We have now stayed in Playa del Carmen twice, for one month each time, and we have received a lot of random questions from friends, coworkers, and family. We asked a lot of questions ourselves both during the planning process for our first month-long visit. What timezone would we be working from? What were the car seat laws? Would we be able to buy our favorite grocery brands? So I thought it would be fun to compile all of the questions that we found ourselves asking or that we were asked by others in one place.
Our experience is not universal by any means, but in sharing ours we hope you’ll find a few useful takeaways.
Both times we lived in PDC were brief. Just one month in the beach town, in February 2023 and again in February 2024. We maintained normal 9-5 working schedules. Our son went to an AMAZING local school from 9-2:30 every day to give us some quiet working hours. We rented a car for weekend trips, even though we didn’t need it to get around PDC. We did laundry and washed dishes, we watered the plants, we paid for electricity, we got food poisoning, and we got to know some of the people in our building. We went grocery shopping and ordered takeout, hung out at a locals’ park and a locals’ beach. We even experienced an 18-hour power outage! We were not on vacation.
Despite the brevity of our time in Playa, we do feel like we got a sense of what life is like for those that live here full time — especially in the ex-pat community.
These questions are in no particular order. 🙂 Let me know if you have more questions that I should add to the list; we’ll keep it updated as questions come in. Enjoy!
Random questions about life in Playa del Carmen
We are not experts about Mexico or Playa del Carmen by any means, but these are the questions that have arisen at some point during our adventures. All answers based on actual experience and extensive googling. Hopefully you find them useful!
Questions about grocery stores in Playa del Carmen
What grocery stores do they have in Playa del Carmen?
You have a variety of grocery options in PDC. From fresh produce vendors and local markets, to the Oxxo down on the corner or the family-run shop down the street. You also have Walmart, Chedraui, and Mega available to you. We did 90% of our monthly grocery shopping at the Mega, but we also shopped at the Walmart and Chedraui on occasion when they were more convenient or if we could not find what we needed at Mega.
Do you have to bring your own grocery bags?
Yes, you need to bring your own bags to a Mexican grocery store. You can also buy reusable grocery bags at checkout. Single-use plastic has been banned in 29 of Mexico’s 32 states since 2021.
Do you have to tip grocery baggers?
Yes, you need to tip the grocery baggers at a Mexican grocery store. The grocery baggers at Mexican grocery stores are like professional Tetris players. This is not like the bored teenagers at Kroger carelessly tossing the bread and milk into the same bag. These people pay attention to how many bags you provide and sort all of your items thoughtfully as they come down the conveyor belt. They logically and carefully pack your groceries to make it as easy as possible for you to carry home.
How much should you tip the grocery baggers?
If there is one thing that I will forever miss about life in Playa del Carmen, it will be the elderly grocery baggers. They were so kind and helpful.
Baggers in Mexican grocery stores typically work for tips, but keep in mind that tipping in Mexico is a bit different than in the US. We saw most people hand over 5-10 pesos per bag. We sometimes would leave 20 pesos if that was the only coin we had, and we could see in the baggers’ expressions that it was more than they were used to receiving. I certainly had no problem paying a little more than $1 USD (at the time, the exchange rate was 18 pesos to the dollar) for excellent, thoughtful bagging.
There are arguments to be made against overtipping in general; since tipping has not historically been a part of Mexican culture, the American tendency to overtip can lead those workers in the service industry to favor foreigners expecting those bigger tips and provide inferior service to locals. (You can read this fascinating blog that deep dives on the topic.)
Can you buy peanut butter in Mexico?
Yes, you can buy peanut butter in Mexico! This might seem like a strange question to you, but parents of young children or picky eaters might know that sometimes peanut butter is the simplest way to get some protein into your child’s body.
Skyler’s appetite is hit or miss, and he’ll love today what he hates tomorrow and vice versa. I didn’t want to worry about his belly being empty, so the first year we went to Playa, I planned to pack peanut butter, but found out I didn’t need to. They sell peanut butter, or la manteca de cacahuete, at grocery stores. We bought a new jar every week at the Mega.
Can you find coconut milk in Mexico?
Yes, you can find coconut milk, oat milk, and almond milk in Mexican grocery stores! While my kid drinks whole cow milk, I do not. Instead, I use unsweetened coconut milk for cereal in the mornings. I was not sure if I would be able to continue my cereal habit, but rest assured there were many brands and options to choose from for alternative milks at the Mega in Playa del Carmen. Even more than we have at home and less expensive!
Can you buy protein bars in Mexico?
