Is Tulum Expensive? (Local Guide)

Tulum is a major tourist destination for those coming to Mexico.

When you are flying into Mexico, you are already going to be calculating the costs of coming to this part of the world. This includes finding good Mexican coffee shops, great fast food in Mexico, and buying a quality taco in Mexico.

Tulum is a beautiful town along the Caribbean coast and is a joy to behold for those who are coming for the first time.

We recommend booking a hotel here and just spending a few days in Tulum. You are going to have a great time and it’s not going to be as expensive as you think it is.

The goal is to find a good deal.

As long as you do this, you are going to end up having a lot of fun.

Getting To Tulum From The Airport

You are not going to land in Tulum.

You are going to land at the Cancun Airport, which means it’s essential to account for the initial transportation cost of getting from the airport to Tulum safely.

If that is the case, you are going to have to factor in the type of transportation you are taking. The first option is going to be a bus from the Cancun Airport to Tulum. This is going to cost around $10 to get to the heart of Tulum.

It’s important to note this can change depending on the time of year and day.

Another option is going to be to hire a taxi to take you to Tulum.

This is going to be pricier as it is going to cost around $125 for the trip. If you want to save a bit of money, you are more than welcome to share the ride. This can cut the cost in half.

The last option is going to be to book a car rental at the Cancun Airport. This is going to allow you to drive to Tulum, which is going to take just a little over two hours. Some people are willing to do this and others are not.

In general, this is going to cost around $100 to get the rental and then you are going to be paying for fuel too.

We find this to only be a useful option when you are looking to drive around Tulum throughout the trip. Otherwise, the daily rental cost is going to add up.

Is Tulum Expensive?

When you are in Tulum, you are going to want to get a better read of the expenses.

In general, it is going to be affordable.

We do not find Tulum to be an expensive place to visit even when compared to other parts of the world. It is a smaller town, so at certain times, you are going to end up paying slightly more than you would in Cancun.

However, you are going to have options available to save money on your accommodations. It simply comes down to where you want to stay in Tulum.

When we were looking to stay in Tulum, we were focused on our accommodations more than anything else.

For the most part, it was not too expensive as we decided to find an apartment that was further out from the beach. If you get closer to the beach, you are going to end up paying a lot more. We have even heard of people paying around $350 per day for a stay at one of the beachfront hotels.

For those who are staying at a further apartment in Tulum, you are going to end up paying around $75 per night.

As you can tell, this leads to major savings as long as you are not passionate about being close to the beach.

As for the beaches, you are not going to be paying a lot.

The beaches are free to visit, so you are going to just have to find a spot on the sand and you will be good to go. Please note that this is just going to be you and the water, You are not going to have the other facilities that come with the private beaches.

When we went to Tulum, we found a private beach club, which made us pay $100 per person. This was worth it at the time.

Since we are always looking to do touristy things around town, we wanted to do the same in Tulum. We started looking at the various local attractions and realized it was going to come out to be around $10 per person at these major attractions.

One of those major attractions was the cenote, which was breathtaking to look at.

Food In Tulum

We know you are going to have one eye on what you are eating in Tulum.

Is food expensive in Tulum?

This is going to depend on where you are going to eat. If you are eating at one of the local markets, you should be able to get a decent meal for around $15. This includes all types of street food along with drinks.

If you go to a more premium eatery, you are going to be paying a lot more.

We have seen prices go up to $50 per person during our trip.

How To Save Money In Tulum

Let’s assume you want to travel to Tulum cheaply.

If so, you are going to want to set a budget right away.

The first thing we will look to do is set aside money for accommodations. You are going to need to have at least $50 per day for two people. You are also going to need at least $10 for the bus ride from the airport to your location in Tulum.

We would also recommend setting aside $100 for food during a week in Tulum.

The last requirement is going to be around $100 for the beach clubs.

This should help set a strong foundation for your time in Tulum.

A person who is willing to spend more is going to want to save up to $100 per day for a hotel room. You are then going to want to increase the amount spent on food to around $300 per week and also make sure you are going to the premier beach clubs for $300.

Final Thoughts

Is Tulum expensive?

Tulum is not an expensive place to visit as long as you are budgeting. You need to prepare for the transportation within Tulum, accommodations, and your visits to the major attractions. This includes the local beach clubs.

If you do this, you are going to be good to go.