Where to Find Good Accommodation in Mexico City

Know who you’re renting from!

Expectedly, one of the most practical and affordable plans for accommodation is ten to one Airbnb. However, as witnessed in other cities, this practice not only causes a spike in real estate prices, specifically in coveted neighbourhoods – already less affordable for locals than for “western visitors” – but also causes the number of empty apartment to soar (sometimes even whole buildings), whose only purpose is to host travellers through the digital platform. This has resulted in less options for locals to live in, thus the displacement of some of the local artist and creative communities that once gave life to some of these in-demand hoods.

A more sustainable choice would be staying at small hotels. Unlike large foreign chains, local hotels directly benefit their communities. Other practices to consider are flat swapping or renting a room directly from a friend or acquaintance; this can be done through mutual friends or social media. You can find different Facebook groups by searching for keywords like “foraneos” and “cdmx”. As long as you pay a local – and not some foreigner getting a one year deal for an apartment, only to live in it for two months and sublet at higher prices the rest of the year – I would say you are not contributing to the inflation of property prices.