Cost of Living in Puerto Escondido (+ What I Spent in a Week!)
Two weeks in Puerto Escondido was not enough! As you might have seen from my many Instagram posts and Youtube videos, this laid-back community is a perfect hub for travelers who love the beach and the outdoors but still want to have a productive work environment.
But of course, we have to keep it real around here, which is why I’m showing you exactly what I spent over the course of one week in Puerto Escondido to give you an idea of what the cost of living is here.
Disclaimer – my week may look very different than yours! Since I was only here for two weeks, I was not as careful with my spending as a long-hauler might be. I ate out much more than normal and took advantage of surfing lessons and other special treats that would be less frequent if I was settled in. With that said, here is the meat of the matter.
General Overview
First, let’s talk about cash and conversion rates. Cash is much preferred over credit and debit cards here, and often is the only option. Make sure you have enough cash on hand at all times just in case.
The currency in Puerto Escondido is the Mexican Peso (MXP). In March 2022, $1 USD = about 21 MXP.
If you are flying in, have pesos on hand before you get to the airport. The airport has only one ATM and it is often out of service. My taxi cab driver had to make a pit stop for me at an ATM on the way to the hostel, and it added a lot to my bill!
Once you're settled, you'll find many ATMs in the Rinconada neighborhood in and around some restaurants and grocery stores. Banco Santander is a large bank with multiple ATMs, including one right down the street from Casa Losodeli where I was staying. Since there are only a few banks and ATMs in town, be sure to pull out a good amount of cash each time to avoid having to go back too often.
Drag to resize
Drag to resize
Check Out The Full Spreadsheet
Accomodation
There are 5 main neighborhoods to stay in Puerto Escondido:
La Punta
Zicatela
Tamarindo
Centro
Rinconada
For more in-depth information about each of these neighborhoods, check out my digital nomad guide here!
I ended up staying in the Rinconada neighborhood at Casa Losodeli through Cowork Surf in a 4-person female dorm and have nothing but amazing things to say about the experience. It has a comfortable coworking space, reliable and fast WIFI, an awesome community of new friends, and the chill vibes that suit me; i.e. no late-night parties – not to mention that it is clean, safe, and in a good location.
Total spend for 7 days = 1800 MXP ($86 USD)
Food & Drink
This category will have a lot of variation depending on your lifestyle. How often you eat out, what kinds of restaurants you frequent, and how much you go out and party will all factor. Personally, I ate out for the majority of my meals, because as someone who earns USD online, the Mexican prices were much lower than I’m used to back in the U.S., as they are for many international travelers. But the hostels typically have places to cook should you decide to spend your money in other ways.
Yummy and healthy meals are a priority for me as I focus on my health on the road. Puerto Escondido did not disappoint! For breakfast, I either ordered from the Cafe Losodeli or grabbed some homemade granola and fruit from the market and made my own.
My go-to cafe order was an almond milk cappuccino (35 MXP) and a chia bowl (90 MXP). Nothing like a satisfying breakfast for less than $6 USD! If I didn’t order breakfast out, I made granola with sliced bananas and almond milk with ingredients I bought at Verde Puerto Escondido, the cutest organic market around the corner from Losodeli, or the massive Mercado Benito Juarez in Centro. More on both below.
At lunchtime, what and where I ate depended on the day of the week. Most workdays, you could find me at Cafe Losodeli because it was the most convenient. On the weekends, I was usually hanging out at the beach in La Punta where I would find a cool new spot to eat. My go-to order at Cafe Losodeli was the Sandwich Verde (80 MXP) and a green juice (50 MXP). So basically $6 USD for lunch! But sometimes I switched it up and got a veggie omelet (80 MXP), a smoothie (80 MXP), orange juice (40 MXP), or caprese salad (90 MXP). Lots of choices!
In La Punta, I would explore and try new places like Cafe Malagua. Their hummus toast and watermelon juice cost 200 MXP and it was so fresh and delicious!
I almost always ate out at dinner, and it was my biggest meal expense. Cafe Losodeli closes at 3 pm, and dinner was a great time for me to experience the town, especially on busy workdays when I stayed at the coworking space all day. The restaurants near the hostel in Rinconada were fun to explore, and sometimes I took a cab over to La Punta to grab dinner with friends staying over there. Some of my favorite spots were Lychee (a Thai restaurant in La Punta), Filomena (Argentinean food), and Fish Shack (love their fish tacos!)
