Money in Mexico: taxes, ATMs, tipping
Reviewed every 30 days · updated Jul 2, 2026
Mexico is a cash-friendlier country than you’re used to, and the single most expensive mistake travelers make happens at the ATM: when the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline the conversion. Always choose pesos. The “convenience” rate skims 5–10% off every withdrawal.
If you’re flying into Quintana Roo (Cancún, Tulum, the Riviera Maya), the state charges a visitor tax — currently 271 MXN per person✓ verified Jun 20, 2026 — payable online before or during your trip. Nobody checks it at every exit, but enforcement at airports has been tightening, and it’s cheap enough that skipping it isn’t worth the airport argument.
Tipping runs on 10–15% at sit-down restaurants, 10–20 MXN for grocery baggers and gas attendants who clean your windshield, and nothing for street food unless a jar is out. Cards work fine in cities; markets, colectivos, and small-town Mexico run on cash — keep 500 MXN in small bills on you and break the big ones at OXXO.