Puerto Vallarta Transport Cost Estimator

What it costs to get around Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay — by bus, Uber, taxi or water taxi — with the source of every price.

By Sam Med · Last updated 14 October 2026 · Prices in Mexican pesos unless stated

A taxi on a street in Puerto Vallarta — A taxi on a downtown street in Puerto Vallarta. Photo: Romazur, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Choose where you're starting, where you're going and how many of you there are. The estimator lists the ways to make the trip, cheapest first, with the price for your whole group. Every figure is one published in our guides, with a link to the guide it comes from. Where nobody publishes a reliable price — street taxis in town are the main case — it says so, and how to get a fair one, instead of guessing.

The main fares at a glance

Trip	Price	Guide
City bus, any ride within Puerto Vallarta	MXN 11 per person, since April 2026	Buses
Airport taxi, sedan for up to 3	US$27 (closest zone, Marina), US$29 (Hotel Zone), US$46 (downtown, Zona Romántica and south)	Airport
Airport taxi, van for up to 5	US$51–90 by zone	Airport
Uber, average ride	MXN 98 for 16 minutes, Uber's own figure	Uber and taxis
Bus to Bucerías	MXN 22–30 per person	Bucerías
Water taxi from Boca de Tomatlán	About MXN 100 to Las Ánimas, 100–150 to Quimixto, 120 to Yelapa, one way	Las Ánimas
Boat from the Los Muertos pier	MXN 400–550 return	Yelapa
El Tuito bus to the Botanical Garden	MXN 50 each way	Botanical Garden

How the estimate works

Per person or per car. Buses and water taxis are priced per person. Taxis and Uber are priced per car, up to four people; the airport's authorised taxis take up to three in a sedan and five in a van, and the estimator picks the cheaper mix for your group.
Uber. Uber doesn't publish fares by route. For rides within the city, the estimator scales Uber's own average — MXN 98 for a 16-minute ride — by the usual drive time, as a rough guide; the app shows the real price before you book, and it rises at busy times.
Street taxis. There are no meters and no published fare table, so the estimator gives no price. Agree the total for the car before you get in, and ask your hotel or restaurant what the ride should cost. More in Uber and taxis.
Dollars and pesos. Airport taxis are priced in dollars, everything else in pesos. Conversions use the Bank of Mexico's rate of 18.35 pesos to the dollar, from 13 October 2026. Pay in pesos where you can: see money and tipping.
Prices change. Most figures are recent reports rather than official tariffs, and boat fares aren't regulated. Treat them as a guide and check locally.

For the whole trip, including hotels, food and tours, use the trip budget calculator.

Frequently asked

How much is the bus in Puerto Vallarta?

MXN 11 a ride, the flat fare for city buses across Jalisco since April 2026, however far you go within the city. Buses into Nayarit charge more: MXN 22–30 to Bucerías.

How much is a taxi from Puerto Vallarta airport?

Authorised airport taxis charge a fixed price per vehicle by zone, paid at the booth in arrivals. Aeromovil's 2026 list gives US$27–46 for a sedan carrying up to three people — US$29 to the Hotel Zone, US$46 to downtown and Zona Romántica — and US$51–90 for a van.

How much does an Uber cost in Puerto Vallarta?

Uber's own figure is an average of MXN 98 for a 16-minute ride in Puerto Vallarta. The app shows the price before you book, and fares rise at busy times.

How much is the water taxi to Yelapa?

About MXN 120 one way from Boca de Tomatlán, or 240 return. Boats from the Los Muertos pier in town save the bus ride, but return tickets have been quoted at MXN 400–550.