How Expensive is Cancun?

Cancun doesn’t have to be expensive. The best way to avoid tourist traps is to be prepared for them. Read on for the cheapest places to stay, how to get around, and where to visit the best beaches without emptying your wallet. We are spilling the beans on how to stay within your budget while relaxing on the Mayan Riviera.

 

Affordable Accommodation

 

The most expensive and most popular area to stay in Cancun is called the “Zona Hotelera” or the “Hotel Zone.” Instead, I recommend finding an Airbnb or hotel in Downtown Cancun or in the La Isla/Pok-ta-Pok area.  

 

In downtown, you will find local markets, cheap restaurants, and even Walmart. Downtown is full of colectivos and public buses, so you will be able to easily find cheap public transit to get around. La Isla is much quieter, but you may have to walk a bit to get to the bus station. La Isla area is good if you have a car, because it will be easier to find parking.

 

 

Local Beaches Have Lower Prices

 

On the touristy beaches, you may find yourself shelling out $50usd just for a lounge chair and umbrella. Instead, find the local beaches, and you’ll enjoy the same paradise for a third of the cost. Even better, take your own umbrella, towel, and beer from the Oxxo (convenience store) and have a free beach day!

 

 

Playa Forum

 

The biggest and closest beach to the Hotel Zone is Playa Forum. There is a stack of rocks acting as a wave-breaker which makes the water calm for swimming. The public entrance to this beach is between the beach clubs Coco Bongo and Mandala. From there, you can walk up the beach towards the rocks to find the calmer waves. 

 

Playa Langosta

 

If you have kids or if you enjoy lounging in warm, shallow water, make sure to check out Playa Langosta (Lobster Beach). It has a wide area of clear, pool-like water perfect for relaxing or playing. You will find this beach right behind the Hotel Casa Maya. Plus, you can get your photo with the Cancun letters here!

 

 

Isla Blanca

 

If you are lucky enough to have a car with you, you have to make the drive to visit Isla Blanca. Only the locals know about this place, so it’s not very touristy. That makes it one of the cleanest and cheapest beaches. It’s more of a thin peninsula than an island, so you can see a beautiful, still lagoon on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other.

 

Isla Blanca is about an hour drive from downtown Cancun, and you’ll know you’ve arrived when the dirt road dead ends into an entrance with a swing gate. It costs $100mxn or $5usd per car to enter. The rent for an umbrella and lounge chairs (and price for beer) is the cheapest that we found on any beach in or near Cancun.

 

 

Avoid Overpriced Taxis

 

There is no Uber service in Cancun, and the taxis charge around $200-300mxn or $10-15usd (or more) per trip. The cheapest way to get around is by public bus and colectivos. The buses are usually about $12mxn or less than a dollar to ride and you pay the driver when you get on. Make sure you know where to get off, because they won’t necessarily always stop. 

 

Colectivos

 

Colectivos are white vans that you will see almost everywhere. It typically only costs around $20mxn or $1usd to get a ride, and you pay the driver when you get off at your stop. You can use them to get to the beach or even to visit Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Most of the colectivos have signs on the front that show their route. However, I always recommend asking the drivers if they are going to your destination so they can guide you in the right direction.

 

Rent a scooter

 

Riding a scooter can be a really fun way to get around too! You rent them by scanning the blue scooters through the app, and they are available on the sidewalks between downtown and the beaches. The app is called “Hop”, and it costs $35mxn to unlock the scooter, plus $1mxn per minute.

 

 

Book Cheaper Tours Online

 

The cheapest way to buy tours is online. We used getyourguide.com to buy a Catamaran tour to visit Isla Mujeres and to snorkel in the Coral Reef, and it was a blast. If you decide to buy tours from one of the tour stands in the Hotel Zone, make sure to negotiate the price!

 

 

Need a Covid Test to Fly Home?

 

If you will need a negative Covid test for your return flight, it’s really easy to find a place to get tested. There’s mobile test centers on every corner right now, and an Antigen test costs about $500mxn or $25usd. They email you your results within a few hours! 

 

P.S.Remember to always pay with the local currency! Almost everywhere in Cancún accepts US dollars, but you will always end up paying more if you don’t use Mexican pesos.

 

To find even cheaper beaches (and safer beaches) in Mexico, check out my top 5 beaches in Mexico here.

 

What is your best tip for saving money while traveling?