When I arrived from France three years ago, my Spanish was about like yours. I could order a café con leche and say "gracias" and that was about it. Now I run my bakery entirely in Spanish, so believe me, it is possible and Playa is one of the best places to learn.

I started at International House Riviera Maya. Very professional, certified teachers, structured curriculum. Group classes with 4-6 students cost $2,500-4,000 MXN per week, private lessons $350-500 MXN per hour. It gave me the grammar foundation I needed. PlayaLingua del Caribe is also popular, more fun and immersive, $200-300 USD per week. Solexico has intensive programs with homestay options for really serious learners.

After my first two weeks of intensive classes, I switched to a private tutor. $150-300 MXN per hour, we would meet at a café and just talk. You can find tutors through Facebook groups or iTalki for online sessions.

The free options are honestly some of the best. The language exchange meetups happen several times a week at bars and cafés, Mexicans who want to practice English paired with expats practicing Spanish. Check the PDC language exchange Facebook group. And I'll tell you something: I learned more Spanish buying my flour and butter at the Mercado Municipal than in any classroom. When you shop at local markets instead of Walmart, you are forced to communicate. That is immersion.

My advice from my own experience: do two weeks of intensive classes first. Then switch to one or two private sessions per week plus daily life in Spanish. Watch Mexican television with subtitles. La Casa de las Flores is wonderful. And the good news is that the accent here in Quintana Roo is considered very neutral and clear. Much easier than trying to learn in, say, Chiapas or Veracruz.