Which place is cheaper, Guadalajara or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Guadalajara?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Guadalajara? 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 Guadalajara?
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.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, as well as one of the country's largest cities. It is best known for tequila and mariachi music, which both originate in Jalisco, as well as a thriving historic center with colonial architecture and landmarks.
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 $214Guadalajara $117
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Guadalajara is $117. 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 Guadalajara in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Guadalajara $42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Guadalajara $84
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Guadalajara
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Guadalajara? 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 Guadalajara Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Guadalajara $39
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:
- Mexico City to San Luis Potosi - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $296
- Mexico City → San Miguel de Allende - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $286
- Mexico City to Guanajuato - Private Transfer with Optional Sightseeing: $269
- Mexico City International Airport to Mexico City - Private Round-trip Transfer: $252
- Transfer from Mexico City Airport to Puebla: $245
- Mexico City to Guanajuato - Private transfer, 2 Sightseeing hours, local driver: $237
- Mexico City Private Transfer to or from Airport: $195
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Mexico City Airport (MEX) - Mexico City: $187
- RoundTrip Transfer Private Minivan Mexico City Airport (MEX) -Tlalnepantla: $167
- One-way transfer + City Tour: $143
- Mexico City Airport MEX Tecozautla Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $141
- San Miguel De Allende City Tour with Transfer from Mexico City: $133
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guadalajara
Also for Guadalajara, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer Guadalajara Airport Metropolitan Area And More: $45
- Tequila to Guadalajara - Private Transfer with English-speaking driver: $98
- Shared Departure Transfer: Hotels to Guadalajara Airport: $26
- Private transfer: Guadalajara Airport (GDL) to Guadalajara: $72
- Private Transfer from Guadalajara Airport(GDL) to Manzanillo Port: $76
- Airport to City Transfer: $156
- Guadalajara to Tequila - Private Transfer with English-speaking driver: $98
- Guadalajara hotels to Guadalajara Airport (GDL) - Departure Private Transfer: $49
- Guadalajara Airport(GDL) to Tequila - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $76
- Guadalajara Airport (GDL): Transfer to Guadalajara hotels: $173
- Guadalajara Airport (GDL) to Tequila - Arrival Private Transfer: $38
- Guadalajara Airport (GDL) to Guadalajara hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $98
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Guadalajara?
Prices for flights to both Guadalajara 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 $27Guadalajara $48
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
- Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City: $50
- 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: $60
- 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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guadalajara
For Guadalajara, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Guadalajara private food tour: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Guadalajara $28
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
- Private Tour Teotihuacan Essentials: $129
- Private Walking Tour Historic Center of Mexico City: $128
- Romantic Walking tour in Mexico City: $150
- Romantic tour in San Andrés Mixquic: $150
- Teotihuacan Early Access tour with Tequila Tasting: $37
- 2 Day tour Teotihuacan pyramids +City tour & Xochimilco : $132
- 2 Days Private Tour with Hiking in Malinche from Puebla: $208
- 2-Hour Meditation Experience on the Shores of Lake Chapultepec: $15
Tours and Activities in Guadalajara
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Guadalajara.
- Romantic tour in Zapopan: $186
- 10-Day Audio Guide Tour of Guadalajara: $12
- 6 Hours Private Tour Guide in Guadalajara, you choose!: $144
- Adventure tour Between Charros, Mariachi and Parián de Tlaquepaque: $151
- Air Adventure Paraglide over Incredible Landscapes: $160
- Cantaritos and Tequila Factory Tour: $87
- Chapala Lake and Ajijic Tour from Guadalajara: $77
- Chapala and Ajijic Private Tour: $120
- Charreria heritage tour be a charro for a day: $50
- City tour in Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque: $94
- Complete Tour on the Tequila Route from Guadalajara: $60
- Downtown Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque Tour: $73
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Guadalajara $18
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: Mexico City Bar Crawl: $28
- Mexico City Pub Crawl: $30
- 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
- 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 Guadalajara
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Guadalajara:
- Guadalajara Arquitecture and Brewery Tour: $58
- Tequila distillery experience, Jose Cuervo & Tequila Magic Town: $77
- full day Tequila tour visiting artisanal distillery and downtown.: $85
- Private One Day Adventure Tour in Tequila and La Fortaleza Distillery: $175
- Private Adventure to El Tequileño Distillery and visit to Tequila: $175
- Sip & Savor Tequila Experience Distillery w/ Lunch fr Guadalajara: $180
- Private Tour La Fortaleza Distillery and visit to Tequila: $190
- Private Tour Cascahuin Distillery and visit to Tequila: $190
- Private Tour to El Tequileño Distillery and visit to Tequila: $190
- Private Tour to Distillery Tequila Ocho and Arandas : $200
- Private Tour one day in Guachimontones and La Fortaleza Distillery: $211
- Private Tour to Tequila Ocho Distillery and the Town of Arandas: $211
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Guadalajara, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Guadalajara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Guadalajara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara.
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 Guadalajara Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Guadalajara?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Guadalajara. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Guadalajara, 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.