vincenzo32951

We're planning a trip to Mexico (Puerta Vallarta) in a couple of months. Haven't been there in 20 years. Using your own scale of measurement, how would you rate Mexico as a value? I know the peso has been dropping v. the dollar, but has that resulted in real savings and value for US visitors?

cabron

It most definitely does ! My rent has gone down, dollar wise. A 20 peso beer is now just less than US$1.00, a good breakfast US$3.50c
The higher end restaurants will be effected, if they are using imported supplies.

tom42

Mexico right now value-wise is a 10. You probably won't realize much savings in the cost of your hotel but food and drink is so cheap now that the exchange rate is 20 pesos to the dollar. Example- we were in Isla Mujeres over thanksgiving and our most expensive meal- beachside at the hotel restaurant with a fairly fancy menu was $60 US for two glasses of wine, one shared app, two entrees, two coffees and two sambucas each. Meals in town were half that price.

tom42

Where are you staying in PV?

vincenzo32951

ty all. We're staying at a high-end time share (not ours). Vista something-or-other.

suze

Yes it CAN be a good value but mostly it depends where you stay, where you eat, what you do.

I can find a nice dinner in a restaurant for $10usd but I could drop $50 just as easily.

I've gone to Vallarta 1-2x/year since the early 90's, as recently as this year in May and Nov.

suze

Oh & if you find out and want to tell us the name of your resort, we can let you know how close to town you will be, what's to do near where you are, etc.

november_moon

My last trip to Mexico was to Veracruz in September. I was there the previous September also and prices (in pesos) hadn't really changed, so my trip was definitely cheaper than the previous year and lots cheaper than previous trips. It was great.

I have heard that in highly-touristed areas like Cancun and Playa del Carmen where prices are often quoted in USD, or tied to the USD even if quoted in pesos, that the effective cost of things hasn't really changed much. I don't have any personal experience with that though.

Stewbear

Last year 3 of us had appetizers, entrees, salads plus dessert & drinks at The Presa del Bistro IMO the best cafe in Guanajuato. Total cost just barely $50 US plus tip for all three.
PS Paid $22 US this week for Huevos Rancheros,a orange juice, & a small guacamole at a local cafe in Union City, CA

suze

I have my exact meal costs in a travel notebook from May and Nov in Puerto Vallarta, 3 weeks total. I'll post a few samples from home this weekend.

wtm003

We got back from Puerto Vallarta a few hours ago and I think it was a better value than our stay two years ago. We stayed at the Marriott and got a good rate that included a daily food credit. While food & drinks at the hotel were more expensive than in town, it was much less expensive than our recent trips to Grand Cayman and Hawaii.

Our least expensive meal was $7 at a taco stand in Sayulita for 4 tacos and 2 cokes.

On the other hand, we spent about $80 for a nice dinner on the beach in PV. It would have been close to $200 in Hawaii.

cabron

Average price for a taco in town, not Sayulita, is about US$0.60c

suze

These are meals in some of Zona Romantica's favorite restaurants last month. Price included 1-2 drinks, sometimes an appetizer, always an entrée, and 20%+ tip. Peso was trading almost 20/1 at the time so these very nice meals were between $14-38USD.

Mariscos Polo's 350 peso - grilled fish
Archie's Wok 540 peso - calamari app & almond chicken
Café de Olla 285 peso - catch of the day
Daquiri Dicks 670 peso - steak dinner
Anejo Limon 790 peso - calamari app & shrimp main


Breakfast/lunch (meal with beverage)
Rico Taco Mac 110 peso
el Mole de Jovia 115 peso
Daquiri Dicks 180 peso
Fredy's Tucan 200 peso
Derby City 127 peso

When I wasn't eating out fancy, I'd get food to go from either Ley grocery store or Mikey's Deli at Los Mercados and those meals cost only a few dollars each.

vincenzo32951

thanks, all, especially to suze for the details.

suze

de nada ;-) Vallarta is my home away from home, I'm happy to help.

andrews98682

I went to Puerto Vallarta last year. It was about 17-18 pesos per dollar, which meant you could eat and drink really well and for not a whole lot of money. You can go to Panchos Takos, Cafe Bohemio and Derby Burger and eat like a king for about the price of a combo meal at McDonalds -- or not much more.

cybor

I know you asked about PVallarta but you can eat for much less than the above posted prices in Merida and most of the Yucatan.

maried11

Those dinner prices actually seem expensive to me. I pay less than that in Alberta for my meals. (Comparing similar meals). Also, and I have to agree with the above poster that I don't pay that much when eating out on the east coast. The breakfast prices are about the same.

Stewbear

I virtually never pay over $5 US for breakfast in Guanajuato. Even high end restaurants have "specials for lunch for under $10 US. You will find in most cases the fewer foreign tourists in a area the lower the prices. Also GTO is a college town which results in even lower prices.

suze

<but you can eat for much less than the above posted prices in Merida and most of the Yucatan>

cybor & maried11~ You can "eat for much less than the above posted prices" in Puerto Vallarta too.

That's why I clearly specified for a "very nice meal" because I knew people would come along and say exactly what you two just did.

Those are all mid to higher end restaurants with several drinks, appetizers, not the cheapest entree, etc. Same for the breakfasts spots. Those were large meals with coffee, juice, generous mains.

Since our OP is staying at a "high end time share" I was assuming this is not a shoestring budget trip and that he might want to go out to some of the more upscale dining options in PV.