How Much Does a Mid-Budget, Five Day Trip To Mexico Cost?

There’s this big misconception that you have to be wealthy to travel. And it couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are plenty of amazing destinations out there, where you can have an incredible vacation without breaking the bank.

Last month I took a five-day trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico with a group of eight friends. We had an incredible, fun-filled time, enjoying our days by the beach and in the sun. We ate amazing meals and took fun day excursions. Overall, we managed to have a fantastic time without spending an insane amount of money.

Check out my past blog post here, on the Top 10 Ultimate Experiences for Your First Time in Playa del Carmen.

In this post, I’m going to break down our spending day by day. You’ll be able to see each purchase and get a general idea of a budget for a similar trip that maybe you’re trying to plan. I’m hoping this post will help you get a better idea of budgeting and help you see that you too can go on an amazing trip without spending out of your means. Since there was a large group of us, I’m going to show prices as a total and then per person. Obviously, with more people to split prices, things come out a little cheaper. However, with smaller groups, you usually won’t have as steep restaurant bills and can find less expensive accommodations. Okay, let’s get started!

Pre-Arriving Details:

There were just a few things we needed to pay for leading up to the trip. This included our flight, our accommodation, and a day excursion which needed to be booked in advance. Obviously, flights are going to vary according to where you’re flying from, your destination, and the time of year. I suggest checking Hopper and Google Flights to get the best prices and figure out the best time to purchase your flight.

As far as our accommodation, we choose to stay at an Airbnb instead of a resort or hotel. The place we chose was extraordinary! We had our own private pool, full kitchen, six bedrooms, beautiful outdoor space, a three-minute walk to the beach, and we were in a very safe gated community. I’m sure there were less expensive options. However, we were willing to spend the extra money on all of the amenities.

Lastly, we took an amazing private yacht tour on our fourth day in Mexico. As I said, we had to book this in advance and it was nice having this cost already covered once we arrived.

Purchase Breakdown:

• Flight- $562.94
• Airbnb- $3,765.73/ $418.41 per person
• 4 Hour private yacht tour- $1,304/ $163 per person

Total: $1,144.35

Thursday:

We all arrived at the airport around 2 pm and had a shuttle pre-scheduled to pick us up. I would 100% recommend pre-scheduling a transfer ride, as airports can be a little hectic, and there are tons of people waiting around to seek out unprepared travelers that they can scam.

Our driver was really wonderful and agreed to make a pit stop for us at a local Walmart where we did a big food and alcohol run. We bought enough food to make breakfast, have plenty of snacks, a few lunches, and dinner for that evening. Along with this, we got a couple of hands of tequila and plenty of beer. By doing this we saved tons of money on eating out and drinking out at every meal.

We didn’t arrive at our Airbnb until after dark. After picking out our rooms and getting settled in, we popped open some beers, and got started on dinner. For dinner we made chicken tacos and had chips and salsa. It was really nice not having to go out the second we got there, and instead, had a fun night in, which also saved some money.

Purchase Breakdown:

• Shuttle from the airport- $120/ $15 per person
• Groceries- $255.46/ $31.93  per person

Total: $46.93

Friday:

Friday morning we woke up in paradise! The weather was beautiful and we couldn’t wait to start exploring the area. After making breakfast we decided to enjoy the pool in our backyard for a while. Shortly after we moved on to the beach. The beach was only a few minutes walking distance from where we were staying and there was no cost to enjoy it. 

Eventually, a little rainstorm rolled in so we headed back home to relax, eat some lunch, shower, and get ready for dinner.

We walked to dinner that evening, which was at Alux Restaurant. This place is a must-visit if you’re visiting Playa del Carmen. Located, in a natural cave, this restaurant offers up an extremely unique dining experience. This was by far one of the most expensive purchases of our trip, as this place isn’t cheap. But we went all out! With cocktails, bottles of wine, appetizers, amazing main courses, and desserts, it felt worth every penny.

