How much to tip in Mexico, and whether to use pesos or dollars

Tip in pesos, and keep the amounts small. At a restaurant, 10 to 15% is a solid tip. At an all-inclusive, bartenders and servers are happy with about 20 pesos a drink (roughly $1.50), housekeeping with 50 to 100 pesos a day ($4 to $7.50), and a bellhop with 20 to 50 pesos a bag. A guide or driver on a day excursion usually gets 150 to 200 pesos a person ($11 to $15). Taxi drivers don't expect a tip. Tips in Mexico are customary, not required, and these amounts sit at the modest end of what travel guides report.

A peso is worth about 7.5 cents, so 100 pesos is about $7.50.

What is a propina, and do you have to pay it?

Propina (pro-PEE-na) is the Spanish word for a tip. Mexico's consumer protection agency, PROFECO, is clear that it's voluntary: in a May 2026 notice it says no business can demand a tip or set an amount, and that a tip added to your bill without your agreement breaks consumer rules. Its page for visitors puts it plainly, "Tips are NOT mandatory," and says you only owe the price that's displayed.

In practice, that means two things. Check your bill before you pay, because a line called propina or cargo por servicio (service charge) that you didn't agree to is worth asking about. If it's there and you're happy with the service, you can leave less on top, or nothing. And if a restaurant insists, PROFECO takes complaints by phone at 800 468 8722. Keep your receipt, because you'll need it.

Who to tip, and how much

Guides disagree a little and practice varies by region, so these are modest, middle-of-the-road figures:

Leave housekeeping money every day, not on your last morning. Different people clean your room on different days, and a tip in an envelope on the final day reaches only one of them. Put a note on it that says gracias so it's clear the cash is for the cleaner.

Tipping at an all-inclusive

The drinks, buffet and room are paid for, so tipping is a thank-you rather than a bill. Some resorts include gratuities in the rate and some ask guests not to tip, so ask at check-in. If tipping is welcome, the bartender who remembers your order and the server at the à la carte dinner are the people to thank. Twenty pesos for a drink, or a 100 peso note for a good dinner for two, is plenty.

A week at an all-inclusive, for a couple, adds up less than you'd expect. Housekeeping at 100 pesos a night for seven nights is 700 pesos, four bags carried on arrival and departure at 30 pesos each is 240, six drinks a day at 20 pesos for a week is 840, three à la carte dinners at about 300 pesos each is 900, and one excursion for two at 200 pesos each is 400. The total is 3,080 pesos, about $230. Plan on 3,000 to 4,000 pesos and you'll be fine.

Pesos or US dollars?

Pesos, nearly every time. Mexican travel writers say a tip in US or Canadian dollars won't be more appreciated, and the person has to exchange it, usually at a poor rate. Coins from other countries can't be exchanged at all. For a Canadian it's worse than for an American: your Canadian dollars become US dollars at a bank, then the staff member converts the US dollars into pesos, and each step takes a cut.

Skip the airport exchange counters, since a counter adds its own margin on top. These cost less:

• Use an ATM at a bank branch. Travel.gc.ca advises using ATMs in public areas or inside a bank or business, covering the keypad when you enter your PIN, and avoiding large withdrawals. Take out your pesos in a couple of rounds of 3,000 to 5,000 pesos rather than one big amount.
• Take cash out with a debit card that has low or no foreign-exchange fees. Most Canadian cards add a foreign currency conversion charge on top of the exchange rate every time you pay or withdraw abroad, so a card without one saves you that cut. A cash advance on a credit card is worse: the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says the fee is typically higher abroad than at home, and interest starts from day one. Check your card agreement for the exact fees before you leave.
• Say no to paying in Canadian dollars. If the ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in CAD instead of pesos, choose pesos. Your own bank already converts the money, and the machine's offer adds a second conversion at its own rate.

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Carry small notes

Keep a pocket of small notes for tipping. Ask for 20, 50 and 100 peso notes when you take out cash, or break a large note at a supermarket or pharmacy. Travel.gc.ca also recommends carrying small bills for taxis, where drivers may charge more than they should, so agree on the fare before you get in. Don't pay by card inside a taxi: the page warns of card fraud in street-hailed cabs.

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Pack the cash in two places and keep a few notes in a front pocket for quick tips.