Which place is cheaper, Ensenada or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Ensenada?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Ensenada? 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 Ensenada?
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.
Ensenada
Ensenada is on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Tijuana. It's the only deep water port in the state of Baja California and as such, it is an important commerical fishing port as well as a cruise ship destination. The city has a population of almost 500,000 and is located just 78 miles south of San Diego. The city sits between the ocean and a small mountain range. The surrounding area is known for its wine production, which produces some of the best wine in Mexico.
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.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214Ensenada $99
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Ensenada is $99. 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 Ensenada in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Ensenada $47
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Ensenada $94
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Ensenada
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Ensenada? 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 Ensenada Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Ensenada $21
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) 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: $90
- 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: $90
- 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: $90
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Business Car: $86
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $90
- International Airport Felipe Angeles(NLU) - Private Transfer To/from Mexico City: $104
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ensenada
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ensenada:
- Transfer: From Tijuana to Valle de Guadalupe & Ensenada: $421
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Ensenada?
Prices for flights to both Ensenada 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 $27Ensenada $39
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
- Veracruz and Boca del Rio Food Tour with Mangroves Boat Trip: $50
- Virtual Mexican Cooking Class (private and personalized): $50
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Uruapan Food Tour: $62
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $68
- Muchos moles: Multi-variety mole cooking class and feast: $72
- Mexico City Vegan & Veggie Market Explorer plus Cooking Lesson: $74
- 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 Live Show and Dinner in Mexico City: $83
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Ensenada $11
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
- Double Decker Bus Night Tour: $6.01
- Franz Mayer Museum Admission Ticket: $6.01
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Moctezuma and the Zocalo:The Aztec Empire : $6.99
- Night Bus Tour Knowing Mexico City: $7.48
- La Roma's Famous Sights and Local Lore: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Memory and Tolerance Museum Entry Ticket: $8.41
- 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: $8.97
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.97
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
Tours and Activities in Ensenada
Here are a few actual costs in Ensenada for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 8 Hour Private Tour : $136
- ATV Off-Road Adventure through Valle de Guadalupe + Winery Visit: $77
- Adventure in Ensenada with Zipline, Marine Geyser and Shops: $99
- Bike and wine amazing Adventure in Valle de Guadalupe": $130
- City tour on electric horse wagon.: $60
- Couple Tour: $125
- Ensenada : The unique bufadora private tour: $32
- Ensenada City Tour on Ford T Replica and Beach Horse Back Riding : $90
- Ensenada Shore Excursion: Blowhole and La Bufadora Tour with Horseback Riding: $81
- Ensenada Shore Excursion: Wine and Cheese Tour with Lunch in Ojos Negros Valley: $167
- Ensenada Taco Tour by local guide: $97
- A thrilled family adventure of ziplines: $72
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Ensenada $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: $26
- CDMX Pub Crawl: Mexico City Bar Crawl: $28
- Mexico City Bar Crawl: $40
- Nightly Historic Center From Above© Rooftop Bar Crawl +Taco Snack: $129
- 2 Hours Private Mexican Wine Tasting in Polanco: $155
- 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
Sample the Local Flavors in Ensenada
Also in Ensenada, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Xecue Wine Tasting in the Guadalupe Valley: $39
- Private wine tour : $57
- Wine tour valley of guadalupe: $60
- Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tasting Tour: $78
- From Wine Tasting at Guadalupe Valley Ensenada: $90
- From Ojos Negros Valley Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour: $97
- Wine Tasting Tour in Valle de Guadalupe: $115
- Private Wine Tour at Valle de Guadalupe (A wine tasting included).: $123
- wine tours and driver service through valle de guadalupe, Ensenada B.C. Mexico: $135
- Wine tasting tour for Cruise Ship Visitors. All Inclusive!: $199
- Private and custom group Wine tour Valle de Guadalupe : $220
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Ensenada, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Ensenada much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ensenada would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ensenada 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 Ensenada.
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 Ensenada Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Ensenada?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Ensenada. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Ensenada, 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.