Which place is cheaper, Mexico City or Curitiba?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Curitiba or Mexico City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Curitiba and Mexico City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Curitiba or Mexico City?
Curitiba
Curitiba is a relatively large city that is convenient to visit if you're traveling to Iguazu Falls from either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. It is worth a day or two stop over because it has a great old city that has been restored. It's also the capital of Parana, Brazil. Curitiba is one of the more wealthy cities in the southern region of Brazil. It has a diverse population with many immigrants and some interesting cultural events.
Mexico City
Mexico City is one of the largest and most populated cities in the world. There are an estimated 26 million people living in the greater Mexico City metropolitan area. The area is about 60 kilometers by 40 kilometers and is surrounded by tall mountains and volcanoes on three sides. Mexico City proper has about 8.8 million people and is the capital of the country. More than a third of the country's economy is based here, making it the wealthiest city in all of Latin America.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Brazil, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Brazil, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCuritiba $73Mexico City $214
The average daily cost (per person) in Curitiba is $73, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $214. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Curitiba and Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCuritiba $30Mexico City $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCuritiba $60Mexico City $82
Compare Hotels in Curitiba and Mexico City
Looking for a hotel in Curitiba or Mexico City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Curitiba Hotel Prices and Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Curitiba $16Mexico City $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Curitiba
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Curitiba:
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Taxi Ride$1.95
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Curitiba
Also for Curitiba, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared transfer between Curitiba Airport and Hotels: $74
- Shared Transfer: Curitiba International Airport: $39
- Private Transfer from Curitiba City to Curitiba Airport (CWB): $35
- Private Transfer from Curitiba City Hotels to Porto Belo Port: $75
- Private Transfer from Curitiba Airport (CWB) to Porto Belo Port : $75
- Private Transfer from Curitiba Airport: $106
- Curitiba to Curitiba Airport (CWB) - Departure Private Transfer: $16
- Curitiba to Afonso Pena Airport (CWB)- Departure Private Transfer: $17
- Curitiba Airport PrivateTransfers Round Trip or One Way: $111
- Curitiba Airport CWB to Downtown hotels- Arrival Private Transfer: $16
- Curitiba Airport (CWB) to Downtown - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $33
- Afonso Pena Airport CWB to Beach Resorts : Arrival Transfer: $44
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Mexico City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Mexico City:
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Metro$1.20
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Uber Ride$4.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mexico City
Also for Mexico City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Mexico City to San Luis Potosi - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $299
- Mexico City → San Miguel de Allende - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $288
- Mexico City International Airport to Mexico City - Private Round-trip Transfer: $254
- Mexico City Private Airport Transfers To or From Hotels: $250
- Transfer from Mexico City Airport to Puebla: $245
- Mexico City to Guanajuato - Private transfer, 2 Sightseeing hours, local driver: $237
- Mexico City Private Transfer to or from Airport: $196
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Mexico City Airport (MEX) - Mexico City: $187
- Mexico City to Puebla - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $153
- One-way transfer + City Tour: $143
- Mexico City Airport MEX Tecozautla Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $142
- San Miguel De Allende City Tour with Transfer from Mexico City: $133
Is it cheaper to fly into Curitiba or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City and Curitiba change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayCuritiba $28Mexico City $27
Typical Food Prices in Curitiba
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Curitiba:
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Chips$0.88
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Curitiba
For Curitiba, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bar-hopping and Food Tour in Curitiba: $31
- Curitiba's History Food Tour: $70
- Curitiba's History Food Tour: $75
- Curitiba Tour by Night with Dinner: $94
Typical Food Prices in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$13
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Coffee and Snacks$4.69
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Dinner for 2$27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traveling Spoon Mexican Tacos and Tortillas Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- Virtual Mexican Cooking Class (private and personalized): $50
- Veracruz and Boca del Rio Food Tour with Mangroves Boat Trip: $50
- Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City: $50
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Uruapan Food Tour: $60
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $66
- Muchos moles: Multi-variety mole cooking class and feast: $70
- Mexico City Vegan & Veggie Market Explorer plus Cooking Lesson: $72
- Street Food Tour with Friends: $75
- La Roma Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
- Food Tour with Ride an Electric Bike in Mexico: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Curitiba $19Mexico City $15
Tours and Activities in Curitiba
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Curitiba.
- Full Day Tour to Vila Velha and Buraco do Padre: $157
- 2-Day Rafting and Rappelling Adventure in Tibagi: $190
- 4-Hour Private Tour of Curitiba City: $70
- Arte Bike Tour - Bike Tour with Kuritbike: $25
- CRAFT BREWERS TOUR By Jens Tours: $72
- Complete Tour to Ilha do Mel: $148
- Curitiba City Tour: $58
- Tour in Barigui Park: $122
- Walking tour from past to present: $12
- Full-day tour in Curitiba: $79
- Gastronomic Tour in Curitiba with Jens Tours: $80
- Half Day Curitiba Sightseeing Tour: $31
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- City Tour/español-ingles: $68
- Frida Kahlo Tour with Admission Tickets: $76
- Mixology, Food, Wine and Beer Experience in Xochimilco: $99
- Monarch Butterfly Tour from Mexico City: $220
- Romantic Walking tour in Mexico City: $150
- Romantic tour in San Andrés Mixquic: $150
- Teotihuacan Early Access tour with Tequila Tasting: $37
- The best of Mixquic walking tour: $150
- VIP - FULL DAY - Mexico City Private Tour : $180
- 2 Day tour Teotihuacan pyramids +City tour & Xochimilco : $132
- 2 Days Private Tour with Hiking in Malinche from Puebla: $207
- 2 Hours Private Tour with Electric Scooter in Mexico City: $78
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCuritiba $14Mexico City $21
Typical Alcohol Prices in Curitiba
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Curitiba:
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Beer$0.44
Sample the Local Flavors in Mexico City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mexico City:
- Mexico City Pub Crawl: $27
- CDMX Pub Crawl: Mexico City Bar Crawl: $29
- Mexico City Bar Crawl: $39
- Best Bar Crawl at Downtown: $49
- Nightly Historic Center From Above© Rooftop Bar Crawl +Taco Snack: $129
- 2 Hours Private Mexican Wine Tasting in Polanco: $155
- Third Largest Monolith in the World:Bernal with wine tasting: $235
- Cavas Freixenet Wine Tour from Mexico City: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Curitiba and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Curitiba much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Curitiba is in South America and Mexico City is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Curitiba would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Curitiba and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Mexico City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Mexico City than you might in Curitiba.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Curitiba Expensive? and Is Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Curitiba or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Curitiba. When comparing the sizes of Curitiba and Mexico City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.