explore the area more, and maybe even get in the ocean each day without having to hike five minutes up a steep hill back to our accommodation.
Again, this accommodation could have been cheaper if we weren’t looking for good wifi and AC for our stay.
A Week in Boca de Tomatlan
(June 16th – June 23rd) = $171.42 USD ($3,421.91 Mexican Pesos)
For this week, we wanted to get out of the city and experience some more of the real Mexican Culture. Boca de Tomatlan is a place just south of Puerto Vallarta that is close to great beaches, has water taxis taking you up and down the beach, and is more of a fishing village vibe.
We chose to stay here for a week due to the many small beaches with snorkeling in the area to explore. The week-long stay gave us a discount, so that was a big perk of staying for the seven days.
11 Days at a Timeshare with Family in Nuevo Vallarta
(June 23rd – July 4th) = Free
Our family has a timeshare at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, and joining them on their trip there was why we ended up coming to Mexico this time around. The expenses for accommodation at the timeshare were zero for us, as it’s something our family pays for throughout the year.
6 Days in Bucerias
(July 4th – July 10th) = $180.76 USD ($3,734.69 Mexican Pesos)
After looking at places to stay in Sayulita and San Pancho and seeing the reviews weren’t great for the places within our budget, we chose to stay in Bucerias and just take the bus to those beach areas up north.
The place we stayed was right around $30 a night after all the taxes and fees.. so a bit more than we were hoping to spend. However, this place was great. We had an infinity pool, great wifi, and amazing AC!
Last 4 Nights in Puerto Vallarta
(July 10th – July 14th) = $110.70 USD ($2,286.78 Mexican Pesos)
The last four nights of our stay in Puerto Vallarta, we chose a flat in the hotel zone of the city. This meant that we were closer to the airport, but a bit further away from downtown.
In all honestly, while we had some great tacos in the neighborhood we stayed in, and it offered us a better idea of how to use the public transportation in Puerto Vallarta, we actually wished we stayed downtown.
With that said, this place was great and a 50 cent USD (10 pesos) bus ride was easy enough to get all the way to the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta.
Transportation Budget in Puerto Vallarta
Uber Ride from the Airport to Our Accommodation in 5 de Deciembre (near the Malecon) = $148.52 Mexican Pesos ($7.44 USD)
This was the best way for us to get from the airport to our accommodation as we didn’t have any cash to pay for a cab .. and those are expensive anyways. And, we didn’t have any Mexican pesos on us at this point, so a local bus was out the window.
We snagged free wifi from the airport terminal to book our Uber, meeting him across the walking bridge on the main street just outside the airport. Because we had some difficulty finding Victor (our driver) there was a waiting fee tacked onto the total price, but it was minuscule.
Walking Everywhere in Puerto Vallarta = Free
Puerto Vallarta is a very walkable town. Yes, there are some super steep hills and a lot of random steps everywhere, however, it’s walkable. We never took a taxi or the bus to get around downtown and old town Puerto Vallarta. If we needed to get out of the general downtown and surrounding area, we would have taken the local bus, but that was never necessary until the end of our trip. (prices listed below)
Bus to Boca de Tomatlan = $1 USD for two people ($10 pesos per person)
This bus ride is so cheap! The price for the bus out of the Romantic Zone in Puerto Vallarta to Boca or anywhere in between is 10 Pesos a person, which is a very cheap 50 cents in USD for a 30-45 minute bus ride down the coast.
Bus from Boca de Tomatlan to PV = $1 USD for two people ($10 pesos per person)
This bus ride is so cheap! The price for the bus from Boca to PV or anywhere in between is 10 Pesos a person, which is a very cheap 50 cents in USD for a 30-45 minute bus ride down the coast.
Bus from Puerto Vallarta to Nuevo Vallarta = $3.29 for two people ($68 pesos for two people)
We were originally looking at taking an Uber from the Malecón area of Puerto Vallarta to the resort we were staying at with our family, but honestly, we didn’t want to spend the $20+ USD on the Uber ride. Instead, we asked around for how to get there via bus. Did it take longer than an Uber would have? Sure thing! However, it was well worth it when we saved over $20 USD and got to experience more of the bus life of the area.
Bus Ride from Resort to Walmart = $.50 USD ($28 pesos for two people)
Okay, cabs from the resort to Walmart are 90 pesos for 1-4 people, but the bus ride is 14 pesos per person.. in an air-conditioned bus! This was perfect for getting us to a cheaper grocery store than the ones right next to all the resorts!
Uber from Resort in Nuevo Vallarta to Accommodation in Bucerias = $8.47 USD ($175 pesos)
After asking people at the bus stop near our resort, they told us that taking a cab would actually be cheaper than taking the local bus because we would have to change buses so many times. That paired with the fact that it was a moving day, meaning we had our luggage with us, and the place we were staying was down a dirt road made it an easy choice to take the Uber. Especially considering a 30-minute Uber ride was under $10 USD.
