Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or El Calafate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or El Calafate? 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 El Calafate?
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.
El Calafate
Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.
The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.
El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, and The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214El Calafate $10
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is $10. 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 El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41El Calafate $3.42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82El Calafate $6.84
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or El Calafate? 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 El Calafate Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13El Calafate $3.53
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:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Mexico APT-HTL (MEX) : $36
- Transfer to and from Mexico City Airport: $30
- Transfer in private vehicle from Mexico City - Mexico Airport (MEX): $43
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Tlalnepantla - Mexico City Airport (MEX): $83
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Mexico Airport (MEX)- Mexico City: $93
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Mexico Airport (MEX) - Tlalnepantla: $83
- Transfer from Mexico City Airport to Puebla: $245
- Transfer Mexico city Airport - Mexico city Downtown hotels: $18
- Transfer Mexico City Airport to Downtown and Zona Rosa Hotels: $80
- Transfer Mexico City - Taxco - Acapulco (2 days): $83
- Transfer Airport - hotel in Mexico City: $80
- Transfer & assistance one-way from/to Mexico City Airport/hotel : $36
Typical Local Transportation Prices in El Calafate
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in El Calafate:
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Taxi$1.39
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel in El Calafate: $14
- Shared transfer to El Calafate -El Chaltén: $75
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to downtown Hotel: $15
- Shared Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Calafate): $32
- Roundtrip transfer in Private Car from Calafate Airport (FTE)- Calafate City: $49
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $60
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $12
- Private Airport Transfer: $64
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $456
- Laguna de Los Tres Transfer & Self-Guided Hike: $101
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate 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 $27El Calafate $3.71
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:
- Traveling Spoon Mexican Tacos and Tortillas Private Online Cooking Class: $40
- 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
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- 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
- 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
Typical Food Prices in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dessert$0.01
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Dinner$1.81
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Dinner$1.07
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine Dinner with Live Music Folklore -Estancia 25 de Mayo: $48
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $100
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $126
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $141
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $155
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $186
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15El Calafate $3.71
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- City Tour/español-ingles: $68
- Frida Kahlo Tour with Admission Tickets: $76
- Mixology, Food, Wine and Beer Experience in Xochimilco: $99
- Monarch Butterfly Tour from Mexico City: $220
- Romantic Walking tour in Mexico City: $150
- Romantic tour in San Andrés Mixquic: $150
- Teotihuacan Early Access tour with Tequila Tasting: $37
- The best of Mixquic walking tour: $150
- VIP - FULL DAY - Mexico City Private Tour : $180
- 2 Day tour Teotihuacan pyramids +City tour & Xochimilco : $132
- 2 Days Private Tour with Hiking in Malinche from Puebla: $207
- 2 Hours Private Tour with Electric Scooter in Mexico City: $78
Typical Entertainment Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for El Calafate's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Glacerium Museum$1.39
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Argentine Cuisine Experience in El Calafate: $65
- "Glaciares Gourmet" - Maria Turquesa Cruiser Navigation (classic): $285
- Blue Safari Experience: Hiking and Navigation on Glaciers: $190
- CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate: $190
- Cañadón Experience: $187
- Calafate City Tour with Walichu Caves: $100
- Chalten Full Day Trekking Experience - Laguna de los Tres: $180
- Darwin Experience: $254
- Darwin Experience - kayaks & adventure: $230
- Discover La Leona Petrified Forest: Guided Hiking Tour: $190
- El Calafate Balconies Experience - Tour in FWD vehicle: $192
- El Calafate Balconies Experience - Tour in FWD vehicle: $164
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21El Calafate $1.86
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: $27
- CDMX Pub Crawl: Mexico City Bar Crawl: $29
- Mexico City Bar Crawl: $39
- Best Bar Crawl at Downtown: $49
- 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
Typical Alcohol Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in El Calafate:
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Beer$0.01
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Alcohol$0.37
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and El Calafate, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and El Calafate is in South 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 El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate 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 El Calafate.
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 El Calafate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or El Calafate?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 1410 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and El Calafate, 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.