Which place is cheaper, Saint John's 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 Saint John's?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Mexico City or Saint John's? 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 Saint John'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.
Saint John's
If you've been to St. John's, Antigua, you were likely on a cruise - which means you likely did not have enough time to truly experience the magic of this tiny island getaway.
St. Johns is the capital of the tiny islands of Antigua and Barbuda. Located on Antigua, this tropical city lives up to its status as a tropical paradise. With 365 beaches on the island, you can enjoy the luxury of lounging in the sand every day of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
-
Mexico City Prices
Mexico PricesSaint John's Prices
Antigua and Barbuda Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMexico City $212Saint John's $272
The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $212, while the average daily cost in Saint John's is $272. 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 Saint John's in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMexico City $38Saint John's $120
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMexico City $76Saint John's $240
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Saint John's
Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Saint John's? 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.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mexico City $12Saint John's $17
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:
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $90
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $101
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Business Car: $90
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $101
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $203
- Arrival Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $107
- CDMX: Fly over Teotihuacan in a hot air balloon, with transfers and breakfast included.: $219
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport MEX by Luxury SUV: $101
- Mexico Airport (MEX) Tecozautla - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $252
- Mexico Airport (MEX) to Chignahuapan - Arrival Private Transfer: $118
- Mexico Airport (MEX) to Tecozautla - Arrival Private Transfer: $126
- Mexico Airport(MEX) to Chignahuapan - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $236
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Saint John's
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Saint John's:
-
Local Bus$1.52
-
Taxi From Airport$6.99
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint John's
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Saint John's:
- VIP Meet and Greet Fast Track on Arrival at Antigua Airport - without Transfers : $77
- Round-Trip Transfer between Antigua Airport and Antigua Hotels: $32
- Private Transfer from Antigua island hotels to St. John's Port: $57
- Private Transfer from Antigua Airport (ANU) to St. John's Port: $42
- Private Transfer from Antigua & Barbuda V.C. Bird Airport (ANU) to island: $123
- Private Roundtrip Airport Transfers & Tour in Antigua & Barbuda: $200
- Private Round Trip Transfer From Antigua Airport To NonSuch Bay: $84
- Private Antigua Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hammock Cove: $90
- Private Airport Transfers to Antigua and Barbuda: $60
- JTAT Private Transfers & Tours, Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda: $160
- Crystal Kayak & Snorkel Eco Tour (with transfer): $99
- Biggvee Premium Airport One Way Transfer: $200
Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Saint John's?
Prices for flights to both Saint John's 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 $43Saint John's $117
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint John's
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Saint John's.
- City Lime Food Tour: Taste our culture on Antigua's only food tour in the city!: $105
- Discover the Flavors of St. Johns Food Tour: $125
- Private Art Tour or Food Tour: $150
- Nicole's Table - Cooking with Rum: $165
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mexico City $14Saint John's $103
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- CDMX: Museum of Memory and Tolerance - Children in Silence (Admission ticket): $1.36
- Museum Memory and Tolerance-Children in Silence ticket entry: $1.45
- MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket: $4.36
- Mexico City (Historic Centre) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $5.13
- Mexico City (Coyoacan) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.16
- Flavors of the past: A Pre-Hispanic drink tour in Mexico city. : $5.59
- Free Mexico City Centre Tour: $5.59
- CDMX: Museum of Memory and Tolerance - Anne Frank (Entrance ticket): $6.81
- Hidden Gems of Exploration Game and Tour: $7.51
- La Roma's Famous Sights and Local Lore: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Double Decker Bus Night Tour: $8.17
- Guided tour POR the Basilica DE Guadalupe with architect: $8.34
Typical Entertainment Prices in Saint John's
Here are a few typical costs in Saint John's for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Entrance to the Museum of Antigua & Barbu$3.00
Tours and Activities in Saint John's
Here are a few actual costs in Saint John's for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Island Flava Discovery Tour: $150
- 6-Hours Tour East Coast of Antigua: Stingray City, Lunch & Beach: $195
- Adventure Antigua - Eli's Original Eco Tour: $143
- Adventure Antigua - The Xtreme Circumnavigation: $221
- Antigua Eco Island Tour (City, Country, Beach, & Heritage Sites): $199
- Antigua Historical Sites Island Tour: $110
- Antigua Reef Riders Self-Drive Boat and Snorkeling Tour: $180
- Antigua Round Island Tour: $85
- Antigua Seafood Lunch Cruise From St. John's: $172
- Antigua Shore Excursion: Round Island Tour: $110
- Antigua VIP Tours - Private Platinum Tour: $170
- Antigua VIP Tours - Semi-Private Gold Tour: $135
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayMexico City $19Saint John's $18
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mexico City and Saint John's, we can see that Saint John's is more expensive. And not only is Mexico City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and Saint John's is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Mexico City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mexico City 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 Saint John's would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Saint John's than you might in Mexico City.
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 Saint John's Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Mexico City or Saint John's?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 470 times larger than the population of Saint John's. When comparing the sizes of Mexico City and Saint John's, 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.