After dinner, we walked to the party area of Playa del Carmen and had a fun night at Club Mandala where we danced and drank the night away! Entry was free, but a lot of the clubs push you to do bottle service, so we ordered a few bottles to split amongst us.

After leaving the club we grabbed some street tacos before heading back home. They were so cheap and so delicious! A perfect way to end the evening.

Purchase Breakdown:

• Dinner at Alux- $1,050/ $132 per person
• Night out at Mandala- $426.55/ $53.25 per person
• Late Night Tacos- $2.47 per taco
• Taxi Home- $5

Total: $192.72

Saturday:

I started my Saturday morning with a beautiful walk through the neighborhood. After wandering around a bit, I found myself in the heart of Playa del Carmen, where people walked along the beach and enjoyed the local food vendors and shops. I bought myself a fresh coconut, which was so refreshing and delicious. And then shortly after, discovered some incredible empanadas, which were super tasty and very cheap.

That afternoon we took a taxi to Cenote Cristalino. There is an extremely high concentration of cenotes in this area of Mexico and it’s definitely a must-do if you’re in Playa del Carmen. The entrance cost for Cenote Cristalino was under $10 and was valid all day long. 

After enjoying the crystal clear water and natural beauty of the cenote, we took a taxi to El Fogon for an early dinner. We had margaritas, nachos, and the most delicious tacos I may have ever eaten. This place was packed with locals and tourists alike, and it’s no surprise why. It was beyond delicious and super inexpensive.  

Purchase Breakdown:

• Coconut- $2
• Empanadas- $2.50
• Taxi to Cenote- $21/ $2.60 per person
• Cenote Cristalino- $9.87
• Taxi to dinner- $21/ $2.60 per person
• Dinner at El Fogon- $120/ $15 per person

Total: $32.57

Sunday:

We had an early Sunday morning with a shuttle picking us up around 8:30 am. The shuttle brought us directly to a beautiful harbor where we were kicking off our day! We spent our day on the water, on a beautiful private yacht. As I mentioned earlier, we booked and paid for this excursion ahead of time. The price included four hours on the water, snorkeling, an amazing lunch of fresh ceviche, guacamole, and chips, as well as an open bar. We had an absolute blast and loved our time on the sea.

After our boat tour, we had the shuttle drop us off in town where we got our COVID tests out of the way. This is required right now to return to the US and I’m happy to say the process was as easy as can be. The cost is $25, you’re in and out in under ten minutes and we had our results back within fifteen minutes.

Next, we headed to lunch. We decided to return to the same place we had dinner the day before because it was so good!  We enjoyed the meal just as much the second time. Afterward, we did a little souvenir shopping, bought some churros from a local stand, and then walked the beach back home to get ready for our last night out.

That night we got dinner at INTI, which is a gorgeous spot right on the beach. We sipped our cocktails with our toes in the sand and enjoyed a fire dancer performance while eating our appetizers. Everything was delicious and I honestly loved the decor just as much as I enjoyed the food. It was a perfect final meal in paradise.

Purchase Breakdown:

• Shuttle to Harbor Round Trip- $148/ $18.50
• COVID test- $25
• Lunch at El Fogon- $98/ $12.25
• Souvenir shopping- $20
• Churros- $4.45
• Dinner at INTI Beach Club- $604/ $75 per person
• Taxi Home- $4

Total: $159.20

Monday:

Monday was a bit of a sad day as got our things packed up to depart Mexico. We had the same shuttle scheduled ahead of time to pick us up and bring us to the airport. That was my only purchase for the day, which made for a very inexpensive last day of our trip.

Purchase Breakdown:

• Shuttle to the airport- $120/ $15 per person

Total: $15

Grand Total: $1,590.77

Overall, I would consider this to be a very well priced trip.There are ways we could have made this even less expensive or ways we could have made it more luxurious. But either way, this is a doable vacation and with a little hard work and self-disicple anyone could make this happen! I hope this breakdown was helpful and if you have any question or comments please feel free to leave them below. Happy travels!