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You want to visit Tulum on a budget? Welcome to the club! There seem to be very few tips on how to see Tulum on a budget because honestly, that’s like doing New York on a budget – it is pretty hard. Tulum is expensive, there is just no way around it.
But you have come to the right place because after my second visit to Tulum where I ended up spending most of my money on diving I have a few tips on how to do Tulum on a budget. Sort of at least…
My Best Tips to Visit Tulum on a budget
First, you’ve got to set your expectations: even Tulum on a budget will mean forking out a lot more than you may for other parts of Mexico, not even mentioning trips to Southeast Asia.
During my most recent visit in December 2025, I noticed a lot of construction and empty buildings, and there weren’t many tourists around. I do think the constant price increase in Tulum is partly to blame – prices have really gotten out of hand. But whether this will reflect in a price reduction in the future is to be seen.
For now, here are some of my best tips on how to do Tulum on a budget.
TIPS FOR A QUICK TRIP TO TULUM
- Buy an Airalo eSIM and get 12% off with code MBE or by using this link
- Book a transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum
Where to stay in Tulum
- Kan Tulum – Cool boutique hotel in the middle of the jungle
- Les Suites Calle 2 by Galian – Lovely, modern studios in town at a great price
- Alquimia Boutique Hotel – Cute & inexpensive hotel at Tulum Playa with their own beach club
Foodie activities in Tulum
The best season to experience Tulum on a budget
Without checking the weather forecast I arrived in Tulum during the low season at the end of October. September is the height of hurricane season while October is usually the rainiest month. The high season in Tulum is from December to April and obviously, this is when prices skyrocket. You should also avoid major holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, and Spring Break in the US. The second time I went in May which was already a lot better, and while there was a lot of seaweed on the beach the lower prices made up for it.
While I got caught in the rain a few times, I got lucky overall. Check beforehand as a few businesses close during the rainy months and make sure to pack a rain poncho. If you decide to go to Tulum during off or shoulder season: low prices and more space in the beach clubs are a big plus especially if you want to do Tulum on a budget.
Note: I did notice that some prices, both for beach clubs and accommodation in Tulum already increase by the beginning of November so keep that in mind when booking your holiday. Check rates for a few days earlier and you might be able to save quite a bit!
Where to stay in Tulum on a budget
Cheap hotels in Tulum? Tricky, but if you are looking for the best places to stay in Tulum on a budget, you should look for accommodation in town. It is quite tricky to find anything on the beach under $100 a night especially if you are not traveling in the off-season. Most Tulum budget beach accommodations will also be not directly on the beach but on the other side of the road in the Zona Hotelera.
Alquemia Boutique Hotel
On my last visit though, I stayed at Alquemia Boutique Hotel. It had similar prices and is honestly one of the best options if you want to visit Tulum on a budget and stay right on the beach. Their cheapest rooms are small but cute containers with a semi-open-air bathroom. They are tiny but have great aircon and the best part: Alquimia has a huge pool and their very own beach club which you can of course use for free as a guest.
It wasn’t super fancy and I didn’t love the food but I was just so happy to have beach access for this price. They only start serving coffee at 9 am though but there is Matcha Mama around the corner and Onda Pizza for a great happy hour and of course pizza.
There is also Tulumunchies, a food truck area, right across the street. To be honest, though, I didn’t eat there as I had read bad reviews regarding their tipping policy. Still, I guess it is one of the most affordable options on the beach.
- > Book a room at Alquimia: Booking
If you wanted to go even cheaper you will have to book a bed in a dorm at Selina. The property is lovely and while I think their prices for a bed are crazy, you will be right by the ocean.
For proper cheap hotels in Tulum, Mexico you have to stay in town. Here you will find a lot more hostels, inexpensive guesthouses, or self-catering apartments.
Casa Toloc Tulum & Les Suites Calle 2
I have stayed at both, Casa Toloc Tulum and Les Suites Calle 2, which I can equally recommend. Both had a small kitchen and were well kept with great aircon, wifi, and comfy beds. The staff was also really nice and both places to the north of the main road felt very safe.
UJO
I recently stayed at UJO in a residential area on the other side of Tulum’s main road. It was such nice setup, affordable, and comfortable. You can choose between regular rooms and bigger spaces with a full kitchen and lounge area. They also have a decent size pool on the rooftop and you can rent bicycles to get around.
