Mexico City rewards travelers who eat where the neighborhood eats and use the metro instead of ride-shares. Run that way, a full day — bed, three meals, a museum, and transit — sits comfortably at $25–38, even as prices in the most photographed neighborhoods have climbed in recent years.
Roma vs. Condesa vs. Centro
Roma Norte and Condesa are leafy, walkable, and full of good budget guesthouses from $18–28 a night, but their cafes charge tourist prices. Centro Histórico is louder and rougher around the edges but puts you steps from the Zócalo and Palacio de Bellas Artes, with meals at a fraction of Roma's cost.
Eating like a local, not a food-blog itinerary
A torta or a few tacos from a street stand with a line of locals costs $1.50–3 and is almost always better than a sit-down restaurant charging four times as much for the same dish. Comedores — small set-menu lunch spots — serve a full meal (comida corrida) for $4–6, soup and main course included.
The metro is your best $0.25 friend
A single metro ride costs about five pesos (roughly $0.25) and covers most of the city's major sights and neighborhoods. It's crowded at rush hour but by far the cheapest and often fastest way to move between Centro, Roma, and Chapultepec.
Takeaway: Sleep in Roma or Condesa but eat in Centro or at street stands, and default to the metro over ride-shares unless it's late at night.