Which place is cheaper, Acapulco de Juarez or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Mexico City or Acapulco de Juarez?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Acapulco de Juarez? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Mexico City or Acapulco de Juarez?
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.
Acapulco de Juarez
Located on the southwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico is the beautiful beach city of Acapulco de Juarez. Acapulco is one of the original travel and resort destinations in Mexico, and it's still considered a popular spring break destination for Americans. Known as simply "Acapulco" to many travelers, this region is a popular spot for cruise lines to stop and timeshares to grow. Thanks to those cruise lines and timeshares, tourist activities like water parks and jet skis have experienced considerable growth.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Adventure Tours to Mexico, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Mexico.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214Acapulco de Juarez $81
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Acapulco de Juarez is $81. 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 Mexico City and Acapulco de Juarez in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Acapulco de Juarez $39
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Acapulco de Juarez $78
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Acapulco de Juarez
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Acapulco de Juarez? 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: Mexico City Hotel Prices and Acapulco de Juarez Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Acapulco de Juarez $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Mexico City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Mexico City:
-
Metro$1.20
-
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
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $86
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV/Van: $90
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Business Car: $86
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV/Van: $90
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $86
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV/Van: $90
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $90
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $90
- International Airport Felipe Angeles(NLU) - Private Transfer To/from Mexico City: $104
- Mexico Airport (MEX) to Chignahuapan Resorts-Round-Trip Transfer: $98
- Mexico Airport (MEX) to Cuernavaca Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Acapulco de Juarez
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Acapulco de Juarez:
- Transfer in private minivan from Bahía de Acapulco -Acapulco Airport (ACA): $32
- Shared transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Acapulco: $6.00
- Private Airport Transfer &on 2nd Day 4Hr TourAll AttractionsCombo: $90
- Airport Transfer in Suburban: $65
- Acapulco hotels to Acapulco Airport (ACA) – Departure Private Transfer : $20
- Acapulco Airport Transfer: $10
- Private Best Round Trip Airport - Hotel - Airport Transfer : $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Acapulco de Juarez?
Prices for flights to both Acapulco de Juarez and Mexico City 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 dayMexico City $27Acapulco de Juarez $29
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$4.69
-
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Acapulco de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Acapulco de Juarez.
- Cliff Diver De Luxe 3 Course Dinner at "La Quebrada" in Acapulco: $56
- Cliff Divers Show With Dinner At Acapulco: $72
- Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $89
- Hands On Mexican Cooking Class with Food Tasting & Market Visit: $100
- Bella Vista PRIVATE Al Fresco 3 Course Dinner Cliff Diver3Drinks: $191
- Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $193
- Divers Show and Luxury Dinner in Acapulco: $199
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Acapulco de Juarez $18
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
Tours and Activities in Acapulco de Juarez
Here are a few actual costs in Acapulco de Juarez for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 6Hr Walking Tour San Diego Fort Museum Cliff Divers Zocalo: $68
- Small-Group or Private All Inclusive 4 Hours City Tour & Divers: $36
- 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $62
- 4-6Hrs Acapulco City Tour With a Fun Guide. Diver Show, Mex Lunch: $47
- 4hr City Tour For Cruises or Hotels Diver Peace Chapel & Mural: $40
- 6Hr City Tour Cruise or Hotel Turtle Nesting High Diver & Market: $51
- 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $51
- 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $50
- Acapulco City Tour: $56
- Acapulco City Tour : $35
- Acapulco Historical & Cultural Tour : $66
- Acapulco Malibu, Avenida Kids Tour : $50
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Acapulco de Juarez $11
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 Mexico City and Acapulco de Juarez, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Acapulco de Juarez much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Acapulco de Juarez would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Acapulco de Juarez 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 Acapulco de Juarez.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mexico City Expensive? and Is Acapulco de Juarez Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Acapulco de Juarez?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Acapulco de Juarez. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Acapulco de Juarez, 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.