Which place is cheaper, Valparaiso or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Mexico City or Valparaiso?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Valparaiso? 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 Valparaiso?
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.
Valparaiso
Valparaiso, often referred to as Valpo, is an attractive city on the Pacific Coast in Chile. The city has a population of about 300,000 and is only 120 kilometers west of Santiago. The city's main industries aside from tourism include shipping and petroleum refining.
Valparaiso is popular with travelers because of its bohemian culture and brightly colored homes. It also offers some wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean. Although the city is short on specific sights, the atmosphere and beautiful setting make it a wonderful place to visit.
Valparaiso has a mild Mediterranean climate that is comparable to San Francisco or Santa Barbara. The summer is dry but fog is common year around. Rain can be heavy during the winter season and snow falls occasionally in the highest parts of the city. Winds can also be strong during the winter months.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $214Valparaiso $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $214, while the average daily cost in Valparaiso is $66. 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 Valparaiso in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $41Valparaiso $36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $82Valparaiso $72
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Valparaiso
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Valparaiso? 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 Valparaiso Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $13Valparaiso $4.83
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) Aguascalientes - RoundTrip Transfer: $48
- Aguascalientes to Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) Departure Transfer: $24
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $86
- 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: $91
- 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: $91
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Business Car: $86
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $91
- International Airport Felipe Angeles(NLU) - Private Transfer To/from Mexico City: $104
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Valparaiso
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Valparaiso are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$3.14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Valparaiso
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Valparaiso:
- World Biggest Organic Winery Emiliana, Valparaiso & Transfer : $250
- Valparaiso to Santiago Private Transfer or Santiago to Valparaiso: $76
- Valparaiso Airport Private Transfer: $156
- Transfers from Valparaiso or Viña del Mar to Santiago: $120
- Small group transfer from Valparaiso/S.Antonio+Tour in Santiago: $140
- Private Transfer from Viña del Mar to Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) Airport: $236
- Private Transfer from Viña Del Mar or Valparaiso City Hotel To Santiago City: $89
- Private Transfer from Valparaiso Port to Santiago Airport (SCL): $81
- Private Transfer from Valparaiso Hotel or port To Santiago Airport or Hotel: $107
- Private Transfer from Valparaiso Cruise Port to Santiago hotels: $81
- Private Transfer from San Antonio Port to Valparaiso or Viña del Mar.: $133
- Private Transfer Viña del Mar to Santiago Airport: $170
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Valparaiso?
Prices for flights to both Valparaiso 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 $27Valparaiso $22
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 Valparaiso
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Valparaiso:
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Empanada$1.89
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Valparaiso
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Valparaiso.
- Learn to Cook Like a Local: Private Cooking Class in a Viña del Mar Home: $102
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $15Valparaiso $18
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: $4.68
- Franz Mayer Museum Admission Ticket: $5.85
- Double Decker Bus Night Tour: $5.85
- 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: $8.19
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.78
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.78
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $8.95
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Valparaiso
Here are a few typical costs in Valparaiso for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Boat Tour$4.19
Tours and Activities in Valparaiso
Here are a few actual costs in Valparaiso for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Hour Walking Tour in Valparaiso: $35
- 3-Hour Bike Tour along the Coast of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso: $55
- Citybus Tour from Valparaíso (Viña del Mar, Reñaca and Concón): $33
- Cruise Port to Valparaiso & Casablanca: Drop-off in Santiago: $150
- Famous Valparaíso! Premium Walking Tour with a Native Guide: $35
- Famous Viña del Mar! Premium Walking Tour with a Native Guide: $35
- Full Day Private Walking Tour with a Native Guide & Public Transport: $100
- Guided Panoramic Tour in Valparaíso: $40
- Half-Day Chilean Pacific Coast Tour: Viña del Mar, Reñaca and Concón: $87
- Half-Day Valparaiso City Highlights Tour: $87
- Learn Urban Sketching while you tour Valparaíso: $35
- PRIVATE TOUR: Pre-Post Cruise Viña del Mar Valparaiso and Casablanca Winery tour: $155
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $21Valparaiso $7.79
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Valparaiso
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Valparaiso are as follows:
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Beer$1.00
Sample the Local Flavors in Valparaiso
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Valparaiso:
- Private Wine Tour in Valparaíso: $166
- Santiago: Valparaíso Walking Tour & Casablanca Wine Tasting: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Valparaiso, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Valparaiso much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso.
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 Valparaiso Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Valparaiso?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Valparaiso. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Valparaiso, 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.