Things To Do In Cancun For Under $25

If the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Cancun is luxury all-inclusive hotels, then you should know that’s not all what it’s all about. There are many things to do in Cancun apart from the staying at the hotels aligned on front of sick blue waters and white powdery beaches.

There’s even more to Cancun than spring breaks with family.

Stunning Cancun beach. Photo by Maria Globetrotter

Oh Cancun, the pearl of the Mexican Caribbean, a world class destination for people from all over the world, seeking water sports, sea turtles, scuba diving, Mayan ruins, and most of all the Caribbean sea. Cancun attracts millions of people every year from luxury lovers to happy-go-lucky backpackers. With them in mind we listed all the things to do in Cancun for under $25; are you ready?

Accommodation in Cancun

A few miles away from the famous Hotel Zone and the beaches you’ll find Cancun’s downtown area, which is a colorful and vibrant city by itself with a variety of accommodations for every budget. A bed in a shared hostel room can vary from $9 bucks a day to $15 which, doesn’t leave much room to do other things, right? Wrong! The couchsurfing community keeps growing so it is basically up to you where you want to stay for the night. Nevertheless, if you decide to stay at a $10 dorm room, you still have some nice $15 to spend.

Cancun. Photo by Rex Montalban

Transportation in Cancun

Cancun is a well communicated city overall and there are several buses that will take you to the pristine beaches of the Hotel Zone or provide Cancun Airport Transportation. A bus ride costs you 0,55 cents, in some cases these buses even have air conditioning which is very appreciated during the summer. But if you are visiting during the fall-winter months you can easily walk around downtown ore ven along Kukulkan Boulevard in the Hotel Zone and enjoy the sights of Nichupte Lagoon.

There are a few ways of getting around the nearby cities and we’ve written a more detailed guide on how to get from Cancun to Tulum, and back.

Food in Cancun

Mexican food was declared World Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010 and it is rightly so. For less than 3 bucks you can have a full order of delicious Tacos Al Pastor in the nearest street stand (just look around the corner) or the yucatecan delicacy known as Cochinita Pibil which you can have in tacos or in a torta (a good size bread bun) which wonĀ“t cost you more than $1. Another mouth watering option would be a ā€œComida Corridaā€ which is a full 3 course meal with soda or juice that can go from 3 bucks to 5 bucks. If you go with the ā€œexpensiveā€ option you still have about 8 bucks to spend!

Delicious tacos. Photo by bionicgrrrl.

Things to Do in Cancun, Mexico

Cancun has 23 miles of beaches divided in 11 public beaches with 9 access from Kukulkan Boulevard; so enjoying the scenery, the warm water and sun are free, you just have to decided if you want to be at a calm quiet beach or enjoy bigger waves basically.

El Rey Archaeological Site

Take advantage of the location and visit the Museo Maya de Cancun, the entrance fee costs less than $4, it has a nice selection of artifacts found throughout different Mayan sites as well as its own archaeological remains. Another option is to visit El Rey Archaeological Site which is right on the lagoon, the 47 structures vary in size but it is the evidence of a small city and port that communicated with other Mayan towns like Tulum or Xcaret, the entrance fee is less than 3 bucks which makes it a pretty good deal if you later want to enjoy the nearby Delfines Beach. If you have some more budget and want to have a lot more freedom of movement you can consider to rent a car in Cancun.

After a beautiful day soaking up in the sun and visiting nearby archaeological sites you probably want and deserve a cold drink, am I right? Sodas and beers will cost you between $1 to $2 depending on where you decide to sit down to have a drink. There are places with live music downtown where you can have a nice cold beer for under 3 bucks or if you just want to chill at your hostel you can easily go to the next convenient store and by yourself some drinks and treats with the remaining 8 dollars.

Visit Cancun for less than $25 a day

There’s no shortage of activities to partake in in this part of Mexico, whether you travel alone, with your friends or require something family friendly. No matter what attracts you to traveling, Cancun has it all. From culturally rich experiences to ample opportunities for relaxation to a wild night life, you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable time.

Panorama of Cancun. Photo by Dmitry Moiseenko

And just in case you decided to save money, now you know that you can make a full day in this Caribbean city for under 25 bucks Ā”Salud!

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Agness Walewinder
Agness Walewinder
Travel freak, vagabond, photography passionate, blogger, life enthusiast, backpacker, adventure hunter and endless energy couchsurfer living by the rule "Pack lite, travel far and live long!"
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28 thoughts on “Things To Do In Cancun For Under $25”

  1. My second home <3. You can do so much in Cancun for less than 25 USD. Everyone always thinks it's so expensive. A guide here in Costa Rica asked me the other day Isn't it the most expensive city in Latin America. I doubt it as food for example is so much cheaper than in all places in Costa Rica and accommodation as mentioned in your post in the downtown area are cheap as well. Just avoid the hotel zone and you're safe. See you there one day :)

  2. Usually I’m not much of a beach person, but Cancun in recent months has really been “calling to me” if you know what I mean. These are some great tips. I never would have thought someone could go there on a tight budget! Thank you!

  3. I always thought Cancun is a party and touristic place hence it’ll be specially expensive. USD2 beer? Definitely cheap compared to where I’m living now. :p

  4. Guys – great tips for traveling on a budget! I would never say that Mexico could be that cheap.

    I invite you to check out my VIDEO REPORT from my short visit in TOKYO

  5. I know of a few people who’ve been to Cancun, especially US citizens for whom it is a very popular spot. Until now I always had an impression of it being a luxury resort location. Great to read that it is a lot more accessible for lower budget travels. Such a magical beach paradise available to so many.

  6. My first time in Cancun I stayed in Hotel Zone snagging an unbealievable deal for an all-inclusive stay. The second time, a couple of years ago, we found a private studio suite inside a family friendly resort in the Puerto Juarez/Punta Sam neighborhood that cost us $40 a day and we get to hang out on the beach, cook our own food and enjoy the peace and quiet of Cancun far from all the touristy stuff.

  7. Geographically, Cancun looks so interesting!
    That thin stretch of land is so unique. There’s something slightly similar in Europe: Cadiz, Spain.

  8. I have done Cancun on a budget, not $25 cheap, but doable for everyone. We found a very nice ocean front condo suite inside a family friendly resort for $40/day where we shopped at Walmart, Costco and cooked our meals. Sometimes we’d eat at local eateries just down the road for very cheap. The lady that owned the resort condo even lowered the price for us ($400 for 12 days) and gave us tons of tips on how to do Cancun cheaply.

    Going back in a few months!

  9. Thanks for this tips!!! you are totally right one advice i can give is that if you want to party do it in your hostel because the clubs are very expensive

  10. Adam @ Round the World we go

    That first picture has us both very excited – having only recently become engaged, we are looking at outdoor weddings, and a good decent beach like that in the Cancun looks ideal! :)

  11. Cancun Prices raised up but it is still a beautiful destination in Mexico to visit! We can“t avoid high entrance fees to Chichen Itza or Cenote, but it is possible to save on accommodation, food and transport!
    Happy time in Cancun

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