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Puerto Vallarta has been my nomad base for the past five years, and I’m here to shed some light on finding long term rentals in Puerto Vallarta for digital nomads.
Puerto Vallarta is an amazing destination for remote workers. It offers a fantastic lifestyle with a relatively low cost of living compared to Canada and the U.S.
Luxury amenities that may not be affordable at home, like pools and house cleaners, come included with many Puerto Vallarta rentals.
If you’ve decided to make the move (great decision), keep reading for tips on getting your first apartment rental in Puerto Vallarta.
Why live in Puerto Vallarta
First, an introduction to my home away from home.
Puerto Vallarta is an up-and-coming digital nomad destination on the west coast of Mexico.
While it’s been a hot spot for retirees, snowbirds, cruise ships, and the LGBTQ community for some time now, digital nomads are also falling in love with PV.
And who could blame them? There are so many reasons to love living in Puerto Vallarta!
Located in Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta has the ocean to its west and the Sierra Madre mountains to its east. It seriously feels like living in a postcard here.
Although it’s not a very big city, it has all the amenities of one.
You’ve got easy access to an international airport, big box stores, malls, movie theaters, and an abundance of cafes, restaurants, and bars.
Importantly for remote workers, Puerto Vallarta also has fiber-optic internet in many neighborhoods. There are several excellent co-working spaces and cafes if you prefer not to work at home.
My wife and I have been teaching English online, having coaching calls, blogging, and uploading videos from PV for years now, and we have had very few issues.
Most apartment rentals in Puerto Vallarta come fully furnished and include all utilities except electricity.
You’re also on the hook for drinking water (don’t drink it out of the tap!) and can easily get 20L gallon jugs delivered for a few bucks each.
Your electric bill largely depends on how much you use the A/C, and it can get quite expensive in the hot and humid months of June-October.
Overall, the cost of living in Puerto Vallarta can be very affordable, making it an attractive place for digital nomads.
Best neighborhoods in Puerto Vallarta
The best areas for digital nomads to live in Puerto Vallarta are Old Town (also known as the Romantic Zone), Centro, 5 de Diciembre, and Versalles.
All of these areas will have everything you need as a nomad. It’s also easy to get around on the bus (10 pesos per trip). Cabs are readily available, as well as Uber and InDriver (a local ride-sharing app).
If you want to be close to the action, Old Town or El Centro is where you want to be.
The 5 de Diciembre neighborhood is a bit more local and just a quick ride to downtown Puerto Vallarta, while Versalles is a more residential area. It’s quickly becoming a foodie mecca with lots of new restaurants.
How to find long term rentals in Puerto Vallarta
Once you decide which area you’d like to live in, it’s time to start looking for a place.
If you’re just doing a trial run of a week to a month, there are lots of great Puerto Vallarta vacation rentals on Airbnb and VRBO.
- Two-bedroom apartment in Versalles
- Open-concept loft in El Centro
- Gorgeous brand-new condo in the Romantic Zone
Many nomads start out on one of those platforms and then look for a more long-term place once they’re on the ground.
The first time we did a nomad stint in PV, I actually found a place on Craigslist. We booked through the host’s Airbnb link just to be safe and paid around $300 for that month.
Once we fell in love with the city and decided to stay, we extended our stay for another three months at the rate of just 4,000 pesos (about $200) a month. However, this was a few years ago, and Puerto Vallarta property prices have risen since.
We ended up splurging a bit on a nice Airbnb for our last two weeks that year and befriended the hosts. They gave us their contact info, and we ended up coming back for six months the following year.
It was during the low season (May-October),, so we got a good deal. We had an ocean view in a well-furnished one-bedroom apartment, along with a shared rooftop pool, BBQ, and bar.
Our rent was 15,000 pesos monthly ($700) and included a thorough weekly cleaning. We were definitely spoiled there!
These days, there are tons of Facebook groups dedicated to rentals in PV. Making a post with your desired area, price range, and requirements is sure to get several responses.
I recommend not sending anyone money beforehand unless it’s through a secure platform like Airbnb or PayPal goods & services. While there aren’t a lot of scams in Vallarta, they can happen.
Here are some of the best Facebook groups to use when looking for accommodation in Puerto Vallarta:
- Puerto Vallarta Digital Nomads
- Puerto Vallarta Affordable Yearly Rentals
- Rentals in Puerto Vallarta for Locals and Long-Term Visitors
- Puerto Vallarta Yearly Rentals
- PV Bay Snowbird Rentals
Due to the pandemic, we decided to stay put in a comfortable place and actually spend a high season in PV.
I hit the Facebook groups and looked at a bunch of places from Centro up to the Hotel Zone. Most were in the range of 12-20,000 pesos a month with everything included but electricity.
We settled on a shiny new condo in the Hotel Zone just a block off the beach. With two rooftop pools, a jacuzzi, and a gym, this was a great place to live during the era of social distancing.
We definitely got the “pandemic special” here, as our rent was only 20,000 a month. Places there are already going for 30-35,000 this year.
Finally, there’s the tried and true strategy of just hitting the pavement.
Keep an eye out for signs that say “Se Renta” and take down the phone number. Of course, you might need a little bit of Spanish to pull this off. Many owners speak some English, but some don’t at all.
If you’re signing a 6-month agreement, which is quite common, you can find a nice place for 15-20,000 pesos a month.
It’s possible to find a decent studio for as little as 6-8,000 if you don’t mind being in a more local area and a bit far from the beach.
Lora’s experience
The first time I lived in Puerto Vallarta in 2020, I shared a 3-bedroom apartment in Las Glorias with two other digital nomads. We paid 800 USD/month + utilities, and we signed a 3-month lease.
The apartment was outdated but came with a pool and twice-weekly cleaner. We were five minutes from the beach and next to a bus station.
We got the apartment by calling around to places that said ‘se renta’, so this is a great strategy if you speak a bit of Spanish. However, it was during the pandemic, and prices have definitely risen.
In 2021, I submitted my friend’s apartment in Versalles for 600/month, which was a modern one-bedroom apartment with a pool. Because she had signed a lease for it, the price was much lower than what I would pay if it was a monthly rental.
Afterward, I moved into my friend’s two-bedroom apartment in Zona Romantica, which they paid around 800 USD/month for. But again, this is with a 3-year lease.
Signing a lease will definitely lower your living expenses in Puerto Vallarta, so make sure to negotiate with the landlord when looking for long-term rentals in Puerto Vallarta.
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Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time in Puerto Vallarta so much that you return back. It happened to us, and it happens to a lot of people!
It’s the kind of place that just sucks you in. Be sure to check out our video about living in Puerto Vallarta for more information to help you out before your stay.
Once you’ve got your place to stay, head down to la playa and enjoy some tacos and margaritas!
Thinking about moving to Puerto Vallarta? Don’t miss these guides!
Can I contact you with some general questions. I would be moving to PV and have vacationed there before.
I was told the tap water is totally safe-
Not only has Puerto Vallarta’s water been rated as perfectly safe for human consumption with a certificate of purity for 17 consecutive years, it is one of only two vacation destinations in the country to achieve this important distinction.