When I planned my backpacking trip to Mexico in 2022, I set myself a monthly budget of €800 and boy, I smashed it out of the park. I ended up spending €650 a month, totalling €3250 on my 5-month trip. If you make it to the end of this article, you’ll be able to travel Mexico on a small budget, too.
Travel is definitely not as cheap as it was a few years ago. Across the world, we’re seeing prices soar, and Mexico is no exception. It still remains an affordable country to travel in, but only if you’re travel savvy. It’s easy to drop €1000 in a two-week trip to the Yucatan Peninsula. But if you’re hoping to travel to Mexico on a shoestring budget, I’m telling you, it’s possible!
Before we jump into, lets take a look at the stats.
Free accommodations days: 112 / 155
Average per day: €21.60
Average monthly spend: €650
Most expensive destination: Holbox / Mexico City
Most affordable destination: San Cristobal de Las Casas
Mexico is a big country, and like most backpackers, I travelled as far north as Mexico City. I stayed in some destinations for a few days, while others for a month or two. Here is a concise list and days I spent in each destination:
- Cancun – landed but only spent a few hours here
- Valladolid – 3 nights
- Merida – 5 nights
- Holbox – 5 nights
- Bacalar – 3 nights
- Jose Maria Morelos – 11 nights
- Palenque – 1 night
- San Cristobal de las Casas – 50 nights
- Puerto Escondido – 44 nights
- Chacahua – 2 nights
- Mazunte – 0 nights
- Zipolite – 1 night
- San Jose del Pacifico – 2 nights
- Oaxaca – 8 nights
- Cholula – 5 nights
- Villa de Bravo – 8 nights
- Mexico City – 7 nights
Total days = 155 days
~10 ways I travelled Mexico on a small budgeT~
1. Travel slow
If you hop from place to place every few days, you’ll be shelling out a lot on buses and flights. Slowly does it.
You can get sweet accommodation deals by staying a week, a month or longer. Facebook groups are the best place to find long-term rentals. Your best bet is to type Rentals in <town> or Houses for Rent in <town>, request to join and viola, €300 a month apartment by the beach – thank you!
By staying in one place, you save money on accommodation and transport and get into a rhythm of cooking some of your own meals and getting to know the cheap local spots.
2. Focus on one area of Mexico
Zooming from place to place isn’t going to help that budget. I met people in hostels jumping from place to place every day or two with a grand plan of covering all of Mexico in three weeks.
That’s not only budget-friendly but also bloody exhausting.
Want to focus on one area of Mexico? Go for Oaxaca State. It has everything: the beach, the nightlife, the mountains, insanely good food, and incredible culture.
3. Volunteer in exchange for accommodation
Signing up to Workaway or World Packers and volunteering your way through Mexico is the BEST way to travel on a budget.
If you’re unfamiliar with the idea, both are international websites where you can search and apply for volunteer opportunities in exchange for free accommodation and sometimes meals.
In my five months in Mexico, I participated in four Workaways: an ancient corn farm in Quintana Roo, a coliving space in San Cristobal de Las Casas, a surf hostel in Puerto Escondido and a horse ranch just outside Mexico City. Every experience was unique, allowing me to develop new skills (I learnt how to use a machete!) and connect with locals and other travellers seeking cool opportunities.
My longest Workaway was Co.404, a coliving in San Cristobal where I stayed for 8 weeks. This life-changing experience led me towards digital nomadism and connected me with my boyfriend. I stayed here for free in exchange for working four reception shifts and hosting one activity a week. It was the best and I still miss it.
Volunteering is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest reasons why I managed to travel Mexico on a small budget.
4. Hit the markets and cook your own meals
Just because eating out is cheap doesn’t mean cooking your meals won’t be even cheaper! And by god, it’s healthier too.
After a few weeks, I was so sick of eating tacos and craved anything green. Through cooking most of my meals in hostel kitchens/apartments, I looked forward to eating out, and it felt like a proper treat when I did rather than a chore of ‘oh, I gotta find a place to eat’.
