Fancy spending time in the beautiful Tulum and relaxing on a stunning beach in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve all on a serious budget? We spent two weeks in Tulum on a budget of $38US // £28GBP a day, for two, whilst still enjoying everything the area has to offer. Cheap living was our main aim and here’s how we did it….

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Tulum On A Budget!

Getting around

First thing is transport! Bikes are abundant in Tulum and can be rented for around 150MXN a day ($7.68US // £5.65GBP) and is the cheapest way to get yourself around. You can rent them from quite a few places located along the main strip in Tulum as well as most of the hostels having bikes too. We spent a couple of nights at – Hostel Che to get ourselves set up and sorted for our quest to find some cheap accommodation on a picture perfect beach!

Where To Stay In Tulum On A Budget?

As it was our second time in Mexico and our Tulum budget was tight we looked into camping around the area. Even though hostels are cheap camping can be that little bit cheaper & is of course is more adventurous, so right up our street!

Loaded with all our stuff and bikes we set off toward the Sian Ka’an Biosphere which is located out of Tulum toward the coastline and then south down the main road. Entering the Sian Ka’an there is an entrance fee of $25 Pesos for which you have to sign in (with your passport number) and pay. Note – you only have to pay once as if you are staying anywhere with the biosphere; keep your wristband on to leave and return whenever you like.

A few km down on the left is a place called Ultimo Maya. A great little place with a small bar, restaurant and camping located on a perfect paradise beach! Priced at 250MXN pesos a night ($12.80US £9.41GBP) for a camping spot, for the location its a bargain! It’s also well away from the hustle and bustle of Tulum, with no-one around for miles this was an idyllic spot, in our opinion the best camping spot in Tulum!

Tulum On A Budget - El Ultimo Maya Beach Club Restaurant On A Budget In Tulum - El Ultimo Maya

Spending the days watching the sunrise, listening to & swimming in the crystal clear ocean, taking a stroll along the pristine beach & lazing in hammocks reading books was perfect for us.

Our Camping Spot, El Ultimo Maya Watching the sunrise at El Ultimo Maya, Tulum Taking a walk down the beautiful coastline from Ultimo Maya in the Sian Ka'an

Where to Eat On A Budget

When staying in town, located at the end of the main strip going through Tulum on the same side of the road as the ADO bus station was our favorite local Taqueria Antojitos La Chiapaneca which we would highly, highly recommend. For a full dinner of tacos and a soft drink costing you around 166MXN pesos ($8.50US / £6.25GBP) for two, you can literally dine out every night on amazing tasty Mexican food. The perfect place if you are in Tulum on a budget.

Eating on a budget in Tulum - Tacoria Antojitos La Chiapaneca

For mixing it up and if you don’t fancy heading out everyday for food there is a great supermarket located right on the crossroads heading out of Tulum to the north. Our staple groceries where pretty much avocados, granola, fruit, veg and tortilla chips to make homemade Guacamole to last us a few days for a tasty breakfasts and lunch. Not to mention as much water as we could carry back on the bikes to see us though! Our groceries worked out at 146MXN Pesos ($7.47US // £5.50GBP) per day.

Seeing the Sights

Tulum Ruins – On our first visit to Tulum we took in a lot of the sights including the ruins, details of which can be found on one of our previous blogs posts here.

Coba – On this visit we decided to explore ancient ruins of Coba another great day trip out and can be reached by collectivo for 70MXN pesos from the center of Tulum leaving every morning. Tours can also be arranged through your hostel but if you would like to go under your own steam and for a much cheaper price a collectivo is the way to go. Entrance to Coba is 117MXN pesos.

To sum It Up

If you are looking to get the most out of your money camping was definitely the best way we found to stretch our Tulum budget as far as possible. If like us you love being in a tent and don’t mind putting a bit more effort you can really save some pennies! We achieved paradise on a budget through pretty simple living really, by spending the days enjoying exactly where we were & not over spending or bingeing on anything.

If you’re looking for accommodation when you get to Tulum and are not looking to camp there are also some really amazing hostels available on backpackers budget – check them out here.

Relaxing on one of the beaches close to Tulum Cycling into the Sian Ka'an biosphere

We hope we have given you some help about visiting Tulum on a budget! If you have any questions or more tips please let us know!

You can checkout the rest of our Mexico adventures right here.

Happy travelling!

Adam & Kelly x

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