Accommodation prices range from only a couple of dollars for a beach cabaña to upwards of US$60/£40 for five-star luxury. A room in a cheap hotel costs US$9-15/£6-10 per person and a room in the mid-range US$20-50/£13-33. Food prices can also vary wildly, but you should always be able to get a substantial meal in a basic Mexican restaurant for around US$4/£3. Most restaurant bills come with fifteen percent IVA (Impuesto de Valor Añadido, or VAT sales tax) added; this may not always be included in prices quoted on the menu. If you intend to travel around a lot, transport could be another major expense because distances are so huge. On a per-kilometre basis, however, prices are very reasonable: Mexico City to Acapulco, for example, a journey of over 400km, costs less than US$22/£15 by first-class bus, while a 24-hour journey such as Mexico City to Cancún (1800km) works out at around US$80/£53.
As always, if you're travelling alone you'll end up spending more - sharing rooms and food saves a substantial amount. In the larger resorts, you can get apartments for up to six people for even greater savings. If you have an international Student or Youth Card , you might find the occasional reduction on a museum admission price, but don't go out of your way to obtain one, since most concessions are, at least in theory, only for Mexican students. Cards available include the ISIC card for full-time students and the Go-25 youth card for under-26s, both of which carry health and emergency insurance benefits for Americans, and are available from youth travel firms such as STA. Even a college photo ID card might work in some places.
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