Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Salento?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Salento or Puerto Vallarta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Salento 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: Salento or Puerto Vallarta?
Salento
Founded in 1850, Salento is one of the oldest towns in Quindio. This colonial Colombian town has retained much of its old world charm, with its colorful buildings, large square and, of course, the obligatory church. Because the main route between Cali and Bogota which used to pass through Salento was diverted, the town didn't develop as quickly as others in the Quindio region. This gave Salento the opportunity to evolve into a thriving community of craftsmen and artisans as well as remaining one of the region's most prolific coffee producers. Salento is located 24 km northeast of the departmental capital Armenia. However, unlike its colorful neighbor, Armenia itself has very little to offer tourists. Salento attracts those wishing to learn about the coffee regions and for those who simply admire breathtaking scenery, and especially the stunning Cocora Valley.
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 Colombia, The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, 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 daySalento $33Puerto Vallarta $115
The average daily cost (per person) in Salento is $33, 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 Salento and Puerto Vallarta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalento $11Puerto Vallarta $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalento $22Puerto Vallarta $126
Compare Hotels in Salento and Puerto Vallarta
Looking for a hotel in Salento 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: Salento Hotel Prices and Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salento $14Puerto Vallarta $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salento
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Salento:
- Pereira Airport Private Transfer Service: $55
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 Salento or Puerto Vallarta?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta and Salento 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 daySalento $9.56Puerto Vallarta $37
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Salento
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Salento.
- Cooking Stories - Cocinando Historias: $46
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.Salento $12Puerto Vallarta $19
Tours and Activities in Salento
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Salento are as follows:
- City tour + Nature: $25
- Coffee tour in the heart of the coffee region: $28
- Santa Rita Waterfall and Salento Hike Tour: $49
- Filandia and Salento Coffee Towns Tour: $62
- Private Colombian Coffee Farm Tour with Tastings in Armenia: $78
- Cocora Valley and Salento Hike Tour: $79
- Coffee Tour at Finca El Ocaso: $84
- Coffee Farm and Salento Walking Tour with Lunch: $87
- Coffe Experience: Daily departure from Salento: $89
- Pereira: Cocora Valley and Salento Guided Hiking Tour: $89
- Private birding tour for beginners and intermediate: $90
- Coffee Tour and Salento Walking Tour with lunch: $94
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 daySalento $12Puerto 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 Salento and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Puerto Vallarta is more expensive. And not only is Salento much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Salento 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 Salento would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salento 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 Salento.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Salento Expensive? and Is Puerto Vallarta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salento or Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Salento. When comparing the sizes of Salento 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.