Which place is cheaper, Mexico City or Mombasa?
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 Mombasa or Mexico City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Mombasa and Mexico City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Mombasa or Mexico City?
Mombasa
Mombasa is a beautiful, large city on the eastern coast of Kenya, bordering the Indian Ocean. The city is famous for its stunning beaches, friendly locals, and diverse marine life. Mombasa experiences a tropical climate year round, meaning temperatures rarely drop below 70° Fahrenheit. The rainiest months of the year are April and May and the driest months are January and February. Temperatures tend to be more mild from May through October, usually in the 70's and 80's. Temperatures get much warmer from November through April, with daily averages reaching the high 90's.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Kenya, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Kenya, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
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Mombasa Prices
Kenya PricesMexico City Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMombasa $81Mexico City $225
The average daily cost (per person) in Mombasa is $81, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $225. 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 Mombasa and Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMombasa $26Mexico City $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMombasa $52Mexico City $82
Compare Hotels in Mombasa and Mexico City
Looking for a hotel in Mombasa or Mexico City? 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: Mombasa Hotel Prices and Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mombasa $18Mexico City $13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mombasa
Also for Mombasa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer From Mombasa (Moi Airport/SGR) To Diani: $35
- Safe Private Airport Transfer in Mombasa: $19
- Private Transfer from Mombasa Port to Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA): $58
- Private Transfer from Mombasa Moi Airport (MBA) to Mombasa Port: $58
- Private Transfer from Mombasa Cruise Port to Mombasa City Hotels: $58
- Private Transfer from Mombasa City to Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA): $42
- Private Transfer from Mombasa City Hotels to Mombasa Cruise Port: $58
- Private Transfer from Mombasa: $22
- Private Transfer from Moi Airport Mombasa (MBA) to Mombasa City: $42
- Mombasa to Mombasa Airport (MBA) - Departure Private Transfer: $36
- Mombasa Airport Transfers to Mtwapa: $130
- Mombasa Airport Transfers: $129
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:
- Transfers Airport Hotel CDMX: $155
- Transfer from Airport to Hotel: $220
- Transfer Premium Mexico International Airport AICM: $37
- Transfer Mexico city Airport - Mexico city Downtown hotels: $18
- Transfer Mexico City Airport to Downtown and Zona Rosa Hotels: $80
- Transfer Airport Hotel Airport Mexico City: $80
- Transfer Adolfo López Mateos International Airport TLC: $68
- Transfer & assistance one-way from/to Mexico City Airport/hotel: $72
- Toluca to Toluca Int Airport (TLC) - Departure Private Transfer: $48
- Toluca to Toluca Airport (TLC) - Departure Private Transfer: $48
- Toluca Int Airport (TLC) to Toluca - Arrival Private Transfer: $48
- Toluca Airport (TLC) to Toluca - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $96
Is it cheaper to fly into Mombasa or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City and Mombasa 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 dayMombasa $41Mexico City $46
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mombasa
For Mombasa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Special African Dinner: $46
- Sultan's Spoon Mombasa Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Mombasa Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Swahili Street Food Tour: $55
- Diani Beach Sunset Dhow Cruise with Dinner: $71
- Tamarind Dhow Dinner Cruise & Nightlife: $136
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
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors: $55
- Coyoacan Market Food Tour Urban Eats & Local Legends: $55
- Mexico : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $58
- 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.Mombasa $18Mexico City $15
Tours and Activities in Mombasa
For Mombasa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Day Group tour to Tsavo East National Park with Buffet Lunch: $160
- 1 Day Wasini Dolphin Tour From Diani Beach: $110
- 4 Hours Guided Mombasa City Tour: $45
- City Tour with Ghalib: $76
- Day Tour Experience to Tsavo East National Park: $190
- Day Tour To Shimba Hills Park from Mombasa: $264
- Diani Beach: Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest Guided Tour: $75
- Elky Shimba Hills and Sheldrick Waterfall Day Tour: $250
- Fort Jesus & Mombasa Old Town Walking CityTour: $38
- Full Day Group Joining Tour In Mombasa From Kilindin Harbour Port: $140
- Full Day Group Joining Tour in Mombasa from Kilindini Harbour: $149
- Full Day Mombasa City Tour with a Local Guide: $130
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- "Sabor a Calle": Mexico City Street Food Adventure: $93
- 1 Day Tour to Zacatlán and Chignahuapan from Mexico city: $200
- 1 day in Puebla and Cholula in private tour from Mexico city: $160
- 100% Private Teotihuacan Tour from Mexico City + Guadalupe Shrine: $135
- 100% Private Tour in Teotihuacán Pyramids from Mexico City: $120
- 100% private tour in Chapultepec Castle & around (with transport): $77
- 2 hours Private Gastronomic Tour in Mexico city (NEW TOUR!): $55
- 2026 Azcapotzalco Walking Tour Mexico City Adventure: $140
- 3 Day Private Culinary Experience in CDMX Beyond Tacos: $300
- 3-Hour Private Archaeological Walking Tour in Mexico with ATV: $165
- 3-in-1 Tour: Frida Kahlo Museum, Coyoacan and Xochimilco Small Group: $72
- 3X1 Teotihuacan, Basilica of Guadalupe, Tlatelolco and Tequila Tour: $70
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMombasa $8.83Mexico City $20
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: $95
- Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $100
- Visit a mead distillery in Tlaxcala: $119
- Mexican Wine Tasting with Food Pairing: $126
- Distillery Tour and Lucha Libre Spirits and Showdown: $128
- Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $511
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mombasa and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Mombasa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mombasa is in Africa and Mexico City is in North 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 Mombasa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mombasa 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 Mombasa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mombasa Expensive? and Is Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mombasa or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Mombasa. When comparing the sizes of Mombasa and Mexico City, 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.