You Need to Bring Cash to Mexico
When I travel abroad, I usually only bring enough local currency to pay 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. Mexico is a different case. You need to bring cash to Mexico for everyday travel expenses.
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 again and again. We stopped at five ATMs on our 10-day trip!
We even had problems at businesses that accepted credit cards. There was a gas station in Tulum where the credit card machine wasn’t working. (I’m pretty sure they scammed us there.) And, the restaurant at our hotel in Uxmal’s internet was down during 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 entrance fees we would pay to see the ruins that were cash only. 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 recommend taking about US $100 for each day for a group of three in Mexico if you roadtrip outside of Cancun. You will need some cash for tips in Cancun, but less cash overall if you stay there. You can order local currency from your bank before traveling to get a better exchange rate than you would get at the airport or your destination.
To be safe, be sure to spread your cash out among your group and your luggage. Before your trip, 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).
Read More About Our Cancun Road Trip
10-Day Mexico Roadtrip from Cancun
12 Must Haves for Your Trip to Cancun
5 Hotels for Your Cancun Road Trip
Staying Safe on Your Trip to Mexico
How I Flew My Family to Cancun for Free*
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4 Comments
It’s always stressful when you end up not having enough cash while traveling! such good reminders and tips in this post, thanks for sharing them!
Great advice! Few people carry much cash anymore. I usually carry enough foreign currency to cover taxis and small purchases, but not as much as it sounds like you need in Mexico.
It’s so important to have cash, especially for tour guide tips!
Such great advice! It’s always hard to know how much money to bring to another country!