Puerto Vallarta Picked Us: Affordable Living and Endless Sunsets

Puerto Vallarta picked us. We didn't pick it.

In 2013, we packed up our lives in Chicago and decided to rewire ourselves by moving to Penang, Malaysia.

Looking back, we had no idea what we were in for. The joy, the tears, the guilt, the experience of a lifetime. But now that we moved overseas, we couldn't imagine returning to the US. That doesn't make us brave. It doesn't make us crazy (well, maybe a little bit). It's just the lifestyle we chose.

After Covid and being trapped so far away, we decided to move a little closer to the US.

In January of 2022, we decided to spend a month in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and 2.5 years later, we're still here.

Why Puerto Vallarta?

Puerto Vallarta is on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Just a two-hour flight to Mexico City, three to Los Angeles, a little over four to Chicago, and a little over five to New York. Getting back home to see family is a breeze. Especially compared to the 48-hour door-to-door trip from Penang.

This town is known for its postcard-worthy landscapes, and it's easy to see why. The Sierra Madre Mountains hug the city and tumble down into the sapphire-blue Bay of Banderas. During the rainy season (from July to September), the mountains turn from toasty brown to the color of emeralds.

Even though it is a resort town, there is still a vibrant Mexican culture. Unlike in some coastal hotspots, you'll hear more Spanish than English. All of those qualities were important to us when deciding whether to stay here.

Add in the year-round hot temps, the affordable cost of living, and sunsets that never fail to take my breath away, and it didn't take much persuasion.

I haven’t even gotten to the food.

After living in the street food capital of Malaysia, I was worried Vallarta couldn’t stack up. But it holds its own. The food scene is pretty diverse here. You can get a fancy tomahawk or a wagyu steak for $50+ but you can also get street tacos for $1.

Of course, I wish there were more Asian options, but when we lived in Asia, I wished there were more Mexican options. I guess it all evens out.

The Decision to Move

We came here for a vacation in the mid-2000s but not with the intention of moving here. When we returned in 2022, we had no expressed intentions of staying. We knew it was time to leave Malaysia and wanted to be in US time zones, but not actually in the US. Other than that, we were kind of winging it. Feeling our way.

The thing is, we immediately felt good in Vallarta, like putting on an old shoe. The people are kind. The food is divine. The healthcare is five stars. We didn't want for anything.

The main concern we had was the cost of living. It is definitely higher here than in Penang.

We were used to Malaysian prices, which are about a third of what we spend here and still half of the costs in the US. But to us, even air seemed expensive after Malaysia.

Finding Our Home

Stunning sunset view from our balcony. |©Kirsten Raccuia

After we made the conscious decision to stay, we needed to find a long-term rental apartment. For us, that meant taking the bull by the horns and doing tons of research. We walked around the neighborhoods we liked, looking for "se renta" signs. We spent hours poring over all the Facebook groups. We went into a few rental agencies to meet with agents. It took a lot of patience, and we saw a lot of places.

The challenge was that our budget was too low for what we wanted. We saw a lot of two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments for around 17K ($950). But we are both pretty sure that one of the secrets to our happy marriage is having two bathrooms — one for each of us.

I just assumed having a second bathroom wouldn't be hard to find or be that much more money, but it turns out I was mistaken. We could not find a two-bed, two-bath place for under 30K ($1600).

With our new, higher, and more realistic budget, we saw quite a few apartments and finally found our casa inthe central Cinco de Diciembre neighborhood. It's 1400 square feet, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It's open and airy with high ceilings and loads of Mexican touches like terra cotta floors, richly colored wood cabinets, and a tile kitchen countertop.

Our kitchen and dining area with beautiful terra cotta floors. |©Kirsten Raccuia

We have a shared outdoor pool on the first floor that is a social gathering spot for many people in the building.

Additionally, our jacuzzi on the large rooftop deck lounge/BBQ area has a 280° view of the bay and mountains, so we never miss a sunset. But we are only a five-minute walk from the beach, which we take advantage of as often as possible.

We have far more amenities than we expected but are sure glad we have them. Both the pool and large rooftop lounge are our happy places.

Benefits of Living in Puerto Vallarta

Enjoying a beautiful day on the beach in Puerto Vallarta.|©Kirsten Raccuia

One of the drastic differences between here and Penang is our friendship circle. In Malaysia, most of our friends were retired, living their best lives in a wonderful place. They were from all over the world.

But here, a majority of the expats we meet are from the US or Canada, and most of them are still working. Maybe it's because of the power of remote jobs nowadays, but a lot of young people here work full-time and do their thing remotely because they can.

There are definitely a lot of retirees here as well and loads of sunbirds and snowbirds. However, the amount of young people here making it happen is impressive.

One of the things about living in Puerto Vallarta we didn’t have back in the US was a weekly cleaning lady. It costs about 500 MXN ($28) for four to five hours. Besides the cleaning, she will do the towels and sheets as well as your laundry if you ask. I feel utterly spoiled having one, and I love every minute of it.

Because we have hot and sunny weather almost year-round and live so close to the water, we try to spend at least one weekend day lounging on the beach. There is no shortage of outdoor activities, from hiking and paddleboarding to kayaking and snorkeling. We've also been ziplining and ATVing in the last few months.

July through December is baby turtle releasing season, and November through March is whale watching season.

On top of wildlife and adrenaline, there seem to be almost monthly cultural events or festivals.

Living in a place with all those amenities really checks our boxes in the lifestyle department. Life here can undoubtedly be a rich one.

Challenges and Adjustments

Many people ask if we need to speak Spanish to live here.

The short answer is no. Because this is a resort town and is so popular with Americans and Canadians, most of the people in the service industries speak English.

However, if you want to get deeper and connect with local people, learning Spanish is the way to go. For us, it's important, and we are taking classes. It's certainly a challenge, especially because many locals want to practice their English and don't answer in Spanish. But I'm up for the challenge.

Another adjustment is the summertime heat and humidity. We got pretty used to it in Penang. But if you don’t like hot and humid, then don’t come here from July through September.

Final Thoughts

Overall, moving to Puerto Vallarta was the right decision at the right time. We needed to be closer to our families, and living in the same time zone meant connecting with our loved ones whenever we wanted. There is no time difference; it's not days to get home. That also means we had nonstop visitors for the first four months of this year—a welcome change.

I recognize that moving abroad isn't for everyone. It's not a decision to be taken lightly. And it’s nothing like the vacations you might have taken to Mexico. It’s real life. You still need to do the laundry, pay the bills, do the grocery shopping, and do the basic day-to-day stuff—unless you pay someone to do it all for you—a huge benefit of living in Mexico.

However, the great thing about Puerto Vallarta and all of Mexico is its proximity to the US. If you're uncertain if living here is for you, take a test run. Come here for six months. See how it makes you feel. Because no matter how much research you do and how good the stats look on paper, at the end of the day, it's got to feel good.

No amount of research can tell you that until you get boots on the ground. Or, in this case, feet in the sand.