Living in Riviera Maya

In this ancient land, where the majestic turquoise caribbean sea meets white, cool soft sand beaches, you will also meet the warm and welcoming hospitality of the Maya people. Here you can dive amazing reefs, snorkel and see wondrous sea life, tour ancient archeological sites or while away the hours doing nothing in a hammock. The Riviera Maya also offers scenic walkways lined with shops, silver, arts and crafts, and an endless number of delicious seafood restaurants. Other places of interest along the Riviera Maya are Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres.

Tulum

Tulum offers the perfect combination of total relaxation, tranquility and seclusion, yet you can fill your day with so many interesting and rich activities you will never be bored. The town of Tulum, which is the Mayan word for "wall" or "fence," is famed for its important archaelogical site which has become a popular tourist destination in Mexico. The Maya ruins in Tulum are the third-most visited archaelogical site in the nation after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. The site lies 2 kilometers from the actual town or pueblo, which according to 2005 census figures has 10,000 inhabitants and around 40 small hotels. Tulum is the complete opposite of the glitzy, mega-hotel resort of Cancun. It attracts the more adventurous traveler and bohemian types especially considering that services there are limited and electricity in the "hotel zone" is either non-existent or is generated on site.

Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos is located at the main entrance of the Riviera Maya at only 15 minutes (18 km / 11 miles) south of the Cancun International Airport, down the coast of the state of Quintana Roo. Puerto Morelos is the perfect contrast between the glamourous five-star Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Its low-key people and interesting sites offer unique activities tailored to small groups.

Xcaret

Xcaret used to be a lagoon hidden in the jungle, but developers changed all that in 1992 by making it into a type of Mayan theme park. Although Xcaret is advertised like a water park, the dry land attractions are actually more interesting.

Puerto Aventuras

Puerto Aventuras is a world class residential community resort located in the heart of the Mexican Caribbean. Here you will find a magical blend of lush tropical beauty with an easygoing yet sophisticated life style. The development includes three major protected bays and an inlet all covered by powder-white sand. The main beach area is in the central part of the resort on Fatima Bay with over 1.5 miles of beach front beginning at condominium Chac Hal-al and ending at Grand Peninsula. 

Cost of Living

Based on a U.S. dollar exchange rate of 11.00 pesos, the cost of living in Riviera Maya for an expat varies from US$6,783 or 74,613 pesos (high-end salary) to US$2,870 or 31,570 pesos (low-end salary) a month. These figures are based on expenditure on housing, food, education, transportation, clothing, recreation, health, furniture, appliances and personal use. The average rent in Riviera Maya is around US$610 a month or 6,700 pesos.

A big feature of living in Mexico is that domestic help is relatively cheap compared to countries in the Western world. In Riviera Maya, it's common to pay around US$25 to a person (usually a lady) who will come and clean your apartment, iron clothes and, if you're willing to pay a bit extra, do some cooking as well.

In Riviera Maya your biggest expense will be electricity. If you run the AC on a regular basis, you can expect to pay US$200-500 every two months. (Its billed every two months). Long distance is very pricey, but there are all sorts of ways to make overseas calls without using Telmex (call back services, VoIP, etc.). Water is incredibly inexpensive. Look to pay around 60 pesos for two months. That's about US$4.

Return to top