---
title: "Puerto Vallarta vs San Miguel de Allende for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/puerto-vallarta-vs-san-miguel-de-allende
description: "Under balanced weights Puerto Vallarta edges it, 58 to 56, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Puerto Vallarta is stronger on nothing outright; San Miguel de Allende on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Puerto Vallarta vs San Miguel de Allende for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Puerto Vallarta edges it, 58 to 56, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Puerto Vallarta is stronger on nothing outright; San Miguel de Allende on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 52 | 52 | tie |
| Safety | 23 | 23 | tie |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 | tie |
| Internet | 57 | 54 | Puerto Vallarta |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 27 | 23 | Puerto Vallarta |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 85 | 80 | Puerto Vallarta |
| Quality of life | 54 | 54 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,400 | $1,400 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 28.2 | 28.2 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 53.7 | 53.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 79 | 79 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 70.8 yrs | 70.8 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 28.6 Mbps | 25 Mbps | Puerto Vallarta |
| Upload | 9.5 Mbps | 7.8 Mbps | Puerto Vallarta |

## Visa

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 | 21 | Puerto Vallarta |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 | San Miguel de Allende |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Puerto Vallarta |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Puerto Vallarta | San Miguel de Allende | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.9 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | Puerto Vallarta |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or San Miguel de Allende?

San Miguel de Allende is cheaper: about $1,400 per month versus $1,400 for one person.

### Is Puerto Vallarta or San Miguel de Allende safer?

Puerto Vallarta scores higher on safety (23 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Puerto Vallarta or San Miguel de Allende?

Puerto Vallarta: a measured median of 28.6 Mbps versus 25 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Puerto Vallarta](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/puerto-vallarta) · [San Miguel de Allende](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-miguel-de-allende). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations).

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