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How much money do I need in Mexico City?

A mid-range solo day is about MXN 3,113 (about $167) before shopping, and about MXN 23,290 (about $1,251) for 7 days including MXN 1,500 for markets and gifts.

Indicative ECB rate via Frankfurter, 26 October 2026 · estimates from prices checked October 2026

Checked by the Currency Quokka team.

Mexico City uses the Mexican Peso (MXN). Choose your home currency and a travel style. Every figure is in your currency and in Mexican Pesos, for spending in Mexico City. Flights, a visa or visitor permit, travel insurance and lodging tax are not included.

How much money do I need per day in Mexico City?

Budget, mid-range and comfortable daily costs

These are estimates from prices checked October 2026. A hostel day, a mid-range day and a comfortable day are all in the same calculator, in your currency and in Mexican Pesos.

Every figure shows your currency first, with Mexican Pesos alongside.

Indicative ECB rate · Rate updated 26 October 2026

Quick start

Your trip

3 to 60 days.

Travellers

Two travellers share one hotel room and one car. Hostel beds, food and activities are per person.

Where you will mostly stay (changes hotel prices only)
Sleep

A hotel room is shared if there are two of you. A hostel bed is priced per person.

Food and drink

Per person, per day.

Getting around

Metro is per person. App rides are for one car, shared by the group.

Activities

Per person, per day on average.

Extras

Added once for the trip, not each day.

$81 · MXN 1,500

Mexican Peso 250 steps up to 3,000, then 1,000 steps up to 10,000.

Your Mexico City estimate

Spending in Mexico City only. Flights, a visa or visitor permit, travel insurance and lodging tax are not included.

For 7 days · 1 traveller, trip total

$1,251

MXN 23,290

Daily spend: $179 · MXN 3,327 per day

Mexico City budget breakdown by category
CategoryUSD / MXN%
SleepMid-range hotel · 7 nights$677 MXN 12,60054%
Food and drinkMixed meals · 1 person$338 MXN 6,30027%
Getting aroundMetro plus a ride · 1 person$45 MXN 8404%
ActivitiesSome paid sights · 1 person$94 MXN 1,7508%
SIM or eSIM1 eSIM$16 MXN 3001%
ShoppingMarkets and gifts$81 MXN 1,5006%
Total$1,251 MXN 23,290100%

Shares are rounded to whole numbers and adjusted so they add up to 100%.

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Is Mexico City expensive?

Food and the Metro are inexpensive. A ride is MXN 5 and a street taco about MXN 21. The room is the large cost, especially in Roma, Condesa and Polanco. From these estimates, before shopping, a budget day is about MXN 923 (about $50) per person, a mid-range day about MXN 3,113 (about $167), and a comfortable couple about MXN 4,393 per person (about $236).

For a mid-range solo week, before the shopping buffer, the split looks like this:

  • Sleep: about 58% (MXN 12,600)
  • Food and drink: about 29% (MXN 6,300)
  • Getting around: about 4% (MXN 840)
  • Activities: about 8% (MXN 1,750)
  • SIM or eSIM: about 1% (MXN 300)

How much money for a week in Mexico City?

Mid-range settings in Roma or Condesa: a hotel room, mixed meals, Metro plus a ride, one paid sight and an eSIM. Couples share one room. This table excludes the shopping buffer, so a solo week here is the stay itself, without the MXN 1,500 for markets and gifts in the estimate at the top. Open any row to change that buffer.

Sample Mexico City trip budgets for 3 days, 5 days, 1 week and 2 weeks
TripMXN totalUSDGBPCADAUDEUR
Solo, 3 daysMXN 3,170 a dayMXN 9,510$511£383CA$717A$727€457
Solo, 5 daysMXN 3,130 a dayMXN 15,650$841£630CA$1,179A$1,197€751
Solo, 1 weekMXN 3,113 a dayMXN 21,790$1,171£877CA$1,642A$1,666€1,046
Solo, 2 weeksMXN 3,091 a dayMXN 43,280$2,325£1,742CA$3,262A$3,310€2,078
Couple, 3 daysMXN 4,540 a dayMXN 13,620$732£548CA$1,026A$1,042€654
Couple, 5 daysMXN 4,460 a dayMXN 22,300$1,198£897CA$1,680A$1,705€1,071
Couple, 1 weekMXN 4,426 a dayMXN 30,980$1,664£1,247CA$2,335A$2,369€1,487
Couple, 2 weeksMXN 4,383 a dayMXN 61,360$3,296£2,469CA$4,624A$4,692€2,946

What currency does Mexico City use?

The currency is the Mexican Peso, code MXN. A few Pesos buy a Metro ride or a taco. A hotel night is hundreds or thousands of Pesos, so it helps to see the same amounts in your currency before you go.

Mexican Peso basics: notes, coins and the MXN sign

Notes come in 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 Pesos. Smaller amounts are coins. Many stalls and drivers cannot change a 500 note, so 50s and 100s are the useful ones to carry. Prices often use a $ sign, the same symbol as the US Dollar, and are sometimes written Mex$. If a menu says $80, that is 80 Pesos unless it clearly says US Dollars.

