Tulum vs Playa del Carmen Comparison Table

One thing I want to point out is that Tulum and Playa del Carmen are only about 40 miles from one another and just a quick 1 hour bus or car ride. So, if you’re completely torn between which place to visit, you could always stay in one and visit the other on a day trip or you could split your trip between both.

	Play del Carmen	Tulum
Vibe	Lively, well developed, small city with laid back beach vibes. Can be a bit touristy.	Small beach town with bohemian jungle vibes. Can be a bit pretentious.
Size	Population of approx. 300,000 people.	Population of approx. 47,000 people.
Cost	Affordable	Expensive
Beaches	Accessible via walking as city is right on the beach, clean, crystal clear blue waters, can get crowded	Stunning picturesque beaches but less accessible as Tulum town is approx. 3 mi. from the beach, clean, crystal clear blue waters, less crowded
Dining	Wide array of cuisine options from cheap and local to expensive fine dining.	More focus on “American/European” food which tends to be overpriced but good. Less cheap local options.
Nightlife	Vibrant nightlife with bars, dive bars, beach clubs, night clubs; things are open late.	Vibrant nightlife, music festivals, jungle parties, bars, beach clubs, and a couple night clubs.
Activities	Easily accessible day trips and scuba diving options.	Easily accessible day trips and scuba diving options.
Accommodation	Wide array of options including hostels, hotels, resort, Airbnbs at all price points.	Mostly small boutique hotels or Airbnbs and quite expensive.
Walkability	Very walkable and city is laid out well.	Town is walkable but beach is a 3 mile walk away.
Transportation	Loads of options, taxis, buses, colectivos, bikes, has multiple ADO bus terminals. Plenty of parking if you have a car.	Mainly bikes, some taxis, has an ADO bus terminal. Limited parking if you have a car.
Safety	Low crime, good police presence, mainly just petty crime to look out for such as theft.	Low crime, good police presence, mainly just petty crime to look out for such as theft.
Working Remotely	Great internet, strong expat community, many co-working options available.	Internet not always reliable, strong expat community, fewer co-working options available.

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Tulum vs Playa del Carmen Pros and Cons

Playa del Carmen Pros

• Affordable: Playa del Carmen is a well developed city which means there’s loads of choice and prices are more competitive and affordable.
• Lively nightlife: You’ll always be able to find the party in Playa del Carmen! There are tons of options open at all hours of the day and night.
• Accessible beach: The city is built right on the beach which makes it super accessible.
• Tons of Accommodation Options: Since Playa del Carmen is so well developed, that means there are loads of accommodation options at all price points to choose from.

Playa del Carmen Cons

• Can be touristy: Being well developed and easily accessible means there will be more tourists. However, most tourists congregate around 5th Ave, so if you get off the beaten path, it’s fine.
• Beaches can be crowded: Since the entire city is built right on the beach, that means its can get crowded. However, if you know where to look, you can find the local less crowded beaches (see below).

Tulum Pros

• Stunning incredible beaches: Arguably the best thing about Tulum is the beach scene. There are quite a few to choose from and they’re all incredibly beautiful, spacious, and clean.
• Cenotes: Tulum has one of the largest concentrations of cenotes in Mexico which makes this one of the best places for exploring including swimming and even scuba diving in them (check out this other post I wrote about the Cenotes of Homún, the hidden gems of the Yucatán).
• Music Festivals: If you love a rave in the jungle, this is the place! Tulum attracts some of the biggest DJ’s in the world and hosts some incredible music festivals.
• Wellness: There’s a big focus on wellness culture in Tulum so if you’re looking for yoga, meditation retreats, or just somewhere to unwind in the jungle, this is it.

