In recent years Mexico City has shot to the top of travellers’ bucket lists, and having spent a fair amount of time in the city ourselves, it’s easy to understand why. Being a mega city, many people wonder; is Mexico City safe for tourists? In this Ultimate Mexico City Safety Guide, we’ll be teaching you how to stay safe in Mexico City so you can make some epic memories and savour all this incredible city has to offer.
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and is home to almost 9 million inhabitants. The mega city is located in the centre of the country, at an altitude of 2240m above sea level. Since 2020, Mexico City has become a trendy travel spot, not just for the casual tourist, but also for thousands of digital nomads and expats looking for a more affordable life south of the border. The number one question people ask before traveling to Mexico City is; is it safe?
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Why is Mexico City so famous?
As Mexico’s capital city, Mexico City is incredibly diverse and offers something for everyone. Whether you’re into exploring its fascinating history, checking out its cool art scene, indulging in seriously good food, or just chilling out in its beautiful parks — this megacity really does have it all.
Aside from the tourist aspect of the city, Mexico City is also considered the political and financial hub of the country, so you’ll find some of the most important people and buildings here, too.
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Is Mexico City Worth Visiting?
Many people travel to Mexico for its beautiful beach getaways, but in recent years, a lot more people have travelled to Mexico specifically for Mexico City.
If you’re a city person, Mexico City is an absolute must-see, as it’s possibly one of the most vibrant and interesting cities in the world. If you’re not much of a city person, like us, Mexico City is still 100% worth visiting just for the fact that there are so many interesting things to see and do.
There is absolutely no shortage of things to do and see in Mexico City. Whether you’re into the fascinating history of the city, discovering the diverse arts and culture scene, seeing the beautiful historic buildings, experiencing the vibrant nightlife scene, or partaking in the many cultural activities such as Xochimilco, trust us you’ll definitely want to add Mexico City to your travel itinerary.
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Is Mexico City safe for tourists?
Mexico City has progressed in terms of safety over the last decade, and now, it is considered to be a safe destination for travellers as long as certain precautions are taken into account. Things like petty crime and pickpocketing are still prevalent in Mexico City, but you can certainly enjoy a safe vacation as long as you treat the City as you would any major city in North America.
The main precautions we always take when we’re visiting Mexico City are ensuring that we have releasable cable ties securing our backpacks at all times. We of corse avoid sketchy neighbourhoods and ensure we keep our wits about us by remaining conscious of our surroundings, and avoiding getting intoxicated.
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What is the most common crime in Mexico City?
In the past, Mexico City had a fairly high homicide rate, but according to statistics by the Mexican government, this has been on the decline over the past few years. According to The Guardian, the current homicide rate in Mexico City is 8 per 100,000 people, which is similar to Los Angeles.
Aside from homicides, you’d be far more likely to experience a case of pickpocketing, especially on the Metro (or subway). As we mentioned earlier, when we visit Mexico City, we love to use this bumbag over our chests, to keep our personal belongings close and within eyesight. If we’re using a backpack, we have releasable cable ties on all the zips and carry the backpack on our front when we’re on the Metro.
Is kidnapping still an issue in Mexico City?
Kidnapping used to be a significant problem in Mexico, but it has seen a notable decrease in recent years. According to Statista, in 2015, there were 1311 reported cases of kidnapping in Mexico, but in 2022, the number has gone down to 506. While tourists may be concerned about kidnapping, these incidents are generally targeted and linked to cartel activities.
Most kidnappings occur in Jalisco and the states along the US border, where there is a high level of drug trafficking associated with cartels. It is therefore not surprising that most abductions happen in these areas rather than in central states like Mexico City.
Where is it safe to stay in Mexico City?
When it comes to finding accommodation in Mexico City, it is very important to know which neighbourhoods are safe, and which are best to avoid. Here are some of our top picks within various neighbourhoods:
From our experience of exploring many different neighbourhoods of Mexico City, the neighbourhoods we’re about to recommend all looked beautiful and felt safe and comfortable:
1. Polanco is known as one of the most exclusive and upscale neighbourhoods in Mexico City. You’ll notice many English speakers, corporate workers and office buildings. You won’t be close to a lot of the many historic sights of the city, but you will have easy access to the incredible Souymana Museum and many upscale shopping malls.
2. La Condesa neighbourhood is also known as one of the most upscale and luxurious neighbourhoods in Mexico City. La Condesa in comparison to Polanco has a much cosier feel, and you’ll be surrounded by a lot more greenery, beautiful parks and trendy cafes.
3. Reforma is a great place to stay if you enjoy the feel of being right in the hustle and bustle, as this is one of the main business districts in Mexico City. You’ll be surrounded by some of the tallest buildings in the entire city, as well as the most notable museums. Paseo de la Reforma, which is the major thoroughfare that runs across the city will allow for easy movement around the city.
4. The Lomas de Chapultepec neighbourhood is a wonderful option because you’ll have easy access to the beautiful Chapultepec Park, which is known as the Central Park of Mexico City.
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5. Roma Sur is still a pretty unknown and underrated neighbourhood by tourists, but it’s a true gem. Staying in Roma Sur will allow you to integrate with the local culture of suburbian Mexico City, while still offering easy access to some of the most gorgeous parks in the entire city. If you stay in this neighbourhood, you cannot miss visiting Parque Mexico, which in our opinion is the best park in Mexico City.