Airbnb in Tulum
Of course, there are also Airbnbs in Tulum, though they are not necessarily cheaper. That said, if you are traveling with a group or a family, or just want more privacy, it might be a good choice.
I recently stayed at NAMUS, a newly opened property in La Veleta, Tulum. The area is more residential and relaxed, making it a perfect option if you are on a budget and want it a bit quieter. The house has two bedrooms/ bathrooms, two plunge pools, and a big kitchen lounge – if you are sharing with four people, it is a proper steal.
They have a few houses on the same property, so if your dates don’t work out for one, check the others for availability.
- > Book NAMUS: Airbnb
In general, you should make sure to read reviews before booking as some places close to the main road can get quite a bit of noise from adjacent bars and traffic.
Wherever you book, be aware that prices can change quickly depending on the season and demand. You will also need to budget a bit extra for taxes that are added on top of the nightly rate.
Eating & drinking on a budget in Tulum
Eating and drinking in Tulum on a budget is very possible – in town only though! At local taquerias, you will get a taco for $1 and a beer for $1,50. If you prefer seafood and cocktails, you can usually get a bowl of fresh ceviche for a around $13 and a local cocktail for $8 each. If you want to drink even cheaper – most stores will sell local beer for $1!
If you are staying at Tulum beach you will need to pay a lot more. Cocktails will set you back $10-15 and a beer at least $7. I ate at a few different beach clubs and restaurants and found that most charged about $20 for a dish with three tacos. Keep in mind that many places still add tax and a service charge that may or may not be optional to their menu prices. When in doubt, ask before you order. In general a tip of 15-20 % is appropriate in Tulum.
For those who want to save a bit, there are luckily a few stores along the beach. I ended up getting my coffee as well as a breakfast sandwich or fruit from the GoMart next to my accommodation (coffee was $1,50 and a big sandwich with nice ham and cheese was $4,50). If you are looking for cheap alcohol in Tulum beach you will need to buy your beer at a store or head to La Europea where I found nice bottles of white wine for really cheap.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to drink tap water in Mexico so you should take a reusable water bottle and check with your hotel if they have a water filter so you can fill it up on the go. If that is not an option you can buy big bottles of water (yes, also sparkling!) for cheap at a store. If you do end up heading to a beach club – more about those below – stick with beer as that tends to be less expensive than water. Make it make sense…
And I guess that should go without saying but do avoid imported snacks like Reese’s – I was in for a bad surprise when I bought a big pack at the gas station without checking the prices before.
Visiting Tulum Playa on a budget
Tulum is known for its beautiful stretch of beaches including powder-white sand, turquoise ocean, and palm trees. If it is non-seaweed season the beaches are beautiful and worth a visit especially if you only have 3 days in Tulum.
While beaches are technically public in Mexico, access to get to them is often not thanks to the Zona Hotelera. Over the last decades, a myriad of hotels and beach clubs have popped up on Tulum’s shores and basically barricaded the ocean access to all those who don’t have a few hundred dollars to fork out per night.
Luckily there are a few ways around it if you are visiting Tulum on a budget and want to play in the waves. First of all, there are some stretches of “public” beaches that are still accessible to everyone. One is Playa Punta Piedra and another one is Playa Paraíso further north by the Tulum Ruins. At Paraíso you can rent a sun lounger and umbrella and eat at their beach club but this is strictly optional, beach access is free. When you visit Punta Piedra you will have to bring your own lounger and snacks.
Chances are you may want to visit one of the infamous Tulum beach clubs on your trip, it seems a rite of passage. Unfortunately, most of these beach clubs come with a steep minimum consumption rule – easily $100 and more per person! And while this will usually get you a lounger, a towel, sometimes pool access, and a dedicated waiter to bring you food and drinks it is still a whole lot of money just to hang out at the beach for a few hours.
Definitely inquire beforehand how much a beach club costs and what their minimum consumption is. I found that most of the hotel websites are not very forthcoming with this information, and prices may change depending on the season.