Tulum Cons

• Less accessible beach: Not only are the beaches 3 miles from the main town, but quite a few of them are blocked by hotels and beach clubs. My top tips for finding and accessing the best beaches are below.
• Expensive: Tulum isn’t a very big place which means there’s less choice and competition which drives the prices up. It also attracts quite a few tourists who are willing to just fork over the money so that doesn’t really help.
• Can be Pretentious: Tulum tends to attract the worst type of tourist who is only going for the Instagram photo and could care less about experiencing Mexican culture. Of course this doesn’t apply to everyone who visits.

Detailed Guide of Tulum vs Playa del Carmen

Before I dive into the details to help you decide between Tulum or Playa del Carmen, here are all of the websites and apps I would recommend to help you plan your next trip:

And if you’re looking for a shortcut and want to grab all of my recommendations for Playa del Carmen (even some not mentioned in this guide) just download my Playa del Carmen Google Map Guide.

Getting There

Getting to Playa del Carmen: It’s very easy to get to Playa del Carmen. If you’re flying into Cancun airport, just get the ADO bus which takes around 1.5 hours and costs $255 Mexican pesos (around $13). I use the Busbud app to buy my ADO bus tickets in Mexico so I’m not stuck waiting in line. You can also rent a car and drive, it’s about 1 hour via car.

Getting to Tulum: Tulum is also very easy to get to as it now has it’s own airport. But if you’re flying into Cancun airport, just get the ADO bus which takes around 2.5 hours and costs $430 Mexican pesos (around $22). I use the Busbud app to buy my ADO bus tickets in Mexico so I’m not stuck waiting in line. You can also rent a car and drive, it’s about 2 hours via car.

Cost: Tulum Vs Playa del Carmen

To get straight to the point, Playa del Carmen is much cheaper than Tulum. But why, you might be asking? Well, Playa del Carmen is a well developed city with a population of approximately 300,000 people while Tulum is only a fraction of the size at around 47,000 people. That means there’s much more choice and competition in Playa del Carmen for things like restaurants, hotels, bars, etc. and with more competition comes lower prices. If you’re budget conscious and look hard enough, you can find good deals in Tulum, you just won’t have as much choice.

Beaches: Tulum Vs Playa del Carmen

Best Playa del Carmen Beaches

The thing I LOVE about Playa del Carmen is how it’s built right along the beach which means it’s very easy to access from anywhere in the city. If you try to head to the beach in the center and south side of town, you’ll find that most of the space is taken up by hotels which leaves little space for the public to enjoy, but I’ll let you in on a little secret….

My favorite beach in Playa del Carmen is one you can’t find on the map, well, sort of. I got this recommendation from a local who told me to go to Playa Cisne, but when I searched on the map, it was nowhere to be found. I’m not sure why Google doesn’t pick up on this, but it’s essentially called Playa Coco on the map and is a public beach with no hotels taking up all the space!

To get there just head down C. Flamingos past Calle 48 through The Reef Coco Beach Hotel. Once you get to the end of the parking lot, you’ll see a walkway on your right with the Playa Cisne sign. You can also enter the beach anywhere in town and just walk until you get to the Coco Beach section.

Best Tulum Beaches

Easily the biggest draw for Tulum is how amazing the beaches are. However, the downside is 3 miles from the coast so if you want quick access to the beaches, you would need to stay in one of the beach hotels which are insanely EXPENSIVE!

The other downside is that quite a big chunk of the Southern beaches in Tulum are blocked by fancy hotels claiming you need to pay an expensive cover charge to access them. But here’s a little secret they don’t want you to know, all beaches in Mexico are public and blocking access is illegal. Now whether or not you’re brave enough to play it cool and just walk in and past the front desk to avoid the back and forth argument, is up to you. I personally would just avoid and head to the Northern beaches.

To get to the Northern Beaches, take the main road out of the town center. When you reach the roundabout turn left. You’ll see a barrier, but don’t worry just go around, it’s a public road. Here’s a list of the best Northern Beaches in Tulum

Dining: Tulum Vs Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen definitely has more options than Tulum when it comes to dining (especially the local cheaper options) however, you can find great food in both.

