A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Mexico City vs. Torres del Paine National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Mexico City or Torres del Paine National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Mexico City or Torres del Paine National Park? 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 Torres del Paine National Park?

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.

Torres del Paine National Park

The Torres del Paine National Park is located in the extreme south of Patagonian Chile. Situated in the southern part of the Andes, the National Park is full of stunning mountains, lakes, rock formations, and glaciers, making it a hiker's paradise. The best time to visit is between November and April, which is their spring and summer. Be prepared though, as weather can change dramatically when traveling through the park, no matter the season!

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.


Which place is cheaper, Torres del Paine National Park 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.

  • Mexico City Prices
    Mexico Prices
    Torres del Paine National Park Prices
    Chile Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Mexico City $212
    Torres del Paine National Park $96

The average daily cost (per person) in Mexico City is $212, while the average daily cost in Torres del Paine National Park is $96. 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 Torres del Paine National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mexico City $38
    Torres del Paine National Park $31
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mexico City $76
    Torres del Paine National Park $62
Compare Hotels in Mexico City and Torres del Paine National Park

Looking for a hotel in Mexico City or Torres del Paine National Park? 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.

Hotels in Mexico City


Hotels in Torres del Paine National Park


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 $12
    Torres del Paine National Park $32
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:

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Mexico APT-HTL (MEX) : $36
  • Transfer from Mexico City Airport to Puebla: $245
  • Transfer Mexico City Airport to Downtown and Zona Rosa Hotels: $80
  • Transfer Airport - Hotel or vice versa: $58
  • Transfer & assistance one-way from/to Mexico City Airport/hotel : $34
  • Toluca Airport (TLC) to Toluca - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $99
  • Toluca Airport (TLC) to Toluca - Arrival Private Transfer: $49
  • Teotihuacan: Private Balloon Flight with optional Transfer: $293
  • Six Flags Ticket + Hassle-Free Transfers: $116
  • Shared Balloon Flight in Teotihuacan with transfer: $274
  • San Miguel De Allende City Tour with Transfer from Mexico City: $156
  • Roundtrip Private Transfer from Mexico City Airport (MEX): $32

Is it cheaper to fly into Mexico City or Torres del Paine National Park?

Prices for flights to both Torres del Paine National Park 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 day
    Mexico City $43
    Torres del Paine National Park $42
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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Mexico City $14
    Torres del Paine National Park $31

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 Torres del Paine National Park

For Torres del Paine National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Torres del Paine: 3-Hour Scenic Boat Tour to Grey Glacier: $120

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mexico City $19
    Torres del Paine National Park $5.38

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 Torres del Paine National Park, we can see that Mexico City is more expensive. And not only is Torres del Paine National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Mexico City is in North America and Torres del Paine National Park 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 Torres del Paine National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Torres del Paine National Park 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 Torres del Paine National Park.

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 Torres del Paine National Park Expensive?.