Should you visit Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu 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: Kathmandu or Mexico City?
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in the country of Nepal. Its metropolitan area forms one large urban area that includes the area of Patan to the south. As of 2011 there were 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu metropolis and over 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. Kathmandu is likely to be your entry point into Nepal and is a great place to pick up supplies and arrange the details for any treks you hope to do. Many travelers rush through Kathmandu, turned off by the pollution and crowds, but to skip Kathmandu is to miss a major cultural, financial, and influential part of what defines the country of Nepal. The city itself is quite fun to explore if you allow it enough time and an open mind.
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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Nepal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
Which place is cheaper, Mexico City or Kathmandu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
The average daily cost (per person) in Kathmandu is $55, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $225. 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 Kathmandu and Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Kathmandu 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:
Kathmandu Hotel Prices and
Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kathmandu
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Kathmandu:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kathmandu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kathmandu:
-
Yoga Experience Day Trip with Private Transfer From Kathmandu:
$152
-
Trishuli River Rafting Day Trip from Kathmandu with Transfers:
$279
-
Tribhuvan International Airport Transfer Service:
$12
-
Rent a Private Car with Driver for Kathmandu City Transfer:
$25
-
Private car transfer from Kathmandu Airport to hotels in Kathmandu:
$15
-
Private Transfer: Kathmandu to Pokhara Hotels:
$244
-
Private Transfer: Kathmandu to Chitwan Hotels:
$210
-
Private Transfer: Kathmandu International Airport to Hotel:
$25
-
Private Transfer: Hotel to Kathmandu Airport Vehicle:
$35
-
Private Transfer to Syabrubesi from Kathmandu or Pokhara:
$170
-
Private Transfer to Bhaktapur from Kathmandu:
$65
-
Private Luxury Car Transfer all over Nepal:
$88
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Mexico City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Mexico City:
-
Metro
$1.15
-
Uber Ride
$4.04
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mexico City
Also for Mexico City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
MEX Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center:
$15
-
Private Transfer to Mexico City Airport (MEX):
$17
-
Transfer Mexico city Airport - Mexico city Downtown hotels:
$18
-
Private Transfer from Airport to Hotel in Mexico City:
$27
-
Mexico to Mexico City Airport (MEX) Departure Arrival Transfer:
$30
-
Mexico City International Airport (MEX) to Mexico City- Private Arrival Transfer:
$30
-
Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Mexico APT-HTL (MEX):
$36
-
Transfer & assistance one-way from/to Mexico City Airport/hotel:
$36
-
Mexico City Private Airport Transfer:
$36
-
Private Transfer From Mexico City Airport to Downtown:
$40
-
Mexico City Airport Transfer to Estadio Azteca and City:
$41
-
Private One way Transfer from Mexico Airport to Mexico City:
$41
Is it cheaper to fly into Kathmandu or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City and Kathmandu 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
-
Food
Meals for one day
Kathmandu $13
Mexico City $46
Typical Food Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of dining costs in Kathmandu are as follows:
-
Dessert
$1.19
-
Dinner for Two
$2.65
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kathmandu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kathmandu.
-
Saturday Hidden Kathmandu Walk and Food Tour:
$9.50
-
Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking & Momo-Making Class:
$20
-
Cook and Eat: Cooking Class in Kathmandu near Thamel:
$24
-
Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking Class:
$30
-
Best Nepali Cooking Class in Thamel with Local Market Trip:
$30
-
Momo Cooking Class -The Art Of Making MoMo with Home Chef:
$35
-
Secret Food Tour - Food Bites and Sights Kathmandu 14+ Tastings:
$35
-
Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu:
$36
-
Exotic Food Tour Newari Flavors and Evening Trails 15 Tastings:
$40
-
Walking Food tour: Food and Drink Tasting with Guide In Kathmandu:
$40
-
Walking Street Food Tour in Kathmandu:
$48
-
Women Empowerment Project(Nepali cooking class & jewelry workshop:
$50
Typical Food Prices in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Lunch for Two
$13
-
Coffee and Snacks
$4.50
-
Dinner for 2
$26
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:
-
Mexico City Coyoacan Food Tour & Optional Frida Kahlo Museum:
$20
-
Cable Car, Cultural Spaces, and Traditional Food Tour:
$40
-
Veracruz and Boca del Rio Food Tour with Mangroves Boat Trip:
$50
-
Coyoacan Market Food Tour Urban Eats & Local Legends:
$55
-
San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors:
$55
-
Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City:
$55
-
Mexico : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide:
$58
-
CDMX Historic Center Food Tour:
$59
-
Street Food Tour in Mexico with a Local Guide:
$61
-
Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City:
$63
-
3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City:
$65
-
3h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Drinks:
$68
Entertainment
Typical Entertainment Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Kathmandu are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Kathmandu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kathmandu are as follows:
-
"Off-The-Beaten-Path" Tour around Kathmandu:
$70
-
1 Day Gay Tour Nepal:
$155
-
1 Day Kathmandu Heritage 4 UNESCO Tour with Lunch:
$99
-
1 Day Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing Tour:
$35
-
1 Day Valley Rim Biking Tour in Kathmandu:
$160
-
1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour from Pokhara or Kathmandu:
$141
-
1 Night 2 Days Daman Tour:
$215
-
1 Nights 2 Days Private Nagarkot Tour Package from Kathmandu:
$150
-
2 Day Kathmandu City with Nagarkot Sunrise, Changu Narayan and Bhaktapur Tour:
$236
-
2 Day Kathmandu Sightseeing with Panauti, Namobuddha Tour from Kathmandu:
$163
-
2 Day Poon Hill Trek with 2 Day Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour:
$731
-
2 Days Hindu Pilgrimage Tour in Nepal:
$146
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
Mexico City Self-Guided Tour: Historic Center & Beyond:
$1.14
-
MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket:
$4.65
-
Mexico City Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo Exploration Game and Tour:
$5.03
-
Mexico City (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour:
$5.10
-
Mexico City (Coyoacan) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour:
$5.10
-
Flavors of the past: A Pre-Hispanic drink tour in Mexico city.:
$5.92
-
Mexico City Self-Guided Audio Experience:
$6.00
-
Hidden Gems of Exploration Game and Tour:
$6.55
-
Puebla Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h and 26 Audio Comments:
$6.88
-
Mexico City Walking Tour 2h40 and 24 audio reviews:
$7.16
-
Mexico City Jewish History Smartphone Guided Audio Walking Tour:
$7.75
-
La Roma's Famous Sights and Local Lore: A Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$8.39
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Kathmandu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kathmandu:
-
Bar Tour & Pub Crawl -Sip, Stroll, Repeat Thamel's Night:
$75
Sample the Local Flavors in Mexico City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mexico City:
-
CDMX Pub Crawl: Guided Pub Crawl with Party Games:
$24
-
The Mexico City Pub Crawl: A real chilango night:
$33
-
THE MEXICO CITY PUB CRAWL: A real chilango night:
$35
-
Visit a mead distillery in Tlaxcala:
$95
-
Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience:
$100
-
Mexican Wine Tasting with Food Pairing:
$126
-
Distillery Tour and Lucha Libre Spirits and Showdown:
$127
-
Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro:
$511
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kathmandu and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Kathmandu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kathmandu is in Asia 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 Kathmandu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kathmandu Expensive? and Is Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kathmandu or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Kathmandu. When comparing the sizes of Kathmandu 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.
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