Playa del Carmen Food Recommendations

Here are just a few of my Playa del Carmen restaurant suggestions, if you want the full list along with my favourite accommodation and activities, you can find them in my Playa del Carmen Google Map Guide.

Tulum Food Recommendations

If you’re looking for the local more affordable restaurants, you’ll find those in town. The restaurants on the beach are quite expensive.

Nightlife: Tulum vs Playa del Carmen

Tulum is most popular for its music festival and beach club scene. If you’ve ever seen the videos floating around on social media of the robot trying to free itself from the glass dome, that’s the famous “Afterlife” festival which is held in Tulum every year. Partying at the festivals or the beach clubs is expensive, so if you’re looking for something cheaper and more laid back, your best bet is to stay in town and head to the bars, however, the options there are limited.

Playa del Carmen is much more laid back and has a wide variety of nightlife options including beach clubs, dive bars, clubs and normal bars which are open at all hours of the day and night. Most places are also very easy to walk to or just a quick cab ride away. One of the most famous places to go out is on 5th avenue, however, it can be touristy and expensive so I would recommend going elsewhere.

Things to do

Both Tulum and Playa del Carmen have great beaches so in this section, I’ll focus on things to do outside of lounging in the sun all day.

As mentioned previously, Tulum and Playa del Carmen are only about 40 miles from one another and just a quick 1 hour bus or car ride. So, if you’re completely torn between which place to visit, you could always stay in one and visit the other on a day trip or you could split your week between both.

One activity you should definitely do from either Tulum or Playa del Carmen is a day trip to explore Chichen-Itza.

Here’s a list of activities Tulum and Playa del Carmen have to offer:

Thing to do in Tulum

• Explore the Mayan Ruins: Tulum also has some very cool Mayan ruins right next to the beach which are very easy to get to. It’s just a quick 10 min taxi from town and should cost about $5-6 each way.
• Explore the Cenotes: Tulum has some of the best cenotes in the world. I highly recommend booking a cenote scuba diving trip and diving Dos Ojos with Agua Clara diving or you can book a cenote tour and go snorkelling and swimming.

Things to do in Playa del Carmen

• Dive with Bull Sharks: The diving is incredible in Playa del Carmen as it’s close to one of the best reef systems in the world. This is also one of the best places to dive with bull sharks. I would highly recommend only diving with shops who don’t feed the sharks. I booked with Dune Mexico and they were great!

• Island Hopping: There are multiple islands near Playa del Carmen where you can book a day trip to explore. The island of Cozumel is a quick 45 min ferry from Playa del Carmen and here you’ll find some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling in the entire world (book your ferry ticket here). The same goes for the island of Isla Mujeres which is just a quick 30 min. ferry ride from Cancun. Isla Mujeres is also home to Playa Norte, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen so I would highly recommend booking a snorkelling day tour to check it out.

Accommodation

Playa del Carmen has SO many more options than Tulum when it comes to accommodation and is much more affordable especially if you’re looking to stay near the beach. For instance, I rented a studio apartment in Playa del Carmen with a gym, rooftop pool, front desk reception, and only 2 min walk to the beach for only $50/night. In Tulum, this would cost you at least $150/night. If you’re looking for affordable options in Tulum, you’ll need to stay in town.

Here area few accommodation recommendations based on where I’ve stayed when visiting Playa del Carmen and Tulum. You can find my full list of recommendation in my Playa del Carmen Google Map Guide.

Where to stay in Playa del Carmen

The Boat

A well serviced new build apartment complex only 5 minutes walk from the beach. Has a rooftop pool, gym, and front desk and is walking distance from load of bars and restaurants.

Hotel 52

A nice affordable hotel only a few minutes walk to the beach.

Where to stay in Tulum

Casa Colonial

A cute and affordable hotel in Tulum town. Walking distance to all of the restaurants and bars.