Yes, but they are harder to find and cost much more than in the US. We go through phases where we eat a lot of protein bars in our household. They are handy to have on hand for hangry kids and adults alike, and I am admittedly lazy when it comes to preparing my own food during the day so I eat a protein bar for lunch more often than I care to admit. We could not find protein bars at the grocery store. We did end find several brands of protein bars, including Zone and think! at the GNC but the prices were nearly double what we pay in the US.
Questions about food and drink in Mexico
Can you drink tap water in Mexico?
No, do not drink the tap water in Mexico. The locals don’t even drink the tap water. The water in Playa del Carmen is not potable.
What kind of water does everyone drink in Playa del Carmen, then? Bottled purified water! We bought giant jugs of it at the store, and there are many delivery services for the large 5 gallon canisters.
You will go through a lot of it since you’ll also use this bottled water for ice, tea and coffee. Some people even choose to brush their teeth with bottled water!
Fun fact: Mexicans consume the most bottled water of all nations in the world!
What do they call seltzer water in Mexico?
Seltzer water is called agua mineral in Mexico. I’d had it in my head that sparkling water is called agua con gaz in Spanish, but when we did our first grocery shop in Playa del Carmen, I could not find it anywhere. Instead, in the section where you expect to find seltzer water and club soda, along with the tonic and ginger ale, all of the clear bottles said agua mineral. I always thought mineral water was still, like natural spring water. Nope! Agua mineral is often carbonated so if you want to order seltzer water in Mexico, you want agua mineral!
Do they sell hard seltzers in Mexico?
Mexico does not seem to have been taken by the same hard seltzer storm as the United States. We rarely saw any hard seltzer on restaurant or bar menus, and the Mega and Walmart did not sell any hard seltzer by the box. We did find individual cans for sale at both grocery stores, and in some Oxxo and 7/11s.
Do you need to tip at restaurants in Mexico?
Yes, you should tip at restaurants in Mexico. But you should know that the tipping culture in Mexico is not the same as in America, where 20% is almost expected as the baseline in many scenarios. In Mexico, you should tip 10% when you receive good service. Your tips will be very appreciated by the restaurant employees!
Can you find American-style queso or cheese dip in Playa del Carmen?
No. The ooey gooey goodness of American-style white queso is not commonly found in Mexico because it is not a traditional Mexican food. Though the origins of cheese dip are in question, the queso dip that Americans know and love is an Americanized version of the classic Mexican queso fundido, a melted cheese served with tortillas.
I will admit that I am not a fan of queso fundido; after spending 35 days in Mexico, I am not ashamed to admit that the first thing I wanted to eat when I got back to the States? Some good ole American queso blanco.
Can you eat a vegan diet in Playa del Carmen?
Yes! There are tons of vegan and vegetarian shops and restaurants in Playa del Carmen. Many restaurants in PDC cater to a vegetarian diet, offering a variety of plant-based options. Local markets will be a great source of fresh fruits and vegetables, and you’ll be able to find vegetarian and vegan options at any of the grocery stores in the area including Walmart, Chedraui, and Mega.
Should you eat the produce in Mexico?
Like any country, Mexico has both safe and unsafe produce. Generally speaking, produce that has a protective outer layer or skin that can be peeled before eating will be safer to eat. Before eating other types of produce, it’s a good idea to wash it thoroughly. People with very sensitive GI systems might want to take the extra step of using bottled water to wash their produce, and avoiding eating produce prepared by others (where you have less control over how it was prepared).
Speaking as someone with gut issues, I’m pretty sure a delicious kale caesar that I enjoyed is what invited Montezuma to visit during our week from hell in Playa del Carmen. Take basic precautions when buying and preparing produce in Mexico so you can enjoy delicious and healthy fruits and vegetables!
Questions about driving in Mexico
Do you need insurance to rent a car in Mexico?
Yes! You need insurance to rent a car in Mexico. The insurance you carry for your own car back home won’t cut it. The insurance provided by your credit card will not suffice either. You must purchase the required Mexican coverage at the time of the rental, so be sure to price that out when budgeting!
The cost of insurance might double the expected cost of the car rental. For example, the base price of the small rental car we had both times was under $700 for 30-35 days, but with the mandatory insurance, the cost wound up in the $1200-$1600 range.
Do you need a carseat in Mexico?
