Celebration Costs Rise for 2025
The night of September 15 is unimaginable without food, music, and patriotic colors, but this year it comes with an added financial burden. The National Alliance of Small Businesses (ANPEC) calculates that celebrating in 2025 costs, on average, 17% more than in 2024.
What once implied an expenditure of $6,000 for a family gathering (10 people) now requires around $7,000 due to a pressured market caused by inflation and taxes that filter down to every ingredient.
Cooking at Home: Flavor with a Price Tag
At the Mexican table, pozole is king, and its preparation can reach up to $2,000. To this are added the chicken tinga at around $1,250, the taco dorados at $1,100, and the pambazos that approach $1,350. Drinks also contribute: between sodas, aguas frescas, beer, and tequila, the bill ranges from $2,800 to $3,000.
Even the papel picado and flags add $600 to the budget. Although the “outfit” mitigates the burden in many homes, the final sum still pushes family spending upwards.
The Zócalo, Restaurants, and Bars: Prices on the Rise
The heart of Mexico City retains its magnetism but is not immune to the increase. Visiting the Zócalo with family and letting oneself be carried away by esquites, pambazos, buñuelos, or marquesitas implies a spending of $5,800 today.
Last year the figure was $5,000. The 16% increase confirms that even the most emblematic public space in the country has stopped being a light option for domestic economy.
The most expensive celebration occurs in bars and restaurants, where drinks dominate, and food is relegated. The average consumption is $1,400 per person, meaning up to $14,000 for a group of ten. This figure doubles what it would cost to receive the same number of guests at home, showing how much the dynamics of the night can alter the final bill.
The Pressure of Taxes
The price increase does not occur in a vacuum. ANPEC warns that a possible adjustment to the Special Production and Services Tax (IEPS) would put more pressure on popular consumption goods like sodas and alcoholic beverages.
For Cuauhtémoc Rivera, president of the organization, it is a regressive measure that “will further erode the insufficient purchasing power of the population” and threaten small businesses. He recalled that consumers already carry a 16% VAT, with an accumulated 33% increase in food since the pandemic and additional costs due to insecurity in production and distribution chains.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: How much more expensive is it to celebrate in 2025 compared to 2024? A: Celebrating in 2025 costs, on average, 17% more than in 2024.
- Q: What are some examples of food costs for a family gathering at home? A: Pozole can cost up to $2,000; chicken tinga around $1,250; taco dorados $1,100; and pambazos approximately $1,350. Drinks can add another $2,800 to $3,000.
- Q: How much does it cost to enjoy street food at the Zócalo? A: Enjoying street food at the Zócalo now costs around $5,800.
- Q: What is causing the price increase in celebrations? A: The price increase is due to inflation and taxes that filter down to every ingredient.
- Q: How are taxes further impacting celebration costs? A: A potential adjustment to the Special Production and Services Tax (IEPS) would put more pressure on popular consumption goods, further eroding the purchasing power of the population.