Can you pay in US Dollars in Mexico City?

Not as a habit. VisitMexico says paying in US Dollars is widely discouraged. Some tourist businesses will take them, and the rate is usually poor. Mexican Pesos are the money to spend, to tip, and to keep for markets.

Today's Mexican Peso rate

At the ECB reference rate from 26 October 2026, 100 units of these currencies are worth:

Your bank, card or exchange desk usually gives you a little less than this reference rate.

What things cost in Mexico City

Food and drink

The lower choice is tacos, markets and a set lunch (comida corrida). The middle choice is a fonda at lunch and dinner out. The higher choice is cafes and restaurants for most meals. Set lunches at fondas are often cash only. Tap water is not safe to drink in many areas, so budget for bottled water. A small bottle is about MXN 23, and a larger bottle from OXXO or a supermarket costs less per litre.

Typical Mexico City prices

A few everyday prices, separate from the daily choices above. Sources are listed under How we estimate.

  • Metro: MXN 5 for one ride.
  • Street taco: a suadero taco about MXN 21.
  • Set lunch: a comida corrida about MXN 90 to 150, higher in Roma and Condesa than in a market.
  • Coffee: about MXN 25 at OXXO, and about MXN 70 for a cafe cappuccino.
  • Beer: a draft beer in a bar about MXN 60.
  • App ride: about MXN 50 to 80 from Roma Norte to Centro.

Getting around: Metro, Metrobus and Uber

The Metro is MXN 5 a ride and has not changed for 2026. You can tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex at the turnstile. Metrobus is MXN 6. Line 4 to or from the airport is MXN 30. A day of trains only is the MXN 30 choice. Metro plus one short app ride is the MXN 120 choice.

Uber and DiDi are the comfortable way across town, and the fare is for the car, so two of you share it. From Roma Norte, a ride to Centro was about MXN 50 to 80 in 2026. Authorized airport taxis to Roma, Condesa or Polanco were about MXN 400 to 490. App pickups inside the airport have been restricted, so an authorized taxi desk or Metrobus Line 4 is the straightforward way out. Check the airport rules before you fly. Use an app or a sitio taxi stand in the city rather than hailing on the street.

Places to stay

A hostel dorm bed is the budget night, around a few hundred Pesos, and it is priced per person. A mid-range hotel or apartment in Roma or Condesa is the MXN 1,800 night. A boutique or upscale hotel is the MXN 3,500 night. Two people share that room.

Centro Historico and Coyoacan are often cheaper than Roma and Condesa. Polanco is often higher. Published hotel averages do not all agree on Centro, so treat that setting as a rough guide rather than a promise. Hostel beds stay the same in every area.

One Mexico City hotel guide says room rates roughly double in Dia de Muertos week, from late October to 2 November, and again in the last two weeks of December. The same guide says rates are lower in the rainy months, June to September. Hostel dorms are also higher from October to April. If those weeks matter to you, book the room earlier.

Hotels add a lodging tax, 3.5 percent on a hotel stay and 5 percent on a platform stay such as Airbnb. It is usually on the booking or the bill, so it is not added again here. Shop and restaurant prices already include tax.

Museums, tours and day trips

In 2026 the Frida Kahlo Museum is MXN 320 for foreign visitors, and tickets are online only. The National Museum of Anthropology, Teotihuacan and Chapultepec Castle are MXN 210 each. A Xochimilco trajinera is MXN 750 an hour for the whole boat, not per person. Lucha Libre at Arena Mexico starts around MXN 100, and better seats cost more.

The bus fare out to Teotihuacan was under review in October 2026 after a reported rise, so check the price on the day rather than budgeting a single number. The mid-range activities choice, about MXN 250 a day, is one paid sight spread over the week. The higher choice is big tickets on most days.

Cash or card in Mexico City?

Where cards work and where you need cash

Visa and Mastercard work in hotels, restaurants, shops and malls. American Express is less common. You can tap a contactless card on the Metro and Metrobus. Taco stands, fondas, markets and small tips still want cash. Profeco says a business may not add a surcharge for paying by card.

If the terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choose Mexican Pesos. Taking the home-currency offer usually costs about 4 to 8 percent more. Saying no at an ATM does not cancel the withdrawal.

How much cash to carry

On a budget day, about MXN 400 to 500 covers street food, the Metro and small tips. At mid-range, about MXN 300 to 500 in cash is enough if the card pays for the hotel, sit-down meals and tickets. Take out a few days at a time from a bank ATM rather than walking around with the whole trip.

Getting Mexican Pesos: ATMs and exchanging money

Using ATMs

Use a machine inside a bank branch, in a well-lit spot, and skip standalone machines in shops. The Mexican bank fee appears before you confirm. Your own bank may add another fee. Checked October 2026, the Mexican fee ran from about MXN 23 at BanBajio and about MXN 31 at Banamex up to about MXN 64 at Banorte, MXN 80 at Santander, and about MXN 197 at BBVA.

