Why You Need Cash in Mexico

I usually bring some local currency when traveling outside the country. However, I prefer to use credit cards for everything (hello, points!), so I try to bring the minimum amount of cash I might need. This is easy in countries with stronger economies and other infrastructure (like internet). I knew I probably needed more cash than normal for Mexico, but struggled to figure out how much I might need in advance of my trip. Read on to find out how much cash you might need in Mexico.

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Yes! You Need Cash in Mexico

When I travel abroad, I usually only bring enough local currency in case I need to pay cash for a hotel, some fuel, and some food. I want to be sure we can eat, get to our next destination, and sleep somewhere if we end up somewhere that does not take credit cards or in the case of internet or power outages that prevent credit card payment. I plan to use credit cards for everything else. Depending on the destination, I bring the equivalent of about $300 USD in foreign currency.

Mexico is a different case. You need cash in Mexico for everyday travel expenses and be prepared to stop at the ATM before heading to your next destination.

We were aware that we would need more cash in Mexico than we were used to carrying. However, we did not anticipate just how much more cash we would need. I felt like one of our hobbies was looking for ATMs. Every time I thought I had enough cash to get us to our next destination, we were almost out of cash again and again. We stopped at five ATMs on our 10-day trip!

We even needed cash at businesses that accepted credit cards. There was a gas station in Tulum where the credit card machine weren’t working. And, the restaurant at our hotel in Uxmal had an internet outage during breakfast, which meant we had to pay cash for breakfast. Fortunately, we had prepaid the hotel room and the internet worked the night before at dinner.

I also did not anticipate the number of cash-only entrance fees we would pay to see the ruins. We visited several ruins on the Ruta Puuc where I had no idea what the entrance fees would be until we showed up.

How Much Money Should You Bring to Mexico?

I added up how much cash I took from ATMs and how much I converted before our trip. Overall, we needed about US $100 for each day for my group of three in Mexico who did a road trip from Cancun. Most of our cash went to entrance fees, but we also had to pay for at least two meals and one tank of gas with cash.

If you are staying in Cancun, you will need less cash overall. You will need some cash for tips in Cancun, but you should be able to use your credit cards for most of your other expenses in Cancun.

If I were doing this trip again, I would have converted more cash in the US beforehand — probably $500 USD. We would still need ATMs but we could have stopped less and also got more money out of the ATM on each stop.

How to Keep Your Money Safe in Mexico

A backpack secured with stainless steel cables and travel locks to a table — Stainless Steel Cables and Travel Locks Can Help Keep Your Valuables Secure

To keep your money safe, be sure to spread your cash out among your group and your luggage. We each carry a suitcase, a backpack, and a wallet. Our money is never all in one place.

If your hotel has a safe, then you can keep your money there when you leave for the day.

If your hotel does not have a safe, you can lock your bag with valuables to something that can be picked up and moved from your room, like the bathroom plumbing. You can use stainless steel cables and travel locks for security. Be sure to keep your money in a place in your bag that you can secure with the cables before locking the bag to something secure in your room. You could also bring a travel safe with you for your hotel or even in your car. You should lock the travel safe to something secure.

✅Read more about how to stay safe in Mexico by clicking here!

Where to Get Foreign Currency

The Airport

The airport kiosks will typically have the worst exchange rates and highest fees to exchange money. I avoid using airport kiosks if at all possible.

An ATM

If you are already outside the country and need cash, then use an ATM. Be sure to check with your bank about ATM fees. I use a bank which does not charge ATM fees to access other ATMs (you may still have fees from the bank whose ATM you are using). Some banks may have a network of ATMs you can use without any fees at all. Make sure to check how widespread ATMs are in your destination before depending fully on using ATMs as a source of cash.

Your Bank or Credit Union

You can also order foreign currency from your bank or credit union before departure. This is what I do and, in my experience, you get your money quickly. Here’s what the process looks like at my bank:

Go to the nearest branch (some banks may allow you to order foreign currency online)
Place your order
Wait for their phone call (in my experience, they call within 1-2 business days)
Go back to the bank to pick up your foreign currency (some banks will ship the money to you at no cost or for a fee)
After you return, take any leftover foreign currency back to the bank to exchange it back to US dollars

You Need Cash in Mexico

Yes, you do need to convert some dollars to pesos before going to Mexico. You should also be prepared to use the ATM in Mexico so you can get more cash on your journey. Plan to take about $100 USD per day for a group of three and adjust based on the size of your group and your plan (i.e., road trip vs. staying put in Cancun).