Which place is cheaper, Calgary or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Calgary?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Calgary? 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 Calgary?
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.
Calgary
Calgary is the largest city in Alberta and, located at the edge of the prairie and foothills, it is a gateway to the Rocky Mountains. If you're headed to Banff or Jasper, this is likely to be your first stop. It's also Canada's fourth largest city and worth a few days visit. Calgary's economy is diverse, but includes energy, financial services, film and television, transportation, technology, manufacturing, and much more.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Canada, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Canada.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214Calgary $154
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Calgary is $154. 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 Calgary in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Calgary $73
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Calgary $146
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Calgary
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Calgary? 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 Calgary Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Calgary $12
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) Aguascalientes - RoundTrip Transfer: $48
- Aguascalientes to Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) Departure Transfer: $24
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $86
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV/Van: $91
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Business Car: $86
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV/Van: $91
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $86
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $91
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $91
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $91
- International Airport Felipe Angeles(NLU) - Private Transfer To/from Mexico City: $104
- Ixtapan de La Sal to Mexico Airport (MEX)-Departure Transfer: $44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Calgary
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Calgary:
- Transfer in private minivan from Calgary Downtown - Calgary Airport (YYC): $91
- Transfer in private minivan from Calgary Airport (YYC) to Calgary Downtown: $138
- Transfer in private minivan from Calgary Airport (YYC) - Calgary Downtown: $91
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle Calgary Airport (YYC) -Calgary Downtown: $121
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Calgary Airport (YYC) -Calgary: $181
- Private Transfer: Calgary Airport to Downtown: $111
- Private Transfer: Calgary Airport YYC to Calgary by Luxury SUV: $119
- Private Transfer from Calgary to Calgary Airport YYC in Luxury Van: $128
- Private Transfer from Calgary Airport to Sunshine Village : $60
- Private Transfer from Calgary Airport to Calgary Hotels: $63
- Private Calgary to Banff One-way Transfer in Luxury Car: $296
- Lake Louise: Calgary to Lake Louise Private Transfer 1 Way: $474
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Calgary?
Prices for flights to both Calgary 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
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Food Meals for one dayMexico City $27Calgary $31
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
- Uruapan Food Tour: $60
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $66
- Muchos moles: Multi-variety mole cooking class and feast: $70
- 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
- Mexico City Origins: Archeology, History, Art & Food Tour: $85
- Tamales 101: Multi-variety tamal cooking class and feast: $93
- Downtown Food Tour: $95
Typical Food Prices in Calgary
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Calgary:
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Bread, Chips, Cheese$8.10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Calgary
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Calgary.
- Light Brunch & Food Tour at Calgary Farmers' Market WEST: $81
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Calgary $15
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: $4.66
- Double Decker Bus Night Tour: $5.83
- Franz Mayer Museum Admission Ticket: $5.83
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Moctezuma and the Zocalo:The Aztec Empire : $6.99
- Memory and Tolerance Museum Entry Ticket: $8.16
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $8.89
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Night Tour in a Double Decker Bus: $12
- Teotihuacan Archaeological Site Skip-the-Line Ticket: $12
- Night Tour of Mexico City Panoramic Ride on a Double-Decker Bus: $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Calgary
Here are a few typical costs in Calgary for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Stampede Admission (for 2)$22
Tours and Activities in Calgary
Here are a few actual costs in Calgary for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Yoho Tour | Moraine Lake | Johnston Canyon | From Calgary: $118
- 2 Days Jasper and Banff Tour from Calgary: $163
- 2-Hour Private Walking Tour of Calgary's Highlights: $238
- 2-Hour Scooter Tour of Calgary's City Highlights: $68
- 3-Hour Bike Tour of Calgary, E-Bike Upgrade Options Available: $101
- 3-Hour Street Art Tour of Calgary with Craft Beer Tastings: $101
- 3-Hour Tips Based Walking Tour of Calgary: $5.46
- Banff Area & Johnston Canyon 1-Day Tour from Calgary or Banff: $119
- Banff Deep 1 Day Tour in Banff National Park: $171
- Banff, Lake Louise & Moraine Lake Tour from Calgary, Canmore: $96
- Calgary City Sightseeing Tour: $162
- Calgary Downtown: 2-Hour Introductory Walking Tour: $21
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Calgary $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: $29
- Nightly Historic Center From Above© Rooftop Bar Crawl +Taco Snack: $129
- 2 Hours Private Mexican Wine Tasting in Polanco: $155
- Third Largest Monolith in the World:Bernal with wine tasting: $235
- Cavas Freixenet Wine Tour from Mexico City: $255
Sample the Local Flavors in Calgary
Also in Calgary, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Calgary Brewery and Wine Tours at Award Winning Venues: $83
- Calgary Brewery Tour: $89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Calgary, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Calgary much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Calgary would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Calgary 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 Calgary.
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 Calgary Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Calgary?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Calgary. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Calgary, 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.