Which place is cheaper, Mexico City or Isla Mujeres?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Isla Mujeres or Mexico City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Isla Mujeres and Mexico City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Isla Mujeres or Mexico City?
Isla Mujeres
About eight miles from the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Isla Mujeres is an island in the Mexican Caribbean Sea. The town, of the same name, has a population of about 13,000. Tourism has grown in the area since the 1970s and today it is a significant part of the island's economy. As such, there are plenty of amenities that cater specifically to visitors. The island's proximity to Cuba make it a common transit point for Cubans in route to the United States.
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 Historical Tours in Mexico, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, and The Best Adventure Tours to Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIsla Mujeres $148Mexico City $214
The average daily cost (per person) in Isla Mujeres is $148, 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 Isla Mujeres and Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIsla Mujeres $78Mexico City $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIsla Mujeres $156Mexico City $82
Compare Hotels in Isla Mujeres and Mexico City
Looking for a hotel in Isla Mujeres 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: Isla Mujeres Hotel Prices and Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Isla Mujeres $35Mexico City $13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Isla Mujeres
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Isla Mujeres:
- Private Transfer: Playa Mujeres to Cancun Airport CUN in SUV: $123
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:
- Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) to Aguascalientes - Arrival Transfer: $24
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Mexico APT-HTL (MEX) : $36
- Mexico City Private Airport Transfer : $36
- Private Transfer From Mexico City Airport to Downtown: $37
- Transfer in private vehicle from Mexico City - Mexico Airport (MEX): $43
- Mexico City Airport(MEX) to Chignahuapan Resorts-Arrival Transfer: $49
- Private Arival Transfer: Mexico Airport: $56
- Toluca Airport TLC to Toluca Hotels Arrival Private Transfer: $64
- Toluca to Toluca Int Airport (TLC) - Departure Private Transfer: $64
- Mexico City Airport (MEX) to Tecozautla Thermal Arrival Transfer: $71
- Private Transfer from Pachuca to Mexico City: $73
- Mexico Airport (MEX) to Cuernavaca Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $76
Is it cheaper to fly into Isla Mujeres or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City and Isla Mujeres 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 dayIsla Mujeres $46Mexico City $27
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:
- 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
- Uruapan Food Tour: $62
- Muchos moles: Multi-variety mole cooking class and feast: $72
- 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
- Flamenco Tablao Live Show & dinner: $83
- Flamenco Live Show and Dinner in Mexico City: $83
- Rural Cooking Class at the Mountains: $85
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Isla Mujeres $21Mexico City $15
Tours and Activities in Isla Mujeres
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Isla Mujeres are as follows:
- Romantic tour in Isla Mujeres: $126
- Scuba Diving Adventure WITHOUT CERTIFICATION! Try it today!: $185
- “ Tour in Isla Mujeres “ Transparent boat ride: $40
- 3 Hours VIP Semiprivate Tour Isla Mujeres Full Snorkeling Experience : $84
- Cancun Jungle Kingdom Adventure ATV, Zipline and Cenote : $70
- Cancun: Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to Isla Mujeres: $79
- Cancun: Isla Mujeres 12 pm Catamaran Tour with Snorkeling: $59
- Crystal Boat Tour to Isla Mujeres and Reefs: $43
- From Cancún: Isla Mujeres Sunset Catamaran Cruise: $78
- From Riviera Maya: Isla Contoy & Isla Mujeres Full-Day Tour: $178
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Adventure at the Underwater Museum: $47
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour: $92
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket: $4.81
- Franz Mayer Museum Admission Ticket: $6.01
- Double Decker Bus Night Tour: $6.01
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Moctezuma and the Zocalo:The Aztec Empire : $6.99
- Night Bus Tour Knowing Mexico City: $7.24
- Memory and Tolerance Museum Entry Ticket: $8.41
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.98
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $8.98
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Tula Archeological Site Skip-the-Line Ticket: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIsla Mujeres $25Mexico City $21
Sample the Local Flavors in Isla Mujeres
Also in Isla Mujeres, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Isla Mujeres Golf Cart Bar Crawl : $175
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: $25
- CDMX Pub Crawl: Mexico City Bar Crawl: $28
- Best Bar Crawl at Downtown: $49
- Nightly Historic Center From Above© Rooftop Bar Crawl +Taco Snack: $129
- Private Tacos & Wine Tour in Polanco : $159
- 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 Isla Mujeres and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Isla Mujeres much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Isla Mujeres would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Isla Mujeres Expensive? and Is Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Isla Mujeres or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 900 times larger than the population of Isla Mujeres. When comparing the sizes of Isla Mujeres 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.