Mexico travel guide: trip costs, safety and exchange rates

November to April are the best months across most of the country, dry and sunny from the highlands to both coasts. June to September is the rainy season, mostly afternoon storms, and hurricanes are most likely from August to October on the Caribbean and in September and October on the Pacific. April and May bring the worst heat to Yucatán.

Population

130,900,000 INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography) · 2025 Intercensal Survey

International visitors

21,322,357 (2025) +4.0% YoY Unidad de Política Migratoria (SEGOB), Boletín Estadístico, Cuadro 1.4: entries of foreigners by air, by country of residence, excluding foreigners resident in Mexico. Counts entries, not people, and leaves out land arrivals and cruise passengers. · Last updated: 2026

Annual visitors per resident

0.16× Annual international visitors divided by the population

Currency

Mexican Peso (MXN)

Language

Spanish. English is common in Cancún, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta hotels and restaurants, much less so elsewhere.

Tap water

Not safe to drink

Time zone

GMT-6 in Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta, GMT-5 in Cancún and the rest of Quintana Roo, GMT-7 in Los Cabos. No daylight saving time except in border cities.

Power plug

Type A / B, 127V

Dialing code

+52

Driving side

Right

Tipping

Expected: 10 to 15% in sit-down restaurants, small change for baggage help, and a few pesos for gas station attendants and supermarket baggers.

Internet

Fast 4G and 5G in the cities and along the main highways, patchy in the mountains and on rural roads. Fiber Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and cafes in the big cities.

Emergency

911 (Police, ambulance and fire), 078 (Ángeles Verdes roadside and tourist assistance), 089 (anonymous crime report)

• Hurricane season on both coasts

  Aug to Oct · peaks in Sep

  The Atlantic season runs June to November and hits the Caribbean coast hardest from August to October. On the Pacific, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos are most at risk in September and October. A direct hit is rare in any one year, but a storm passing offshore still brings days of rain, closed ports and canceled flights. Cancún is also at its wettest in October.

  Go here instead:

  • Portugal The Algarve is dry and warm in September and October.

• Semana Santa and the Christmas holidays

  Mar or Apr · late Dec to early Jan

  Semana Santa (Holy Week) moves with Easter and falls in March or April, and with the Christmas and New Year weeks it is when Mexican families head to the beach. Resort prices peak, first-class buses and domestic flights sell out, and Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and the Caribbean beaches fill up. Mexico City empties out and is pleasant to visit.

• Spring heat in Yucatán

  Apr to May

  Before the rains arrive, Mérida reaches about 36°C (97°F) most afternoons and the ruins at Uxmal and Chichén Itzá have little shade. Sightseeing is only comfortable early in the morning. Mexico City is warm and dry then, but hot, still days can bring ozone alerts and driving restrictions.

Visa type

No visa needed for US, UK, Canadian, Australian and EU passports. You get a visitor's permit (FMM) on arrival.

Length of stay

Up to 180 days, but the immigration officer decides how many and writes the number on your entry stamp or digital FMM. In 2026 many travelers report getting 30 days or less, so check the number before you leave the desk.

Extension

Not possible. A tourist permit cannot be extended or renewed inside Mexico; to stay longer you leave and come back, or apply for residency at a Mexican consulate abroad.

Passport validity

Valid for your whole stay.

Onward ticket

Officers can ask for a return or onward ticket, proof of where you are staying and proof of funds, and often give fewer days to people who cannot show them.

Tourist tax

The non-resident fee (DNR) is MXN 983 in 2026 and is normally included in your airfare. Quintana Roo (Cancún, Tulum, Playa del Carmen) adds its own VISITAX of about MXN 290, paid online before you fly home.

Eligible nationalities

US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, all EU countries and most of Latin America enter visa-free as tourists.

Entry process

Immigration and entry process

At most big airports the paper tourist card is gone: immigration records your entry digitally, and some airports have e-gates for adults. Arriving by land, you fill in the digital FMM online.

The officer can ask about your plans, return flight and hotel, and then sets the days you get. If you use an e-gate, keep the printed ticket for departure. You can download proof of entry and your permitted stay from the INM (National Migration Institute) website. Overstaying means a fine when you leave.

Source: UK Foreign Office: Mexico entry requirements

• From Mexico City International (MEX)

  Inside the city, about 5 km east of the Centro and 30 to 60 minutes from Roma and Condesa

  Most long-haul flights land at Benito Juárez, which has two terminals linked by a free airport train. Buy a prepaid taxi at an official booth inside the terminal or take the Metrobús. Uber and DiDi drivers cannot pick up inside the airport zone, so app rides start from marked bays outside it.

