Querétaro is a landlocked state in central Mexico, known for the baroque Historic Monuments Zone of its capital, Santiago de Querétaro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Beyond the capital, the state holds the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, the Franciscan missions of Jalpan de Serra, the Pueblo Mágico of Tequisquiapan, and the towering monolith of Peña de Bernal. Querétaro is also Mexico's second-largest wine-producing region, with vineyards and cheese producers strung along the Ruta del Vino y Queso.
Local currency: Mexican Peso.
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Querétaro.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- $300-450 MXN ($18-26)
- Budget
- $700-1,100 MXN ($41-65)
- Midrange
- $1,100-2,200 MXN ($65-129)
- Luxury
- $3,000-7,500 MXN ($176-441)
Food
- Street
- $20-60 MXN ($1.20-3.50)
- Local
- $90-180 MXN ($5.30-10.60)
- Midrange
- $250-500 MXN ($15-29)
- Fine
- $700-1,800 MXN ($41-106)
Transport
- Bus
- $8-11 MXN ($0.50-0.65)
- Taxi
- $60-120 MXN ($3.50-7)
- Airport
- $250-450 MXN ($15-26)
- Daytrip
- $60-150 MXN ($3.50-9)
Activities
- Museum
- $30-70 MXN ($1.75-4)
- Sites
- $40-100 MXN ($2.35-6)
- Tour
- $400-900 MXN ($24-53)
- Excursion
- $500-1,800 MXN ($29-106)
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Querétaro costs end-to-end.
Items traveller
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Base in Querétaro city's Centro Histórico, where the aqueduct, plazas, and most churches are free and everything is walkable
Eat comida corrida set lunches at mercados and neighborhood fondas for the best value meals of the day
Take ADO, Primera Plus, or Flecha Amarilla intercity buses rather than private transfers between Querétaro, Bernal, and Tequisquiapan
Book a bundled Ruta del Vino tour rather than arranging winery visits and transport separately
Use Uber within Querétaro city instead of unmetered street taxis for transparent pricing
Visit Bernal and Tequisquiapan on weekdays, when hotel rates and tour prices drop noticeably from weekend levels
Skip the QRO airport exchange counter and use a bank ATM in the city center instead
Refill water bottles with purified water from hotel dispensers rather than buying bottled water constantly
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Walking Querétaro's UNESCO-listed Centro Histórico and its pastel colonial facades
Viewing the 74-arch Acueducto de Querétaro, especially lit at night
Plaza de Armas, Jardín Zenea, and Plaza de la Independencia people-watching
Walking the marked lower trail up La Peña de Bernal monolith (guide only required for the summit scramble)
Cerro del Cimatario urban national park for sunrise or sunset views over the city
Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbo and most historic church interiors
Parque Guerrero's shaded walkways in central Querétaro
Browsing Bernal and Tequisquiapan's pueblo mágico plazas and craft shops (no purchase required)
Cerro de las Campanas hilltop park and its Benito Juárez monument