Bus from Bucerias to and from San Pancho = $9 USD ($92 pesos total each way)
From Bucerias, we took the local bus up to San Pancho for the day. This can be quite a long ride depending on traffic and road construction, but it can also be rather quick if you don’t go in the middle of the day!
Uber from Bucerias to Puerto Vallarta = $12.77 USD ($260 pesos)
We could have definitely taken the bus for a much cheaper price here. However, because we had our luggage, and we would have had to change buses a couple of times, we opted for the direct Uber ride instead. We’ve found that it’s very much worth the Uber in most cases when it’s moving day in Puerto Vallarta.
Local Bus in and out of Downtown = $0.50 USD ($10 pesos each way)
The local bus is such an easy way to get to and from places in Puerto Vallarta. It can be intimidating at first, but once you ride a couple of times it’s not so bad. And, people in Puerto Vallarta are so stinking nice and always ready to help you find your way!
We took the bus in and around town a handful of days during our last five days in Puerto Vallarta. For the two of us, each journey was 1 USD, so I reckon we spent right around 8 USD total on bus transport during our last stay.
Uber from Puerto Vallarta to Airport = $4.72 USD ($97 Pesos)
Taking an Uber to the airport is an absolute must when leaving Puerto Vallarta. It’s the only way to not become sweaty and stinky before a long day of flights!
Puerto Vallarta Budget For Tacos
On average tacos costs right around $20 Mexican Pesos a piece.. we legitimately had well over 100 tacos each while in Mexico.
The limit to how much you should spend on tacos in Mexico does not exist.. so there’s no point in even doing that math! 😉
READ MORE | The Best Tacos in Puerto Vallarta
Cost of Eating Out at Restaurants
Los Muertos Brewery = $510 Mexican Pesos ($25.51 USD)
Fun fact here.. we each got two beers and a large pizza, and this is the first time we felt sick the next day. All the street food we had eaten up to this point didn’t affect our stomachs, even the seafood street food! But it was super nice to go out on a date night and totally relax at Los Muertos Brewing.
Mac Rico Taco = $667 Mexican Pesos ($32.29 USD)
Okay, this place was so overpriced for the food that we got. In fact, it was probably some of the worst food we had while in Puerto Vallarta. However, we wanted to try it because someone recommended it to us. This was the total price for two main dishes, chips and guac, two margaritas, and a tip.
Cerveceria Bahia de Banderas Bay = $250 Pesos ($12.10 USD)
We ordered five shrimp tacos and one small beer at this brewery. Jay really liked the beer, while I, Heather, was not very impressed. And the atmosphere here just wasn’t my thing. However, the shrimp tacos with jamaica for the shells were really yummy!
Pizzas California in Bucerias = $255 Pesos ($12.49 USD)
Oh my Lanta, we thought we wouldn’t eat pizza again after Los Muertos Pizza, but after passing this place a handful of times we had to stop. And shoot, it did NOT disappoint!
We got a BBQ chicken pizza and chicken tequila fettuccine, and holy smokes, probably the best pasta I have had! Aside from Pear Ravioli in Florence.
Monzon Brewing Company = $187.66 Mexican Pesos ($9.19 USD)
Two beers and a great night of fun for under $10 USD.. yes, please. Thankfully the last bus was leaving soon, so we kept this tab small! Great beer, but not as good at Los Cuentos.
Cerveceria Los Cuentos = $510.72 Mexican Pesos ($25.01 USD)
Okay, we were on a mission to try all the different breweries in Puerto Vallarta (hello blog post)and this one was by far our favorite. Each beer came with a tapa and both the food and the beer were great!
Puerto Vallarta Grocery Shopping Budget
Dinner, Beer, and Snacks from Ley = $136.72 Mexican Pesos ($6.85 USD)
On our first night in Puerto Vallarta, we went back and forth between going out and spending way too much at a restaurant that accepts cards or just buying food at a grocery store to eat at the beach. Glad we chose the second option. Our dinner with drinks and dessert cost us under $7 USD from the local grocery store. And may we add.. eating cheese on freshly baked bread is one of our favorite things to do outside of the United States.
It was the perfect first international night!
Breakfast Supplies and Bottled Water from Ley = $67.77 Mexican Pesos ($3.39 USD)
We bought 8 liters of water, along with yogurt and fresh fruit for the next morning, and only spent $3.39 USD! Insane how cheap breakfast can be when you make it at your accommodation!
