A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Caracas vs. Puerto Vallarta for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Caracas or Puerto Vallarta?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Caracas and Puerto Vallarta can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Caracas or Puerto Vallarta?

Caracas

Caracas is the capital city of Venezuela, and also the country's largest city. It's in the northern portion of the country and is close to the Caribbean. While Caracas may not be a major travel destination in Venezuela, it can offer interesting insight into the country's urban character. It has a great art, culinary, and music culture that truly bring the city to life. The beautiful Mount Avila overlooks the city and separates the city from the Caribbean Sea. Many locals and visitors alike head to the mountain as a quick escape. You can reach it by taking a cable car that carries you up to the SWaraira Repano Park at the very top.

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta remains a popular tourist destination with Americans, particularly during spring break when students flock to the area. The area is quite beautiful and has many gorgeous beaches, interesting jungles and waterfalls nearby, and no shortage of luxury resorts and four star restaurants. Many of the locals speak English and are friendly and open to helping tourists with directions or general information. Puerto Vallarta's popularity means that its prices are some of the highest in Mexico, particularly during holidays when the area can get quite crowded.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Mexico, and The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Caracas?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Caracas is $0.00, while the average daily cost in Puerto Vallarta is $115. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Caracas and Puerto Vallarta in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Caracas -
    Puerto Vallarta $63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Caracas $0.00
    Puerto Vallarta $126
Compare Hotels in Caracas and Puerto Vallarta

Looking for a hotel in Caracas or Puerto Vallarta? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Caracas


Hotels in Puerto Vallarta


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Caracas -
    Puerto Vallarta $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:

  • Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVT) -City Center: $93
  • Airport Transfer Puerto Vallarta : $135
  • Arrival Transfer from Airport to Cruise Port in Puerto Vallarta: $44
  • Mexico Private Transfer from Marina Vallarta to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) Airport: $55
  • Nuevo Vallarta: Private Airport Transfer to South Zone 2: $48
  • Nuevo Vallarta:Private Airport Transfer to North Zone 3: $51
  • Private Transfer Licenciado Gustavo Airport to/fr Puerto Vallarta: $76
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) for 4-7 people to Nayarit: $102
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport to Nayarit: $145
  • Private Transfer from Sayulita to Guadalajara: $240
  • Private transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport - Hotel Zone: $37
  • Private transfer round trip Puerto Vallarta Airport To Hotel In Luxury Vehicle: $129

Is it cheaper to fly into Caracas or Puerto Vallarta?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta and Caracas change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Caracas -
    Puerto Vallarta $37

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Vallarta

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Puerto Vallarta.

  • Dinner Tacos Food Tour: $55
  • Off The Beaten Path Food Tour. Dinner in Pitillal : $55
  • Puerto Vallarta 3-Hour Food Tour of Authentic Local Cuisine: $59
  • Downtown Puerto Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
  • Puerta Vallarta: Seafood Lover's Food Tour: $59
  • Signature Taco and Street Food Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $65
  • Vallarta by Road Food Tour: $75
  • Mexican Cooking Class, Tequila Tasting & Unlimited Margaritas: $75
  • Bucerias Bike and Food Tour: $90
  • Mexican Cooking Class and Tequila Tasting: $96
  • Sayulita Tacos and Tequila Food Tour : $99
  • Cooking Class and Market Tour: $130

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Caracas -
    Puerto Vallarta $19

Tours and Activities in Puerto Vallarta

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Vallarta are as follows:

  • City Tour Puerto Vallarta - Churches, Tequila Test and more: $18
  • Mexico: Puerto Vallarta City Tour: $20
  • Hop-On-Hop-Off City Bus Tour: $23
  • Guided SUP Board Tour with Digital Photos: $23
  • Private Bike City Tour with Photo Session in Puerto Vallarta: $24
  • Hop On Hop Off Tour with Free Stops in Puerto Vallarta: $24
  • Hike and Yoga Jungle Experience in Mexico: $30
  • City Tour, Tequila and Coffee Factory Tour: $31
  • EcoHike experience through the jungle, mountains and hidden beach: $31
  • Zipline Canopy Tour: $37
  • Puerto Vallarta Local-Style Walking tour: $41
  • Why Jalisco is Mexico? Puerto Vallarta Tour: $45

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Caracas -
    Puerto Vallarta $24

Sample the Local Flavors in Puerto Vallarta

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Puerto Vallarta:

  • All you can drink Bar Crawl: $99


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Caracas and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Puerto Vallarta is more expensive. And not only is Caracas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Caracas is in South America and Puerto Vallarta is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Caracas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Caracas and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Puerto Vallarta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Vallarta than you might in Caracas.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Caracas Expensive? and Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Caracas or Puerto Vallarta?

Caracas has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Puerto Vallarta. When comparing the sizes of Caracas and Puerto Vallarta, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.