Which place is cheaper, Victoria or Puerto Vallarta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Puerto Vallarta or Victoria?
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 Puerto Vallarta and Victoria can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Puerto Vallarta or Victoria?
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.
Victoria
The capital city of British Columbia, Canada, Victoria is positioned near the southern edge of Vancouver Island. It's a wonderfully pleasant city and has been nicknamed the Garden City because of its vast green space and public gardens. There is a population of just over 80,000 in the city proper and almost 350,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Dating back to 1843, it's also one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest. As such, it has many historic buildings and beautiful architecture. It also has the second oldest Chinatown in North America, following San Francisco's.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Mexico, The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico, The Best Adventure Tours to Canada, and The Best Eco Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Vallarta $115Victoria $182
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Vallarta is $115, while the average daily cost in Victoria is $182. 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 Puerto Vallarta and Victoria in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Vallarta $63Victoria $113
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Vallarta $126Victoria $226
Compare Hotels in Puerto Vallarta and Victoria
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Vallarta or Victoria? 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: Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices and Victoria Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Vallarta $19Victoria $37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:
- 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 from Cruise Port to Hotels Arrival Transfer: $44
- 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 Airport to Hotel Private Transfer by Minivan: $74
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Victoria
Also for Victoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Victoria to Vancouver Ferry with Bus Transfer: $73
- Victoria to Vancouver - Coach Bus Transfer: $74
- Victoria to Vancouver - Vancouver Hotel Drop Off - Coach Bus Transfer: $83
- Victoria to Vancouver - Vancouver Airport (YVR) Drop Off - Coach Bus Transfer: $87
- Vancouver: Seaplane Transfer between Vancouver & Victoria: $206
- Seaplane Transfer between Victoria and Whistler: $219
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Vallarta or Victoria?
Prices for flights to both Victoria and Puerto Vallarta 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 dayPuerto Vallarta $37Victoria $27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Vallarta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Puerto Vallarta.
- 3-Hour Guided Food Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $45
- Off The Beaten Path Food Tour. Dinner in Pitillal : $55
- Dinner Tacos Food Tour: $55
- Puerto Vallarta 3-Hour Food Tour of Authentic Local Cuisine: $59
- Puerta Vallarta: Seafood Lover's Food Tour: $59
- Downtown Puerto Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- Seafood Lover's Tour with Vallarta Food Tours : $59
- Signature Taco and Street Food Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $65
- Mexican Cooking Class, Tequila Tasting & Unlimited Margaritas: $84
- Bucerias Bike and Food Tour: $90
- Mexican Cooking Class and Tequila Tasting: $96
- Sayulita Tacos and Tequila Food Tour : $99
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Victoria
For Victoria, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Chocolate Lovers Food Tour: $44
- Chinatown and Old Town Food Tour with Tastings: $58
- Hip & Hidden Chinatown + Old Town Food Tour Victoria: $59
- Victoria Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $73
- Sip, Savor, Stroll Evening Food Tour: $146
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Vallarta $19Victoria $45
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: $53
- 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
- 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: $77
- 8 hour All Inclusive Tour in Catamaran Arcos Animas Quimixto: $82
- ATV Adventure from Puerto Vallarta: $110
- ATV Adventure in Vallarta (Shared) : $125
- ATV Adventure in the Jungle Single in Puerto Vallarta: $106
Tours and Activities in Victoria
For Victoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Victoria self-guided tour App - multilingual AudioGuide: $4.28
- Victoria Harbor: Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $5.11
- 2.5-hour Tips-Based City Walking Tour: $6.58
- Victoria, BC: Murder Mystery Detective Experience: $11
- Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour: $13
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $14
- Experience Victoria by Foot Walking Tour: $15
- Butterfly Gardens Admission Ticket: $15
- Ghostly Walking Tour in Victoria: $16
- Cultural & Historical Victoria Walking Tour: $16
- Malahat SkyWalk General Admission Tickets: $29
- Experience Victoria City Tour: $37
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Vallarta $24Victoria $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Puerto Vallarta
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Puerto Vallarta:
- Fun Mexican Wine Tasting in Beautiful Garden of Puerto Vallarta: $40
- Brewery Bus Tour from Mexico: $85
- All you can drink Bar Crawl: $99
- Mountains Route, visiting a traditional distillery: $270
Sample the Local Flavors in Victoria
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Victoria:
- Guided Pub Crawl with Ferry Rides and Appetizers: $48
- 3-Hour Street Art & Craft Beer Tour of Victoria, Brewery Tour & Tasting included: $101
- Victoria Wine Tour with Wine Tastings and Charcuterie: $134
- Cowichan Valley Premium Wine Tour: $439
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Vallarta and Victoria, we can see that Victoria is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Vallarta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Puerto Vallarta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Vallarta 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 Victoria would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Victoria than you might in Puerto Vallarta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive? and Is Victoria Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Vallarta or Victoria?
Victoria has a larger population, and is about 55% larger than the population of Puerto Vallarta. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Vallarta and Victoria, 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.