  • Metrobús Line 4 to the Centro: about 45 min, MXN 30, paid with the rechargeable Mobility Integrated card (Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada) sold at the stop
  • Metro Line 5 from Terminal Aérea station next to Terminal 1: MXN 5, crowded at rush hour and awkward with luggage
  • Authorized airport taxi, prepaid at the booth: about MXN 350 to 450 to the Centro, Roma or Condesa
  • Uber or DiDi from the pickup bays outside the airport zone: usually well under half the taxi fare

• From Cancún International (CUN)

  About 20 km south of downtown Cancún and the gateway to the whole Caribbean coast

  Mexico's busiest airport for foreign visitors. ADO buses leave from outside Terminals 2, 3 and 4 for downtown Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. There is no public bus to the Hotel Zone, so most people take a taxi or a pre-booked shuttle. The Tren Maya station is a short free shuttle ride from the terminals.

  • ADO bus to downtown Cancún: about 45 min, about MXN 135
  • ADO bus to Playa del Carmen: about 1 hr 30 min, about MXN 250; to Tulum about 2 hr 45 min, about MXN 425
  • Tren Maya from Cancún Aeropuerto station to Playa del Carmen: MXN 232 at the foreigner fare
  • Taxi or private shuttle to the Hotel Zone: about USD 30 to 45 per vehicle, booked at the airport or ahead

• From Puerto Vallarta International (PVR)

  On the north edge of town, 15 to 30 minutes from the Centro and the Zona Romántica

  Taxis inside the terminal are federal airport taxis with fixed zone prices. Cross the pedestrian bridge over the highway and city taxis and Uber cost much less. Local buses into town stop on the same highway.

  • Airport taxi, prepaid by zone: about MXN 450 to 600 to the Zona Romántica
  • City taxi or Uber from across the pedestrian bridge: about MXN 220 to 300 to the Centro or Zona Romántica
  • Local bus along the highway into town: a few pesos, cash only

• From Guadalajara International (GDL)

  About 20 km south of central Guadalajara, with direct flights from the US

  Guadalajara is Mexico's third-busiest airport and the usual way into Jalisco and Lake Chapala. Ride-hailing cars cannot enter the terminal area: order your Uber, DiDi or inDrive, then take the free electric shuttle to the app pickup lot.

  • Uber, DiDi or inDrive from the app lot, reached by a free shuttle that runs around the clock
  • Authorized airport taxi, prepaid at the booth inside arrivals

Cards work in hotels, chains and most restaurants in the cities. Carry pesos for markets, street food, buses and small towns, and always pay in pesos, not your home currency.

• Cards in the cities, cash everywhere else

  Visa and Mastercard are taken in hotels, supermarkets, OXXO convenience stores and most restaurants in the big cities. Markets, street stalls, colectivos (shared minibuses) and many small-town restaurants are cash only, and small shops often cannot break a MXN 500 note.

• Pick the ATM by its fee

  The screen shows the bank's fee before you confirm, and it varies a lot: from about MXN 35 at Santander to nearly MXN 200 at BBVA, plus whatever your own bank charges. Use machines inside bank branches or shopping malls rather than standalone ones on the street.

• Always pay in pesos

  Card terminals and ATMs often offer to charge you in your home currency. Decline and choose pesos (MXN): the home-currency option uses a worse exchange rate. Prices shown with a $ sign are pesos unless they say USD.

• Top up and pay bills at OXXO

  OXXO convenience stores, on almost every corner, sell phone top-ups and take cash for many bills and online orders. Paying cash for a bus ticket or an online purchase at OXXO is common.

• Tourist VAT refund exists but is unreliable

  Foreign visitors leaving by air or sea can claim back the 16% VAT on purchases of MXN 1,200 or more per store, paid by card, with the store's official electronic invoice (CFDI). Few shops take part and refunds are often slow, so do not count on it.

Best option for most travelers: an eSIM you set up before you arrive. You'll be online the moment you land, with no airport line and no tourist pricing.

Prefer a local SIM?

4G and 5G cover the cities, the resorts and the main highways. Coverage drops in the mountains and on long rural roads. Every mobile line in Mexico, including a tourist's, must now be registered to its owner: foreigners link the line to their passport in a carrier store or online, and an unregistered line is cut off except for emergency calls. Prices below are for prepaid plans and change often.

