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Puerto Vallarta vs Tulum cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐ฝ Puerto Vallarta
๐ฒ๐ฝ Tulum
At a glance
- Where Tulum is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (28%โ), Local meal (25%โ)
- Where Puerto Vallarta is clearly cheaper: Transit (63%โ), Beer (33%โ), Taxi (33%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Puerto Vallarta is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Puerto Vallarta 3 vs Tulum 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Puerto Vallarta | Tulum | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Tulum โ25% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 70$3.76 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Tulum โ14% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 480$25.8 | MX$ 450$24.2 | Tulum โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 75$4.03 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Tulum โ7% |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 50$2.69 | MX$ 75$4.03 | Puerto Vallarta โ33% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 150$8.06 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Puerto Vallarta โ17% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 16$0.86 | MX$ 16$0.86 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 25$1.34 | MX$ 24$1.29 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 100$5.38 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Puerto Vallarta โ33% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 70$3.76 | MX$ 70$3.76 | similar |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 11$0.59 | MX$ 30$1.61 | Puerto Vallarta โ63% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 600$32.3 | MX$ 600$32.3 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,600$86 | MX$ 1,600$86 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 16,000$860 | MX$ 11,500$618 | Tulum โ28% |
| Laundry | MX$ 30$1.61 | MX$ 35$1.88 | Puerto Vallarta โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 300$16.1 | Puerto Vallarta โ33% |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 180$9.68 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Puerto Vallarta โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 650$34.9 | MX$ 800$43 | Puerto Vallarta โ19% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 1,200$64.5 | MX$ 1,200$64.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 200$10.8 | similar |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Tulum?
Tulum is 11% cheaper than Puerto Vallarta. Daily budget $169 vs $166; a month $3,577 vs $2,860.
Which is easier to travel, Puerto Vallarta or Tulum?
Puerto Vallarta is easier: Puerto Vallarta 2.4/5 vs Tulum 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Puerto Vallarta and Tulum?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Puerto Vallarta is about $3,577 and Tulum about $2,860 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.