Which place is cheaper, Quepos or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Quepos?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Quepos? 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 Quepos?
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.
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214Quepos $117
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Quepos 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 Quepos in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Quepos $77
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Quepos $154
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Quepos
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Quepos? 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 Quepos Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Quepos $9.56
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
- Shuttle Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San Jose: $60
- Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $91
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
- Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
- Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Quepos?
Prices for flights to both Quepos 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 $27Quepos $30
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 Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$15
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
- 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
- Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Quepos $17
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
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 10 in 1 Tour! Zip Lines, Rappels, Tarzan Swing, Waterfalls & More: $130
- 2-Hour Boat Tour in Quepos: $55
- ATV Tour Half Day Trip From Manuel Antonio: $90
- All Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure from Manuel Antonio: $83
- All-Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure with Lunch: $93
- All-Inclusive Full-Day Nauyaca Waterfall and Beach Town Tour: $142
- Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
- Birding at El Rey. (Marshes,rice fields,canals) Private Birding Tour : $120
- Birdwatching Tour: $130
- Catamaran Adventure From Manuel Antonio: $116
- Chocolate Tour Manuel Antonio: $60
- Chocolate and Coffee Tour Manuel Antonio: $62
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Quepos $15
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Quepos, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Quepos much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and Quepos is in Central 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 Quepos would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Quepos 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 Quepos.
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 Quepos Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Quepos?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 1450 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Quepos, 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.