• Telcel

  Largest network

  Telcel has the widest coverage, especially outside the cities, and its prepaid Amigo Sin Límite plans include calls and social media use in Mexico, the US and Canada. Buy a SIM at a Telcel store, where staff can also register it to your passport.

  30 days, 3.5 GB: MXN 200

• AT&T

  Second-largest network

  AT&T gives more data for the money than Telcel and works well in the cities and resorts. Coverage thins out faster in the countryside.

  30 days, 18 GB: about MXN 300

• Bait

  Cheapest data

  Walmart's mobile brand, sold at Walmart and Bodega Aurrera stores. Good value for a month in a city; weaker outside urban areas.

  30 days, 12 GB: MXN 200

Planning & moving around

• How long should I spend in Mexico?

  A week covers Mexico City and a side trip to Puebla or Teotihuacan, or the Caribbean coast from Cancún to Tulum. With two weeks, add Oaxaca or a loop through Mérida and the Yucatán's ruins and cenotes (natural sinkhole pools). Distances are long, so fly between regions rather than taking buses.

• How long can I stay in Mexico as a tourist?

  Up to 180 days, but the immigration officer decides and writes the number on your entry record. Many travelers now get 30 days or less. Bring a return ticket and your hotel booking, and check the days you were given before you leave the desk. Tourist permits cannot be extended inside Mexico.

• What are the most used ride-hailing apps in Mexico?

  Uber and DiDi work in every big city and are the usual way to get around Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. inDrive, where you name a price and drivers accept or counter, is also common. Airports restrict pickups: in Mexico City and Guadalajara you walk or take a shuttle to a separate app pickup area, and in Cancún and Los Cabos licensed taxis and shuttles do most of the work.

• Where should I stay in Mexico City?

  Roma Norte and Condesa for leafy streets, cafes and walking, Polanco for upscale hotels near Chapultepec Park, and the Centro Histórico for museums and the cathedral, though it is quiet at night. Coyoacán is greener and calmer but farther from everything else.

Safety & medical

• Is Mexico safe for travelers?

  It depends on the state. Mexico City, Yucatán, Oaxaca City, San Miguel de Allende and the main beach resorts see little crime aimed at tourists, and millions of visitors go every year without trouble. The violence in the news is concentrated in states such as Sinaloa, Guerrero, Michoacán and Tamaulipas, which the US rates Do Not Travel. Use ride-hailing apps or taxi ranks rather than hailing cabs on the street, and watch your drink in nightlife areas.

• What numbers do I call in an emergency in Mexico?

  Dial 911 for the police, an ambulance or the fire service. It works from any phone. On the highways, call 078 for the Ángeles Verdes (Green Angels), the government's free roadside assistance trucks, which also help tourists. To report a crime anonymously, call 089.

Money & costs

• Do you tip in Mexico?

  Yes. Leave 10 to 15% in sit-down restaurants, and check the bill first, since some tourist restaurants add a service charge. Give a few pesos to gas station attendants, supermarket baggers and hotel porters. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip.

• Is Mexico expensive?

  It costs much less than the US or Canada for food, buses and mid-range hotels, and less again away from the coast. The exceptions are Cancún's Hotel Zone, Tulum and Los Cabos, where resort hotels charge close to what they would in the US. The Costs in Mexico section on this page lists each price with its source.

• Is Mexico a good place to retire?

  Many North Americans retire here. Retirees usually apply for temporary residence at a Mexican consulate before they travel. Each consulate sets its own income test, which is typically around USD 4,000 to 4,500 a month in pension income, or a savings balance of about USD 70,000 or more held for a year. After four years as a temporary resident you can apply for permanent residence. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, though under the US treaty US Social Security is taxed only by the US. Private hospitals in the big cities are good and cost far less than in the US; public care through IMSS is cheap but slow.

Culture & etiquette

• Do I need to speak Spanish?

  Not in Cancún, Los Cabos or the big hotels, where staff speak English. Elsewhere, a few phrases go a long way, and taxi drivers, market vendors and small restaurants rarely speak English. A translation app covers the gaps.

Families & kids

• Is Mexico good for kids?

  Yes. Families are welcome in restaurants late into the evening, and the beaches, cenotes and pyramids hold children's attention. Watch for strong sun, uneven sidewalks that make strollers hard work, and rough surf on some Pacific beaches.