Tulum Business Owners Call for Rent Reductions Amid Slow Season

After five years of calling Tulum home, I've seen the town through its highs and lows. The latest challenge is hitting business owners hard: rising rents during the slow season. Some storefronts are still commanding rents over 40,000 pesos per month, even as tourism wanes.

Valeria Blanco, a local businesswoman, has been vocal about the issue. “We have a weak economy, we have low tourism, but the other reality is that rents are very high, and until we as owners understand that there has to be a complete readjustment, this is going to stay very complicated,” she told The Tulum Times.

Her plea is echoed by Sergio Canto Contreras, Tulum's director general of inspection, who reported that around 70 businesses in the municipality had already stopped operating in 2026. Most were temporary suspensions, but the call for reduced rents is urgent.

This isn't just a Tulum problem. Lower occupancy rates in the broader Mexican Caribbean region mean that the cost of doing business here is unsustainable. For expats and digital nomads, this means a closer look at monthly expenses and potential adjustments in the coming months.