Cheap beach clubs in Tulum are a bit of an oxymoron. But I confirmed that Lula next to Zebra, currently has no minimum consumption and Ikal offers a day pass from Thursdays to Sundays for $50. This includes access to their wellness facilities, a sunbed, access to beach facilities, and a meal at their MAIA restaurant.
Alternatively, you can go to most beach restaurants for lunch and pay for what you consume. However, while this will get you into the door, it usually won’t get you on a beach bed.
Things to do in Tulum on a budget
The best things in life are free? Well, Tulum might disagree with this sentiment. Luckily there are a few things you can do even if you are in Tulum on a budget.
First up there are the Tulum Ruins, the Tulum Archaeological Zone. If you are going without a guide you will need to pay approximately $20 for the various park permits (+ an extra fee to use your camera). Considering that lines are always long, it might be worth it to pay for a “skip the line” ticket with a guide.
An absolute must in Tulum is the visit of a cenote. Cenotes are natural sinkholes, which are often connected by an underground cave and tunnel system. They are a favorite for scuba diving in Tulum as well as snorkeling and swimming. Most cenotes are privately owned and thus charge an entrance fee. Some have facilities like bathrooms, a restaurant, and areas to chill while others are mere holes in the ground. Depending on which cenote you want to visit you will need to pay up to $25 (the Gran Cenote is Tulum’s most popular and also most expensive one) to get in for snorkeling or swimming. Some will charge extra for the use of cameras and snorkeling gear.
My favorite? Aktun-Ha, also called Carwash and Casa Cenote where you can say hello to Pancho, a friendly crocodile.
If you don’t have a scooter or a rental car, I recommend you book yourself a cenote tour to visit a few in one go.
Getting to & around Tulum on a budget
How to get to Tulum if you are on a budget? Unless you are traveling with a few people and can share the price for a private transfer you should take the ADO bus from Tulum airport, Cancun airport or Playa del Carmen. You can either book your ticket directly at the station or online.
A ticket from the airport starts at $10 and from Playa $6-8, depending on whether you travel by first or second-class bus. To be honest, there is not much difference except that you will get an assigned seat on the first-class bus. The ADO station is right in the middle of Tulum Pueblo, alternatively, some busses will take you to the Tulum Archaeological Zone.
The new Tulum airport is lovely, though it doesn’t significantly shorten your travel time or the costs. Also, chances are you may have to pay extra for a connecting flight, as there are currently only direct international connections to Tulum from New York, Miami, and Atlanta, as well as Montreal and Calgary.
I came from Mexico City, a domestic flight that was part of my round-trip booking from Germany, booked with Lufthansa Premium Economy. I was still charged extra for my luggage. Just something to keep in mind when putting your budget together for Tulum.
Taxis are incredibly expensive everywhere in the area. They are infamous for their prices and unfortunately have little competition from Apps like Grab or Uber that would force them to adjust their fares. To go from Tulum Pueblo to Tulum Playa I had to pay $25 and returning cost me $20 (though I was told that they usually charge more for the return trip). I have also heard that some taxis will charge $70 to take you back to town if you are looking for a ride late at night. This was in 2022. When I returned in May 2024 the regular price rate to go from Tulum town to the beach zone had gone up to 600 pesos (approximately $32).
Luckily I found Wili through my hotel, a lovely taxi driver who has a cat as his WhatsApp picture and who only charged me 350 pesos. He is very nice and very punctual, and I would love to send him as much work as I can. If you are in Tulum and would like Wili’s number, follow me on Instagram and send me a DM. He also only charges 1000 pesos ($50) to pick you up from Tulum airport – this price is unheard of!
Your best option to get around in Tulum if you are on a budget is to walk or rent a bicycle. Bikes are approximately $8 per day while a scooter will set you back around $60. If you are traveling with your family or planning a lot of excursions it might be worth it to get a rental car to get around.
If you are looking to visit the beach try to either share a taxi with others or a bike. Mind you, it is about 6,5 km to the beach and the road is not the greatest. Alternatively, you can take a Colectivo to get around cheaply. These are shared minivans that are usually used by locals and are insanely cheap. To be honest, I have not tried it myself as I am usually traveling with quite a bit of luggage and the Colectivos don’t offer much space. But if you don’t have a lot to carry and can speak some Spanish this is by far the best option to get around in Tulum on a budget.
Any tips on how to get around Tulum on a budget?
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