Mexico is a great destination for budget travelling, as long as you avoid the areas devoted to mass tourism, such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

The food and drink is cheap, although if you don’t love tacos and burritos it might cost you a little more to munch. Accommodation is also reasonably priced, but value for money deals will be more difficult to find online than Asia, so get ready to look around once you get to your destination.

 

Visas

Being from the EU / Schengen states, we didn’t need a Visa to visit Mexico. Citizens from Japan, the US and Canada do not require a Visa either.

The countries that require a Visa to travel to Mexico can be found on this list. 

 

Accommodation

We found that we were still able to afford hotels in Mexico (as opposed to dorms), and therefore stayed in double rooms.
Here’s a breakdown of our costs:

€17 (a night) for a double room in Puerto Escondido with a fan and private bathroom.
€23 (a night) for a cabin in Palenque with a private bathroom
€16 (a night) for a double room in San Cristóbal de las Casas (no fan required, as temperatures are cooler here)
€21 (a night) for a double room in Campeche

€15 (a night) for a double room with air con in Mexico City

* Staying near Playa Principal instead of near Playa Zicatela will be more economical, as there is less foreign tourism on this side. You can still walk to Playa Zicatela, but of course, if your main aim is to go surfing, you'll probably want to pay a little more to catch the first waves.

 

Food and Drink

 

Breakfast in beach towns such as Puerto Escondido costs approximately 50 pesos for a “set breakfast”, which means pancakes (called “hotcakes” in Mexico) or eggs as well as fruit or yoghurt and coffee. If you care about your coffee, it’s worth checking if they have a coffee machine, as you’re likely to get weak, instant coffee if you don’t.

 

For lunch and dinner, the street food, or even small restaurants with chairs and tables on the street are the cheapest places to eat.

You can get a burrito for around 35 Mexican pesos (less than €2) or 5 tacos for 10 pesos (less than 60 cents), depending on how daring you’re feeling!

 

Non-Mexican food obviously costs more, but it is generally of a good standard. You can usually get pizzas and both chicken or beef burgers that are of a decent standard if you get fed up of tacos. We also saw a lot of Italian restaurants and there were some very good ones. Portion sizes are sometimes big enough for two people, so check before you order if you’re not a big eater.

 

Mexicans are used to tourists being “afraid” of spicy food, so you don’t need to worry if you don’t want something that will burn your mouth off. The chilli sauces usually come separately, and they almost always ask you if you want it before putting it in your food. If you do want spicy food, of course they will not hesitate to add all the spice you’ll regret the next day!

 

The beer in Mexico, which goes hand in hand with tacos, is cheap. In a restaurant or bar, regular beers such as Indio and even Sol cost around 20 pesos (€1.20) for a bottle, while Corona tends to be slightly more expensive and costs around 25 pesos (€1.50). This will of course vary depending on the area you’re in, and the type of bar or restaurant.

 

Excursions

A lot of the attractions around Mexico, such as the many lagoons (natural swimming pools) are almost free, with a very, very small charge requested at the entrance (the real cost  is the transport that will get you to them).
The Mayan ruins are probably the most costly excursion. We paid around 75 pesos for the entrance to the national park in Palenque, and managed to find another couple interested in an official guided tour, costing us around 10€ each after some negotiating. Try and team up with other foreigners if you’re not travelling in a group, as a guide will make the ruins far more interesting, but can seem expensive if you’re re on a budget.

 

Transport

Buses are the main way to get around Mexico, as there is no railway connecting the states to one another. The big buses have seatbelts and seats that recline to 45º intended for you to sleep. The seats with the most legroom are those immediately behind the driver, however they are likely to play loud music to keep himself awake all night, so don’t expect to get much sleep!

 

When passing through borders of certain states, it’s advisable to go during the day, as the night buses are more likely to get stopped and robbed while you’re asleep. Always keep your valuables on you, and don’t leave your bag in the overhead storage while you’re asleep, just to be on the safe side.

 

Buses range from around 970 pesos (€55) to 1250 pesos (€71) depending on where we were going. The company we travelled with the most was ADO, which was a clean, air conditioned bus that felt quite safe. Public buses within a city are also a good way to get around; they usually cost around 7 pesos.

Taxis can be caught on the street, recognised by their gold and maroon colour. although it’s better to go to a taxi rank for safety. If you’re travelling alone you might want to play it extra safe by asking your hotel to call one. When you arrive at the airport in Mexico City, you should go to the pre-paid booths and book one before leaving the airport.

 

Money makes the world go round

US dollars can be used to pay for hotels, even though the official currency is Mexican Pesos (MXN). Sometimes this may work in your favour if you happen to have USD, as hotels often quote their prices in USD and give you a not so favourable currency conversion rate when you go to pay in MXN. The best thing to do is always ask the hotel to agree a price with you in pesos.
 

So how much?!
Visas: €0 (European citizens. See link at top of page to see if a Visa is necessary for your country).
Accommodation: €18 a night (per person) see more detailed breakdown and accommodation section above.
Food and drink: €8 a day (including the occasional beer).
Transport: €142 per person in total for 26 days of local transport and 4 overnight bus journeys.