Which place is cheaper, Mexico City or Kingston?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Kingston or Mexico City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Kingston or Mexico City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Kingston or Mexico City?
Kingston
Kingston is Jamaica's capital city with a population of about 579,000. For being located on an island, Kingston is a very large city with several different zip codes. Not only is Kingston the cultural capital of the country, but also the commercial one as well.
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 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
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Kingston Prices
Jamaica PricesMexico City Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKingston $125Mexico City $209
The average daily cost (per person) in Kingston is $125, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $209. 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 Kingston and Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKingston $63Mexico City $38
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKingston $126Mexico City $76
Compare Hotels in Kingston and Mexico City
Looking for a hotel in Kingston 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: Kingston Hotel Prices and Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kingston $29Mexico City $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kingston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kingston:
- Transfer from Norman Manley Airport (KIN) to Kingston Hotels: $150
- Transfer for Kingston Airport to or from Hotels in Falmouth Area: $173
- Round trip -Airport Transfers from Kingston.: $80
- Private Transfers: Kingston Airport ↔ Montego Bay Area: $215
- Private Transfers To/From Kingston & Airport Across Jamaica: $49
- Private Transfers To/From Kingston & Airport (KIN) Across Jamaica: $25
- Private Transfers To/From Kingston & Airport (KIN) Across Jamaica: $55
- Private Transfer to and from Kingston International Airport: $73
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Cruise Port to Kingston Hotels: $255
- Private Transfer from Kingston hotel to Falmouth Cruise Port: $192
- Private Transfer from Kingston Airport (KIN) to Falmouth Port: $192
- Private Transfer from Kingston Airport (KIN): $27
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$1.07
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Uber Ride$3.75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mexico City
Also for Mexico City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $96
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Business Car: $86
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $193
- Arrival Private Transfer Mexico City Airport MEX to Mexico by Car: $60
- Arrival Private Transfer Mexico City Airport MEX to Mexico by Van: $89
- Arrival Transfer: Airport MEX to Mexico City by Business Car: $86
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport NLU to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $193
- Balloon Flight in Teotihuacan Transfers and Breakfast Included: $219
- Departure Private Transfer Mexico to Mexico City Airport MEX: $89
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $96
- Executive transfer from Felipe Ángeles Airport AIFA: $76
- Ixtapan de La Sal to Mexico Airport (MEX)-Departure Transfer: $104
Is it cheaper to fly into Kingston or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City and Kingston 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 dayKingston $45Mexico City $42
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$12
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Coffee and Snacks$4.18
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Dinner for 2$24
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
- Private Street Food Tour Mexico City - Best rated: $35
- Cable Car, Cultural Spaces, and Traditional Food Tour: $40
- Polanco Food Tour: 5 Tastings, Tacos, Mezcal & Churros: $49
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Mexico : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $58
- Street Food Tour in Mexico with a Local Guide: $59
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $60
- 3h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Drinks: $68
- Coyoacán Cultural and Food Tour with Frida Kahlo Museum Admission: $69
- Street Food Tour with Michelin-Starred Taco: $70
- Roma–Condesa: Haute Cuisine and Renowned Restaurants Food Tour: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kingston $12Mexico City $14
Tours and Activities in Kingston
Here are a few actual costs in Kingston for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- ATV adventure in ocho rios: $104
- Art Walk, Bob Marley Museum Kingston City Tour: $130
- Bamboo Rafting and Boston Jerk Centre Tour in Portland Jamaica: $220
- Blue Mountain Coffee Tasting & Farm Tour from Kingston: $150
- Blue Mountain Waterfall and Sightseeing Ecotour: $200
- Bluehole, Dunn's River Falls and Port Royal all in one tour: $690
- Bob Marley Guided City Tour: $95
- Bob Marley Museum and Kingston Sightseeing from Port Royal Cruise Port: $205
- Bunny Lee Museum and Recording Studio Admission Ticket: $30
- Club Kingston VIP Departure Lounge Experience: $38
- Cultural City Tour of Kingston: $105
- Cultural Walking Tour of Kingston: $65
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: $1.12
- Mexico City Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo Exploration Game and Tour: $4.65
- MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket: $4.65
- Mexico City Historic Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- Self Guided Audio Walking Tour of Mexico City Historic Center: $5.00
- Mexico City Coyoacan Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- Mexico City Self-Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
- Hidden Gems of Exploration Game and Tour: $6.41
- Mexico City Jewish History Smartphone Guided Audio Walking Tour: $7.75
- Mexico City Self-Guided Walking Tour Aztec Legacy Audio and Quiz: $7.98
- Aztec to Art Deco: Self-Guided Mexico City Walking Tour: $9.99
- Night City Tour in a Double Decker Bus: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKingston $11Mexico City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Kingston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kingston:
- Worthy Park Estate Rum Distillery Tour with Tasting: $144
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
- Make Your Own Tequila or Mezcal with Distillery and Cocktails: $87
- Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $100
- Visit a mead distillery in Tlaxcala: $109
- Distillery Tour and Lucha Libre Spirits and Showdown: $118
- The Mexican Wine Tasting and Pairing: $118
- Mexican Wine Tasting with Food Pairing: $126
- Full Day Harvest Season Wine Tour & Grape Stomping Tequisquiapan: $136
- Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $511
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kingston and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Kingston much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kingston is in Caribbean Islands 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 Kingston would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kingston 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 Kingston.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kingston Expensive? and Is Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kingston or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Kingston. When comparing the sizes of Kingston 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.