Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Lima?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Lima or Puerto Vallarta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lima and Puerto Vallarta. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Lima or Puerto Vallarta?
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, The Best Adventure Tours to Peru, 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 dayLima $77Puerto Vallarta $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Lima is $77, 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 Lima and Puerto Vallarta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLima $49Puerto Vallarta $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLima $98Puerto Vallarta $126
Compare Hotels in Lima and Puerto Vallarta
Looking for a hotel in Lima 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: Lima Hotel Prices and Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lima $5.73Puerto Vallarta $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$5.43
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Taxi Ride$5.43
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Short Taxi Ride$4.07
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Miraflores Kennedy Park to Lima Airport: $5.00
- QuickLlama: Transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores Kennedy Park: $5.00
- Lima Airport: Bus Transfer to/from Miraflores: $5.63
- Lima Airport: BUS Transfer to/from Lima city center: $6.00
- Private transfers from Lima Airport or to Lima Airport: $17
- Transfer from Hotel/Airbnb Miraflores/San Isidro/Barranco to Airport: $18
- Transfer from Lima city to the airport: $18
- Taxi transfers from and to the Lima Airport and Paracas Ica: $20
- Miraflores City to Lima Airport(LIM) - Departure Private Transfer: $23
- Jorge Chavez International Airport: Private Transfer: $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:
- Puerto Vallarta Roundtrip Shuttle Airport Transfer: $32
- Private transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport - Hotel Zone: $37
- Private Airport Transfer to Marina Vallarta: $37
- Private Airport Transfer to Hotel Zone: $40
- Shared transfer from PVR airport to Downtown: $43
- Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port to Airport PVR Departure Transfer: $44
- Arrival Transfer from Airport to Cruise Port in Puerto Vallarta: $44
- Puerto Vallarta Port to Puerto Vallarta Airport(PVR)-Departure Private Transfer : $44
- Nuevo Vallarta: Private Airport Transfer to South Zone 2: $48
- Private Airport Transfer to Romantic Zone: $48
- Nuevo Vallarta:Private Airport Transfer to North Zone 3: $51
- Private Airport Transfer to Mismaloya: $51
Is it cheaper to fly into Lima or Puerto Vallarta?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta and Lima 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 dayLima $18Puerto Vallarta $37
Typical Food Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two$4.34
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Ice cream$3.53
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Coffee$2.99
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Donut$0.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Lima Market Food Tour: $33
- Lima Market Food Tour: $34
- Lima Street Food Tour: $40
- Lima Food Tour: $45
- Cooking Workshop and Water Circuit Tour: $45
- Lima Street Food Tour: $45
- Street Food Tour in Miraflores District: $45
- Barranco Tour with Dinner: $47
- Bohemian tour of Barranco with Dinner: $47
- Private Cooking Class With a Local Family in Lima: $48
- Lima Night Food Tour: $48
- Lima Market Food Tour: $52
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.Lima $8.66Puerto Vallarta $19
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
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Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$16
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Movie Tickets$2.31
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- Free Walking Tour of Lima: $2.00
- Customize your trip to Peru with Lima Experience: $12
- Skip the Line: Larco Museum Admission Ticket: $13
- Skip the Line: Peruvian Regional Dances Ticket: $14
- Barranco Street Art Tour: $17
- Party tour Fridays Barranco / Saturdays Miraflores: $18
- Private Tour with guide in Museo de Arte de Lima - MALI: $20
- Guided and Private Bike Tour of Lima: $20
- Guided Walking Tour in Barranco: $20
- Lima Downtown Tour from Miraflores in 3 hrs: $21
- Historic Center Walking Tour with Pisco Sour Tasting: $25
- Costa Verde Express Tour: $25
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLima $5.63Puerto Vallarta $24
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine$7.30
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Beer$4.07
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Cocktail$3.26
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Gin and Rum Distillery Tour: $12
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Party Tour in Miraflores with Bar Crawl and Drinks: $18
- Party tour in Miraflores with Bar Crawl Lima: $20
- Pub Crawl in Lima: $25
- Local Wine Tour: $50
- Ballestas Islands + Huacachina Oasis + Wine Tour !! The best price: $226
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 Lima and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Puerto Vallarta is more expensive. And not only is Lima much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Lima 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 Lima would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lima 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 Lima.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lima Expensive? and Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lima or Puerto Vallarta?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Puerto Vallarta. When comparing the sizes of Lima 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.