Walkability and Getting Around

Playa del Carmen: Playa del Carmen is very walkable and this is the easiest way to get around but if you’re going a fair distance, there are plenty of taxis around to flag down. Just be aware taxis have set rates and the drivers should have a chart showing what the prices are to get from one area of town to another.

Playa del Carmen also has what’s called colectivos. I was never brave enough to try one because my Spanish isn’t great but basically it’s a shared van that goes to set destinations. To get off you have to yell out “bajan” which means I want to get off the bus. You can tell where the colectivo is going as it will be written in white paint on the top corner of the windshield.

Tulum: Tulum town is very walkable, but if you want to get to the beach, biking is by far the most popular option. This is because there’s only one road to and from the beach and if you take a taxi, you could be stuck in traffic for quite a while. There are plenty of places renting bikes and most hotels will loan guests bikes for free. You will probably pay around $150 Mexican pesos per day for a bike and maybe less if you’re renting it for a week or more. There are also taxi’s and colectivos in Tulum just like Playa del Carmen, however much fewer.

Safety

I’ve been to both Playa del Carmen and Tulum as a solo female traveller and felt safe in both. I think the main thing you need to worry about in either would be theft but that’s pretty much the norm for most places in the world.

No matter how safe a destination is, you should ALWAYS have travel insurance. I highly recommend Safety Wing for travellers who will be traveling long term. Their essential plan not only covers medical emergencies but also travel emergencies such as lost luggage or trip cancellation.

Working Remotely

Wi-fi: The internet is much more reliable in Playa del Carmen than Tulum as it’s more developed. However, with the introduction of Starlink, it is possible to get fast internet in Tulum.

Digital Nomad Communities: There are strong digital nomad communities in both Playa del Carmen and Tulum (whether they’re there legally and paying their fair share of taxes is a story for another day) so you’ll have no problem finding a community of expats if that’s what you’re looking for.

Co-working Spaces: I feel like a broken record at this point, but you probably guessed it, Playa del Carmen has more co-working spaces as it’s bigger and more developed.

The Final Verdict: Tulum or Playa del Carmen

If you’re looking for a well developed, cheaper option, that’s right on the beach, I would definitely go for Playa del Carmen. I would also choose Playa del Carmen over Tulum if you’re looking to work remotely for the reliable wi-fi.

If cost isn’t really a concern and you’re looking for a more bohemian, wellness vibe and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I would go for Tulum. I’d also choose Tulum if you love a music festival or rave.

FAQs: Tulum and Play del Carmen

Best Time to Visit Playa del Carmen or Tulum

There really is no bad time to visit as the weather is warm year round but the best time to visit Tulum or Playa del Carmen is during the dry season between December and April. However, this is also high season so things will be more expensive. It’s especially expensive around Christmas and New Year so I would avoid those if you’re on a budget.

The wet season begins in May and lasts until October but usually the rain is quick and doesn’t last for days or weeks on end. The one thing you need to be careful of is the hurricane season, which runs from June to November and could wipe out your entire trip last minute.

Currency used

The currency used in Meixco is the Mexican Peso and both cash and card are widely accepted in both Playa del Carmen and Tulum. If you need to use cash, make sure you have a debit card with low or no ATM fees for withdraws.

Do people speak English?

The main language spoken in Mexico is Spanish but you will find many people also speak English. I would still recommend downloading the Google Translate app so you can translate spoken and written Spanish if needed.

Are Tulum and Playa del Carmen good destination for solo travellers?

Absolutely! I’ve been to both Playa del Carmen and Tulum as a solo female traveller and had an incredible time. As a solo female traveller, I would recommend either destinations for your next solo trip. Check out this article I’ve written on How to Make Friends While Traveling Solo if you want some tips!

How to get phone data when visiting Playa del Carmen or Tulum

If your phone provider doesn’t have a great international roaming plan, then I’d recommend getting an eSIM. I normally use the Airalo app to get my eSIM to access data abroad. You can use my code WRIGHT3 to get $3 off your first eSIM with Airalo.