Benito Juárez Airport (MEX) is 10km from Mexico City city center. Here are all your transport options ranked by value, speed, and convenience — with real prices and honest pros/cons.
Quick Summary
Fastest: Authorized taxi (yellow) (25-45 min, $10-18)
Cheapest: Metro Line 5 (T1 only) (30-40 min, $0.30)
Best overall: Metro Line 5 (T1 only) (30-40 min, $0.30) — best balance of speed, cost, and convenience.
All Transport Options
Metro Line 5 (T1 only) — 30-40 min, ~$0.30
Pros: Absurdly cheap, connects to city network
Cons: Only from Terminal 1, very crowded, not safe with luggage at night
Metrobús Line 4 — 40-50 min, ~$0.30
Pros: Cheap, goes to historic center area
Cons: Crowded, limited luggage space, slow with stops
Authorized taxi (yellow) — 25-45 min, ~$10-18
Pros: Buy ticket at booth inside terminal, fixed price by zone
Cons: More expensive than street taxis, still traffic-dependent
Uber/DiDi — 25-45 min, ~$8-14
Pros: Cheaper than airport taxi, door-to-door, app-based
Cons: Can’t pick up at T1 (walk to T2), traffic at peak hours
Tips for Arriving at Benito Juárez Airport
SIM card: Buy one at the airport arrivals hall before heading to the city. You’ll need data for maps and ride-hailing apps.
Currency: Withdraw cash from an ATM inside the terminal (better rates than exchange booths). You’ll need local currency for public transport.
Late night arrivals: Public transport stops around midnight in most cities. If arriving late, pre-book a transfer or use ride-hailing apps.
FAQ
How far is Benito Juárez Airport from Mexico City center?
Benito Juárez Airport (MEX) is approximately 10km from Mexico City city center. Travel time ranges from 25-45 to 25-45 minutes depending on transport and traffic.
What’s the cheapest way to get from MEX to Mexico City?
The cheapest option is Metro Line 5 (T1 only) at $0.30, taking approximately 30-40 minutes.
Should I pre-book a transfer from Benito Juárez Airport?
Pre-booking is worth it if you’re arriving late at night, have heavy luggage, or want zero stress after a long flight. Otherwise, public transport or ride-hailing apps work perfectly well.
📖 Read our Complete Travel Guide to Mexico for the full picture.
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Exact Costs and Journey Times: What Each Option Really Runs in 2026
Benito Juárez (AICM) sits just 5–7 km east of the Centro Histórico, so distance is never the problem — traffic is what swings your ride from 25 minutes to nearly an hour. Here’s what each route actually costs and how long it takes right now:
- Authorized prepaid taxi (Sitio): MX$250–350 (~US$14–20) to Centro on the fixed zone-price list. Door to door in 25–50 minutes. Authorized companies include Porto Taxi, Sitio 300, Nueva Imagen, Confort Unlimited, Yellow Cab, Aerotaxi and CASADEY. Pro: fixed price, no app, reliable late at night. Con: pricier than ride-hailing.
- Uber / DiDi: roughly MX$160–400 (~US$9–22); DiDi usually runs 10–15% cheaper than Uber for the same trip. Same 25–50 min. Pro: cheapest car option, price locked in-app. Con: surge pricing and a walk to the designated pickup point.
- Metrobús Line 4: MX$30 (~US$1.70) flat airport fare, about 45 minutes to Centro. Pro: dirt cheap, drops you blocks from the Zócalo. Con: tight luggage room.
- Metro Line 5 (Terminal Aérea station): just MX$5 (~US$0.30) — the cheapest of all — but no escalators or elevators and a one-large-suitcase limit. Great with a daypack, brutal with rolling bags.
Which Option to Pick for Your Trip — Honest Recommendations by Traveler Type
There is no single best choice; it comes down to your bags, your arrival time, and how much luggage-hauling you’ll tolerate.
- First-timer or arriving after dark: take an authorized prepaid Sitio taxi. The fixed MX$250–350 fare removes all negotiation, and you’re in a licensed car minutes after clearing customs. The few extra dollars buy real peace of mind.
- Budget traveler with a daypack: the Metrobús Line 4 at MX$30 is unbeatable — direct from the terminal, no transfers, and it stops within a couple of blocks of Bellas Artes and the Zócalo.
- Group of three or four, or heavy luggage: split an Uber/DiDi. Divided four ways it can undercut the Metrobús per person, and you skip the platform-card hassle entirely.
- Solo, light, and adventurous: the MX$5 Metro Line 5 works, but only if you can carry your bag up stairs — there are no elevators at Terminal Aérea.
- Skip entirely: the Metro and Metrobús during rush hour (7–9 AM, 5–8 PM) with any sizable luggage — trains and buses pack to the doors.
Where to Buy, How to Pay, and the Scams That Catch Tourists
Getting the price right is mostly about where you buy, not who you ask on the curb.
- Buy taxis at the booth, never from a driver. Authorized taxi counters sit inside the terminal just past baggage claim, before you reach the exit doors. Staff wear bright yellow jackets. Tell them your destination, pay the fixed zone fare (cash is cleanest), and take the printed ticket to the curb. You pay the company, not the driver.
- Ignore anyone who approaches you inside the hall offering a ride. These touts are the single most documented scam at AICM — they steer you to unlicensed cars that overcharge or, worse, set up robberies. A legitimate driver never solicits you; you go to him with a ticket.
- Metrobús Line 4 boards at fixed entrances: Terminal 1 at Entrance/Gate 7, Terminal 2 at Entrance/Gate 2. You’ll need the rechargeable Integrated Mobility Card (sold and topped up at platform machines), or simply tap a contactless credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay — no card purchase required anymore.
- Watch the “broken card reader” trick. A driver claiming his terminal is down so you must pay inflated cash is a classic overcharge setup — another reason to prepay at the booth.
- For Uber/DiDi, confirm the price and plate in-app before getting in, and meet the car only at the official rideshare pickup zone, not wherever someone waves you over.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.