Where to Exchange Dollars to Pesos, Including the Airport

Airport desks in both terminals will change US Dollars, and the rate is usually worse than a bank. On one check in October 2026 an airport desk paid MXN 16.42 per US Dollar when a bank rate was MXN 18.20, about MXN 178 less on each USD 100. VisitMexico says most visitors find ATMs cheaper and easier than exchanging cash.

Should I get Pesos before I go?

Enough for the first ride is worth having, especially if you land late. For the rest of the trip, withdrawing Pesos in the city is the simpler plan. You do not need a thick wad of cash before you fly.

Tipping in Mexico City

Restaurants, bars and cafes

10 to 15 percent is customary when you sit down to eat or drink. It is still voluntary. A restaurant cannot add a tip to the bill without your consent. Leave it in Pesos.

Taxis, Uber, hotels and tours

Porters, cleaning staff and cab drivers often get a few coins rather than a percentage. For a good Uber or DiDi ride, MXN 10 to 20 in cash is common. Tour guides appreciate a tip when the tour was good, in the same spirit as a restaurant, not as a fixed fee.

Quick money tips for Mexico City

  • Choose Mexican Pesos on the card machine and at the ATM.
  • Carry 50 and 100 notes. A 500 note is awkward at a stall.
  • Withdraw from an ATM inside a bank, and read the fee before you confirm.
  • Drink bottled water. A small bottle is about MXN 23.
  • Use an app or a sitio taxi stand. Do not hail a cab on the street.
  • Around Dia de Muertos and the last two weeks of December, book the room earlier. Those weeks cost more.

Mexico City asks for ordinary city care. The US travel advisory is Level 2, exercise increased caution, and it does not add a special restriction for the city. Petty theft happens in tourist areas, especially at night away from busy streets, so keep an eye on your bag and do not carry more cash than a few days need.

How we estimate

Each choice is a round Mexican Peso figure inside prices checked October 2026: a hostel bed, a mid-range room, or a boutique room; street food, mixed meals, or restaurants; Metro, Metro plus a ride, or app rides; free sights or paid tickets. The total adds a room for each night, food and local travel for each day, and an eSIM once. Two travellers share a hotel room and a car. Each person pays for their own hostel bed, meals, sights and eSIM.

The neighbourhood changes hotel prices only. Roma and Condesa is the baseline. Centro Historico and Coyoacan come out lower, and Polanco higher. The Centro gap between published averages is wide, so that shift is a cautious middle, not a survey of every hotel. The result is shown in your currency at the latest indicative ECB reference rate.

Left out on purpose: flights, travel insurance, the visitor permit (MXN 983 in 2026, usually already in an air ticket), and the lodging tax. Bank, card and ATM fees are left out too.

Estimates from prices checked October 2026.

Sources

More trip budget guides

Mexico City money FAQs

Is $1000 enough for a week in Mexico City?

It is close for one person, and a little short of the mid-range week, which is about MXN 21,790 (about $1,171) for the stay itself, before a shopping buffer. It goes further on a hostel plan. Flights, a visitor permit, insurance and lodging tax are separate, and two people at mid-range cost more.

How much money should I take to Mexico City for a week?

On the mid-range settings, one week for one person is about MXN 21,790 (about $1,171) for the room, meals, local travel, sights and an eSIM. The calculator starts with an extra MXN 1,500 for markets and gifts, which you can set to zero. That is spending in Mexico City only.

How far does $100 get you in Mexico City?

$100 is about MXN 1,862. That covers a budget day and then some, and it is a bit under one mid-range day. A Metro ride is MXN 5 and a street taco about MXN 21, so food and local travel stretch further than a hotel night.

Is $20 a lot of money in Mexico?

$20 is about MXN 372. That covers a simple day of street food, or a lot of Metro rides, and it is not a mid-range hotel night.

Do people in Mexico City prefer US Dollars or Mexican Pesos?

Mexican Pesos. VisitMexico says paying in US Dollars is widely discouraged. A few tourist businesses take Dollars, usually at a poor rate, so spend and tip in Pesos.

Can I use my credit card in Mexico City?

Yes in hotels, restaurants, shops and on the Metro and Metrobus turnstiles. Visa and Mastercard are the usual cards. Take Pesos for taco stands, fondas, markets and tips. Choose Mexican Pesos if the machine offers to charge your home currency.

What is the best way to get Mexican Pesos?

A card withdrawal from an ATM inside a bank branch. The Mexican bank fee shows on the screen before you confirm, and it varies a lot by bank. Airport exchange desks are convenient and usually pay less per US Dollar.

Should I exchange money before going to Mexico?

A small amount of Pesos for the first taxi or Metrobus is useful. For the rest, an ATM in the city usually beats changing a pile of cash before you fly, and it beats the airport desk.

How much should I tip in Mexico City?

In restaurants and bars, 10 to 15 percent is customary. Porters and hotel staff often get a few coins. A good app ride is often MXN 10 to 20 in cash. Tips are voluntary, and a place cannot add one without your say-so.

Is a $1 tip okay in Mexico?

One US Dollar is about MXN 19, close to the MXN 10 to 20 people often leave for an app ride. It is a small thank-you, not a restaurant tip. Pesos are easier for staff to use.

Rates and prices here are a guide for planning, not financial advice. Check the latest rate before you change money.