Is it cheaper to winter in Puerto Vallarta than in Florida?

The recurring cost of owning is generally lower in Puerto Vallarta. Annual property tax (predial) on a residence like Avanti is estimated around $500 USD per year, compared with roughly $6,000 to $15,000 for a comparable Florida property, and home insurance outside the hurricane-exposure market is typically a fraction of Florida premiums. Purchase price and personal spending vary, so treat these as cost-of-ownership figures, not a promise about future value.

Are there direct flights to Puerto Vallarta from Canada?

Yes. Puerto Vallarta has nonstop flights from Vancouver (about 4h 50m), Calgary (about 4h 25m), and Toronto (about 5h 15m), plus many US gateways. The airport is about a ten minute drive from Avanti in Marina Vallarta.

Can foreigners own property in Puerto Vallarta?

Yes. Americans and Canadians have owned coastal Mexican property for over 50 years through the fideicomiso, a renewable bank trust in which a Mexican bank holds title on your behalf while you keep full ownership rights.

The Snowbird Comparison · For US & Canadian Buyers

Puerto Vallarta or Florida?

Every winter, the same math. Two coasts, two very different costs of ownership. This is not a pitch about what a home is worth later. It is a plain look at what it costs to own one now, side by side, so you can decide where your winters are worth more.

~$0/yr

Estimated property tax at Avanti

Days per entry for Canadians

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Calgary, nonstop

0°C

Average January high

The Cost of Owning, Side by Side

What you pay to keep the doors open

Purchase prices differ property to property, and nobody can tell you what any home will be worth down the road. What you can compare honestly are the recurring costs of ownership. Here is how a residence at Avanti in Marina Vallarta lines up against a comparable Florida property.

Puerto Vallarta · Avanti

Property tax (predial): roughly $500 USD per year
Home insurance: a fraction of hurricane-zone premiums
Fideicomiso annual bank fee: $500–$1,000 USD
Full ownership rights: sell, rent, renovate, bequeath
New construction: delivering June 2027, built to LEED guidelines

You own the residence outright as the beneficiary of a bank trust, with the same rights a local owner has. See how foreign ownership works →

Florida · Comparable Condo

Property tax: commonly $6,000–$15,000 per year
Home insurance: among the highest in the US, and rising
HOA fees: frequently climbing to fund reserves and repairs
Hurricane exposure: a permanent line in the budget
Resale stock: often decades old, priced at today's market

None of this is a knock on Florida. It is simply the arithmetic that has more and more snowbirds looking west, to the Pacific.

The takeaway: the purchase is your decision, and future value is nobody's promise. But the cost to own and carry a home, year after year, is dramatically lower on this coast. That gap is real money, every single winter.

See the full cost comparison

The Season, The Flights, The Stay

A full winter, without the paperwork

180 days, granted at the border

Canadian visitors can typically stay up to 180 days per entry on a standard visitor permit, granted at the border with no residency filing. That is a full November-to-April season in a place where January highs average around 28°C. American snowbirds follow the same simple path.

When you head home in the spring, the on-site rental program, with no minimum-stay restrictions, can put the residence to work until you return. It is a use of your own home, on your terms, not a scheme and not a promise of income.

Nonstop from home

Direct flights connect Puerto Vallarta with the major North American gateways:

Vancouver: about 4h 50m nonstop
Calgary: about 4h 25m nonstop
Toronto: about 5h 15m nonstop
US hubs: nonstop service from cities across the country

The airport is a ten-minute drive from Avanti's front door. Land mid-morning, lunch on the marina boardwalk, golf by three. Explore the location →