Cost To Visit Puerto Vallarta: Travel Budget Guide (2026)
Puerto Vallarta can be affordable if you time it right and mix beach days with low-cost sightseeing. This cost and budget guide breaks down hotels, food, transportation, and attractions—plus day trip costs and realistic daily and weekly budgets.
On-the-ground, Puerto Vallarta is usually cheaper than many U.S. beach destinations for food, drinks, and activities, while hotels can range from great-value boutique stays to expensive all-inclusive resorts—especially in high-demand winter weeks.
This guide will break down exactly what you can expect to spend on everything when visiting Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta uses the Mexican peso (MXN). Prices have been converted from MXN and are only shown in $ (USD) for ease of use for our U.S. audience.
Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive To Visit?
Puerto Vallarta is generally moderate on the ground—it can feel cheap if you eat local and stay a little outside the priciest beachfront zones, and it can get expensive quickly if you:
- Book a beachfront resort in peak weeks
- Use taxis/rideshares constantly instead of walking/buses
- Add multiple tours (boat trips, snorkeling, ziplines) back-to-back
- Dine in tourist-heavy areas for every meal
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Puerto Vallarta Vacation Costs
Below is a detailed expense breakdown for accommodations, food, transportation, and attractions—followed by day trip costs and realistic daily/weekly budgets.
Avg. Accommodation Cost
Peak
- Budget Travelers: $55–$110 per night
- Mid-Range Travelers: $130–$240 per night
- Luxury Travelers: $320–$850+ per night
Shoulder-Season
- Budget Travelers: $45–$95
- Mid-Range Travelers: $115–$210
- Luxury Travelers: $280–$750+
Off-Season
- Budget Travelers: $40–$85
- Mid-Range Travelers: $100–$190
- Luxury Travelers: $240–$650+
Food Cost
Budget Travelers
- Breakfast: $3–$8
- Lunch: $6–$12
- Dinner: $10–$20
Mid-Range Travelers
- Breakfast: $8–$14
- Lunch: $12–$22
- Dinner: $25–$55
Luxury Travelers
- Breakfast: $14–$25
- Lunch: $20–$45
- Dinner: $70–$180+
Puerto Vallarta Tip: A huge chunk of “PV feels cheap” comes from tacos/seafood stands and casual local spots. Your budget rises fast with cocktails + oceanfront fine dining nightly.
Transportation Cost
Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) → Hotel Zone / Zona Romántica
- Airport taxi/shuttle (typical): $12–$35 (distance + time dependent)
- Private transfer: $45–$110+
- City bus (where practical): $0.50–$1.50 (very cheap, slower)
Getting around Puerto Vallarta
Walking
Many visitors walk a lot in Centro and Zona Romántica.
Local buses
- Typical daily local transit spend: $2–$6/day
Taxi / rideshare
- Short ride: $5–$12
- Longer ride: $12–$30+
Note: pricing can vary by zone, time of day, and demand.
Car rental (optional)
A rental car is most useful if you plan multiple beach-hopping days south/north of town.
- Off-Season: $28–$50/day
- Shoulder: $30–$60/day
- Peak: $45–$85+/day
- Fuel + parking (typical daily): $8–$25
Attractions
- Malecón (boardwalk): free
- Playa Los Muertos (beach day): free (chairs/food extra)
- Mirador de la Cruz hike/viewpoint: free
- Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: free
- Art walks / galleries (Centro): free
- Boat trip (varies by tour type): $35–$120+
- Snorkeling tour (Los Arcos area): $45–$110+
- Zipline/adventure parks: $70–$140+
- Tequila tasting/tour (varies): $40–$120+
- Spa day: $80–$250+
Day Trip and Attractions Costs
| Day Trip | Transportation Cost (Round Trip) | Top Attraction | Attraction Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelapa | $20–$45 (water taxi) • $60–$120 (tour) | Beach + waterfall hike | Free–$10 |
| Las Marietas / Hidden Beach area (tour-dependent) | $90–$170 (boat tour) | Snorkeling / marine life | $0–$25 |
| Sayulita | $6–$16 (bus) • $30–$70 (taxi/rideshare) • $12–$30 (car fuel/parking) | Beach town day + surf vibe | Free |
