Bargaining in Mexico? It’s Fun! Here’s How to Haggle Like a Pro

Bargaining in Mexico

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Necklaces! Bracelets! Cheap Mexican junk!

The cries of the beach vendors are as characteristic of Cabo San Lucas as the sun, sand and sea.

Day in and day out, you see the same good-natured men and women, dressed in white pants and shirts, traipsing along the sand, loaded down with their wares.

And bargaining in Mexico is the name of the game if you want to take some cool Mexican souvenirs home!

Bargaining in Mexico is common on the beach if you want to buy from a beach vendor.
A Mexican beach vendor with beach wraps for sale

You may not be comfortable.

But it’s worth learning how to bargain.

A Mexican beach vendor with hats for sale strolls Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas.
Want a hat? You’ll have to bargain for it…

Just as haggling in Mexico is common, bartering is a way of life in other places around the world where you might also travel – like Thailand, Myanmar and elsewhere in Asia.

Bargaining in Mexico on the beach

Cabo isn’t the only Mexican resort destination where shopping (and bargaining) is done on the beach.

Puerto Vallarta and Cancun are other places.

Add the Riviera Maya to the list too.

But not in Ixtapa – the state of Guerrero has banned vendors from the beaches there (vendors can only sell in tourist markets).

Beach vendors with silver jewelry for sale on Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas
They’re waiting for you on Medano Beach :-)

In Cabo San Lucas, most of the vendors ply Medano Beach, one of the best beaches in Cabo.

(A few try their luck on the Corridor beaches in front of the major resorts; you rarely see a vendor on beaches on the Pacific side.)

There’s lots of shopping in Cabo San Lucas right on the beach… 

Silver jewelry. Sun dresses, T-shirts, and sunglasses.

Sombreros and cowboy hats. Colorful Mexican blankets.

Temporary tattoos and hair braiding services.

Decorative ceramic plates. Polished wood carvings of marlin and even bears.

You name it, they sell it!

You'll probably have to bargain in Mexico for colorful Mexican blankets!
We’ve bargained for colorful Mexican blankets like these

At Los Muertos Beach – Puerto Vallarta’s busiest and most popular stretch of sand – vendors also sell food, like barbecued shrimp-on-a-stick and donuts.

Haggling in Mexico: How to say “no”

A beach vendor in Cabo San Lucas carries big red and blue ceramic plates for sale.
A beach vendor in Cabo San Lucas hawks ceramic plates

If you’re not interested in what the Mexican beach vendors offer, simply say “No thank-you” or shake your head, and they’ll move on.

The vendors in Cancun are pretty low-pressure though.

Tip

In Cabo San Lucas, many resorts and bars on Medano Beach have roped-off areas for guests, where passing vendors can’t cross.

Pick a spot behind the rope if you don’t want to be bothered.

How to bargain in Mexico like a pro

A beach vendor with blue ceramic plates for sale
The ceramic plates make nice souvenirs – but they’re a little bulky to put in your suitcase!

But if you’re keen and want to take a closer look, the vendor who’s caught your eye will spread their goods out on a blanket on the sand, or display their silver jewelry in an open suitcase propped up on a little stand.

Then the bargaining begins.

Remember, the vendor is happy to bargain with you. They want you to engage with them, and the bargaining should be fun.

You could start by offering half of the asking price.

But the vendor might act offended.

For sure, they will say no and come back at you with something higher than your offer, but lower than their first ask.

One of the best bargaining tips?

Start to walk away. You’ll find out pretty quickly how low the vendor will go.

Colorful ceramic bathroom sinks for sale in a Mexican market
Colorful ceramic bathroom sinks for sale in a Mexican market

Expect in the end to pay about 30% less than the top asking price.

If you’re tough, you might even get away with a 50% discount.

But it’s not all about squeezing the last peso out of the vendor, right?

In this delightful story on “How to Bag a Bargain in Mexico,” travel writer Marie Javins was even prepared to pay full price for a hand-embroidered Otomi textile in the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende.

But she was bargained down by the grandpa who had sewn it.

Tourism is what makes Mexico’s resort destinations tick, and bargaining in Mexico and selling wares is how vendors make their living.

Shopping in Mexico for jewelry is always fun.
Don’t expect to bargain down jewelry in a store (bargaining in Mexico is typically common only on beaches and in markets)

The bargaining should be fair

The current exchange rate is about 20 pesos for one U.S. dollar or 16 pesos for one Canadian dollar. (Check the rate at the time you go.)

Vendors take U.S. dollars. But you’re usually better off to pay in pesos.

Bottom line?

If you’re happy with the price, it’s a good deal.

And you’ll take home a nice little memory of your Mexico vacation.

Shopping in Cabo San Lucas on the beach

Oh, the souvenirs from Cabo we’ve bought!

Carved wooden bears

Yes, George has bought bears, even though we don’t believe Mexico is home to bears.

George couldn’t resist, since black bears often wandered down from the mountains and roamed around our old Vancouver neighborhood.

Silver bracelets, earrings and ankle bracelets

Buying silver is a bit tricky in Mexico on the beach – but we’ve bought lots of it!

Only one bracelet has ever broken; unfortunately that was a gift to Janice’s best friend, so we promptly had to buy her another on the next trip to Cabo.

