I'm a photographer based in California and recently visited Mexico City (CDMX) for a weekend with my girlfriend. I'd like to share how I experienced the best the city has to offer in three days, on a budget of less than $500 per person.
Why Mexico? Well, I've heard over and over how amazing the city is. Given its proximity to Los Angeles – closer than Miami or New York – I decided I had to check it out exciting culinary sceneworld-class museums, trendy neighborhoods And beautiful parks In my opinion.
My biggest concern during the trip was how I was doing experience all this with an average budget in just three days. But I did it, and here's how.
Pre-trip expenses
There were upfront costs for the trip, as well as flights, which I didn't include in the budget. We paid $163.34 per person for four nights in a Airbnb in Mexico Roma Norte district.
On the ground
THURSDAY
From the airport: We landed late Thursday evening so transportation options were limited. Inside the airport, we were told a taxi would cost 580 pesos ($32.98); outside the airport we were offered a fare of 275 pesos ($15.63). After this confusing disparity, we discovered that Uber was even cheaper, at 199 pesos ($11.34)so we went with that.
Total: The cost of my half of the Uber fare (my girlfriend and I split everything down the middle) was $5.67.
Friday
Breakfast: For breakfast we enjoyed coffee and chilaquiles (fried corn tortillas with sauce) at a restaurant near our Airbnb called Enhorabuena Café for 260 pesos ($14.79). You can't drink tap water at CDMX, so we bought a two liter bottle of water for 22 pesos ($1.25) to keep us hydrated throughout the day.
Lunch: We spent a few hours exploring the sights of the nearby Roma Norte and Condesa district before having lunch. Buy eight delicious and mouth-watering tacos from a street stall called Tacos Chanito cost us 150 pesos ($8.53), of which 50 pesos was a tip.
Activities: We took an Uber for 210 pesos ($11.95) At Frida Kahlo Museumwhich had a fairly high entrance fee of 250 pesos ($14.22) per person. Next, we spent the afternoon browsing the local markets, including the bustling Mercado de Coyoacán, before returning to our Airbnb on Metro for only 10 pesos each ($0.57).
Dinner: You would think we would have stocked up on tacos for the day… but no, there was always room for more! For dinner we had more tacos at the famous restaurant Orinoco Tacos to Rome Norte for 286 pesos ($16.27), followed by a few drinks at The Clandestinea local craft cocktail bar, for 305 pesos ($17.35).
Total: Our total spend per person for the day was $49.57.
SATURDAY
Breakfast: We started with a delicious breakfast at Adj Barra De Café; I opted for the chilaquiles and my girlfriend for the eggs, which cost 278 pesos ($15.82) in total. We picked up another bottle of water for the day for 22 pesos ($1.25) and we continued on our way.
Activities: We took an Uber for 119 pesos ($6.77) to reach the Historic centerthe historic heart of CDMX. We could have taken the subway, but we decided that a few extra dollars shared between us was worth it to save time.
We spent the morning wandering around, observing the striking Palace of Fine Arts and the Zocalo (Plaza de la Constitución) before heading to another part of the city. Since the traffic was crazy, it seemed easier to jump in a regular taxi than to call an Uber. It was a mistake; we ended up paying 510 pesos ($29.01), almost double what we would have paid with Uber. You live and you learn.
Lunch and afternoon: After a quick taco lunch, tortas (sandwiches), grilled onions and a beer for 341 pesos ($19.40), we headed towards the National Museum of Anthropology. It is one of the most visited museums in the world and contains a wealth of pre-Hispanic treasures. The entrance fee was only 90 pesos each ($5.12), and honestly, we could have spent the whole day (or more) in this amazing place. One day just wasn't enough.
Snacks: When we finally managed to tear ourselves away from the museum, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to our Airbnb with a stop at the charming Pasteleria Switzerland for some treats. Their pastries were as tasty as they were visually appealing – we got two pastries for 105 pesos ($5.97).
Dinner: We splurged on dinner at Meromean upscale restaurant where a meal including bright dishes cevichegrilled artichokes, crispy suckling pig and wine cost us 2004 pesos ($114.01) in total.
Total: Our total costs per person for the day are: $101.23.
Sunday
Breakfast: We started early on Sunday to head towards the colossal archaeological site marking the ancient capital of the Teotihuacan civilization, about 50 km from the city. We had a quick breakfast of two espressos and a mango smoothie at the Libra for 153 pesos ($8.70) to prepare us for the morning.
Activities: To save time, we took an Uber to Teotihuacán for 664 pesos ($37.77) and paid an entrance fee of 90 pesos ($5.12) each, hiring a tour guide for two hours for 1000 pesos ($56.89). I've done similar sightseeing trips before and always found that paying extra for a tour guide gives a more detailed experience. Satisfied with history, we then hopped on the bus back to town for 60 pesos ($3.41) each.
Lunch: Lunch was a plate of tacos and tamales (steamed stuffed corn dough) to share for 150 pesos ($8.53) at the hole in the wall snack stop The Turix. We couldn't help but eat another round of pastries from Pasteleria Suiza on the way home (it was on the same block as our Airbnb). We spent 95 pesos ($5.40) on what I think is the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted.
Dinner: We walked around, enjoying our neighborhood after a busy day, before an incredible dinner and drinks at the Polpoan elegant bar that we passed by. Two cocktails and three shared plates (including creamy saffron rice with shrimp and crispy-skinned beef with smoky coffee sauce) came to 1132 pesos ($64.40) total.
Total: The total cost per person for the day was $99.35.
Monday
At the airport: Reluctantly, we had to end our trip on Monday. We headed to the airport at 5am, with an off-peak Uber fare of 109 pesos ($6.20).
Total: Our return to the airport only cost us $3.10 each.
The final count
Our total costs on the ground in Mexico City amounted to just $422.26 per person, accommodation included.
Although I often travel on a very tight budget, my girlfriend and I were happy to spend a little more for this mini vacation and it was good value for such an activity-packed trip.
However, it is also easy to enjoy Mexico City on a limited budgetstick to the superb street food and more casual restaurants, and enjoy cheaper venues. We found that the cocktails were quite expensive compared to the food, while the beers were reasonably priced, so that's something to keep in mind when planning a night out.
We also spent a decent amount of money on transportation, opting to save time by taking Ubers and taxis. If you're careful with pennies, the metro covers the entire city for a fraction of the cost. To avoid traveling too much, I recommend doing thorough research on the best area to stay. We chose Roma Norte for its proximity to excellent restaurants, cafes, bars and art, and it didn't take us too far from the Historic Center.
