How to Travel Mexico on $30 a Day
To stick to a $30 daily budget in Mexico, you must prioritize street food, use intercity buses instead of flights, and book shared dorms in hostels. Avoid tourist traps by eating where locals eat and sticking to smaller towns or authentic neighborhoods away from the beach resort zones.
- Master the bus system. Avoid domestic flights. Use ADO or OCC bus lines for long hauls. Booking 24 hours in advance at the station is cheaper than online. Overnight buses are your best friend because they save you the cost of one night's accommodation.
- Eat strictly from street stalls. Avoid 'Restaurantes Turísticos'. Breakfast on a café de olla and a tamale for $1.50. Lunch (comida corrida) is your biggest meal; look for chalkboards offering a soup, rice, main, and drink for $3 to $4. Dinner is a couple of tacos from a street stand for $2.
- Prioritize free cultural activities. Skip the expensive guided tours. Visit public plazas, colonial churches, and free museum days (usually Sundays for residents, but check specific museum websites). Use 'lucha libre' matches or local public markets for entertainment instead of ticketed attractions.
- Use public transit only. Never take a taxi. Use the Metro in CDMX or local 'colectivos' (shared vans) in smaller towns. A colectivo ride typically costs between 10 and 20 pesos ($0.60–$1.20).
- Is it safe to drink the tap water?
- No. Never drink the tap water. Use a filtered bottle or buy large jugs of purified water (garrafones) and refill your personal bottle.
- Are hostels really $12?
- In smaller cities like Oaxaca, Puebla, or San Cristóbal de las Casas, yes. In major hubs like Tulum or parts of CDMX, you will struggle to find a bed for under $20.