Here you will find information and tips to travel to Cancun on a budget. Cancun is one of those destinations that everyone has heard about and that many people dream of visiting at least once in their lives. However, many times people have the impression that it is a place only suitable for millionaires and it seems that in order to spend a couple of days in Cancun you would have to spend a lot of money. ‘
Fortunately, this is not so true and I proved it during the 20 days I spent in the Riviera Maya. Eight of these days I stayed in Cancun (in the middle of the Hotel Zone!) and the truth is that it was not too expensive. It all depends on the type of trip to Cancun, Mexico is quite expensive for tourists.
It is true that Cancun is known as the paradise of All-inclusive hotels and open bars, which can cost you several thousand pesos a night. However, in recent times the tourism industry has become so crowded that now there are options to travel on a budget even in places like Cancun.
Here’s how I did it to travel cheaply to this spectacular destination, so you too can get to know this Mexican paradise of beautiful beaches, tasty food and colourful Mayan ruins.
How to get to Cancun?
If you are leaving from Mexico City, you can take a direct flight to Cancun International Airport, which takes approximately two hours.
If you buy this ticket in advance and with flexible dates, you are more likely to find good prices. I bought my ticket 2 months in advance and travelled in July this year (2019). It cost me 2,680 MXN [140 USD] round trip with a checked bag included. I bought it on Interjet and found it using the Skyscanner flight search engine.
Except for a delay of more than 4 hours on the outbound flight, I found the airline to be quite good. The seats are more comfortable than those of other (low cost) airlines I usually use and they provide drinks on board.
If you want to know how I got to Mexico City from Chile without spending so much, I’ll tell you in this post. Also, you should know that this airport has direct flights to and from several cities in South America, North America and Europe. So find out if it is better for you to travel direct to Cancun or make a stopover in Mexico City.
Where to stay in Cancun on a budget?
I recommend you to stay in the Hotel Zone. I think it is by far the best option, both for safety reasons and for the benefits you can get out of your visit. In fact, I recommend you not to leave this area of Cancun unless it is strictly necessary. Many hotels from Hotel Zone can be booked at https://karta.com.
The hotel zone is the sector where the hotels, tourist services and most of Cancun’s beaches are concentrated. It corresponds to a narrow strip of land between the Caribbean Sea and the Nichupté Lagoon, about 23 kilometers long.
Most of the accommodations here are very expensive and there are plenty of luxurious hotels with open bars and all-inclusive (the famous All inclusive). I, of course, did not stay in one of those places. Instead, as usual, I stayed in a hostel with a shared room at a very good price.
I stayed at the Hostal Mayapán Cancún (*sorry, it is currently out of business), which had an excellent location, in the heart of the Hotel Zone, with breakfast included and air conditioning. It only cost me around 215 MXN [11.5 USD] per night. The only thing I didn’t like about this place was that in general, it didn’t have much atmosphere, it was quite lonely and quiet (which can be a good thing depending on how you look at it).
Another alternative to stay in Cancun on a budget is the Selina Cancun Laguna. This lodging is part of a chain of hostels that I love, since, in general, they are very good value for money and have a very good atmosphere. It has single and shared rooms and features a swimming pool, shared kitchen, movie room, night club and yoga classes.
Finally, another cheap hostel I found in Cancun’s Hotel Zone is the Mayan Monkey Hostel Cancun. Besides these hostels, there are not many other cheap alternatives in this sector of Cancun.
How to get from the Airport to the Hotel Zone?
The cheapest way to make this trip is to take a bus from the airport to the Cancun Bus Terminal and then a bus to the Hotel Zone.
From the airport to the bus terminal you can take an ADO bus, which costs 90 MXN [5 USD] each way. Departures are every 15-30 minutes and you can buy the ticket directly at the airport. The trip to the terminal takes about 30 minutes. It is not very cheap, but it is the most economical option available.
This bus will drop you off at the bus terminal, which is located in the Cancun Pueblo area. The truth is that this place did not give me a very good impression, so I would recommend you to go immediately to the Hotel Zone.
To go to the Hotel Zone you have to go to the side of the terminal, to Avenida Tulum, and take the R1 bus. The fare is 12 MXN [0.6 USD].
I recommend you to take the location of your hostel saved in Google Maps so you don’t get lost and know exactly where to get off the bus.
How to get around Cancun on a budget?
The cheapest way to get around Cancun’s Hotel Zone is to use the R1 and R2 buses. Both cost 12 MXN [0.6 USD]. Inside the Hotel Zone their route is almost the same, so in this area you can use both buses indistinctly. The route only changes in Cancun Pueblo.
Another piece of information I can give you is that on these buses you will have to hold on tight to the handrails, as the drivers drive at full speed!
Where to eat in Cancun on a budget?
The truth is that in Cancun there are not too many places to eat cheaply. However, one of the few places I can recommend is the place I leave you in the map below. There you can find traditional Mexican food at (dare I say) the best prices in the Hotel Zone!
In this passage I bought an order of 4 tacos (the ones in the photo above) + 1/2 liter of aguas frescas for 90 MXN [5 USD]. This may not be too cheap compared to other places in Mexico, but for the Hotel Zone it seemed like a very good price. And the tacos were very tasty.
If you want to save more I recommend that you buy some products at the Supermercado Chedraui Selecto. It is located in the center of the Hotel Zone and in general has good prices and a great variety. Practically everything you might need during your stay in the Riviera Maya can be found there.
