Which place is cheaper, Ponce or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Ponce?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Ponce? 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 Ponce?
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.
Ponce
Ponce is on the south coast of Puerto Rico. It's the second largest city on the island and has been around since 1692 when it was originally founded by Ponce de Leon's grandson Juan Ponce de Leon y Loayza. The city has several nicknames, including La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Senorial (The Noble, or Lordly, City), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City).
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214Ponce $205
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Ponce is $205. 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 Ponce in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Ponce $151
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Ponce $302
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Ponce
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Ponce? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Ponce $10
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:
- Transfer Mexico city Airport - Mexico city Downtown hotels: $18
- Private One way Transfer from Mexico Airport to Mexico City: $21
- Aguascalientes to Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) Departure Transfer: $24
- Transfer to and from Mexico City Airport: $30
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Mexico City Airport: $34
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Mexico APT-HTL (MEX) : $36
- Transfer & assistance one-way from/to Mexico City Airport/hotel : $36
- Mexico City Private Airport Transfer : $36
- Private Transfer From Mexico City Airport to Downtown: $37
- Mexico Airport (MEX) Cuernavaca Thermal Resorts Arrival Transfer: $38
- Transfer in private vehicle from Mexico City - Mexico Airport (MEX): $43
- Ixtapan de La Sal to Mexico Airport (MEX)-Departure Transfer: $44
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ponce
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ponce:
- Vega Baja to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $170
- Transfer TO or FROM: Airport,Cruise,Hotel in DORADO or RIO GRANDE: $70
- Transfer SJU Airport to Humacao and Nagüabo. Vice Versa One Way Trip: $185
- Single ATV Adventure: Private Hacienda Experience with Transfer: $189
- San juan Puerto Rico PrivateTransfers Airport,Hotels,Cruise Ports: $60
- San Juan hotels to San Juan PR Cruise Port - Departure Transfer: $46
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $92
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan Port to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan PR Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Transfer: $46
- San Juan Departure Share Transfer: $27
- San Juan Airport (SJU) to San Juan hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $92
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Ponce?
Prices for flights to both Ponce 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 $27Ponce $35
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ponce
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ponce.
- Private Cooking Class with a Fun Local in San German, Puerto Rico: $96
- Private Half-Day Food Tour : $130
- Private San Juan Cooking Class with a Local Expert: $146
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Ponce $56
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
- Night Bus Tour Knowing Mexico City: $7.18
- La Roma's Famous Sights and Local Lore: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Private Tour to the Capuchin Convent Chapel made by Luis Barragan : $8.00
- Memory and Tolerance Museum Entry Ticket: $8.16
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.75
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $8.95
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
Tours and Activities in Ponce
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ponce are as follows:
- Half-Day El Yunque Rainforest Tour from Fajardo: $65
- Scuba Boat Diving Experience in Gilligan's Island at Copamarina: $160
- 1 Hour Historical UTV Tour in San Juan: $200
- 2-Hour Private UTV Can-Am Beach Tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico: $264
- 2.5-Hour Historical Walking Tour of Old San Juan: $65
- 5 hours Tour in La Parguera Private Boat Charter: $200
- 7 Hours River Tour with Beach and Learn to Make Piña Colada : $195
- 90 Minute Portrait Photoshoot Experience in the Caribbean: $129
- ATV Adventure at Hacienda Campo Rico: $136
- Adventure Trail Tour in the foothills of the National Rainforest: $110
- Afro-Boriken-Loiza: Food, Cave & Art Tour: $140
- All Inclusive Cordillera Cay’s Sailing Catamaran Beach & Snorkeling Tour: $150
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Ponce $16
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
Sample the Local Flavors in Ponce
Also in Ponce, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Artisan Puertorrican Winery and Distillery Tour: $50
- Old San Juan Bar Crawl: Experience Local Hotspots: $65
- Local Puerto Rican Rum Distillery Tour - Ron Pepon: $90
- Rum Distillery and Old San Juan Tour: $99
When comparing the travel costs between Mexico City and Ponce, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Mexico City is in North America and Ponce is in Caribbean Islands, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
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 Ponce Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Ponce?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Ponce. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Ponce, 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.