Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which earn me a small commission from bookings at no extra cost to you. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
Are you thinking about where to live in Mexico as a digital nomad? Did you hear that Tulum was a good choice? If so, then you’re in the same boat as me when I was looking for a place to call home in Mexico.
When we moved to the Riviera Maya, I researched the cost of living in Tulum, wondering what prices were like and how much it would cost to live there short term.
Expats and digital nomads in Tulum can have vastly different budgets, which makes it hard to know how much you’ll need to budget for.
So, how much does it cost to REALLY live in Tulum?
Although I touched on this topic in my Digital Nomad Guide to Tulum, I wanted to do an in-depth breakdown of how much it costs to actually live here (1-3 months+). Is it expensive or affordable? Let’s find out!
How Much It Really Costs to Live in Tulum Mexico
In this guide, you’ll discover how much it costs to live temporarily in Tulum, Mexico.
I’ve divvied this post into sections so you can learn about the average cost of housing in Tulum, restaurants and going out, activities, transportation, grocery shopping, and anything else that has to do with living in Tulum.
Cost of Renting an Apartment or Studio in Tulum
From luxury to local, the cost of renting an apartment in Tulum can vary greatly.
On the less expensive side, you can get a furnished one-bedroom apartment or studio in Tulum Town for around $500-600 USD. We found a lovely little studio in the Colonia Hurucanes neighborhood, close to much of Tulum’s street art scene.
On the upper end of the scale, you can have a fully equipped 1-2 bedroom apartment in one of the designated “expat neighborhoods” like La Veleta for $1000-2000+ USD per month.
How Much Should You Pay/Negotiate?
While you can try to negotiate the price for a monthly, long-term deal, most housing prices are fixed.
This is simply because there is a high demand for housing in Tulum — if you don’t take the offer, someone else will.
This is also part of the problem. Unfortunately, gringos who can afford $2000+ monthly rentals are coming to Tulum in droves.
The consequence?
It’s pushing the local population out of Tulum into neighboring communities that are currently unspoiled by tourists (such as Muyil to the south or Chemuyil to the north), as they can no longer afford to live in Tulum’s vicinity.
When finding housing in communities like Tulum, which are often negatively impacted due to over-tourism, consider opting for more local accommodation options over nicely packaged apartment complexes owned by giant corporations.
You may be asking then, “But, Bri — how do I find local housing in Tulum?”
My recommendation:
- Search on local Tulum Facebook groups — Post your listing in Spanish first, then English, and state the low end of your budget (if you state the maximum, you’ll only receive offers with the maximum or above). Use Deepl for translations if you need it.
- Search for quaint studios/apartments in Tulum Town on Airbnb and reach out for a monthly deal — This is how we found our cute little studio in Tulum Town that was owned by a lady from Mexico City.
Where you live in Tulum will also greatly impact the average rental expense. That’s why, if you are on a budget, you should look for housing in the town.
Expat (read “gringo”) neighborhoods, such as the up-and-coming La Veleta neighborhood and the Aldea Zama neighborhood, are targeted toward foreigners and are therefore much more expensive.
Is It Safe to Live in Tulum? Where Should You Stay?
Many people coming to live in Tulum are Mexico first-timers who haven’t spent much time in the country.
If that’s you, then safety will be a top concern when first moving here. I get it!
Moving to Mexico as a digital nomad can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. The media, which often portrays Mexico in a bad light, doesn’t help.
In general, as a nomad who has lived in Mexico on and off for three years, Mexico feels pretty safe. Unfortunately for Tulum, that status is currently changing.
Overtourism in Tulum is leading to irresponsible tourism — including foreigners buying drugs off the street — which is attracting low-lying drug cartels who fight over territory.
As a result, crime rates are increasing. Sadly, this has led to several incidents of shootouts in Tulum (as well as petty theft, robbery, and even a rape case).
No matter where you live — in Mexico, the US, Europe, and beyond — always stay with a friend, never walk alone, don’t stay out after dark, don’t flaunt your valuables, remain aware of your surroundings, and avoid areas of town with a bad reputation.
Is Eating Out Expensive in Tulum?
Are restaurants expensive in Tulum? Yes and no. The answer depends on where you go.
Typically, eating out is much cheaper in Tulum Centro than in Tulum’s Hotel Zone by the beaches.
Click here to read my guide to the best restaurants in Tulum, most of which are budget-friendly!
For a quick overview, here’s what you can expect price-wise when eating out in Tulum (estimates are per person):
- Cup of coffee: $2–4 USD or $60–90 MXN
- Cocktail: $5–10 USD or $100–200 MXN
- Breakfast in a cute cafe: $6–12 USD or $140–250 MXN
- Lunch in a restaurant in Tulum Centro: $6–15 USD or $140–350 MXN
- Lunch in Tulum’s hotel zone: $15-25 USD or $250-500+MXN
- Street food: $1–5 USD / $20–100 MXN
- Dinner in Tulum Centro: $10-20+ USD or $200–400 MXN
- Dinner in Tulum’s hotel zone: $25–50+ USD or $500-950+ MXN
My favorite places to eat are in Tulum Pueblo, also known as downtown! There are lots of delicious vegetarian and vegan cafes, as well as airy outdoor cafes and restaurants to go to for lunch or dinner.
How Much to Budget for Tulum Activities
As for things to do in Tulum, how much do they cost?
Here are a few examples of what you can expect to pay when doing some of Tulum’s top activities.
Cost of Tulum Cenotes
The best cenotes in Tulum typically come with a steep entry cost! Here are a few examples:
- Gran Cenote — $500 MXN
- Dos Ojos — $350 MXN
There are a few others that are more “off the beaten track” that are less expensive to enter!