If you’re really into silver, Taxco (one of the beautiful colonial silver cities in Mexico) is the place to go.

T-shirts

We’re walking advertisements in the gym with our “Cabo!” T-shirts.

Mexican blankets

One fell apart in the washing machine, but we still use three others as throws in the house (good for snuggling in when watching TV).

Ceramic plates

We had to lighten the load of one of the vendors pictured here :-).

Beach wraps

Great for covering up, they also double as tablecloths when we go on picnics.

Do you like bargaining in Mexico?

What have you bought? Let us know in the Comments below! We love hearing from readers…

Experience more of Mexico!

Cabo San Lucas: From whale watching to hiking up the Pedregal, check out these epic things to do in Los Cabos.

Zihuatanejo: Want a great beach vacay? See the best beaches in Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa.

Mexico City: Planning to enjoy 3 days in Mexico City? You’ll want to see this helpful itinerary covering the best museums, attractions and restaurants in the fabulous capital.

Puerto Vallarta: Go for a seaside walk and check out the beautiful sculptures on the Puerto Vallarta Malecon. Where to stay? You’ll love these beautiful boutique hotels in Puerto Vallarta.

Choices! Choices! Find out how to decide between Cabo vs Cancun for your next holiday.

Our top travel tips and resources

Hotels: Booking.com is perfect for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!

Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).

Cruises: CruiseDirect offers amazing deals on cruises (including Holland America, Viking Ocean Cruises, Seabourn and other lines we’ve reviewed).

Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)

Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!

Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.

Car rental: Renting a car is often a great way to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the lowest rates.

eSIMS: Stay connected affordably with Airalo eSIMS covering 200+ countries and trusted by 10 million+ users, including us! (No more huge roaming bills!)

Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.

Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)

Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.

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How to bargain in Mexico
bargaining in Mexico

Photo credits: © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase (except #1)


About the authors

Janice and George Mucalov are award-winning travel journalists who’ve explored all seven continents. They share destination guidesluxury hotel reviewscultural adventurescruise insightstravel tips and more on their luxury travel blog, Sand In My Suitcase. See About.

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20 Comments

    1. Hi PJJ,

      You’re right – good eyes! Those sinks are so colorful and decorative, it’s hard to believe they’re actually bathroom sinks… Anyway, we’ve changed the caption :-).

      Thanks for reading and pointing this out :-).

  1. This is a good post. This is something a lot of tourists don’t know how to do because it is not a thing in the United States, however it is normal in a lot of Spanish speaking countries. The unfortunate thing is that if a native sees that you are a tourist, there is a big chance that you are going to get a high asking price for what you are trying to buy.

    1. You’re right, Alyssa, most tourists are going to pay more than locals. It helps that tourists are usually okay with this; they earn more than locals and have more spending money – and they’re still paying less than what it would cost to buy the item back home in the U.S. or Canada :-). Thanks for chiming in!

  2. This is so helpful! I haven’t been to any of these destinations yet but they’re on my list. I love the items in your photos too so I’ll definitely need the bargaining info. Thank you for the helpful tips. I also love the way this shares a way of life and keeps it alive.

    1. If you haven’t bargained before, it can be a bit awkward :-). And you’ll love the Mexican beach destinations mentioned here…

  3. I really enjoy reading this article. Unfortunately I’ve never been so good at bargaining although I live on the Balkans – in Bulgaria, to be more precise. But I enjoy watching my friends doing it. You have to be clever and to think faster than the trader. It’s funny.

    1. Thanks for sharing what it’s like in the Balkans! Bargaining is a bit strange for us Canadians too, because we’re not used to it. Shopping is all “fixed price” — unless you go to a garage sale at someone’s house :-).

  4. These are some excellent tips on bargaining on the beach everywhere in the world, not only in Mexico. Very enlightening and informative post, Janice and George!

    1. It’s quite fun too, once you get used to the idea. The only problem is when you return home and ask a store if they can offer a discount or a better price, they look at you strangely.

  5. I think over the past 12 months the closest thing to bargaining we’ve done is over the price of a cab ride in Laos that still cost way more than it should have done for a local.

    We don’t really buy much whilst we’re on the go as we like to count our photographs and memories as souvenirs, but should we see something when we (hopefully) see Mexico next year, we’ll be clued in a lot more to get a fair price for what we’re after.

    1. No doubt every traveler has overpaid for a cab ride at least once! Just take comfort in knowing that you helped support the local Laos economy :-). And when you get to Mexico, have a great time (the people really are very warm and friendly).

  6. Janice and George, I’m glad you found that they will leave you alone once you say “no” when you were in Cabo. Because in Ensenada they would not leave you alone after telling them “no”. It made for a horrible experience off of our dinner cruise.

    1. That’s too bad. It isn’t fun when you feel “pestered.” Sometimes you have to say “no” a couple of times to some vendors in Cabo, but they do usually say, “Ok, amigo, maybe tomorrow” and leave you alone.

  7. Great tips and wonderful pictures! I can’t resist a store that comes to you while you’re sipping a margarita on the beach!

  8. We bought the bears as well (and much, much more)! We love them – only thing was that when we came back to Canada customs held us back to inspect the wood items!

    1. Oh, that’s so funny – they must carve the bears for us Canadians! Hopefully you eventually got your bears back from customs :-).