We did have a few nights where those of us living at Losodeli would gather to cook a family dinner. Those were some of my favorite nights! The sense of community was really wonderful.
We can't forget snacks! I made it to the sunset on the beach almost every evening, and people are often walking around selling snacks there. Why not?
Grocery shopping is part of the experience in any new country. As I mentioned above, the two shops I visited most were the Verde Puerto Escondido near my hostel and Mercado Benito Juarez, the huge public market in Centro.
Verde Puerto features organic foods and pre-made meals and emphasizes locally sourced food and fair trade practices. They also take cards for payment, which is not often the case!
Mercado Benito Juarez is cash-only and definitely recommended for its sheer size, variety of products, prices, and the cultural experience of shopping alongside those who call Puerto Escondido their home. Clothing, food, woven goods, pet supplies, anything you might need or want can be found here. It takes up a full city block!
Food was my second-largest expense by just a hair - almost tied for first.
Total spend for 7 days = 3,185 MXP ($152 USD)
Transportation
Puerto Escondido is not a huge city, but you don’t want to walk everywhere! Budgeting for transportation is key. Fortunately, there are options to meet all wallets.
Taxis are the main way to get around if you don’t have a vehicle. They are pretty inexpensive, but make sure you ask for the price (cuanto cuesta) before you get in the cab so drivers don’t try to overcharge you. A 10-minute taxi cab ride - the typical distance from the Rinconada to La Punta, for example - costs about 70 MXP ($3.40 USD). From Rinconada to Zicatela, about a 7-minute drive, you shouldn’t pay more than 50. The cost does go up at night, and they are cash only for payment.
You can also experience a colectivo for only 10 MXP in cash. These shared-ride vehicles have multiple riders with varied pick-up and drop-offs. Wave one down and jump on; ring the bell when you’re close to your destination. Live like a local!
Want to zip around on a motorbike? Locals and long-term travelers use these to get around really efficiently, but I would suggest this only for those who know how to use them already. There are many places to rent motorbikes by the day, week, and month. A monthly rental (the most economical) is about 6000 MXP.
Bicycle rentals are also available. If you are going to be there a while, consider buying a cheap used bike to get around, and pass it on to a friend when you leave!
Total Spend for 7 days = 1094 MXP ($52 USD)
Luxury Spending
All work and no play is not what I signed up for. Life’s luxuries are in the eye of the beholder, and I am careful to choose mine based on where I am visiting so I can walk away with the most meaningful experience.
My Puerto luxuries included surfing, workout and yoga classes, and shopping. This was my most expensive spending category, mostly because learning to surf was a priority I made for this visit.
I took three private surfing lessons with Blue Beach Surf School. We made a point to do the full lessons in Spanish (though English is an option of course) because I am working on fluency, and each 2-hour lesson was 700 MXP.
In addition, I am committed to exercise, and feel best when I am moving a lot and doing yoga. Got my press handstand back on this trip! Most workout and yoga classes range from 120-150 MXP ($6-7 USD).
Lastly, if you choose to do any shopping, know that prices in many clothing shops in Rinconada and La Punta are about the same as U.S. prices; I spent 850 MXP on a bikini and 300 on a t-shirt. You might find some deals in the market though!
Total spend for 7 days = 3,400 MXP ($163 USD)
Total Weekly Cost in Puerto Escondido
Luxuries: 3,400 MXP = $163 USD
Food & drink: 3,185 MXP = $152 USD
Accomodation: 1800 MXP = $86 USD
Transportation & groceries: 1,094.00 MXP = $52 USD
TOTAL: 9,479 MXP = $459 USD
THINGS TO REMEMBER – Without luxuries like private surf lessons and workout classes, the overall weekly cost drops by roughly 3000 MXP. That being said, I hardly ever went out and partied at night, so take into account whether you’ll be doing that and factor accordingly.
Lastly, your choice of accommodations will affect your trip cost significantly. Private room, dorm, hotel, hostel, private home rental, each comes with its own amenities and own expense.