Beer, Breakfast Supplies, and Chips and Guac Supplies from Ley = $276.31 Mexican Pesos ($13.84 USD)
After getting guacamole and chips from Pancho’s Takos one night, we decided we needed to make guac at home. We bought supplies for having guac twice, breakfast for two days, and beer in this grocery run.
8 Liters of Water from Ley = $29.90 Mexican Pesos ($1.50 USD)
While we read you can technically drink tap water here in Puerto Vallarta, we wanted to be extra cautious, so we decided to purchase bottled water instead. The bottled water was actually really inexpensive and was perfect for refilling our insulated reusable water bottle we packed with us.
Big Three Day Grocery Haul with Treats and Belgium Beer at Ley = $565.00 ($28.26 USD)
This was by far our biggest grocery haul.. and we also bought two $4 bottles of Belgium beer. That was a must… when we saw it on the shelf, we freaked! This haul was for three days of groceries for breakfast and lunch, along with water, and beer.
Large Nescafe Coffee at Ley = $106 Pesos ($5.13 USD)
This large coffee container lasted us for over a week, costing $105.90. And the bag of sugar we got with it was .10 pesos .. literally just pennies and that lasted us the rest of our trip.
Water from Ley = $19.90 Pesos ($0.96 USD)
A 10-liter jug of water for a handful of days for two people.. less than one USD.
Bakery Treats and Stuff for Iced Coffee = $59.9 Pesos ($2.90 USD)
We bought four different pastries and a can of evaporated milk to make blended iced coffees.
Produce for Sandwiches + Kombucha = $283.14 Pesos ($13.71 USD)
Jay and I were both having a hard time with our stomachs after having pizza one night, so we went to the store and loaded up on fresh produce, kombucha, and bread. We bought things like sprouts, lettuce, peppers, yogurt with probiotics, and other random vegs just to get some goods in our stomachs. The veg from this trip lasted us for four different meals.
Grocery Shopping for a Week in a Small Village Shop = $607.41 Pesos ($29.42 USD)
When we stayed in a small village just south of Puerto Vallarta, we had to buy food and drinks from a small local convenience store. This ended up being so cheap! In the entire week we were there, we only spent $29.42 USD on breakfast, lunch, and beer!
Grocery Shopping in Bucerias at a Large Store = $516.58 Pesos ($25.01 USD)
This shopping trip was for an entire week of breakfast, lunches, and coffee while we stayed in the town of Bucerias, just north of Puerto Vallarta. This shopping trip included lots of produce, yogurt, fresh pastries, and coffee.
Snacks and Drinks Last Handful of Days = $118 Pesos ($5.78 USD)
During the final few days in Puerto Vallarta, we were spending way more than we normally would. This included buying more snacks than we needed just to have our favorite one last time, and eating so many more tacos than necessary. But, no regrets.. the extra $6 USD was well worth the cookies and chips one last time!
Convenience Store Snacks and Beer
Beer and Ice Cream = $88 Mexican Pesos ($4.40 USD)
With no Mexican Pesos but the urge to head to the waterfront right away, we popped into a convenience store and grabbed two beers and two ice creams to enjoy on the beach.
Large Ice Cold Beers = $57 Mexican Pesos ($2.85 USD)
Instead of going out for happy hour, when we really wanted a beer, we popped into the OXXO — a store located around every corner. Here we found three beers for $57 pesos, that’s under a dollar each! We got large cans (473mL) of Victoria, recommended to us by some locals in the store.
Magnum Ice Cream Bars = $61.00 Mexican Pesos ($3.05 USD)
Full transparency here, I’m upset with this purchase. We spent way too much on specialty ice cream instead of getting just a local kind. Though, we loved Magnum Ice Cream in Europe, so we had to get some!
1 Liter Juice = $18.00 Pesos ($0.87 USD)
Oh my.. we were so thirsty, we had to run into a shop and get something to drink. This liter of juice was just what we needed to feel refreshed!
Modelo Beers = $43 Pesos ($2.08 USD)
Still can’t get over how cheap an ice-cold beer from a corner store is! Two USD for two Modelos.. that’s a great price!
5 kg Bag of Ice = $29.00 Pesos ($1.40 USD)
Again, this is such a cheap price for a convenience store. We would have bought ice from the grocery store, however, they were sold out.
Exchanging + Pulling Out Money
First Time Exchanging Money at a Bank = $7.84 USD ($156.52 Mexican Pesos)
We brought down some cash with us to exchange at the banks, as we’ve always found this to be cheaper than pulling out money from an ATM and paying bank fees. However, in this money exchange, we didn’t get the best rate for our cash. We ended up getting $1,840 Mexican Pesos for $100 USD, which was $156.52 pesos less than what we should have gotten.
After exchanging our money, we found a place that had a bit of a better exchange rate which was a shame. Good thing we only exchange $100 at a time. Next time we can go to the better exchange rate location found closer to the Romantic Zone.
