Tulum is beautiful destination that sits right on the East side of Mexico right along the Yucatan Peninsula with amazing views of the Caribbean Sea. It has become such a hot spot destination, and everyone has been traveling there, but is it expensive to travel too? Depends on what you do and what your budget is. Below are a couple ways to make your Tulum vacation a little more affordable- where to stay, how to get around, and more!
VISIT DURING SHOULDER SEASON
In order to ensure you are getting the best prices it is best to travel to Mexico during the shoulder season (the season in between high and low season). Low season offers better prices but also worse weather conditions. High season is from December to April and shoulder season seems to be November.
GETTING TO TULUM FOR UNDER $20
By ADO bus: the cheapest way to get to and from Tulum (unless you and a group split a taxi). Costing about ~300pesos ($15USD) for one way.
HOW TO GET AROUND: BIKE, MOPED, OR COLLECTIVO?
By bike: Although the most popular form of transportation you see on social media and one of the cheapest ($5-10 per day), it is not the most time friendly way to get around. If you have time, choose this option and truly live the slow life. However, if you don’t want to spend hours trying to bike to the beach maybe choose another form of transportation. I do suggest getting a bike for the first few days to explore places close by then get a moped for further distances.
By moped: Personally, I think this was the best budget (and most fun) option for both time and ease of getting around. No waiting in traffic since you can easily slip between cars, you get to explore more, and if you can split it with a friend it is only $5 more per day.
By collectivo: I did not get to ride in one of these but I heard they were one of the cheapest ways of getting around, kind of like a tuktuk. Find these for when you are going out on the town!
By bus: If you want to explore other cities the ADO bus is your best friend!
WHERE TO STAY: DOWNTOWN, NOT THE HOTEL ZONE
Staying downtown can literally save you hundreds of dollars as you pay $10 a night. Although fancy hotels that costs hundreds of dollars a night are very nice you’ll be spending most of your time outside at cenotes and beaches so if you want to save money be sure to pick a place downtown (they’re just as cute)!
BUDGET DOWNTOWN ACCOMMODATIONS UNDER $20 A NIGHT:
Mama’s Home: Dorm rooms going from $10-20 per night. Mama’s Home is located in the heart of downtown right near the main street and is only a 9 minutes’ walk from the Terminal de Autobuses de ADO as well as many restaurants. Many great reviews online and offers free wifi and breakfast.
Lum: Dorms going from $10-20 per night. A beautifully designed bali-styled hostel in a great location in downtown Tulum that is only 5 minutes away from the ADO station and tons of restaurants and bars, also offers free wifi and free bikes.
Mayan Monkey Tulum: Dorm rooms going from $12-20 per night. Mayan Monkey is located between downtown and the hotel zone- its close to restaurants, bars and the grocery store, 20 minutes away from the the ruins, and only 10 minutes away from the beach and nightlife by bike. Has a pool and offers free wifi, towels and breakfast.
Mimosa Hostel: Dorms room going from $15- 20 per night. Mimosa is a boutique ho(s)tel with a fresh coastal jungle vibe infused with traditional Mexican culture located near the main road in downtown Tulum- grocery stores, bars, and restaurants within a minutes walk. Has a pool and offers free wifi and breakfast.
We stayed here for $21/night, had the whole place to ourselves, and was literally one street away from the main strip downtown! This is another apartment (below) with the same price point and is a little more aesthetically pleasing (we split the price on our accommodations, we ended up getting them last minute and didn’t have many to pick from).
If you don’t mind being in a private room in a shared apartment, than this beautiful place which is also walking distance from the main trip is $15 USD a night.
GO TO THE GROCERY STORE
Just like you would buy groceries at home to save money, it is best to do the same while traveling. Obviously treat yourself to some meals but there is no reason to buy out every single meal when you can literally make some oatmeal and smoothies on your own & pack your own lunch for the day. We went to Chedraui since it seemed like it would have more vegan options available- I usually make my own breakfast and eat out for dinner!
REUSABLES ARE A MUST.
Water costs $$. This was my first time in Mexico so I was so unaware that you had to pay for water at restaurants (we usually get it for free in the USA) but it makes sense since their water isn’t that safe to drink! So, I would fill my water bottle before the day and try to make it last or find a refill station to save money & reduce my plastic use – YOU CANNOT DRINK FROM THE SINK- There are very few places to refill your water so I suggest you get a 2L bottle at the grocery for your time there- 4 people split a 2L for 5 days and it worked perfectly! Sadly, there aren’t many ways you can get clean water in Mexico unless it is in a bottle, so this is the most sustainable method 10L for 34pesos vs 100 pesos per water- get coconut water.
SHOULD I USE PESOS OR USD? WHERE TO GO?
You have three options: exchange your money at the bank ahead of time, exchange your money at the exchange place, or ues your Charles Schwab Debit card to take money out of the ATM with 0 fees. If you’re exchanging money, I found that George Exchange or Citibank had the best rates. Although USD is accepted you’ll be getting the worse exchange rate, so just use pesos. The best absolute way to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck is using a debit card with 0 foreign transaction fees and 0 ATM fees.
UTILIZE THE FREE THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN TULUM
There are a few beaches, cenotes, and even free salsa dances to take in Tulum.
Take advantage of the free things in life and check out these 7 (actually) free things to do and see in Tulum.
CHOOSE THE LOCAL PLACES OVER THE INSTA FAMOUS ONES
Some of the places you see on instagram can be expensive, Pablo Escobar’s mansion? $165 USD to get in and you have to spend another $100 on food and drinks which can be worth it to some people for the photos so do whatever float your boats- but if you’re not looking to spend as much as your plane ticket then maybe it’s not the place to hang for the day. Most beach clubs in the hotel zone require you to get food and drink however my friend found a hack through Raw Love/ Ahau! If you go through the Raw Love/ Ahau entrance to the beach you don’t have to pay and can just lounge or walk down the beach. Basically anything that has been popularized is more expensive. However I will say, as popular as the Gran Cenote is, it is a must go too!
HIDE YO CAMERAS, HIDE YO GOPROS
They charge you extra for bringing your camera, gopro, or drone so either hide it or be prepared to shell out an extra 200-300 pesos everytime when you are visiting cenotes or the Chichen Itza Ruins.
I just hid my camera and gopro under all my towels in my bag and didnt bring it out until after we got into the cenotes.
HAGGLE LIKE YOU MEAN IT
When it comes to buying things on the beach or from the stores along the downtown strip it is best to haggle for what you can. Most of the stores see you as money signs, but there are ways to help you pay the normal price. To haggle you usually say way less than the price they say (more than half) and then just keep going up from there that is a fair price for both you and the seller.
I hope these tips help make your next Tulum trip a little more budget friendly for you! Let me know which tip you found the most useful
