Customs for Tipping, Money and Transportation in Mexico

Even if you are staying at an all inclusive resort, it is important to realize that tipping is customary in Mexico, so bring pesos.  It is recommended that you tip roughly 10 to 50 pesos (roughly $1 to $5 U.S.) for porters who carry your bags, and tip between 10 to 30 pesos (roughly $1 to $3 U.S.)  for your waiters at the all inclusive buffets or restaurants.  You will get better service if you tip a small amount at every meal.  The same applies for the staff who bring drinks to you at the beach.  At restaurants in Mexico, they will expect a 10 to 15% tip, but you should check to see if the tip is already included in the bill as that sometimes happens.  At your resort, if the maid did a good job keeping your room clean, you would tip roughly 200 to 500 pesos for a week.   

It takes a little while to figure out the differnet money you are dealing with. It is a good idea to have pesos for tipping and for buying small items.  Higher price items such as tours, and clothing are usually priced in U.S. dollars so you need to bring U.S. dollars for some things.  For pesos, your resort will be happy to exchange your pesos for smaller bills to help you manage.  To do quick mental math for figuring out the currency, you won't be too far out converting $1 U.S. dollar for 12 pesos or roughly 10 pesos to quickly figure this out in your head.

Another tip that we heard about, is that if you take a taxis it is a good idea to ask about the price before you get in the vehicle.  The price will be lower if you agree to what you are paying before you get into the taxi.