
The markets here in Puerto Vallarta are not like the restaurants in Mexico City. The markets in Puerto Vallarta sell fruits, seafood, and maybe meat, but for prepared food, it’s not really that good. In the markets in Puerto Vallarta, you can find a guy who sells carnitas, but I would not necessarily go to the markets just to buy carnitas.
In Puerto Vallarta, markets are cheap, but they’re not like the markets in other cities in Mexico that have abundant ready-to-eat food. Here in Puerto Vallarta, the markets are really small. I would love to have a bigger market, but that’s all we’ve got for now.
If I have to go buy carrots, potatoes, etc., the markets in Puerto Vallarta have plenty of that. You’ll also find supermarkets in Puerto Vallarta such as Soriana’s Grocery Store, Wal-Mart, and Mega Grocery where you have lots of choices. There’s also a fruit market by our house.
Compared to the unprepared food shopping in Atlanta, Miami, or Chicago, you probably have more choices here in Puerto Vallarta. The cost in Puerto Vallarta is at least ½ or 1/3 of the cost in the US, including unprepared food. Food here in Puerto Vallarta is relatively cheap. You can get more fruits and vegetables than you can carry for no more than $10. Sometimes it costs a quarter of the price you would pay in the US.
The meats are harder to get in Puerto Vallarta because they’re not going to make the cuts you request. If I wanted steak, a proper prime rib or a ribeye, I should go to Costco for that. Costco is our place. We live a block away from Costco so we go there as lot. Costco is more expensive than going to regular markets, but it’s more convenient for us. At Costco, you get everything you need.
(Fruit stall on the back of a truck, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)