Almost every American dreams of a trip to Mexico at some point. Its sunny climate, beautiful shores – on both the Caribbean and the Pacific – and delicious cuisine make it a great option for any week-long getaway, especially since it’s so close.
My favorite thing about Mexico was how easy everything was.
No, it wasn’t always the cleanest, but the color and vibrance of the culture, the amazing street fairs, the beautiful food, and the lovely weather – even the afternoon rain showers – made it all so much fun.
Note that Mexico is big. Like, big big. You can’t see it all in a week, so the best approach is to pick a place you know you’ll enjoy and stay there long enough to get to know it.
My partner and I chose Jalisco, because we’d always wanted to visit Guadalajara and Lake Chapala, a tiny expat town with delicious food, adorable streets, and a quiet vibe.
There are, of course, plenty of charming destinations in República Mexicana, so let’s get to the part where you can afford it all!
Average Trip to Mexico Cost in 2024
An average one-week trip to Mexico for two people will cost around $2,500:
- Average Accommodation Cost: $50 per night
- Average Flight Cost: $450 per person
- Food, Drink & Activities: $75 per person, per day
- Transportation: $200 total
- Total Cost: $2,500
Mexico is both lovely and affordable, not to mention in the US’s backyard, which is part of what makes it so affordable for American travelers.
However, it has its share of crime and problems. No trip that results in hassle or tragedy can be considered “cheap,” so before we get to the budget items, I want to take a moment to say: always put safety first. Put it above convenience, cost, and desire.
If you have to miss out on an experience or pay more at a hotel because a travel advisory has changed, do it. Nothing is worth your life or those of your loved ones. (We will discuss safety more below.)
Therefore, we recommend you do not go the cheapest route in Mexico. Instead, always balance the cost of an accommodation with where it’s located, the cost of an excursion with the tour company’s reputation, and so forth.
That said, read on!
Mexico Trip Cost: Average by Item
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The average cost of your trip will vary depending on when you travel, who you’re with, and what you like to do on the go. The following offers some average costs to help you start building a budget that works for you.
Accommodation Costs
Hotels in Mexico are awesome. You can get a nice room or even a small studio apartment for about $50, just about anywhere in the country.
A spendier choice will cost between $75 and $100, and give you access to a nice dining room and a pool – though many of the cheaper options have pools as well. A quick Google will show you what I mean.
The best bet for getting good rates is to book soon after getting your tickets, but long enough after that you’ve had time to watch prices for a while and get a feel for what’s reasonable. Either way, about $50 is a great Mexico average hotel rate.
Flight Costs
Flights to Mexico are very reasonable. A round-trip ticket from New York City to Mexico City is about $450 on average, while a flight to Oaxaca is about $500. From LA, it’s about $300 and $450, respectively.
Plan to pay a little more if you are not coming from a major hub, about $100 or so. Overall, an average of $450 per flight should see you to pretty much anywhere in Mexico from anywhere in the US.
These prices will likely go up during the high season, however, from December through April. If you want to avoid paying extra fees, don’t buy your tickets short-notice during the high season, as then you’ll definitely pay the max.
Instead, I always recommend lurking in incognito mode. That way you can check prices continually without alerting travel websites that you’re interested, so they can’t raise the prices next time you visit. (*shakes fist at cookies*)
Food, Drink & Activity Costs
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Food in Mexico isn’t expensive. An inexpensive restaurant meal is less than $10, while a nice dinner for two will only cost about $35.
A cappuccino at a café is less than $3. Overall, if you’re eating carefully and buying some of your food at the store, you can eat on about $35 per person, per day.
You can’t drink the water in Mexico, by the way. It’s filled with potential waterborne diseases, so only drink bottled water. A bottle costs about 75 cents, so assuming eight bottles a day, you’re going to pay about $6 per person, per day.
You should buy an extra bottle for brushing your teeth, however. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just “spit it out” … that’s not how Leptospirosis works!
I recommend planning ahead and, rather than spending the money on single-use bottles that won’t get recycled in Mexico, buy a water filter in a bottle. The Water-to-Go options are good ones for anyone who plans to travel a lot.
In the same vein, avoid swimming in freshwater sources such as rivers, lakes, and ponds. The ocean is fine (it’s too salty for the pathogen to survive) and chlorinated pools are safe as well.
If you’re going to buy produce from the market, you need to sanitize it.
You can use either bleach (1 ½ teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water, soak for 5 minutes, rinse in potable water) or an essential oil (grapefruit seed extract or lemon oil) to sanitize them.
Activities in Mexico are as much or as little as you want them to be.
You can sign up for tours of the major archeological sites, group hikes, and guided walking groups – which will usually cost between $50 and $200, depending on where you’re going – or you can save the money and do it all yourself.
All you need to pay then is the cost of transportation. I recommend that approach, personally. Overall, plan to spend about $75 a day in Mexico, per person.
