How Much Does Oaxaca Cost per Day
A full breakdown of Oaxaca prices: daily budgets by tier, every itemised cost from the guide, and where the money actually goes.
The short answer
Budget travellers in Oaxaca spend around MXN 900 a day. Mid-range travel runs closer to MXN 2,200, and a splurge day lands around MXN 5,500. Per person per day in MXN, roughly USD 45 / 110 / 275 or CAD 62 / 150 / 375 at a rate near 20 MXN to 1 USD. Exchange rates move; check a live rate before budgeting a trip.
Daily cost breakdown
- Stay
- Food
- Transport
- Activities
| Tier | Stay | Food | Transport | Activities | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | MXN 400 | MXN 250 | MXN 100 | MXN 150 | MXN 900 |
| Mid-range | MXN 1,200 | MXN 500 | MXN 200 | MXN 300 | MXN 2,200 |
| Splurge | MXN 3,500 | MXN 1,200 | MXN 500 | MXN 300 | MXN 5,500 |
A mid-range day: boutique guesthouse room around 1,200 MXN, colectivo to Monte Alban and back around 100 MXN, market lunch (tlayuda plus a mezcal) around 150 MXN, museum entry at Santo Domingo around 90 MXN, and a proper mole dinner with a mezcal flight around 500-600 MXN. Comes to roughly 2,100-2,300 MXN.
Every priced item in this guide
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Monte Alban archaeological zone | Not independently verified here. INAH archaeological zones are generally free for Mexican residents on Sundays, and free for seniors, children under 13, and people with disabilities; check the exact adult fee at inah.gob.mx or the INAH ticket portal before you go |
| Mitla archaeological zone | Not independently verified here; same Sunday/senior/child exemptions as Monte Alban apply. Check the exact adult fee before you go |
| Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman | Free to enter the church |
| Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca (in the Santo Domingo complex) | Modest MXN fee for foreign visitors; check current rate before you go |
| Mercado Benito Juárez | free to browse; you pay per item or meal |
| Mercado 20 de Noviembre | free to browse; you pay per item or meal |
| Mezcal tasting in the city (mezcaleria crawl) | A flight of several pours typically runs well under CAD 20 total; exact pricing varies by bar |
| Palenque visit in Santiago Matatlán | Varies; some small producers charge nothing for a tour and tasting if you buy a bottle, others charge a set tour fee |
| Teotitlán del Valle weaving village | Free to visit workshops; rugs and textiles priced individually and can run from modest to several hundred CAD for large hand-dyed pieces |
| San Bartolo Coyotepec black pottery village | Free to visit workshops; pottery priced individually |
| Mole negro | MXN 180-320 |
| The other six moles | MXN 200-350 for a tasting flight |
| Tlayuda | MXN 80-150 |
| Chapulines | MXN 30-80 for a bag |
| Quesillo | MXN 60-100 for a ball |
| Tamales oaxaquenos | MXN 20-35 each |
| Grilled meats at Mercado 20 de Noviembre | MXN 150-250 per person |
| Mezcal flight | MXN 150-450 |
How to spend less
- Eat market meals at 20 de Noviembre or Benito Juárez instead of centro restaurants; the food is often better, not just cheaper
- Colectivos to Monte Alban, Mitla, and the valley villages cost a fraction of a private tour and run frequently
- Mezcal tasting flights at a mezcaleria cost less per pour than buying full bottles to compare at home
- Sundays bring free entry for Mexican residents to INAH sites; this doesn't apply to foreign visitors, but it does mean sites are more crowded with locals that day, worth knowing either way