TL;DRTulum is 27% cheaper on rent ($1,045/mo vs $1,435/mo). Puerto Vallarta is safer — homicide rate 24.9 vs 26.1 per 100k. Neither city will test your commitment to owning a coat.

Puerto Vallarta and Tulum are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

How the livability score breaks down

Puerto Vallarta

Tulum

15/25

💰 Affordability

18.8/25

0/15

🔒 Violent Crime

0/15

6.6/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

5.3/10

5.3/15

⚡ Internet

3.1/15

8/15

🗳️ Democracy

8/15

3/10

🗣️ English

3.4/10

7.3/10

☀️ Climate

6.5/10

5.3/10

📊 Stability

5.3/10

4.7/10

🚗 Road Safety

4.3/10

3.5/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

3.5/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇲🇽 Tulum

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Puerto Vallarta vs Montreal

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Puerto Vallarta

Metric

Tulum

$539/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$279/mo✓

$5,055

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$3,885✓

✓35 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

30 / 100

24.9 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

26.1 / 100k

12.0 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

—

✓66 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

53 / 100

86°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

90°F

64°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

66°F

—

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

41 Mbps

5.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

5.3 / 10

4.8 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

4.8 / 9

71 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

71 / 100

✓20/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

19/100

✓$26k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$24k

4.7% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

4.7% · Boringly steady

59/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

59/100

See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Tulum

$390/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Puerto Vallarta

24.9 homicides per 100k

🗣️

English

Tulum

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

46% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

10.9h

Shortest day

Dec

10.9h

13.4h

Longest day

Jun

13.4h

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend

declining ↓

stable →

Inflation trend

improving ↑

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

Spouse works

—

$4,400/mo

Retiree visa

—

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

12 wk

Gestational limit

12 wk

Decriminalized nationwide by Supreme Court in 2023. Access varies by state.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Puerto Vallarta vs Tulum — Common Questions

Is Puerto Vallarta cheaper than Tulum?▾

Tulum is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1045/month there vs $1435/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Puerto Vallarta or Tulum?▾

Puerto Vallarta is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Puerto Vallarta has a rate of 24.86 per 100,000 and Tulum has 26.11 per 100,000.

Should I move to Puerto Vallarta or Tulum?▾

Puerto Vallarta and Tulum are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Puerto Vallarta or Tulum?▾

Puerto Vallarta: Mexico Temporary Resident Visa (moderate requirements, 1–4 years). Tulum: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in Puerto Vallarta vs Tulum?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1045/month in Tulum, $1435/month in Puerto Vallarta (Numbeo). That's 27% cheaper rent in Tulum.