CDMX is a colossus of art, history and food, from Aztec ruins under the Zocalo to the leafy cafes of Roma and Condesa. It hosts UNAM, Latin America's largest university with a UNESCO campus, plus the Politecnico, Tec and Ibero, and it is astonishingly affordable for a world capital. Overwhelming at first, it quickly becomes one of the most rewarding cities anywhere to be a student.

• UNAM is Latin America's biggest university, with a UNESCO World Heritage campus
• World-class, mostly cheap or free museums, from Frida Kahlo's house to Antropologia
• Huge, diverse and affordable for a global capital

The scene spreads across Roma and Condesa's bars and cafes, Coyoacan's bohemian plazas and the cantinas of the Centro, with pulquerias and mezcalerias offering a more local night out. UNAM's campus buzzes with events, football and free concerts. The city never runs short of gigs, markets, exhibitions or a new taqueria to try.

• Bar- and cafe-hop Roma and Condesa, then try a traditional pulqueria for the local vibe
• Spend weekend afternoons in Coyoacan's plazas with churros and coffee
• Catch free concerts, football and events on the UNAM campus

For a megacity, CDMX is a bargain, so around 600 to 1,000 euros (roughly 11,500 to 19,000 pesos) a month, with rent in trendy Roma or Condesa the main variable. The five-peso metro, cheap street tacos and free museums keep daily costs tiny, and nights out in the hip colonias are where money goes. Cooking from the mercados stretches things further.

• The metro costs just 5 pesos a ride, one of the world's cheapest
• Street tacos run 15 to 25 pesos each, and a comida corrida is 80 to 120 pesos
• Roma and Condesa command premium rents, while Narvarte and Del Valle are better value

Most students share flats in Roma, Condesa, Narvarte, Del Valle or Coyoacan, or take rooms near UNAM in the south. The digital-nomad wave pushed up Roma and Condesa rents, so many now look one colonia over. Facebook groups and Inmuebles24 lead the search, and you should always view before paying a deposit.

• Search the Roomies and Cuartos CDMX Facebook groups and Inmuebles24
• Narvarte, Del Valle and Escandon offer Roma and Condesa vibes for less
• Ask the Studcasa Mexico City group about safe colonias near your campus

CDMX's transport is vast and cheap: a 12-line metro, the Metrobus BRT, trolleybuses, the Cablebus cable cars and EcoBici bikes, all payable with the rechargeable Movilidad Integrada card. Peseros (minibuses) fill the gaps, and Uber and DiDi are cheap and safer than street taxis at night. Rush hour is crushing, so plan around it.

• Get a Movilidad Integrada card for the metro, Metrobus and EcoBici
• Use the women-only carriages and buses at the front during rush hour
• Take Uber or DiDi at night rather than hailing a street taxi

UNAM is the giant, free or near-free, world-ranked, with its main campus a UNESCO site, alongside the IPN (Politecnico) for engineering. Private heavyweights Tec de Monterrey, ITAM and Ibero offer more English-taught courses and slicker exchange support. Most public teaching is in Spanish, so it pays to arrive with a solid level.

• UNAM's Ciudad Universitaria is a UNESCO-listed campus and a city in itself
• Tec de Monterrey, ITAM and Ibero run more English-taught, exchange-friendly courses

What you need depends on your nationality and how long you're staying, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with the Mexican consulate for your country. Many nationalities, including most Europeans, can enter visa-free as tourists for up to 180 days, which covers a single semester. For a full academic year or formal enrolment, you'll usually apply for a temporary resident student visa at a consulate before you travel.

Start early, since consulate appointments and document legalisation take time.

• Short exchange under 180 days, often visa-free entry for many nationalities
• Full year or formal enrolment, temporary resident student visa from a consulate
• Bring your university acceptance letter and proof of funds to the appointment
• Requirements vary by nationality; always confirm with your Mexican consulate

This is arguably the best street-food city on earth: tacos al pastor carved off the trompo, tlacoyos, quesadillas, tamales and esquites, plus regional feasts from every Mexican state. Mercados like Merced, San Juan and Coyoacan are edible museums, and the cantina and mezcal-and-pulque scene runs deep. Try churros at El Moro to finish.

• Eat tacos al pastor at night from a busy trompo stand
• Explore the Mercado de San Juan for exotic ingredients and snacks
• Have tostadas in Coyoacan market and churros with chocolate at El Moro

Roma and Condesa are the walkable, tree-lined favourites for cafes and nightlife, while Coyoacan is the cobbled bohemian south with Frida Kahlo's blue house. The Centro Historico packs history and markets, Polanco is upscale, and Narvarte and Del Valle give you central life for less. UNAM sits in the leafy far south.

• Roma or Condesa: cafes, parks, nightlife and the most walkable streets
• Coyoacan: cobbled, arty and steeped in Frida Kahlo history
• Narvarte or Del Valle: central and well-connected for lower rent

Day trips abound. The pyramids of Teotihuacan are an hour north (go early, or float over in a balloon), the colonial gem of Puebla two hours east, and the eternal-spring towns of Cuernavaca and Tepoztlan 90 minutes south. For longer weekends, the silver town of Taxco and Valle de Bravo beckon, and in-city you can punt the Xochimilco canals.

• Teotihuacan pyramids: about 1 hour north, best early or by balloon
• Puebla for mole and colonial streets: roughly 2 hours by bus
• Tepoztlan or Valle de Bravo for mountains, or Xochimilco's canals in town

Mind the altitude (2,240m) for the first week and take it easy on the mezcal until you adjust. Learn the earthquake drill, download SkyAlert, and note that a siren sounds each 19 September. Use Uber or DiDi at night, keep valuables discreet on the metro, and carry cash for markets. Tap water is not drinkable, so filter or buy garrafones.

• Ease into the altitude and drink water, as it hits harder than you expect
• Install SkyAlert and learn your building's earthquake routine
• Ask the Studcasa Mexico City group about safe late-night areas and transport