Havana vs Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta comes out ahead overall, winning 3 of 7 criteria.
Summary
Puerto Vallarta comes out clearly ahead of Havana overall (6.1 vs 5.6, winning 3 of 7 criteria), though Havana still leads on cost of living — worth weighing if that happens to be a priority for you.
Quick answers
Safety: Havana and Puerto Vallarta tie on this (6/10 each).
Climate: Havana and Puerto Vallarta tie on this (8/10 each).
Overall, Puerto Vallarta scores higher (6.1/10 vs 5.6/10) across all seven criteria combined.
Cost of living: Havana (7/10 vs 6/10).
Puerto Vallarta — Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (5.7 vs 6.1 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by safety.
Puerto Vallarta — Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (5.8 vs 6.4 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by cost of living.
Where each city wins
- +Cost of living: slightly better than Puerto Vallarta (7.0 vs 6.0)
- +Internet & connectivity: far better than Havana (7.0 vs 4.0)
- +Environment & air quality: slightly better than Havana (6.0 vs 5.0)
- +Public transport: slightly better than Havana (4.0 vs 3.0)
Which city fits your profile?
Puerto Vallarta comes out ahead for nearly every profile we tested — digital nomad, freelancer, young family, budget-conscious mover, safety-first mover and retiree, among others — winning 10 of 10 weighted comparisons against Havana. There's no profile in our set where Havana pulls ahead.
See the full breakdown by profile
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (5.8 vs 6.4 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by cost of living.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (5.9 vs 6.2 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by cost of living.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (5.7 vs 6.1 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by safety.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward movers for whom affordability outweighs every other factor (5.8 vs 6.1 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by cost of living.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (5.7 vs 6.1 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by safety.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward retirees prioritizing healthcare, climate and a calm environment over nightlife or internet speed (6.0 vs 6.2 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by climate.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward students who need affordability, transit and a lively social scene (5.5 vs 6.0 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by cost of living.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (5.4 vs 6.1 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by safety.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (5.5 vs 6.2 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by internet & connectivity.
Puerto Vallarta scores higher once we weight toward early-career movers who want nightlife and transit within budget, without yet prioritizing healthcare or climate (5.3 vs 6.0 for Havana vs Puerto Vallarta), driven largely by cost of living.
Which city should you choose?
Pick Puerto Vallarta instead if you're more of a digital nomad, freelancer, or young family.