Mexico City · Month comparison

May vs November

November ranks #1 overall vs May at #9. The finest month — Día de Muertos on the 1st and 2nd combines perfect dry-season weather with Mexico's most profound cultural ceremony.

Mexico City May — green Chapultepec Park with the castle above, the city skyline behind in early rainy season

May

#9 of 12 months

Strong option

Rainy season begins — mornings are still clear and warm, but afternoon showers start arriving.

  • Mornings remain reliably dry and clear: the rainy season pattern means you can plan outdoor sightseeing for 9am–2pm with almost no rain risk
  • Prices returning to low after the Semana Santa spike: hotel rates drop back to accessible levels in May as international tourism quiets down
Mexico City November — marigold-lined ofrenda altar with candles and photographs during Día de Muertos

November

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The finest month — Día de Muertos on the 1st and 2nd combines perfect dry-season weather with Mexico's most profound cultural ceremony.

  • Día de Muertos (1–2 November): Mexico's most important cultural ceremony — the cemetery vigils in Mixquic, Xochimilco's canal processions, and the ofrenda altars throughout the city constitute one of the most moving collective experiences available to any traveller anywhere in the world
  • Dry season restored: 13mm of rain across the month, 7.3 hours of sunshine, and clear mountain views returning — the best photography conditions since April
FactorMayNovember
Weather score
6
9
Value score
7
5
Crowd score
7
4
Events score
5
10
Atmosphere
7
10
Avg high temp27°C22°C
Monthly rain52mm13mm
Daily sunshine7.2hrs7.3hrs

May trade-offs

  • Afternoon showers increasingly frequent from mid-May: thunderstorms build over the mountains and break over the city between 3pm and 7pm — plan accordingly
  • Humidity rising from 43% in March to 55%: afternoons feel heavier and muggier than the dry season months
  • 52mm of rain across the month: isolated heavy downpours can cause temporary street flooding in lower-lying neighbourhoods

November trade-offs

  • Día de Muertos weekend (1–2 November) brings the largest international tourist influx of the year: accommodation books out months ahead and hotel rates spike to their annual peak
  • The Mixquic cemetery vigil requires arriving early and staying late — it is deeply respectful and non-commercial, but it is also extremely crowded and requires transport planning
  • 8°C overnight lows from mid-November: the full dry-season return also brings cold nights — pack accordingly for the cemetery vigil
Scores compare months within Mexico City. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →