Learn Spanish Travel Spanish Blog

For those of you contemplating a journey to Mexico, especially those who are planning to learn Spanish through immersion, I’ve put together a list of what we paid for things. Exchange rates vary day to day, so I’m using an average of $14 peso to the U.S. dollar. Most days were a little less than that, but that’s pretty close to what we paid. I’m writing this in Feb 2009, so adjust accordingly. Unless otherwise stated,  prices quoted here are in U.S. dollars.

 Schools:

Academia Hispano Americana (AHA), San Miguel de Allende – We were in the three hour a day Semi-Intensive Program. It is $135 per week. If you want 4 hours a day, $160 week. 6 hours, $220. The more weeks you take, the cheaper each week is. Home stay with 3 meals a day, is $28/day for a private room, $22 to share. No registration fee, but you do have to buy a book (about $3).

Academia Falcon, Guanajuato: Our 4 hours a day was $100/week per person. There is a $35 registration fee, and you can rent or buy the text. We rented, but it’s about $22 to buy (it’s a good book). 2/3/4/5/6 session a day are $65/85/100/110/120 respectively. Home stays are $19.50/day shared and $23 private, all w/3 meals per day.

Espanol Interactivo, Oaxaca: 3 hours a day/ $105. 4 hrs/$140, 5 hrs/$175, 6 hrs/$210, 8 hrs/$280 per week. Sherry did the six hours. Her favorite school so far. Homestay: private, between $18 and $25 per day, depending on how many meals you have.

Universidad Internacional, Cuernavaca: Registration fee, $100. $235 per week for 6 hours a day (can be extended to 8). A favorite school of Sherry’s (she’s going back for a second stay).

 

Bus Travel:

(It cost $240 pesos – $17.14 U.S. – for both of us to tke a taxi  from the airport to the bus station – Norte).

Mexico City (Norte) to Guanajuato – $385 pesos ($27.50 U.S.) ETN

Guanajuato to Leon – $44 pesos each ($3.14 U.S.) Primera Plus

Leon to Aguascalientes – $120 pesos each ($8.57 U.S.) Primera Plus

Leon to San Miguel de Allende – $135 pesos each ($9.64) Primera Plus

Taxi to Queretaro (1 hour drive) – $500 pesos ($35.71 U.S.) total for both of us

Bus from Queretaro to Mexico City airport (not Norte station) – $256 pesos each ($18.29 U.S.)

Mexico City (airport) to Cuernavaca (round trip) – $270 pesos per person ($19.29 U.S.)

Local Buses averaged $4 pesos (about 29 cents U.S.) anywhere in the city.

 So…. from the Mexico City airport to Guanajuato, then to Aguascalientes (by way of Leon), then to San Miguel de Allende (through Leon), then back to the Mexico City Airport —- total for 2 people = $187.13 U.S.   Add the $19.29 for Sherry’s round trip to Cuernavaca and you’ve barely broken $200.  Not bad. 

 Rooms: 

In Guanajuato: We paid $222 U.S. for the week.  In San Miguel de Allende:  We paid $400 for the week (for the penthouse).  In Aquascalientes:  We stayed  at our in-laws house (free. Ha!)                                                                                                                                          

Restaurants:

Our average restaurant bill was $180 pesos, not counting tip. That was almost always for lunch. And remember, we’re vegetarians, and those choices usually aren’t the most expensive on the menu. But that did usually include at least 2 full meals and 2 drinks, usually beer. That’s $6.43 U.S. each.  Of course, the closer you are to the zocalo, the fancier the restaurant, and the more foreigners you see, the more it’s going to cost. Meat and seafood would raise the price, too, of course.

Cafe San Franciso (on the zocalo in SMA): a Tamal Oaxaque (a Oaxacan breakfast of a stuffed tortilla with scrambled eggs on the side) – $77 pesos ($5.50 U.S.)

In Oaxaca, Jadiel Lopez Coheto charged $18 pesos for hot chocolate (and free wi-fi) ($1.30 U.S.)  A latte – $16 pesos, caffe Americano $12 pesos.

At the Mexico City Airport, coffee and a biscuit cost me $66.50 pesos ($4.75 U.S.)

In SMA a Starbucks Tall (Alto) Latte was $30 pesos ($2.14 U.S.)

         A Tall (Alto) Caffe Mocha was $34 pesos

         A Croissant Manteq was $22 pesos ($1.57 U.S.)

 

 

Groceries: Cheap. A couple of bags that would have been $45 at home was about $15 in Guanajuato.

 

Airfare: There’s no need to quote air fares, since it depends on where you’re flying from. Sherry did fly from Mexico City to Oaxaca, instead of a really long bus trip, and that round trip flight was $361.55/ U.S..

A Load of laundry in Oaxaca (the lavanderia) cost $24 pesos (2 bucks)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags:   Aguascalientes · El Centro · Guanajuato · Learning Spanish · Mexico · Oaxaca Mexico · San Miguel de Allende · Spanish · speak Spanish · Travel Spanish · What things costNo Comments