Tulum On A Budget
Tulum On A Budget
If you’re planning a trip to Tulum, Mexico you might have heard how expensive this beach paradise has become in the past few years. Tulum was once a sleepy little beach town but now has grown into a trendy destination for celebrities and influencers to take beautiful Instagram photos, eat vegan food and party at expensive beach clubs.
While I still love Tulum very much, it doesn’t have the same chill or laid back vibe like other parts of Mexico. And it certainly has higher prices!
Here’s everything you need to know to visit Tulum on a budget.
Where to Stay: Beach vs Downtown
It depends what trip you want to have. If you plan on relaxing by the ocean everyday then you might want to stay by the beach.
If you’re a working expat who wants to travel around Mexico while you’re there, then I would suggest staying in downtown for better Wifi, prices and accessibility to transit.
Downtown: much cheaper, better Wifi, great restaurants, easier to take the bus to other towns, easier to rent cars from here for day trips, easy traffic & parking
Beach: More expensive, really bad traffic along main beach strip, difficult parking but right along the ocean
*It seems backwards right? Downtown sounds like it would have bad traffic and parking but actually the main beach stretch is so popular and there is only a single road that accesses the beach. If you plan to go on day trips or take the bus anywhere, it’s less of a headache to be in downtown.
Resorts, Jungle Huts, Hostels
Have a look on Airbnb for Tulum because you’ll find one dreamy property after another for ridiculously low prices. They even have a number of cute jungle huts that really allow you to disconnect from the hustle & bustle of downtown/the main beach for a super affordable price.
But if you’re traveling Tulum on a budget, you simply cannot beat the price of the hostels!
And Tulum is full of incredible hostels with luxurious pools and boutique rooms for dirt cheap. Many are just $12-$14 a night!
Check out this blog post for my complete list of hostel recommendations in Tulum.
Favorite Tulum hostels include:
- Mimosa Tulum
- Meteora
- Mayan Monkey
- Che
- Maka
Stay at Mimosa Tulum for just $12-$14 a night
I came to this hostel for 2 days and ended up staying for 10 nights. I love Mimosa Tulum, it really felt like home to me. It’s the perfect mix of boutique and budget. It felt fancier than any hostel I’ve stayed at across the world. And it had a nice chill social environment.
It isn’t a party hostel but it is conveniently located near tw party hostels (Maka & Che) you could walk to for a drink if you wanted to party.
Breakfast included!
Each morning, you could choose between two options for breakfast. I always got french toast with fruit and coffee. For a small additional cost, you could order something else off the menu!
Things to note:
- Conveniently located within walking distance of a grocery store, car rentals and the main drag for food/drinks/nightlife
- Pack bug spray for the harmless non-stinging bees & mosquitos
- Bikes are available to rent
Pro tip: You can get a slightly cheaper price by paying cash at the property.
Book your stay here.
Walk next door to Maka Hotel
for $5 avocado toast or $7 poke bowls
If you’re staying at Mimosa Tulum, I highly recommend walking next door to Maka Hotel for delicious food!
The avocado toast is just $5. You don’t have be to a guest at their hostel/hotel to order breakfast by the pool.
And head on upstairs to their rooftop restaurant for amazing $7 poke bowls or delicious ramen.
Pro tip: On Wednesday nights, Maka has an expat meetup that is a ton of fun! I made a lot of new friends that night who showed me around Tulum in the days to come. Go mingle and meet other expats!
Or book a stay here.
Rent a bike for $5-$8 a day to get around
Most hostels offer bike rental. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around Tulum especially because traffic along the main beach is horrible. The road is full of potholes and many people wind up feeling carsick or simply frustrated from how long it takes to drive down the bumpy, poorly maintained road.
A bike for the whole day is likely to cost you less than a taxi ride one way.
If you’re staying in downtown, it will take you about 30 minutes to bike to the main beach stretch. But it will take you just as long in a car!
Also if you bring a rental car down to the beach, it’s really difficult and expensive to find parking.
