Your budget will vary based upon your values and financial means. I created video room reviews of each of my rooms. This should help you understand what I get for the money I spend. I live a rather Spartan existence at times so your lodging costs may likely be higher if you are looking for creature comforts. I have a video about how to book your best accommodations with tips to avoid pitfalls and disappointments. With this small talk about intent out of the way let's get on to the business at hand.
I flew into Mexico City from the United States. Upon arrival I withdrew some pesos from one of the ATMs available at the airport. Then I arranged a taxi to my hostal. My original plan was to visit the following cities: Mexico City, San Juan Teotihuacán, Veracruz, Puebla, Oaxaca, and San Cristóbal de Las Casas. However Oaxaca is extremely popular especially during Day of the Dead festivals. Thus since I did not prebook lodging I was priced out by a huge margin and skipped this stop. Pro tip book early if you want to visit during Day of the Dead.
My route through Mexico was largely determined by the places and events I wanted to experience. I spent two weeks in Mexico City to see the museums including the National Museum of Anthropology and Templo Mayor where some conquistadors were sacrificed. I went to Teotihucacan to see the large pyramids and the Avenue of the Dead. Veracruz made my list to visit the place where Cortez burned his own fleet. Peubla made my list both for the food and history including Cinco de Mayo. I visited San Cristobal to experience the culture and people of the Chiapas. I was at San Cristóbal de Las Casas on the Day of the Dead and visited other nearby towns during the big day. An unexpected hurricane delayed me almost a week in San Cristobal. My total cost for lodging during the forty days I spent in Mexico was $862 or about $21.50/day. See my lodging spreadsheet for details.
Another large driver of costs was transportation. I generally stay close to the attractions and parts of town I want to see. I really like to walk and this also safes money and time spent on taxis or buses. My preferred mode of transportation is taking a bus between towns and cities. This is frugal but equally importantly this is a great way to see the country and people that you would miss taking flights. I prefer traveling by bus during the day so I can see the countryside. However I had one over night bus from Puebla to San Cristobal. While I dislike overnight bus trips they do allow you to save one night's lodging. The bus was rather uncomfortable and I did not really sleep. I took a shuttle from Mexico to Guatemala but in hindsight a combination of colectivos and chicken buses would have been faster and cheaper. A couple of videos about my experience of crossing the border and how to cross the border with the options available. My total cost for transportation beginning in Mexico City and visiting places of interest along my way to Guatemala was $529. See my transportation spreadsheet for details.
Once again I found the cost of visiting cultural and historical attractions to be less than expected. Many cool places and things are free. Others can be visited for free on certain days of the week. I saw several small Museums in el centro of Mexico City for free using this tactic and timing. I have inadvertently left out several of the smaller museums and churches that charged small fees from the break down in my attractions spreadsheet. I listed the cost for a short tour with a certified guide at Templo Mayor that last about 30 minutes and omitted another that was of little value but was actually more expensive. Always check up front for official identification. Be on the lookout for fake guides. Having the right guide can add value to your visits of cultural and historical sites. I often like to visit significant sites once with a guide and again alone so I can take my time and explore more widely and slowly. Total documented costs for admission to sites was $106. However I am sure there were several more entrance fees included in the following miscellaneous expenses list.
Miscellaneous expenses include food and beverages, toilettes, replacement items, and poorly tracked expenses. Mexican food is likely my favorite food. So I was really looking forward to this trip to Mexico. I did some research and I visited some of the notable Mexican restaurants. This did not help me safe money but it did add value to my experience. Additionally only two of my stays during this trip across Mexico came with kitchen privileges. One was in Puebla but I was only there a couple of days and I wanted to experience the local food scene. The other was in San Cristobal at a nice hostel. Additionally I do enjoy craft beer so I spent money to sample craft beer offerings across the country. I enjoyed the relative ease of access to Dos Equis Amber and Negra Modelo as well. I fly only with carry-on so I cannot carry large containers of liquids. Thus I purchase mouthwash, shampoo and other items after I arrive somewhere. Occasionally things break or need to be replaced along the way. One example of this was my multi-port USB charger. Other costs reported here include short tours and admissions to small museums or churches. And of course there is the expense of using public bathrooms. You almost always have to pay to use the bathroom. My total for this misc category was $876.
While this works out to more than I would have liked to have spent with a grand total of $2373 for the forty day adventure. I really enjoyed my visit and learned a lot. Apparently North America costs more than South America. Guatemala is cheaper that Mexico for the most part in my experience. You can view my stash of videos to learn more about this trip and Mexico if you are interested. I do plan to revisit Mexico in the future to see some more places of interest I skipped this time. What are your thoughts on this trip and the budget. Leave comments at my related livestream video or to this video on YouTube.