Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Puerto Vallarta is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: language โ Antigua Guatemala 3 vs Puerto Vallarta 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Antigua Guatemala | Puerto Vallarta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Q 50$6.55 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Antigua Guatemala โ39% |
| Street food1 item | Q 20$2.62 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Antigua Guatemala โ30% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Q 150$19.6 | MX$ 480$25.8 | Antigua Guatemala โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | Q 25$3.27 | MX$ 75$4.03 | Antigua Guatemala โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | Q 25$3.27 | MX$ 50$2.69 | Puerto Vallarta โ18% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Q 50$6.55 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Antigua Guatemala โ19% |
| Bottled water | Q 6$0.79 | MX$ 16$0.86 | Antigua Guatemala โ9% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Q 8$1.05 | MX$ 25$1.34 | Antigua Guatemala โ22% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Q 45$5.89 | MX$ 100$5.38 | Puerto Vallarta โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Q 20$2.62 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Antigua Guatemala โ30% |
| Transitone ride | Q 5$0.65 | MX$ 11$0.59 | Puerto Vallarta โ10% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Q 150$19.6 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Antigua Guatemala โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | Q 600$78.6 | MX$ 1,600$86 | Antigua Guatemala โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | Q 5,500$720 | MX$ 16,000$860 | Antigua Guatemala โ16% |
| Laundry | Q 12$1.57 | MX$ 30$1.61 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | Q 60$7.86 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Antigua Guatemala โ27% |
| Haircutcut | Q 60$7.86 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Antigua Guatemala โ19% |
| Massage1 hour | Q 300$39.3 | MX$ 650$34.9 | Puerto Vallarta โ11% |
| Half-day tourper person | Q 230$30.1 | MX$ 1,200$64.5 | Antigua Guatemala โ53% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Q 40$5.24 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Antigua Guatemala โ51% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Antigua Guatemala is 18% cheaper than Puerto Vallarta. Daily budget $142 vs $169; a month $2,871 vs $3,577.
Puerto Vallarta is easier: Puerto Vallarta 2.4/5 vs Antigua Guatemala 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Antigua Guatemala is about $2,871 and Puerto Vallarta about $3,577 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.