Which place is cheaper, Puerto Varas or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Puerto Varas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Puerto Varas? 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 Puerto Varas?
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.
Puerto Varas
Puerto Varas is a city in Southern Chile, in the Los Lagos (Lakes) Region, Llanquihue Province. It is a charming town, only 23 km away from Puerto Montt and surrounded by the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes as well as the impressive Llanquihue lake. In terms of landscape, accommodation and activities, Puerto Varas is well served! Kayak, paddle, canyoning, rock climbing, trekking, ski, fishing, you name it! If you decide to stop in that area, we recommend that you stay in Puerto Varas, as it provides the perfect starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best G Adventures Tours to Chile, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago.
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Mexico City Prices
Mexico PricesPuerto Varas Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $225Puerto Varas $130
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $225, while the average daily cost in Puerto Varas is $130. 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 Puerto Varas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Puerto Varas $69
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Puerto Varas $138
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Puerto Varas
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Puerto Varas? 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 Puerto Varas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Puerto Varas $22
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$1.15
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Uber Ride$4.04
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: $82
- Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) to Aguascalientes - Arrival Transfer: $41
- Aguascalientes to Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) Departure Transfer: $41
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $93
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $104
- Arrival Private Transfer Mexico City Airport MEX to Mexico by Car: $93
- Arrival Private Transfer Mexico City Airport MEX to Mexico by SUV: $130
- Arrival Transfer: Airport MEX to Mexico City by Business Car: $93
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $104
- Balloon Flight in Teotihuacan Transfers and Breakfast Included: $236
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $209
- Ixtapan de La Sal to Mexico Airport (MEX)-Departure Transfer: $107
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Varas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Varas:
- Transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $50
- Transfer to Puerto Montt Airport: $22
- Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) - Departure Transfer: $56
- Puerto Varas Bus Terminal Private Transfer: $25
- Cruce Andino Office Private Transfer from Puerto Varas: $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Puerto Varas?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Varas 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 $46Puerto Varas $44
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$4.50
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Dinner for 2$26
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:
- Mexico City Coyoacan Food Tour & Optional Frida Kahlo Museum: $20
- Private Street Food Tour Mexico City - Best rated: $35
- Cable Car, Cultural Spaces, and Traditional Food Tour: $40
- 4h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $49
- Virtual Mexican Cooking Class (private and personalized): $50
- Veracruz and Boca del Rio Food Tour with Mangroves Boat Trip: $50
- San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors: $55
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Mexico : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $58
- Street Food Tour in Mexico with a Local Guide: $61
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $65
- 3h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Drinks: $68
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Puerto Varas $20
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Mexico City Self-Guided Tour: Historic Center & Beyond: $3.51
- Mexico City Historic Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.50
- MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket: $4.65
- Mexico City Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo Exploration Game and Tour: $5.89
- Flavors of the past: A Pre-Hispanic drink tour in Mexico city.: $5.89
- Mexico City Self-Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
- Hidden Gems of Exploration Game and Tour: $7.33
- Mexico City Jewish History Smartphone Guided Audio Walking Tour: $7.75
- Night City Tour in a Double Decker Bus: $10
- KidZania Santa Fe Entrance Ticket: $12
- KidZania Cuicuilco Entrance Ticket: $12
- Double Decker Bus Night Tour: $12
Tours and Activities in Puerto Varas
Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Varas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Chiloe Island - Puñihuil Tour: $90
- From Chiloe Island Full-day Tour: $72
- From Full-Day Tour to Termas del Sol and Cochamó Valley: $65
- From Osorno Volcano & Petrohue Falls Day Tour: $55
- Full-Day Osorno Volcano and Petrohue Falls Small-Group Tour: $90
- Guided Tour to Termas del Sol and Cochamo with Transportation Included: $56
- Llanquihue Lake Tour: $88
- Osorno Volcano & Petrohué Waterfalls: Full-Day Tour with Pickup: $139
- Premium Full Day Shared Tour Osorno Volcano and Petrohue Falls: $230
- Premium Half Day Shared Tour Sunset at Osorno Volcano: $130
- Private Full-Day Tour: Llanquihue Lake & Waterfalls Experience: $229
- Private Rock Climbing Experience in Northern Patagonia: $150
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $20Puerto Varas $6.68
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: Guided Pub Crawl with Party Games: $24
- Mexico City Pub Crawl: $26
- The Mexico City Pub Crawl: A real chilango night: $33
- THE MEXICO CITY PUB CRAWL: A real chilango night: $35
- Make Your Own Tequila or Mezcal with Distillery and Cocktails: $94
- Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $100
- Visit a mead distillery in Tlaxcala: $118
- Mexican Wine Tasting with Food Pairing: $126
- The Mexican Wine Tasting and Pairing: $127
- Distillery Tour and Lucha Libre Spirits and Showdown: $127
- Full Day Harvest Season Wine Tour & Grape Stomping Tequisquiapan: $136
- Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $511
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Puerto Varas, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Varas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and Puerto Varas 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 Puerto Varas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Varas 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 Puerto Varas.
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 Puerto Varas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Puerto Varas?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 450 times larger than the population of Puerto Varas. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Puerto Varas, 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.