6. Centro Historico. If you’re visiting Mexico City specifically to enjoy the beautiful buildings found in Centro Historico, then we’d recommend looking for a place to stay within this neighbourhood, with a bit of caution. While we stayed just on the outskirts of Centro Historico and felt perfectly safe during the day, we heard that there tends to be a lot of pickpocketing and petty theft in the evening. We also noticed a fair amount of intoxicated people walking the streets of Centro Historico at night.
The areas to avoid in Mexico City
It is very important to know which areas to avoid in Mexico City, as they’re known even amongst locals to be less than safe. We have some family friends, who’ve been locals of Mexico City for over 30 years, and these are the top neighborhoods that they recommend us to completely avoid: Iztapalapa, Merced and Tepito.
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Is the metro safe in Mexico City?
The Metro in Mexico City is considered to be fairly safe, as there are numerous police officers posted at each platform 24 hours a day. However, pickpocketing and muggings do occur fairly regularly, so there are some precautions to take to stay safe.
As the Metro is so affordable and gets you from point to point quickly, it is a great form of transportation to use while in Mexico City. Although a lot of tourists wouldn’t enter the Metro out of fear, we’d highly recommend giving it a chance.
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In terms of staying safe, you’ve mostly got to be aware of pickpocketers. To avoid having anything stolen, we’d always recommend using a bum bag across your chest to keep your belongings safe and insight. If you need to travel with a backpack, we’d recommend keeping the zippers secured with releasable cable ties and carrying it on your front side. Additionally, you shouldn’t walk around with your phone in your hand as it is common for people to snatch and run.
Regarding the issue of muggings on the Metro in Mexico City, this usually only happens in the very quiet hours of the evening and early morning, so we’d recommend you avoid using the Metro between the hours of 8 pm and 7 am.
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How to stay safe in Mexico City?
Contrary to what you may have heard on the news, Mexico City is not nearly as dangerous as what they’d like you to believe. However, this is still a big city and certain precautions should be taken to ensure your safety.
Having spent about two months in Mexico City and speaking to close friends who grew up in the city, here are our top recommendations on how to stay safe in Mexico City:
1. Learn some Spanish basics: Not many locals speak English, so being able to communicate in Spanish, even at a very basic level is crucial. Also, keep in mind that locals and police officers are far more likely to be willing to help if they can at least sense that you’re trying to communicate in their language. You could also get one of these handy Timkettle translating devices that translates in real-time.
2. Be aware of Moctezumas Revenge: As a guest in Mexico City, you’re likely going to want to try some street food, as it’s super affordable and delicious and also a huge part of the culture in Mexico. It’s important to note that not all street stands have the most thorough hygiene standards and this poses a threat in the form of food poisoning, AKA Moctezumas Revenge.
To prevent food poisoning, we’d recommend being discerning with the street stands you choose to eat at, and being aware of meat that looks like it’s been sitting around for a while. It can also be helpful to take an activated charcoal tablet before eating, to support your digestive system. If you do get ill with food poisoning, the best thing to get from the pharmacy would be ‘Treda’, which is sold over the counter. Additionally, its very important to drink a ton of water and electrolytes to avoid dehydration.
3. Do as the locals do: If you’re going to walk around Mexico City looking like a tourist, the chances of you becoming a target are higher. Avoid wearing shorts and crop tops and opt for clothing you’d wear in a city. We’ve also heard from locals that a telltale sight that someone is a tourist is if they’re wearing white sneakers. True Mexico City locals avoid white sneakers because of how dirty they get from commuting.
4. Don’t carry too much cash: If you were to be targeted, you wouldn’t want to lose all your money in one go. While it is very important to always have cash on you, you also shouldn’t carry too much cash around with you. Additionally, it’s always good to stay observant during cash transactions, as vendors may trick you into thinking you gave them less cash than what you actually did.
5. Don’t use the metro at night: While the Metro and public transportation are perfectly safe in the day, in part because there are so many people around, this is not the case at night. Uber is affordable and readily available in Mexico City and we’d recommend opting for private transportation between 7 pm and 7 am.
6. Avoid using taxis: As mentioned above, Uber is readily available and a much safer option than the pink and white Mexico City taxis. The taxis are infamous for overcharging tourists, but even more alarmingly, they’ve also been linked to abductions.
7. Don’t walk the streets at night: As you would in any major city, walking down dark streets at night, especially if you’re not well acquainted with the area is not a good idea.
8. Be aware of which neighbourhoods to avoid: According to our local friends, there are certain neighbourhoods that most locals of Mexico City will avoid at all costs due to the levels of crime. As mentioned before, avoiding Iztapalapa, Merced and Tepito is a must, unless you’re going with a local who’s comfortable in those particular neighbourhoods.
9. Keep your valuables on you and in sight: It’s a good idea to keep your belongings on you at all times, as theft and pickpocketing are common issues in Mexico City. Carrying a bum bag over your chest may be one of the best ways to keep your valuables secure while exploring the city.
In conclusion, Mexico City is an absolutely incredible destination and we can’t help be revisit any chance we get. We didn’t write this post to scare you, but rather to inform you of the common things to look out for, so you can stay safe and have the best time in Mexico’s most popular city! Please let us know if there are any other things to look out for as a tourist in the comment section below:
