Which place is cheaper, Punta Arenas or Mexico City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Mexico City or Punta Arenas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Punta Arenas? 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 Punta Arenas?
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.
Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas is in the far south of Chile and has a long history of maritime commerce, oil extraction, and sheep farming. It's the most populated city on the Strait of Magellan and has all the facilities you might need as a traveler, including banks, markets, drugstores and equipment shops. With a population of about 130,000, the city is a comfortable place to spend time. It serves as a base for Antarctic expeditions, although many expeditions also start in Ushuaia, Argentina, and Christchurch New Zealand.
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.
-
Mexico City Prices
Mexico PricesPunta Arenas Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $212Punta Arenas $79
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $212, while the average daily cost in Punta Arenas is $79. 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 Punta Arenas in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $38Punta Arenas $32
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $76Punta Arenas $64
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Punta Arenas
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Punta Arenas? 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 Punta Arenas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $12Punta Arenas $1.80
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Mexico City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Mexico City:
-
Metro$1.09
-
Uber Ride$3.80
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mexico City
Also for Mexico City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Visit with Transfer: $599
- Teotihuacan: Private Balloon Flight with optional Transfer: $293
- Shared Balloon Flight in Teotihuacan with transfer: $274
- Mexico Airport (MEX) Tecozautla - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $252
- Transfer from Mexico City Airport to Puebla: $245
- Mexico Airport(MEX) to Chignahuapan - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $236
- CDMX: Fly over Teotihuacan in a hot air balloon, with transfers and breakfast included.: $219
- Mexico City Private Transfer to or from Airport: $216
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $203
- Private Transfer from Mexico City to Pachuca: $192
- Private Transfer from Pachuca to Mexico City: $192
- Private Departure Transfer from Toluca City hotels to Toluca airport: $174
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Arenas
Also for Punta Arenas, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales: $267
- Transfer Airport Punta Arenas : $30
- Oneway Private Transfer from Punta Arenas Airport to Punta Arenas: $37
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Punta Arenas?
Prices for flights to both Punta Arenas 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
-
Food Meals for one dayMexico City $43Punta Arenas $36
Typical Food Prices in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Lunch for Two$12
-
Coffee and Snacks$4.24
-
Dinner for 2$25
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:
- Private Street Food Tour Mexico City - Best rated : $35
- Virtual Mexican Cooking Class (private and personalized): $50
- San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors: $52
- Coyoacán Market Food Tour Urban Eats & Local Legends: $52
- Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City: $53
- Art and Food Tour with Lunch: $54
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Mexico City Vegan & Veggie Market Explorer plus Cooking Lesson: $55
- Private Half-Day Traditional Markets Street Food Tour in Mexico City: $57
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $61
- Old Town Food Tour of 7 Tastings & Secret Dish: $66
- Frida Kahlo Museum & Coyoacan Tacos & Food Tour: $69
Typical Food Prices in Punta Arenas
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Punta Arenas:
-
Donut$1.05
-
Dinner$25
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $14Punta Arenas $6.44
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Frida Kahlo Tour with Admission Tickets: $76
- Hiking Tour on the Iztaccíhuatl Volcano from Puebla (private): $176
- Mexico City Tour and Visit Chapultepec Castle. Private service: $180
- Mixology, Food, Wine and Beer Experience in Xochimilco: $99
- Monarch Butterfly Tour from Mexico City: $220
- Private Tour Teotihuacan Essentials: $140
- Private Walking Tour Gems of the Historic Center of Mexico City: $131
- Private guided tour of the Soumaya Museum : $279
- Romantic tour in San Andrés Mixquic: $150
- Sunrise HotAir Balloon Adventure Over Teotihuacan's Pyramids: $160
- Xochimilco Floating Gardens and Coyoacan Private Tour: $161
- "Guided Tour Plus" EN Ruins "TEMPLE MAJOR" with OFFICIAL GUIDES: $34
Tours and Activities in Punta Arenas
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Punta Arenas.
- Bike Tour in Punta Arenas, 100% local tour.: $70
- Cruises Shore Excursions : City tour Cruises Regular: $70
- For Cruise-ship passengers: Magdalena Island (Penguins): $200
- Fuerte Bulnes Shore Tour for Cruisers in Punta Arenas: $80
- Full day Torres del Paine from Punta Arenas ,Regular tours: $180
- Guided Tour of Punta Arenas and Fort Bulnes: $300
- King Penguin & Tierra del Fuego Tour: $154
- King Penguin & Tierra del Fuego Tour: $154
- Magallanes National Reserve and Punta Arenas City Tour: $165
- Magdalena Island Penguin Boat Tour and Marta Island: $165
- Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas: $160
- Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas: $160
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $19Punta Arenas $4.86
Sample the Local Flavors in Mexico City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mexico City:
- Guided Pub Crawl with Party Games: $23
- Mexico City Pub Crawl: $23
- Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $94
- Teotihuacan´s Best Balloon Flight: Pyramids and Brewery tours : $120
- Cavas Freixenet Wine Tour from Mexico City: $222
- Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $479
Typical Alcohol Prices in Punta Arenas
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Punta Arenas:
-
Alcohol$7.33
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Punta Arenas, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Punta Arenas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and Punta Arenas 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 Punta Arenas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Punta Arenas 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 Punta Arenas.
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 Punta Arenas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Punta Arenas?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Punta Arenas. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Punta Arenas, 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.