For example:
- Cenotes Escondio y Cristal — $300 MXN for both
- Cenote Carwash — $300 MXN
- Cenote Calavera — $250 MXN
- Casa Cenote — $150 MXN
- 3 Cenotes near Coba Ruins — $100 MXN ea.
Cost of Tulum Ruins
You can’t go to Tulum without visiting its well-preserved Tulum Ruins overlooking the Caribbean!
- Cost of Tulum Ruins: $95 MXN.
There are also the Coba Mayan Ruins, located in the jungle about 40 minutes away, which are often visited as a day trip from Tulum.
- Cost to enter Coba Ruins: $65 MXN.
Lastly, if you want to explore all the ruins around Tulum, head to Muyil, just south of the town (about 20 minutes driving), to discover the Muyil Ruins and go on a fun lagoon float in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.
- Cost to visit Muyil Ruins: $75 MXN.
Tulum’s Beach Clubs
One of the most FAQs I get about Tulum is, “How much do the beach clubs cost in Tulum?” To that, I say $$$$.
You’re essentially paying for access to a private beach and lounge chairs, but it comes at a cost.
The cheapest beach club is Ziggy’s, which costs $50-100 per person. This doesn’t include the cost of food, which you’re required to purchase.
The more expensive and luxurious beach clubs — such as Papaya Playa Project or Habitas — have a minimum spend of around $100-$150 per person.
How Much Is Transportation in Tulum?
Getting Around on Foot
Getting Around on Foot
Thankfully, if you live in Tulum Pueblo, getting around on foot is pretty easy.
The distance to walk from downtown to the beaches or cenotes is a bit too far. For that, you’re better off renting a bike, scooter, or taking a taxi.
Bikes
Depending on how long you intend to live in Tulum, you might want to consider buying a bicycle to get around. In our opinion, it’s the best option for exploring Tulum.
Rentals cost around $200 MXN (about $12 USD) per day, so renting a bike in Tulum may get expensive if you stay one month or more. Some bike shops do offer discounts, depending on how long you’re renting the bike for.
Our apartment complex came equipped with two bikes we could use, which is how we got around Tulum. There are new bikes for purchase in the Súper Akí Tulum supermarket in town for around $2500–3000 MXN pesos (about $125-150 USD). Used bikes can be found on Facebook Marketplace.
Scooters
You won’t be able to buy a scooter as a foreigner in Mexico.
You can rent a scooter in Tulum and drive it legally with your US Driver’s License or international license if you’re coming from Europe. We rented scooters a few different weekends to explore a bit further around Tulum and to get to or from the cenotes more quickly.
The average cost to rent a scooter is about $500-$600 MXN (about $30-$35 USD) pesos per day.
Bus/Public Transportation
Public transportation in Tulum is fairly reliable and cheap. You won’t really find mini-vans (called colectivos) that run between Tulum Pueblo and the beach strip, but you will find them making pick-ups/drop-offs between Tulum and neighboring communities.
That said, you can take a colectivo to get from Tulum to Akumal Beach, from Tulum to Lagoon Kaan Luum, from Tulum to Muyil Ruins, and other nearby destinations in the Riviera Maya.
Taxis
Taxis in Tulum are extremely expensive. What’s worse, you run the risk of getting stuck in traffic. If you want to live in Tulum, getting around on foot or bike is ideal for keeping your transportation costs low.
Keep in mind that both Uber and Lyft don’t operate in Tulum.
Average Prices for Groceries & Shopping
Local Markets
As usual, shopping at local markets in any destination is the cheapest option. You can often buy veggies and fruit in bulk for half the price.
As a couple, we typically spent $50 per week on fruit and veggie hauls from the local market.
Supermarkets
Chedraui and Super Aki are the two main supermarkets in Tulum. They’ll have shelf staples and all the frozen and commercial foods you could need.
The prices are about what you’d find in any Wal-Mart — not super expensive like an organic niche store, but much more expensive than the local veg/fruit markets in town.
If you live in Tulum and shop each week at Chedraui, expect to pay up to $100 per couple on groceries.
Cost of Coworking Spaces & Coffee Shops
Last but not least, if you are a digital nomad or remote worker, you’ll no doubt be on the hunt for some decent co-working spaces or coffee shops where you can work.
Coworking spaces in Tulum have fairly expensive pricing plans, but they’re worth it for fast WiFi and the community feel.
The Digital Jungle coworking space has packages that start out at $400 MXN (about $24 USD) for a Single Day Pass and $1,500 MXN (about $90 USD) for a Week Pass.
When it comes to coffee shops with WiFi in Tulum, there aren’t that many. Starbucks was always our safe haven when the internet at home wasn’t working well.
Aside from those options, Ki’Bok (a bit loud), Babel, or Vintage Cafe Tulum in Aldea Zama are other places you might want to check out.
Total Monthly Cost to Live in Tulum Mexico
After adding everything up, the average cost to live in Tulum can range from $1,500 up to $2,500 a month and beyond, depending on your housing situation and lifestyle.
Paul and I managed to live in Tulum for roughly $1300–1500 USD per month, including accommodation ($550 USD), eating out—lots—($250 USD), activities ($100 USD), transport ($0-10 USD), groceries ($400 USD), and odds and ends such as our telephone data plan ($20 USD) and water refills ($15 USD).
I hope this guide helps you get a better idea of how much it costs to live in Tulum for a couple of months!
Consider that our spending won’t be the same as yours and that Paul and I like to travel minimally/on a budget within reason. (We do spend more on experiences and eating out because that’s just what we love to do!)
If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to reach out or drop a comment below. x
Read next: 10 Essential Tulum Tips: What to Know Before Visiting Tulum
Like it? Pin it, and share it with a friend!
This has been very helpful. Thank you.