Living in Puerto Vallarta

A practical guide for long stays: wintering for a few months, working remotely or thinking about a move. The rules, healthcare, renting, bills and getting around.

By Sam Med · Last updated October 2026

Plenty of visitors come back for longer: a whole winter, a few months of remote work, or a move. Staying weeks or months rather than days changes the practical questions: how long you're allowed to stay, what happens if you get ill, how renting works, and why an electricity bill can suddenly jump. This guide is built from official sources and local reporting rather than our own experience of living there, and it links to our detailed guides where we have them.

How long you can stay

• As a visitor: citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and the EU don't need a visa for a tourist stay. Mexico's migration law sets the maximum at 180 days and doesn't allow paid work in Mexico on that status.
• The 180 days aren't automatic. The immigration officer at the airport decides how many days to grant, and visitors have been given 30 days or fewer. Carry your return ticket and bookings, and ask for the number of days you need.
• Longer, or every winter: the route is temporary residency, valid for up to four years, which you apply for at a Mexican consulate before you travel. Each consulate sets its own financial requirements. As an example, the San Diego consulate's 2026 sheet asks for average savings of about US$68,000 over the previous 12 months, or an income of about US$4,000 a month over the previous six. Remote workers applying on their income need a letter from their employer agreeing to them working from Mexico.
• After you land on a residency visa, you have 30 calendar days to exchange it for a residence card at the immigration office.

Healthcare

• Private hospitals with 24-hour emergency departments: CMQ, at Basilio Badillo 365 in Zona Romántica, with CMQ Premiere on Av. Francisco Villa and a third hospital in Bucerías; Hospital Joya Marina, at Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio 2760 in the Hotel Zone (still listed in some directories under its former name, San Javier Marina); and Hospiten Puerto Vallarta, at Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio 3970 between the airport and the marina (formerly Amerimed).
• Emergencies: call 911.
• Insurance: as a visitor, travel insurance with medical cover is the realistic option. Residents (not tourists) can join the IMSS family health insurance (Seguro de Salud para la Familia). 2026 annual fees run from about MXN 9,300 to 22,150 depending on age. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, there are waits for non-urgent care, and everything is in Spanish.
• Public care in Jalisco: Jalisco is one of the states that didn't join the federal IMSS-Bienestar system and runs its own scheme for residents without social security. Whether foreign residents qualify isn't clear, so don't count on it.
• Pharmacies: many medicines are sold over the counter, but antibiotics need a prescription. See supermarkets and pharmacies.

Renting

• Formal leases are usually for 12 months, written in Spanish, and allow the rent to rise each year. Expect a deposit of at least one month.
• Guarantors: landlords often ask for a guarantor (fiador) who owns property locally, which is close to impossible for newcomers. The usual alternative is a legal guarantee policy (póliza jurídica), costing roughly 30 to 50% of one month's rent.
• Prices: there's no reliable public data on rents. Asking prices on listing sites vary widely, so compare several and visit before you commit.
• Where: the trade-offs between areas are in where to stay; quieter residential options such as Versalles are in the neighbourhoods guide, and Bucerías is a relaxed beach town up the coast.

Bills and utilities

• Electricity: the state utility, CFE, subsidises household electricity up to a consumption limit that depends on the local tariff. If your 12-month average goes over it, the account moves to the unsubsidised DAC tariff, and it can take close to a year to come back down. Heavy air-conditioning in summer is the usual reason; ask to see recent bills before you sign.
• Water supply: the city utility is SEAPAL. In 2026 supply cuts hit around 70 neighbourhoods, including Versalles and Zona Romántica, and in April about 143 of the city's 350 neighbourhoods were without water for several days. Ask whether a building has its own storage tank.
• Drinking water: don't drink from the tap; see can you drink the water?
• Gas: homes that cook with LP gas pay prices capped each week by the national energy commission.
• Internet: Telmex, Totalplay, izzi and Megacable all offer home internet in parts of the city, and Starlink is available in Jalisco. Check coverage for the exact address before you rent. For mobile data, see SIM cards and eSIMs.

Getting around

• Buses: since April 2026 the standard fare across Jalisco is MXN 11, in cash or by card. See buses.
• Uber and DiDi both operate. During the unrest of February 2026, Uber paused in Jalisco while DiDi kept running in Puerto Vallarta, so it's worth having both apps. See Uber and taxis.
• Driving your own car: Jalisco and Nayarit are outside Mexico's border free zone, so a foreign-plated car needs a temporary import permit from Banjercito. It costs about US$60, plus a refundable deposit of US$200 to 400 depending on the car's age. The permit lasts as long as your immigration status, and permanent residents can't get one. Renting is covered in car rental.

Money and banking

Opening a Mexican bank account normally requires a residence card, a passport and proof of address, and has to be done in person. As a visitor you'll rely on foreign cards and cash machines, which typically charge 10 to 40 pesos per withdrawal on top of your own bank's fees. More in money, cards and tipping.

The seasons, as a resident

• Winter is high season: the dry months from November to April are when the city is busiest and most expensive. See best time to visit.
• Hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November, and the heaviest rain falls from July to September. Civil Protection advises clearing drains and roofs, keeping an emergency kit, and never crossing flooded streets or arroyos. See the weather guide.
• Prices: there's no official inflation figure for Puerto Vallarta itself. In July 2026, annual inflation was 4.4% in Guadalajara, the nearest city measured, against 3.1% nationally.

Meeting people

• International Friendship Club: a long-running charity club in El Centro, with its office open on weekday mornings from October to April. It's best known for its winter home tours.
• SPCA Puerto Vallarta: a no-kill animal sanctuary, open since 2012, that relies on volunteers.
• Biblioteca Los Mangos: a community library on Av. Francisco Villa with free services and volunteer-run courses.
• Local news in English: Vallarta Daily, Out and About PV, the Guadalajara Reporter and Mexico News Daily.