Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Luang Prabang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Luang Prabang or Puerto Vallarta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Luang Prabang or Puerto Vallarta, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Luang Prabang or Puerto Vallarta?
Luang Prabang
Southeast Asia is a region full of mystical wonders and cultural charm, but nowhere is as charming as the city of Luang Prabang. As the former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang was reopened to tourism in 1989. With that move the city experienced an upswing in revenue and was able to restore and rebuild the beautiful colonial mansions to serve as guesthouses and hotels for the new swarm of tourists.
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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Laos, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Laos, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Mexico, and The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico.
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Luang Prabang Prices
Laos PricesPuerto Vallarta Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLuang Prabang $17Puerto Vallarta $130
The average daily cost (per person) in Luang Prabang is $17, while the average daily cost in Puerto Vallarta is $130. 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 Luang Prabang and Puerto Vallarta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLuang Prabang $5.42Puerto Vallarta $58
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLuang Prabang $11Puerto Vallarta $116
Compare Hotels in Luang Prabang and Puerto Vallarta
Looking for a hotel in Luang Prabang 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: Luang Prabang Hotel Prices and Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Luang Prabang $2.00Puerto Vallarta $18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Luang Prabang
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Luang Prabang are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$2.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Luang Prabang
Also for Luang Prabang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared departure transfer from Hotel to International airport: $6.67
- Luang Prabang Private Airport transfers: $9.00
- Luang Prabang Private Transfers: Hotel -Railway Station - Airport: $9.60
- LPQ Airport: Private Transfer to/from Luang Prabang City: $20
- 2D Transfer to Huay Xai by Slow Boat: $60
- Luang Prabang 2 Day Slow Boat Transfer to Houay Xay: $69
- 2-Day Private Tour with Airport Transfers: $165
- From 3-Day Oudomxay Town Trip with Transfers: $580
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:
- Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Sayulita hotels - Private Roundtrip Transfer: $298
- Privat Transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport PVR to Punta de Mita: $176
- Private Transfer from PVR to Puerto Vallarta / Punta de Mita / Sayulita: $135
- Airport Transfer Puerto Vallarta: $135
- Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Punta de Mita hotels - Private Arrival Transfer: $134
- Puerto Vallarta Airport (PVR) to Puerto Vallarta - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $133
- Private transfer round trip Puerto Vallarta Airport To Hotel In Luxury Vehicle: $129
- Private Transfer Puerto Vallarta to Licenciado Gustavo Airport: $120
- Airport-Hotel Transfers: $106
- Private Airport Transfers across Bahía de Banderas: $105
- PVR VIP Round Trip Transfers Airport - Mismaloya Area - Airport: $94
- PVR VIP Round trip transfers Airport from South PV to Airport: $84
Is it cheaper to fly into Luang Prabang or Puerto Vallarta?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta and Luang Prabang 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 dayLuang Prabang $8.95Puerto Vallarta $59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Luang Prabang
For Luang Prabang, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- The Namkhan - Kids Cooking Class: $40
- Day-time Bamboo weaving & Cooking Classes join-in: $44
- Bamboo Weaving Workshop & Cooking Class: $44
- Cooking Class at the Former Royal Palace: $45
- Luangprabang: Dinner with Lao Traditional Dance Performance: $45
- Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $45
- Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $45
- Laos: Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $46
- Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $46
- Mekong Sunset Cruise & Lao Tasting Dinner: $49
- Evening Cooking Class & Local Baci Ceremony: $51
- Home-cooked dinner & Baci ceremony with Villagers in Ban Nasang: $52
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Vallarta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Puerto Vallarta.
- Ultimate Taco Tour in Puerto Vallarta with Vallarta Food Tours: $55
- Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- Bucerias Taco Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- Taco102 - dinner taco walk - all inclusive: $63
- Puerto Vallarta Guided Food Tour with 8 Locals Favorites Tastings: $65
- Vallarta Tales Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $69
- Puerto Vallarta Evening Cooking Class: Tacos, Margaritas &Churros: $78
- Bucerias Bike and Food Tour: $90
- Seafood Cooking Class and Market Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $92
- Sayulita Tacos and Tequila Food Tour: $99
- Taco Tuesday Cooking Class and Local Market Tour Puerto Vallarta: $103
- Puerto Vallarta Rhythms of the Night, Dinner Cruise and Alma Show: $119
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Luang Prabang $2.58Puerto Vallarta $17
Tours and Activities in Luang Prabang
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Luang Prabang.
- Luang Prabang to Train Station Shared Minivan Ticket Or Private: $5.00
- Shuttle Bus ticket to Kuang Si Waterfalls: $8.00
- Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Waterfalls Shared Minivan Ticket: $8.00
- Farm Tour and Buffalo Buffet Adventure: $9.00
- Laos–China Railway: Easy Train Tickets, No Queues, No Worries: $12
- Laos Buffalo Dairy Tours Interact, Learn and Taste Fresh Flavors: $14
- Audio-Guided City Tour in Electric Car: $14
- Laos Railway: Train Tickets Easily - Skip the Lines - No worries: $30
- Small Group Half Day Luang Prabang city tour: $30
- UNESCO World Heritage City Highlights Tour: $35
- Afternoon Kuang Si Waterfalls & Sunset Cruise: $35
- Sunset Cruise Luang Prabang: $35
Tours and Activities in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Vallarta are as follows:
- 1/2 Day Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden tour: $60
- 2 Hour Private Surfing Experience in Puerto Vallarta: $110
- ATV Adventure from Puerto Vallarta: $110
- ATV Adventure in Puerto Vallarta (Single): $107
- ATV All-Terrain Adventure in Punta Mita: $233
- ATV Doble in Puerto Vallarta Mountain and Waterfall Tour: $140
- ATV Jorullo Bridge Tour: $194
- ATV Single Jungle Adventure-Waterfalls, Tequila & Local Culture": $107
- ATV Tour Rio Cuale Sierra Madre Mountains and tequila tasting: $72
- ATV Tour in Puerto Vallarta, waterfall and tequila tasting.: $104
- ATV adventure through the mountains of Puerto Vallarta: $122
- ATV and RZR Jorullo Bridge Experience in Puerto Vallarta: $165
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLuang Prabang $1.72Puerto Vallarta $22
Sample the Local Flavors in Puerto Vallarta
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Puerto Vallarta:
- Puerto Vallarta Pub Crawl: $22
- Premium Tequila Tasting Puerto Vallarta Distillery: $28
- Cachasol Tequila Tasting & Raicilla Distillery Tour: $91
- Secret Agave Bar Crawl in Vallarta: $98
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Luang Prabang and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Puerto Vallarta is more expensive. And not only is Luang Prabang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Luang Prabang is in Asia 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 Luang Prabang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Luang Prabang 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 Luang Prabang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Luang Prabang Expensive? and Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Luang Prabang or Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Luang Prabang. When comparing the sizes of Luang Prabang 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.