Second Time Exchanging Money at a Bank = $6.54 USD ($135.00 Mexican Pesos)
$1,930 Mexican Pesos for $100 USD .. not too terrible of an exchange rate and cheaper for us than pulling out cash from an ATM with fees.
Third Time Exchanging Money at a Bank = $6.54 USD ($135.00 Mexican Pesos)
$1,930 Mexican Pesos for $100 USD .. not too terrible of an exchange rate and cheaper for us than pulling out cash from an ATM with fees.
Fourth Time Exchanging Money at a Bank = $5.57 USD ($115.00 Mexican Pesos)
$1,950 Mexican Pesos for $100 USD .. not too terrible of an exchange rate and cheaper for us than pulling out cash from an ATM with fees. This was the best exchange rate we saw while in Puerto Vallarta.
Last Time Exchanging Money at a Bank = $6.54 USD ($135.00 Mexican Pesos)
$1,930 Mexican Pesos for $100 USD .. not too terrible of an exchange rate and cheaper for us than pulling out cash from an ATM with fees.
Pulling Out Money at ATM = $16.24 USD ($331.63 Mexican Pesos)
Man oh, man… If people tell you it’s cheaper to pull out money from an ATM than it is to exchange they’re wrong. We went to multiple different exchange places to find the best rates with the least amount of fees, and the best we got was paying $16.24 for $3,000 Mexican Pesos. This is insanely expensive compared to just exchanging money at a bank.
We found that not only was the exchange rate way worse, coming in at 19.1 when it was 20 at the bank at this point, but also the extra fees from the ATMs and then our own bank, all added to paying over 16 USD! Learn from our mistake and bring more money than you think you need or look into a Charles Schwab Bank Account.
Puerto Vallarta Budgeting For Extras
Sunscreen = $180 Mexican Pesos ($9 USD)
Ahh.. this one hurt to purchase. We didn’t pack sunscreen in our carry-on luggage because I didn’t want to deal with making the bottle into smaller bottles, but after the price tag of sunscreen in Puerto Vallarta, I wish I had. We shopped all around for sunscreen, and $180 for a bottle was the best price we found.
60 Minute Couples Massage in Bucerias = $800 Pesos ($40 USD)
This massage was reasonably priced for the area, but was really not that great of a massage. It was instead just a nice relaxing rub down! Ha. Most massages in Bucerias are right around $400 pesos for one hour per person.
60 Minute Couples Massage in Puerto Vallarta = $800 Pesos ($40 USD)
Our massage in Puerto Vallarta with the tip included was a total of $400 pesos per person. This was a great price for a great massage! This massage led us to go back for one more before we left town.. however, that one didn’t go so great!
90 Minute Massage + 90 Minute Massage / Facial Combo = $500 Pesos & $550 Pesos
After our fantastic 60-minute massage at a place in Puerto Vallarta, we immediately booked another experience for the day before we flew out. But shoot, the second time around they were awful.. and it was the same people! Not sure it if was the duration or because it was the end of the day.. either way, if you’re going to get a massage in Puerto Vallarta, do so in the mid-morning when the masseuses are not tired, and stick to just 60 minutes!
Getting To Puerto Vallarta
Flights from Medford, Oregon to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico = $372.94 USD per person ($7,616.16 Mexican Pesos)
These were by far the cheapest flights we could have got to Mexico when we went. In fact, the dates we chose were solely due to the price of the flights for those given days. Something we miss terribly about living in Scotland is the extremely low cost of flights all over Europe.
Our Total Puerto Vallarta Budget
In the end, after adding up our flights, accommodation, credit card transactions (think food, excursions, and groceries), and what money we brought down to Puerto Vallarta, we spent a total of …
Total = $3,057.19 USD
- $745.88 for flights
- $791.77 for accommodation
- $333.40 for excursions
- $721.41 in random cash expenses
- $464.73 in credit card transactions (that we pay off monthly)
The $3,057.19 USD is for two people for 29 days in Puerto Vallarta with flights included. Taking out the cost of flights, we spent $2,311.31 USD for 29 days in Puerto Vallarta. This means that we spent on average $40 per person per day in Puerto Vallarta.
Taking flights out of the equation, what we recommend for a Puerto Vallarta Budget would be at least $30-$40 per person per day.
Keep in mind, that a Puerto Vallarta budget can be much cheaper than this.. as we did two different excursions, got massages three different times, and ate more food than actually necessary.
The accommodation was a huge expense for our time in Puerto Vallarta. And it’s super frustrating that it was that way, though to allow for travel flexibility, we didn’t book anything in advance. Had we booked accommodation in advance, we would have saved about $400 as prices for accommodation were literally half when we first booked our flights.
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