| San Pancho (San Francisco, Nayarit) | $6–$18 (bus) • $35–$85 (taxi/rideshare) • $12–$30 (car fuel/parking) | Quieter beach + town stroll | Free |
| Bucerías | $5–$14 (bus) • $25–$60 (taxi/rideshare) • $10–$25 (car fuel/parking) | Long beach day + dining | Free |
| Los Arcos (snorkel/boat) | $35–$110 (tour/boat) | Snorkeling at Los Arcos | $45–$110+ |
| Tequila/Agave experience (region tour) | $60–$160 (tour transport) | Distillery visit + tasting | $40–$120+ |
Daily Budget
| Season | Daily Total (Per Person) |
|---|---|
| Peak | $70–$140 |
| Shoulder | $60–$125 |
| Off-Season | $55–$115 |
| Season | Daily Total (Per Person) |
|---|---|
| Peak | $150–$285 |
| Shoulder | $135–$260 |
| Off-Season | $120–$240 |
| Season | Daily Total (Per Person) |
|---|---|
| Peak | $320–$850+ |
| Shoulder | $280–$750+ |
| Off-Season | $240–$650+ |
Weekly Budget (7 Days)
| Season | Lodging (7 nights) | Food (7 days) | Transport | Attractions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | $385–$770 | $140–$245 | $35–$110 | $80–$260 | $640–$1,385 |
| Shoulder | $315–$665 | $125–$225 | $30–$95 | $70–$230 | $540–$1,215 |
| Off-Season | $280–$595 | $115–$205 | $30–$85 | $65–$210 | $490–$1,095 |
| Season | Lodging (7 nights) | Food (7 days) | Transport | Attractions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | $910–$1,680 | $245–$455 | $45–$140 | $120–$420 | $1,320–$2,695 |
| Shoulder | $805–$1,470 | $230–$420 | $40–$125 | $110–$380 | $1,185–$2,395 |
| Off-Season | $700–$1,330 | $215–$390 | $40–$115 | $100–$350 | $1,055–$2,185 |
| Season | Lodging (7 nights) | Food (7 days) | Transport | Attractions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | $2,240–$5,950+ | $420–$1,260+ | $90–$320+ | $180–$900+ | $2,930–$8,430+ |
| Shoulder | $1,960–$5,250+ | $385–$1,120+ | $85–$280+ | $170–$820+ | $2,600–$7,470+ |
| Off-Season | $1,680–$4,550+ | $350–$980+ | $80–$250+ | $160–$750+ | $2,270–$6,530+ |
Flight Cost For Cabo
Flight cost depends on where you’re departing from, the season and the airline. Major international airports will have cheaper flights than smaller airports. Puerto Vallarta flights also swing based on weekend demand and winter peak travel.
Average round-trip flight ranges from the U.S.:
- Peak: $450–$850
- Shoulder: $320–$650
- Off-Season: $250–$520
💡You can sometimes get even cheaper fares on budget airlines like Frontier and Spirit—especially if you’re near an airport they serve. I know Las Vegas (LAS) and Atlanta (ATL) are both solid options for those carriers, so it’s worth checking flights out of those airports and comparing what you find.
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Puerto Vallarta Travel Seasons
Peak (December–March)
Dry, sunny weather and the highest demand. This is when hotels (especially beachfront and all-inclusive) run the most expensive.
Shoulder-Season (April–May, November)
Great value months with warm weather and fewer crowds. Prices are usually lower than peak, but many tours and restaurants are fully operating.
Off-Season (June–October)
Hotter and more humid with the rainy season. You’ll often find the best lodging deals, but plan for afternoon rain and occasional weather-related tour changes.
- Why it’s cheaper: better hotel deals and fewer crowds.
- Tradeoff: higher humidity, more rain, and occasional storm impacts.
Puerto Vallarta can stretch your money, especially if you eat local and keep tours to a minimum.
- Budget daily range (typical): $55–$125/day
- Estimated duration with $2,000: ~16 to 36 days
Your biggest “budget jump” items are beachfront hotels in peak season, frequent taxis/rideshares, and stacking paid tours (boat trips, snorkeling, zipline parks).
Yes—often. A $2,000 budget can cover a full week for many travelers, especially if you’re not doing an expensive all-inclusive and you mix beach days with a couple paid tours.
- Budget Travelers (7-day total): $490–$1,095
- Mid-Range Travelers (7-day total): $1,055–$2,185
- Luxury Travelers (7-day total): $2,270–$6,530+
The biggest swing factor is whether you stay beachfront during peak winter weeks.