Transportation Costs
BlaBlaCar is a newer crowdsourced transportation service that’s worth considering for your Mexico travels, as it has a well-established and well-vetted route there.
According to their website, “No matter where you’re going, by bus or carpool, find the perfect ride from our wide range of destinations and routes at low prices.” It’s worth looking into in Mexico.
Taxis are pretty affordable in Mexico. A 3-mile taxi ride will cost you about $5 in Guadalajara, while in Mexico City it’s only about $3.50. Buses are also very affordable, both in the cities and between them.
Taking a bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca will take between 6 and 9 hours and cost about $40, about half to a third the price of flying there – and you’ll get to see a lot of rolling countryside into the bargain.
Overall, assuming several taxi rides, public transportation, and a bigger bus ticket, plan to spend about $200 for both people. If you stick to just two cities with only one interstate bus ticket each, you’ll pay even less.
Things to Consider
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Here are a few other things to consider when planning your trip to Mexico:
- Check out Couchsurfing and Work Away, two cultural exchange sites that help you stay abroad for free. If you are a solo traveler or a couple looking for cheap/free accommodation, these are both safe ways to find them.
- Always double-check the weather. This is a great way to ensure that you’re not wasting bus, taxi, or tour fare on a day that you don’t want to be out and about.
- Mexico doesn’t offer a wide WiFi network. Although many countries make it easy for you to connect to the internet when out and about, that’s not the case here. Instead, if you want free and unfettered use of your cell phone, you’ll want a Telcel SIM card. You can get one ahead of time on Amazon for less than $45, which will easily last a week and provide you with coverage while you’re on the road, which can otherwise be a dicey proposition.
- Keep your Forma Migratoria Multiple with you at all times. You’ll get this on the airplane or at the airport, and you’ll need to give it back to leave the country, so don’t lose it. Pick a place for it, put it there, and don’t pull it back out until you’re leaving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Playa del Carmen, Mexico, April 27, 2023: Sexy tourist woman sitting on a Vespa motorcycle with informative signs on fifth avenue a commercial street in Playa del Carmen in Mexico. Tourism concept./Lifes_Sunday/Shutterstock
Here are some frequently asked questions about budgeting your trip to Mexico:
Should I get travel insurance?
My opinion? Get the insurance. I’ve made the mistake of failing to get travel insurance before. Then I injured my back in Dublin. My dad broke his arm before leaving for Mexico. The pandemic happened. Each of these times we had to make some hard choices and/or lose money. You can never tell when a trip is going to hit a small (or big) snag, and insurance is the best way to avoid wasting your money. While it will cost you extra – USA Today recommends it will total between 5% and 6% of the cost of your trip – it will help to prevent major losses in the event of a natural disaster, family emergency, or illness. I do it all the time now, and so should you!
How many places should I visit in Mexico?
Mexico is a big place. It’s about a fifth of the size of the United States, which means you could easily travel around for a year and not see it all. That means you need to make some choices.
My favorite way to travel is to pick two to three destinations for a week, then get to know them. Rather than hitting a town a day just to say I’ve seen them, I like to nestle into a spot for half a week (my ideal) so I can visit a favorite café again, walk the streets, and have time to read a book.
Plan on transitions between locations in Mexico to take about 3-4 hours, whether you’re hopping a domestic flight or taking a train, and plan accordingly.
Is it safe in Mexico?
In a word, no, Mexico is not particularly safe.
According to the US Department of State, “Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted.”
The site goes on to list the various areas of Mexico to which you should never travel, those to which you should reconsider your plans if you don’t have family or another reason to be there, those where you must exercise increased caution, and those that are fine: Campeche and Yucatan.
Were I traveling alone or with children, I would restrict my activities to the latter states.
What are the passport requirements?
To go to Mexico, all you need is a blank page in your passport. There are no requirements about how long your passport must be valid for, and you do not need a visa unless you’re staying for longer than 180 days.
When is the best time to visit Mexico?
Most people elect to travel to Mexico between December and April. There’s almost no rain during this time, and temperatures are relatively mild – though days in the 80s are not unheard of. The coolest months are between December and February, so that’s the most pleasant window of the year.
If you’re focused more on cost savings than ideal weather, go during the rainy season. You’ll get lower prices, and if you travel in October or May, the rain isn’t as bad as the rest of the time.
Over to You — Book Your Trip to Mexico Today!
| 🛎️ Average Accommodation Cost | $50 per night |
| ✈️ Average Flight Cost | $450 per person |
| 🍽️ Food, Drink & Activities | $75 per person, per day |
| 🚕 Transportation | $200 total |
| 💲 Total Cost | $2,500 |
The average cost of a one-week trip to Mexico is around $2,500 for two people. Get ready to enjoy blissful sun, vibrant culture, and delicious cuisine – all in your own backyard.