Budget — Mexico City

Mexico City is a city where budget ranges run wider than almost anywhere — letting you travel on €30/day or splurge to €200 on a single tasting menu. The reference daily budget of €55/day per person corresponds to a comfortable trip: mid-range double room, varied meals, Uber and metro rides, and several cultural admissions.

Accommodation spans the full spectrum. A dorm bed in a Roma or Condesa hostel runs €12–18 per night. A double room in a boutique hotel (a colonial-style property with a patio in the Centro or Colonia Roma) lands between €55 and €120. Large international hotels in Polanco (W Mexico City, Four Seasons Paseo de la Reforma) clear €250 per night. Short-term apartment rentals are competitive for stays of four nights or more (€45–80 per night for a well-located studio).

Eating is Mexico City's strongest argument. Street tacos (carnitas, al pastor, suadero) cost 15 to 35 pesos each (€0.80–1.85) and represent one of the best quality-to-flavor ratios on earth. A full lunch (comida corrida: soup, main, agua fresca, dessert) in a neighborhood restaurant runs 80 to 150 pesos (€4–8). Mid-range restaurants in Roma and Condesa charge 250 to 500 pesos per plate (€13–26). Fine-dining tables like Pujol (in the World's 50 Best top 10) and Quintonil run tasting menus from 1,500 to 3,000 pesos per person (€79–158) — high for Mexico, but roughly half the price of equivalent restaurants in Paris, London or New York.

Transport inside the city is almost free: the metro costs 5 pesos per ride (€0.25), the metrobús 6 pesos. Uber is reliable and affordable: 80 to 200 pesos for most intra-city trips (€4–11). Avoid unmetered street taxis without negotiating the fare in advance. The bus from the Terminal Norte to Teotihuacán is 100 pesos round trip (€5 round trip). National museums (Anthropology, Templo Mayor, Castillo de Chapultepec) are free on Sundays for Mexican residents and discounted for foreigners (60–95 pesos weekdays, €3–5).

Three profiles: backpacker (€30–40/day) — street tacos, metro, hostel, free Sunday museums. Comfort traveler (€55–80/day) — mid-range hotel, varied restaurants, Uber, day trip to Teotihuacán. Food traveler (€120–200/day) — adds two fine-dining tables across the week, an exceptional experience at a relative bargain.