When you’re travelling long-term, it’s definitely not sustainable to eat all your meals out. Plus, going to the markets and experimenting with local ingredients is fun. I’d say I cooked 75% of meals in the months I was in Mexico.
5. D.I.Y Tours
I get why people opt for tours as it’s often an opportunity to meet other travellers. But f***, sometimes they’re so overpriced. Especially in the Yucatan or Quintana Roo.
My advice is to take inspiration from the official tours but find a way to do it yourself by renting a car with your hostel friends or going via public transport. This way, you’ll save yourself some precious pesos.
6. Get to know the locals | mexicans are so hospitable
On our Workaway at the horse ranch just outside of Mexico City, we (about 10 volunteers) were told by the host about a local football match in that anyone can participate. It was right in the sticks – middle of nowhere.
Walking home from the football match, we walked past a house where a family were drinking and gathered chatting on their porch. They insisted we join them, and invited us in for some mezcal. We spent the whole afternoon there drinking, eating and dancing with them.
The kindness of strangers overwhelms me sometimes, and I feel so grateful for their hospitality. Mexico has been the best country for that on my travels.
7. Don't follow the crowd
When you’re staying in a hostel and meet a group of people you really get along with, you can easily be swept up in all the fun and agree to an expensive tour or dinner plan that doesn’t fit your budget.
In the past, I’ve been caught in so many situations where I’ve gone with the majority and paid for something that wrecked my budget. Of course, some things are worth splurging for but be sure that you’re not just doing it because of the peer pressure and wanting to fit in with the people you meet.
Basically, weigh up what’s worth it. Let’s say an expensive island tour is outside your budget, suggest a beach/ snorkelling day instead, and I’m sure the people you’re with will be happy for alternative suggestions too.
After travelling for a long time, I’ve figured out what’s worth joining in on and what I’m happy to miss and find an alternative for. And I definitely applied this mentality to Mexico.
Free activities are my fav, and this leads me to the next tip.
8. Opt for free activities
Whenever I arrive at a new destination, I always check out what hikes there are to do because they’re free and always offer you a unique perspective on a place.
I’d recommend downloading All Trails, and you can find hikes and cycle trails in any area you find yourself in. If you’re in San Cristobal de Las Casas, check out my post on Don Lauro Sunrise Hike.
If you’re in a beach town, days on the beach are always free or very cheap when you take a picnic with you and don’t opt for a sunbed. Most of my time in Puerto Escondido, Holbox, and Chacahua was spent on the beach; whether it was for a morning run, a lazy beach day, playing volley, or for sunset beers, you bet your bottom dollar, I maximised that beach time.
Hot tip: Staying in a beach town for an extended period? investing in a beach umbrella is a good shout.
Save these guides for later:
- Free (or really cheap things) to do in Oaxaca City
- 15 cool and budget things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas
9. Public transport is your friend
So, colectivos are small minivans that form the basis of public transport. They are affordable, local, and you just don’t know who you’ll meet. If you’re going to local pueblos or within the city, colectivos are your best bet and will only set you back MXN 10.
If you’re going on a long journey, opt for ADO, also known as the tourist bus, as it’s a little pricier but has comfy seats, AC and is safe. If you book in advance, you can get a proper reasonable price.
10. Alcohol adds up
I won’t lecture you about how alcohol eats a large part of a travel budget…but it’s true. Wine, cocktails and spirits (except tequila!) are expensive in Mexico, while beer is cheap and will only set you back around MXN 25 (€1.20) a bottle.
So what I’m saying is, skip the spirits and drink beer. Vitoria is my favourite. Followed closely second by Corona.
That’s a round-up of how to travel Mexico on a small budget. And you know what? I didn’t miss out on anything.
Mexico is an incredible country, and by volunteering your way through, taking it slow, cooking when possible, drinking beer, taking public transport, opting for free activities and getting to know the locals…you can do it too!
As always, reach out if you need any specific advice.