The most stressful part of my time in Tulum was feeling like I was going to bottom-out or blow a tire in traffic on the horrible stretch of road to the main beach in our rental car. I found it so much easier to bike!
That being said, some people find biking on the main drag stressful with the amount of traffic. Truthfully, anything on the main drag is stressful. I thought biking was better in my opinion.
Pro tip: Biking home after dark can be difficult because the city isn’t well lit and there are hardly any street lights once you’re off the main road. If you are coming to Tulum and know you are going to be biking a lot, pack a bike light!
Find beach clubs that don’t charge an entrance fee or require a minimum spend
It’s easy to get stuck pay insane drink prices at the beach clubs. It’s more LA prices than Mexico prices unfortunately! Some places will require an entrance fee as well.
Skip the places with the crazy high entrance fee and opt for a beach club with no minimum spend. (Drinks will still be more expensive than in downtown Tulum!)
Here’s a list a free day clubs with no minimum right on the beach:
- Hip Hotel
- La Zebra
- La Eufemia
- Playa Maya
- Playa Santa Fe
- Aklin Beach
- Cinco Tulum
Explore the free art walk at Holistika
You don’t have to be a guest to enjoy the beautiful (and totally free!) artwalk at Holistika. It’s full of interesting outdoor exhibits and cute “Instagrammable” moments.
Just be sure to wear some bug spray on this walk through the jungle!
Take A Day Trip To Coba
A day trip to the Coba Ruins is a super inexpensive trip out of the city!
It’s only 80 pesos to visit.
And a tour guide/tricycle guide is only another 180 pesos.
The best way to get there? Get a group together from your hostel or hotel and all split a taxi! It’s about 45 minutes outside of Tulum.
Read: VISITING THE COBA RUINS IN MEXICO – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Eat at Burrito Amor
This place is fantastic and super cheap! The vibe is awesome and drinks are inexpensive as well. It’s located in downtown on the main drag.
Free Sunday salsa nights at La Zebra
These Sunday salsa nights have briefly been on pause with Covid but if you’re looking for a great weekend activity… check back on the La Zebra events page to see when they resume!
Read: TOP SAFETY TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO MEXICO
Swim at Playa Paraiso
Playa Paraiso is Tulum’s public access beach which means it costs nothing to visit and there is no minimum spend.
It can be frustrating to find a spot a on the main drag beach that has room and doesn’t charge a fortune for entrance. But Playa Paraiso is always free!
Pack a picnic, swim in the ocean, sun bath… it’s a totally free day in Tulum!
Read: AVENTURAS MAYAS: AVOID THE CROWDS WITH THIS ADVENTUROUS TOUR COMPANY IN RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO!
Go to Batey for free live music & expertly made mojitos
Looking for great drinks at an affordable price downtown? The mojito bar at Batey is your place to go.
There is always great live music for free! And the mojitos are AMAZING for just $5 or $6.
This place is the main hub of activity in downtown.
Visit the Tulum Ruins for just 80 pesos
The ruins at Chichen Itza have an entrance fee of a whopping 497 pesos. Fortunately, the Tulum Ruins are still just 80 pesos. Skip the guided tours and skip the shuttle service to the entrance. (It’s totally unnecessary!)
Parking around the ruins can get expensive. Either bike or taxi. If you are driving a car, don’t get pulled into the first parking lot you see. There will be a lot of parking lot attendants who try to get you to park in their lot first and will charge you more.
Read: SWIMMING WITH WILD WHALE SHARKS: 10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Mateo’s Mexican Grill For Free Sunset Lounge
with 2 for 1 Drinks
We went to Mateo’s for dinner and drinks a number of times. They have amazing fish tacos, they aren’t located quite so far down the main beach road so it’s easier to access and they have a free sunset lounge!
The sunset lounge doesn’t have waiter service. Just order a drink at the bar below and walk up. It’s the perfect place for sunset without the cover charge!
