World Cup 2026 Hotel Prices Skyrocket in Mexico City

A hotel in Mexico City increased room prices by more than 2,000 percent during the 2026 World Cup, according to an investigation by the U.S. media outlet The Athletic.

The report describes finding an average increase of more than 300% for the opening matches in the 16 host cities across Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

But the most shocking data was found at a hotel in Mexico City that has a price of $157 (2,857 pesos at today’s exchange rate) per night in late May and increases by 2,373 percent for June 10 and 11, when the World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa is played, with a cost of $3,882 (70,663 pesos) on the Marriott Bonvoy app.

Methodology

The study was conducted on Monday, December 8, at six hotels in or near each of the 16 World Cup host cities, using a methodology that involved collecting data on the cheapest available rooms at randomly selected hotels on the Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors apps.

“The search identified the price per night for a two-night stay near the opening match in each city in mid-June. Subsequently, we compared it with the equivalent rates offered exactly three weeks earlier by the same hotels in late May,” the report states.

In total, the average nightly rate of 96 hotels near an opening match date was analyzed. The average price was $1,013 (18,447 pesos) compared to $293 (5,335 pesos) for the same hotels 21 days earlier. Hotel prices increased, on average, by 328%.

Comparison

The investigation states that it is common for hotel room prices to increase during major events, as seen with a 141% year-over-year increase during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is far lower than what tourists will have to pay for the 2026 World Cup.

“We found a 2,373% increase in the nightly rate at Le Meridien Mexico City Reforma for a two-night stay near Estadio Azteca, compared to prices exactly three weeks earlier. This means the price per night increased from $157 in the third week of May to $3,882 per night for a two-night stay between June 10 and 12. At six hotels in Mexico City, the average price per night went from $172 three weeks earlier to $1,572 near the Mexican national team’s opening match. Across the six hotels, the average percentage price increase was 961%,” the investigation explains.

Other Host Cities

In Monterrey, the average increase was 466%, while Guadalajara recorded a percentage increase of 405%.

The highest percentage increases in the United States were found in Houston (457%), Kansas City (364%), Atlanta (344%), and the San Francisco Bay Area (342%).

The price per night increases even more for a two-night stay near the World Cup Final, which will be held at MetLife Stadium on July 19. The Fairfield Inn offered prices of $3,066 (55,822 pesos) per night, while the nearby Hampton Inn Carlstadt charged $3,519 (64,051 pesos) per night for a two-night stay around the World Cup final, compared to $666 (12,125 pesos) per night in the third week of May.