Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Florianopolis?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Florianopolis or Puerto Vallarta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Florianopolis or Puerto Vallarta? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Florianopolis or Puerto Vallarta?
Florianopolis
With a population of almost 500,000, Florianopolis is the capital city of the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. The city is split between mainland Brazil and Santa Catarina Island.
Florianopolis has grown in popularity with tourists recently because of its wonderful scenery, beautiful beaches, and fascinating culture. Many Brazilians have also moved here, leaving behind the big cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Florianopolis has a warm humid subtropical climate. There are summer, winter, spring and fall seasons. Frosts are rare but do occur occasionally. Highs during the warmest months are usually in the high 70s Fahrenheit. Rain is evenly distributed throughout the year and there is no distinct dry season.
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 G Adventures Tours to Brazil, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Rio de Janeiro, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Mexico, and The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFlorianopolis $62Puerto Vallarta $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Florianopolis is $62, 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 Florianopolis and Puerto Vallarta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFlorianopolis $26Puerto Vallarta $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFlorianopolis $52Puerto Vallarta $126
Compare Hotels in Florianopolis and Puerto Vallarta
Looking for a hotel in Florianopolis 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.
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: Florianopolis Hotel Prices and Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Florianopolis $13Puerto Vallarta $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florianopolis
Also for Florianopolis, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Hercilio Luz Airport - North Island Transfer: $14
- Private Transfer Florianópolis Airport to City Center: $32
- Shared transfer from Florianópolis airport to Balneário Camboriú: $35
- Florianópolis Airport Transfer anywhere on the island by Floripa Nativa: $40
- One Way Transfer : Florianopolis Airport to or from Florianopolis: $64
- Transfer Florianópolis Airport / Costão do Santinho: $78
- Private Transfer from FLN Airport to the City Balneario Camboriú : $84
- Private Transfer Florianopolis Airport to Bal. Camboriu: $96
- Private Transfer from Florianópolis Airport to Bombinhas: $97
- Roundtrip transfer from Florianópolis Airport to Bombinhas: $168
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:
- Shared transfer from PVR airport to Downtown: $43
- Sayulita hotels to Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) – Private Departure Transfer : $96
- Puerto Vallarta:Private Airport Transfer to Bucerias: $73
- Puerto Vallarta:Private Airport Transfer to Boca de Tomatlan: $86
- Private Airport Transfer to Romantic Zone: $48
- Private Airport Transfer to Mismaloya: $51
- Private Airport Transfer to Marina Vallarta: $37
- Private Airport Transfer to Hotel Zone: $40
- Puerto Vallarta Roundtrip Shuttle Airport Transfer: $32
- Puerto Vallarta Port to Puerto Vallarta Airport(PVR)-Departure Private Transfer : $44
- Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port: Transfer to Puerto Vallarta: $118
- Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port to Airport PVR Departure Transfer: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Florianopolis or Puerto Vallarta?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta and Florianopolis 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
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Food Meals for one dayFlorianopolis $22Puerto Vallarta $37
Typical Food Prices in Florianopolis
For Florianopolis, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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A Quick Snack$0.44
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Florianopolis $26Puerto Vallarta $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in Florianopolis
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Florianopolis's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Internet$0.59
Tours and Activities in Florianopolis
For Florianopolis, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Historic Center Walking Tour in Florianopolis with Local Bar Hop: $14
- Bombinhas Beach and 4 Islands Tour: $22
- Shared Shuttle between Florianópolis Airport and Hotel with optional City Tour: $23
- Florianópolis Full Day City Tour: $25
- Rafting Adventure in Apuama - Rio Cubatão in Greater Florianópolis: $30
- Floripa City Tour by Bus - Whole Island - The Most Complete City Tour: $32
- Balneário Camboriú City Tour from Florianópolis: $35
- Blumenau City Tour - departing from Florianópolis: $37
- Tour Balneario Camboriu and Laranjeiras Beach TELEFERICO INCLUDED: $37
- Blumenau City Tour from Florianópolis: $38
- Private Tour: The 7 Most Preserved Beaches on the South Island by Floripa Nativa: $39
- Lagoinha do Leste Hiking and Photography Adventure : $42
Tours and Activities in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Vallarta are as follows:
- 3-hr ATV Mountian Exclusive Tour to Sierra Madre: $65
- Snorkel Adventure at Majahuitas Beach: $54
- Zip Line Adventure in the heights in Puerto Vallarta 10 zip lines: $66
- 2 Hour and 30 Minutes Walking Tour in 5 De Diciembre: $45
- 2 Hours Catamaran Sunset Tour: $99
- 3-Hour Exclusive Guided RZR Adventure Sierra Madre Mountains Tour: $125
- 360 Puerto Vallarta City Tour with Lunch: $65
- 4 Hour Surf Experience in Corral Del Risco: $75
- 8 hour All Inclusive Tour in Catamaran Arcos Animas Quimixto: $78
- 8 hour All Inclusive Tour in Catamaran Arcos Animas Quimixto: $82
- ATV Adventure from Puerto Vallarta: $110
- ATV Adventure in Puerto Vallarta (Single): $105
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFlorianopolis $8.68Puerto Vallarta $24
Typical Alcohol Prices in Florianopolis
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florianopolis from other travelers:
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Beer$0.59
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 Florianopolis and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Puerto Vallarta is more expensive. And not only is Florianopolis much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Florianopolis Expensive? and Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Florianopolis or Puerto Vallarta?
Florianopolis has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Puerto Vallarta. When comparing the sizes of Florianopolis 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.