Playa del Carmen

Bodega Aurrerá — Walmart's cheapest arm

Soriana — big weekly shop

Chedraui — mid-range, wide range

Mercado local — produce far cheaper than stores

Best: Nov – Apr · Wet: Sep – Nov

Fees: Most bank ATMs charge a surcharge (~$3–6); Santander, Banorte and Scotiabank are usually the kindest. Avoid standalone tourist-zone machines.

Limits: 5,000–9,000 MXN per pull at most banks (some offer up to 12,000).

Best machines: SantanderBanorteScotiabank

Vaccines: Routine, Hepatitis A, Typhoid. Rabies awareness for long rural stays.

Health: Stick to bottled/purified water; the 'agua purificada' garrafón is everywhere. Street food from busy stalls with turnover is the safe kind. Altitude in Mexico City (2,240m) can wind you the first day. Private hospitals in cities are excellent and affordable.

Tap water: ❌ Don't drink the tap. Bottled/purified 'agua purificada' is universal and cheap; good restaurants use it for ice too.

Safety: Your itinerary matters more than the national headlines. Tourist Yucatán (Mérida is among Mexico's safest cities), Oaxaca and CDMX's central neighbourhoods run calm and busy. Use Uber/Didi over street cabs, ATMs inside banks/malls, and skip flashy valuables. The cartel-linked violence that drives statistics is concentrated in specific states far from these places.

For most short tourist trips, citizens of the US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia and New Zealand either enter visa-free or get a simple online authorisation (an eVisa or eTA) before flying. Typical visa-free stays run 30–90 days. Some countries want a visa arranged in advance, and a growing number ask you to fill an online arrival or eVisa form even when 'visa-free' — so always check the official portal for your exact nationality before you book.