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 3.0). Biggest gap: language โ Puerto Escondido 3 vs Puerto Vallarta 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Puerto Escondido | Puerto Vallarta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 100$5.38 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Puerto Escondido โ50% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 50$2.69 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Puerto Escondido โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 280$15.1 | MX$ 480$25.8 | Puerto Escondido โ42% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 55$2.96 | MX$ 75$4.03 | Puerto Escondido โ27% |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 60$3.23 | MX$ 50$2.69 | Puerto Vallarta โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 130$6.99 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Puerto Escondido โ13% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 14$0.75 | MX$ 16$0.86 | Puerto Escondido โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 22$1.18 | MX$ 25$1.34 | Puerto Escondido โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 80$4.3 | MX$ 100$5.38 | Puerto Escondido โ20% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 40$2.15 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Puerto Escondido โ43% |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 12$0.65 | MX$ 11$0.59 | Puerto Vallarta โ8% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 350$18.8 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Puerto Escondido โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,100$59.1 | MX$ 1,600$86 | Puerto Escondido โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 12,000$645 | MX$ 16,000$860 | Puerto Escondido โ25% |
| Laundry | MX$ 30$1.61 | MX$ 30$1.61 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 200$10.8 | similar |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 120$6.45 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Puerto Escondido โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 700$37.6 | MX$ 650$34.9 | Puerto Vallarta โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 800$43 | MX$ 1,200$64.5 | Puerto Escondido โ33% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 100$5.38 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Puerto Escondido โ50% |
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%+.
Puerto Escondido is 33% cheaper than Puerto Vallarta. Daily budget $109 vs $169; a month $2,516 vs $3,577.
Puerto Vallarta is easier: Puerto Vallarta 2.4/5 vs Puerto Escondido 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Puerto Escondido is about $2,516 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.