Which place is cheaper, Mexico City or Manila?
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 Manila or Mexico City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Manila and Mexico City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Manila or Mexico City?
Manila
A sprawling metropolis that is home to more than 12 million people, Manila is one huge, misunderstood concrete jungle, full of diverse cultures, traffic, pollution, restaurants, shopping malls, noise and nightlife. If you're looking to soak in culture and feel the vibe of a place rather than seeking a city that specifically caters to tourists, Manila is the place to be. Capital of the Philippines, Manila is also the center for education, business, and transportation.
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 Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
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Manila Prices
Philippines PricesMexico City Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayManila $96Mexico City $215
The average daily cost (per person) in Manila is $96, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $215. 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 Manila and Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personManila $49Mexico City $39
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomManila $98Mexico City $78
Compare Hotels in Manila and Mexico City
Looking for a hotel in Manila 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: Manila Hotel Prices and Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Manila $13Mexico City $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Manila
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Manila:
- Transfers from Manila, Makati, Taguig and Pasay Hotel to Airport: $50
- Safe and secure Airport Transfer Best in Manila: $216
- Quality Safe and Reliable Manila Airport Transfers: $49
- Private Transfer from Manila Cruise Port to Manila Airport (MNL): $27
- Private Transfer from Manila Airport (MNL) to Manila Cruise Port: $27
- Private Transfer from Clark Airport (CRK) to Subic Bay Port: $96
- Private Departure Transfer: All Hotels in Ortigas: $41
- Private Departure Airport Transfer in Manila Bay and Makati Area: $23
- Private Arrival Airport Transfer: All Hotels in Ortigas: $41
- Private Airport Transfer: Metro Manila → NAIA Airport (MNL): $30
- Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Paranaque Private Transfer: $120
- NAIA Airport Transfer to/from anywhere in Metro Manila: $31
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$1.10
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Uber Ride$3.85
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
- Private Transfer from Mexico City Airport (MEX): $17
- Transfer Mexico city Airport - Mexico city Downtown hotels: $18
- Mexico to Mexico City Airport (MEX) Departure Arrival Transfer: $30
- Transfer Airport Hotel Airport Mexico City: $30
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Mexico City Airport (MEX): $34
- Mexico City Private Airport Transfer: $36
- Mexico City Airport Transfer to Estadio Azteca and City: $36
- Private Transfer from Airport to Hotel in Mexico City: $38
- Private One Way Transfer from Mexico City to Mexico Airport: $40
- Private Electric Transfer Hotel Airport 3 Passengers: $43
Is it cheaper to fly into Manila or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City and Manila 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 dayManila $28Mexico City $44
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Manila
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Manila.
- Manila Food Tour: Introduction to Philippine Street Food: $50
- Manila Food Tour: Explore World's Oldest Chinatown: $50
- Ugbo Manila Street Food Tour with Tuktuk Ride: $60
- ⭐ Manila Street Food Tour in the Downtown, Eat and Drink⭐: $62
- Guided Food Tour of Binondo with Tastings: $65
- Street Food tour & Local Jeepney, Tuktuk Ride: $66
- Binondo Chinatown Food Tour with Free Food Samples: $70
- Manila Chinatown Food Tour with Local Guide: $71
- Intramuros and Chinatown Food Tour with Food Samples: $80
- Cultural Dance Show with Dinner in Manila: $105
- A taste of Manila's History & Filipino Culture with Buffet Dinner: $175
- Subic: Sunset Dinner Yacht Cruise from Manila & Clark: $212
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$4.29
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Dinner for 2$25
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
- San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors: $52
- Coyoacan Market Food Tour Urban Eats & Local Legends: $52
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Mexico : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $58
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $62
- Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City: $63
- 3h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Drinks: $68
- Tamales Cooking Class in Mumu’un Baj: $68
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Manila $18Mexico City $14
Tours and Activities in Manila
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Manila are as follows:
- (Excursion) Day tour in Manila: $258
- A Night in Old Intramuros Walking Tour: $23
- Amazing Taal Volcano Sightseeing & Pagsanjan Falls Tour 2in1: $125
- Antipolo Day Tour with Cloud 9 and Pinto Art Museum: $80
- BAGUIO CITY DAY TOUR (FROM MANILA): $357
- BANAUE:BATAD Rice Terraces with Sagada 4D3N PRIVATE TOUR: $7,130
- Banaue-Hapao Rice Terraces (Car Rental W/ Manila Tourist Driver): $300
- Breathtaking Cultural Experience in Villa Escudero: $145
- Cavite Leisure And Farm Tour: $170
- Club Crawl and Party Experience at BGC: $71
- Discover Tagaytay's Countryside: Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $85
- Experience Intramuros with Bamboo Bicycle - Ecotours: $39
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
- MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket: $4.65
- Mexico City Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo Exploration Game and Tour: $4.82
- Self Guided Audio Walking Tour of Mexico City Historic Center: $5.00
- Mexico City Coyoacan Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- Mexico City Historic Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- A Tour through the Guadalupe Basilica Grounds: $5.67
- Mexico City Self-Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
- Hidden Gems of Exploration Game and Tour: $6.43
- Puebla Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h and 26 Audio Comments: $6.75
- Mexico City Walking Tour 2h40 and 24 audio reviews: $6.87
- Mexico City Jewish History Smartphone Guided Audio Walking Tour: $7.75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayManila $9.01Mexico City $19
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
- Mexico City Pub Crawl: $25
- 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: $91
- Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $100
- Distillery Tour and Lucha Libre Spirits and Showdown: $122
- Mexican Wine Tasting with Food Pairing: $126
- Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $511
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Manila and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Manila much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Manila 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 Manila would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Manila 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 Manila.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Manila Expensive? and Is Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Manila or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 8% larger than the population of Manila. When comparing the sizes of Manila 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.