No, you do not need a carseat in Mexico. 😳From my pre-trip research, I could not find any indication of car seat laws in Mexico. From my direct observations in Playa del Carmen, car seats are not required. We saw many small children riding on mopeds and vespas with their parents, as well as riding unrestrained in cars. In fact, one morning when dropping our son off at his school, we saw a 3-year-old classmate emerge from the backseat of his parents’ car unassisted, where he had been riding with his younger sister – neither of them in carseats or even wearing seatbelts! 😳
While the law may say you don’t need a car seat, we did not feel comfortable letting Skyler ride around in a car without protection. So we brought the RideSafer Vest with us. The RideSafer Vest is crash tested, firefighter-approved, safety certified, meeting or exceeding all US federal standards. We opted to bring this vest instead of a traditional car seat for practicality. This one folds up nicely into its own little carrying case and fits inside our suitcases.
What is driving like in Mexico?
We have a whole blog on the topic! Click here to read what it’s like driving in Mexico.
Do you pump your own gas in Mexico?
In Mexico, you do not pump your own gas. Gasoline attendants, also known as gasolineros, are typically employed at gas stations to pump gas, check oil levels, and perform other basic maintenance tasks on vehicles. When you pull into a gas station in Mexico, a gasolinero will approach your vehicle to ask how much gasoline you need and to pump the gas for you. You can usually pay for your gas with cash or a credit card at the pump or inside the gas station.
Why does no one use their turn signal?
This is a mystery for the ages. No one seems to use a turn signal to actually indicate that they are turning or switching lanes. This is why you must practice constant vigilance while driving!
Why do drivers turn on their hazards?
In the States, drivers typically use their hazards in situations with low visibility or to indicate that you’re parked temporarily, waiting for your spouse to come out of the grocery store lol.
In the Yucatan, Mexican drivers used their hazard lights to signal a multitude of messages. From our experience, hazard lights in Mexico can mean: the driver is slowing down, the driver is coming to a stop, traffic is getting bad, there’s an accident, we’re in a construction zone, the driver is turning, the driver is merging, there’s a police checkpoint…. Honestly, they used their hazards so much, I just prepared to slow down the minute I saw someone’s lights go on.
Why are there ropes hanging across the highways in the Yucatan?
Driving along the highways in the Yucatan, you may notice canopies that look like rope bridges hanging between the trees. These are canopy crossings for arboreal mammals. This wildlife photographer has some great photos of them on his blog.
Questions about drugs and alcohol in Mexico
What are the open container laws in Mexico? Can you take beer to the beach in Playa del Carmen? Can you walk around with a beer in PDC?
It’s important to note that public intoxication and disorderly conduct are illegal in Mexico, and can result in fines or arrest. But if you drink responsibly and don’t draw attention to yourself, then you’ll find that in tourist areas, such as Playa del Carmen, you’re generally allowed to walk around with an open container of alcohol.
People would bring coolers of drinks and cases of beers to the beaches. Bars along Avenida Quinta (5th Avenue) sold drinks para llevar, to take away. Every restaurant we went to would happily give you a plastic cup so you could take your drinks with you after you paid. We would usually take our drinks to go after dinner so we could go somewhere to let Skyler burn off energy, whether just walking home or stopping by a playground.
While open container laws may be more relaxed in some areas of PDC, the police may still enforce certain rules, especially if they find you causing a ruckus or making a loud scene. Private establishments may have their own policies so always check their policies before consuming alcohol on their premises. Generally speaking, be respectful of the local culture and laws, go with the flow of the crowd, and drink responsibly. If you plan to drink in public, be discreet and avoid littering!
Is vaping really illegal in Mexico?
Yes, vaping and smoking in public are illegal in Mexico. However, enforcement is inconsistent. If staying at a hotel or resort, ask what the policy is. If staying in a privately rented apartment, follow the rules stated in the rental agreement. Most likely, you’ll only be allowed to smoke or vape on a private balcony or patio.
Is weed legal in Mexico? Is Delta 8 THC legal in Mexico?
The legal status of marijuana is currently in flux and a little complicated in Mexico. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that the marijuana prohibition was unconstitutional. But in 2022, congress failed to pass a law that would legalize the growing, selling, and possession of the drug. Many believe that full legalization of cannabis will happen soon in Mexico.
Having said that, weed has essentially been decriminalized and you can definitely find places to purchase it. There is a plethora of vape shops where you can find Delta 8 and Delta 10 cartridges and gummies, though not quite to the extent that you see in the States these days.
A few other points worth noting:
- It is illegal to smoke or vape marijuana in public, just as it is now illegal to smoke or vape nicotine in public.
- The Mexican laws on the topic seem fuzzy and none of what is written here should be taken as legal advice.
