Mexico City in 5 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
5 Days in Mexico City on a Budget
Five days builds on the 4-day plan , the historic center, Chapultepec, Coyoacan, and a Roma market day from the Mexico City guide , then adds a fifth day of Polanco’s free museums, for 350 to 900 MXN ($20-51) a day depending on what you add. Only have three or four days? Drop back to the 3-day or 4-day version. Have a sixth day? Extend into the 6-day plan , which adds the Basilica de Guadalupe.
Book these before you go:
- Casa Azul advance ticket , the official portal, mandatory, no walk-up window, sells out 2 to 4 weeks ahead
- Guided Xochimilco trajinera tour on Viator , if you want the boat arranged instead of haggling at the pier
- Hotels in Roma or Condesa on Booking.com , central to everything on this plan
| Day | Focus | Daily budget (MXN / USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Centro Historico | 400-550 MXN ($23-31) |
| Day 2 | Chapultepec + Anthropology Museum | 350-650 MXN ($20-37) |
| Day 3 | Coyoacan, Casa Azul, Xochimilco | 450-900 MXN ($26-51), boat cost splits with your group |
| Day 4 | Roma and Condesa markets | 350-600 MXN ($20-34) |
| Day 5 | Polanco free museums | 350-700 MXN ($20-40) |
Day 1: Centro Historico on foot
Start at the Zocalo and step into the Metropolitan Cathedral, both free. Cross to the Templo Mayor site, 100 MXN, free Sunday for nationals and residents only, then eat street tacos al pastor for lunch, 12 to 25 MXN each. In the afternoon, walk to Palacio de Bellas Artes, 75 MXN for the murals, free Sunday for everyone, closed Mondays, ticket booth only, no online sales. If it is a Tuesday, Friday, or Sunday, close the night with lucha libre at Arena Mexico; otherwise wander Garibaldi Plaza for mariachi, free to walk, drinks extra.
Day 2: Chapultepec and the Anthropology Museum
Give Chapultepec Park a half day. Museo Nacional de Antropologia is the single best museum in the city and 210 MXN ($12), 105 MXN for nationals and residents, free Sunday for that same group only; check current hours on the official INAH site . Add Chapultepec Castle for another 210 MXN if your budget allows, or skip it and just walk the park’s lakes and paths for free. In the evening, head to Roma or Condesa, walk Parque Mexico, and have a mezcal, 80 to 150 MXN a pour, at a spot like La Clandestina.
Day 3: Coyoacan, Casa Azul, and Xochimilco
Casa Azul opens the day, 320 MXN ($18), advance ticket only, book weeks ahead through the official portal . Afterward, eat the comida corrida at Coyoacan’s market, 80 to 150 MXN, then head south to Xochimilco. The trajinera rate is 750 MXN ($43) per boat per hour for up to 18 riders, not per person, so a group of four to six brings the per-person cost well under a full boat’s headline price. Contract only at an official embarcadero.
Day 4: Roma and Condesa on market day
Give Roma and Condesa a full day away from museums. Start at Mercado Medellin, known for its Colombian, Venezuelan, and Cuban food stalls alongside standard Mexican produce, and eat breakfast for under 100 MXN. Walk Parque Mexico and Parque Espana’s Art Deco streets, then browse Roma Norte’s independent boutiques and galleries, free unless you buy. For lunch, eat the comida corrida at a Mercado Roma fonda, 80 to 150 MXN. In the evening, have dinner at a Condesa taqueria and a mezcal pour, 80 to 150 MXN, at a spot other than your Day 2 pick. This day runs cheaper than Coyoacan as long as you stick to markets, parks, and street food.
Day 5: Polanco’s free museums
Devote day five to Polanco’s free museums, clustered within walking distance of each other. Museo Soumaya is free every day, 10:30am to 6:30pm, no ticket needed, and its Rodin and Dali holdings are worth the detour alone. Next door, Museo Jumex charges a modest ticket most days but waives it on Sunday, so time that stop for the free day if it fits your schedule. A short walk into Bosque de Chapultepec’s second section reaches Los Pinos, the former presidential residence turned free cultural complex, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, closed Monday. Window-shop Avenida Presidente Masaryk’s boutiques for free, then skip Polanco’s fine-dining prices and take the Metro back to Roma or Condesa for a cheap taco dinner.
Do you need to book Casa Azul before you arrive?
Yes, always. Casa Azul sells tickets only through boletos.museofridakahlo.org.mx, with no walk-up option at any price. Weekday slots book out 2 to 4 weeks ahead; around Day of the Dead or Christmas, plan closer to a month out. If your dates are gone by the time you check, a small-group tour on GetYourGuide bundles entry with a guide instead of the solo ticket hunt.
Are Polanco’s free museums really free?
Museo Soumaya and Los Pinos charge nothing, any day you visit, Los Pinos excepting Mondays when it is closed. Museo Jumex is the exception, a paid ticket most days, waived on Sunday, so time that one visit for a Sunday if the free-museum day matters to your budget.
How much does this 5-day trip cost in total?
Excluding your hotel, plan on 1,900 to 3,400 MXN ($109-194) across the five days for entry fees, Metro fares, and food, before Xochimilco splits down with your group size. Add Casa Azul, Chapultepec Castle, and Museo Jumex on a paid day and you are at the top of that range; stick to markets, parks, and free museums, and you land closer to the bottom.
Book Casa Azul the moment you book flights. Everything else on this plan, including which day you route through Polanco, you can decide once you have landed and checked the weather.