A Budget Traveler’s Guide To Mexico City

Street food is without a doubt one of the best things about Mexico in general, but especially Mexico City. In fact, the street food scene in the capital has even been recognised by UNESCO! While you’ll undoubtedly have heard horror stories about stomach bugs and questionable meats, don’t let them get to you. The best thing to do is look for a stall with a ton of people hovering around it, preferably locals! Some of the must try Mexico City snacks can be found here.

If you’re wary of street food, or want to sit down to a table rather than eating off a plastic bag covered plate on the street, then you should hunt down a reliable looking comida corrida restaurant or fonda. These are small locales that offer a set menu (usually a starter, main, small pudding and drink) for a fixed price of anywhere from MXN$40 to MXN$80. While they may be known as comida corrida, they’re far heartier, tastier and healthier than McDonalds!

Mexico City is teeming with free bike rides that anyone can take part in and you won’t even have to pay for bike rental! Since the introduction of the bike share scheme, you can simply grab one and go. We recommend the Sunday bike ride down Reforma, which will take you past some of the city’s main sights, or if you want something a little out of the ordinary then check out the monthly themed bike ride that takes place on the last Thursday of the month.

Mexico City is a great place to visit if you love to walk. First of all, because it’s huge and second of all because there is so much to see just wandering around on foot. Some of the must visit destinations that you can see for free include the sprawling expanse of the zocalo, which is hemmed in on all sides by tons of awesome buildings including the Catedral Metropolitana. Another option is walking the length of Paseo de la Reforma, while a third route would take you round the Roma/Condesa area, through places such as Parque México.

This goes without saying. Every budget traveller knows they need a budget hostel – rather than a top dollar hotel – but many don’t realise they can still sleep in style. Here’s a rundown of the best and coolest budget hostels in Mexico City. Alternatively, if you prefer a bit more privacy, you could try Airbnb which is having something of a moment in Mexico City right now and is usually pretty affordable.

The public transport system in Mexico is cheap, if chaotic, but it’s also well worth taking advantage of. Buses can cost anywhere from MXN$2-7, although that looks set to rise as a result of the current petrol crisis. The metro costs MXN$5 per journey, no matter how long. If you’re staying for a while, consider buying a metro card for MXN$10 which can then be topped up easily. However, if you’re alone or it’s late at night and public transport is no longer running, don’t hesitate to order an Uber. It’s cheaper, safer and more convenient than a taxi.

Big name tourist attractions can all be done on the cheap. Instead of taking a tour to Teotihuacán, grab a bus from the city’s bus terminal and make your own way there. Instead of visiting the relatively expensive and crowded Casa de Frida Kahlo, go to the Casa de Leon Trotsky! Get to Xochimilco on public transport (a combination of metro and light railway) and make sure you pay per ride, not per person as the trajinera operators will have you believe you should be doing!