Other questions about Playa del Carmen
Do you need to speak Spanish to live in Playa del Carmen?
No! You do not need to speak Spanish to live in PDC. It certainly helps to have a basic understanding of Spanish. But most visitors and expats get by with English. Because PDC is such a popular tourist and expat location, it has developed a large international community where English is widely understood and spoken.
However, learning even a small amount of Spanish can enhance your experience of visiting PDC. Prior to both trips, I spent a few months doing daily DuoLingo lessons to beef up my basic comprehension and vocabulary. I even had a 100 day streak going by the time we arrived! And it helped me a lot to have some basis of communication, so I wasn’t always defaulting to English or using Google Translate.
The further you get out of the Centro area, and certainly the further you get out of PDC, you will encounter less English. So I do recommend spending a few weeks preparing for a trip to Playa del Carmen by practicing Spanish vocabulary. Sign up for DuoLingo (it’s free!), watch some Netflix shows in Spanish, follow some instructors on Instagram (this lady is my current favorite), turn on the Spanish audio track for your favorite Disney movie, or practice some basic phrases at your local Mexican restaurant. A little Spanish will go a long way to ingratiating yourself with the locals.
Through a combination of broken Spanish, miming, cognates, and Google Translate, we were able to effectively communicate with everyone we met.
What’s the weather like in Playa del Carmen?
Located on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, PDC has a tropical climate with hot, humid conditions year-round. In general, the weather is warm and sunny. If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder at all, I can’t recommend PDC enough as a winter-location. The constant sunshine did wonders for my mood.
The average temperature in Playa del Carmen ranges from around 23°C (73°F) in the winter months to 28°C (82°F) in the summer months. The hottest months are typically July and August, with temperatures often exceeding 30°C (86°F) during the day.
We had to pick Skyler up from school between 2-3, which seemed to be the hottest part of the day in Playa del Carmen in February and March. We were always quite sweaty upon our return to the apartment!
Rainfall in Playa del Carmen is highest during the months of September and October, which are part of the hurricane season in the region. During both of our winter visits to PDC, we saw very little rain or cloudy skies, but did get caught in a two-hour rainstorm one Sunday as we were wandering Avenida Quinta.
How do you get around Playa del Carmen?
You do not need a car to navigate Playa del Carmen because you can walk everywhere. If walking doesn’t appeal to you, there are a million taxis. You may be bold enough to try out the colectivos, local vans that serve as buses. Or you may choose to rent a car for your trip.
While you do not need to drive around Playa, we did enjoy having the option for our weekend adventures, it also helped when we wanted to do a bigger grocery run or the one day it poured rain right at school pickup time.
Why are there no street addresses in Playa del Carmen? How do you find the address of a building in Mexico?
Once you understand the grid of the city and can remember that addresses in this part of Mexico don’t really utilize street numbers, then you’ll be bueno.
In Playa del Carmen, the streets or calles run NW-SE and are all even numbers, while the avenues or avenidas run NE-SW and are all multiples of 5.
When describing where a building is located, you generally give the street that it sits on and the two streets it sits between.
For example: the school Skyler attended for the month of our stay was on Calle 20 between Avenidas 40 and 45. There was no street number. (I have so many questions about how online deliveries work. Do people shop online here? Does the national mail run very slowly? How long does it take to send a letter in Mexico? I need to know! Tell me your stories!!!!!)
Why are the palm trees painted white?
In some parts of Mexico, particularly along the coast, you may see palm trees that have been painted white. One reason that palm trees may be painted white is to control pests. Insects such as the Royal Palm Bug can be attracted to the bright green color of the palm leaves, and painting the tree white can make it less attractive to these pests. Another reason that palm trees may be painted white is to help regulate their temperature. In hot climates, the sun’s rays can cause the temperature of the palm trunk to rise, which can be harmful to the tree. Painting the trunk white can help to reflect some of the sun’s rays and keep the tree cooler.
Can you flush toilet paper in Playa del Carmen?
No, do not flush toilet paper in Playa del Carmen. This may come as a surprise to many Americans, but in Mexico it is more common to throw your toilet paper in the garbage, not the toilet! This is the case in much of Latin and South America. The plumbing infrastructure in much of Mexico are old or have undersized pipes, and therefore can not handle having toilet paper flushed. In many areas, the wastewater treatment facilities may not be equipped to effectively treat toilet paper.
That’s it for now!
If you have any questions about life in Playa del Carmen, leave them in the comments so I can add them to this blog and keep it updated with relevant information.
Happy travels!!!
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