Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Puerto Vallarta at 66/100 for crime — that makes it read safer than Mexico's national picture overall (55/100 vs 54/100).
City page · part of Mexico
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Puerto Vallarta report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Mexico's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
34.2
Safety Index
65.8
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Mexico's national page, with crime swapped for Puerto Vallarta's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Puerto Vallarta, specifically
- • The beaches and hotels have security people who are familiar with the area and tend to ward off most undesirable characters.
- • Avoid confrontations with the police.
- • For digestive issues, use Immodium. It is sold over the counter and works for most issues.
- • In case of emergency, dial 911, the number for all emergencies (fire, police and medical) in Mexico. English-speaking operators are not guaranteed, but are often available.
- • For non-emergencies, dial 078 to reach the Green Angels, an English-speaking roadside and travel assistance program.
- • Drug cartels: Like most of Mexico's Pacific coast states, regional drug cartels are known to operate in Jalisco.
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1871+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 911 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 911
Tipping
Tipping in Mexico is similar to the United States. It is usually from 10 to 15%. Meals have a 10% to 15% tip (this includes fast food deliveries). This tip is usually left by most people in restaurants, although it is not so common in street restaurants or stands, where the tenders usually have a can or box where people deposit coins.
Cash vs. Card
The currency of Mexico is the peso, denoted in Mexico as "$" (ISO code MXN) and in Wikivoyage as "M$". It is divided into 100 centavos. Prices in US dollars (in tourist areas) are labeled "US$" or sport an S with a double stroke. Coins are issued in denominations of 5, 10 (steel), 20, and 50 centavos (brass; new 50-centavo coins issued from 2011 onwards are steel and smaller in size) and 1, 2, 5 (
How this compares to Mexico
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Puerto Vallarta at 66/100 for crime — that makes it read safer than Mexico's national picture overall (55/100 vs 54/100).
See the full Mexico page and all receipts →