How much should you tip in Mexico City?
Tipping in Mexico is more structured than the United States and more expected than most of Europe. Here is what is standard in 2026.
- •Restaurants: 10% floor, 15% standard, 20% generous. Service is rarely included.
- •Bars and cocktail rooms: 15% is the default — the drinks take real work.
- •Uber / DiDi: not expected, appreciated on airport runs.
- •Hotel housekeeping: 40–80 MXN per night, left daily — not at checkout.
Restaurants and bars
Restaurants: 10% is the floor, 15% is standard, 20% is generous. Service is almost never included on the bill — if it is, it will say propina incluida clearly on the check. Fine-dining rooms and any restaurant with a sommelier expect 15% as the baseline.
Bars and cocktail rooms: 15% is standard, especially at any bar on the World's 50 Best list where the drinks take real work (Handshake, Limantour, Rayo). Round up at neighborhood cantinas.
Transport
Traditional taxis: round up to the nearest 10 or 20 MXN. Uber and DiDi: tipping isn't expected but is appreciated, especially for airport rides. Locals typically add 20–40 MXN for long rides, nothing on short ones.
Private drivers and tour guides: 10–15% of the daily rate, in cash at the end of the day.
Hotels and small services
Bellhops: 20–50 MXN per bag. Housekeeping: 40–80 MXN per night, left daily on the pillow — not at checkout, so the tip reaches the person who actually cleaned your room.
Concierge: 100–200 MXN for a hard-to-get reservation or a real favor. Not expected for pointing you at a taxi.
Grocery baggers, gas-station attendants, parking valets: 5–20 MXN each. This is genuinely how many people in these roles earn most of their income — carry small coins.
Common mistakes
- ✕Assuming service is included because you're at a fancy restaurant. It almost never is in CDMX.
- ✕Not tipping housekeeping until checkout — different people work different days, so daily is fairer.
- ✕Ignoring baggers and valets. Small tips (5–20 MXN) are how the whole system works.
15% at restaurants and bars, small coins in your pocket for the everyday people who help you, and 40–80 MXN per night for housekeeping on the pillow. Get those three right and you're fine.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 10% tip enough in Mexico City?
10% is the polite minimum for adequate service. For anything above adequate — attentive, knowledgeable, warm — 15% is standard and 20% is generous. Fine-dining restaurants and cocktail bars expect 15% as the default.
Do you tip in cash or on the card in Mexico?
Either works. If paying by card, the terminal will prompt you for a tip amount before completing the charge. Cash tips are appreciated by staff (fewer processing lags) but not required.
Do you tip Uber drivers in Mexico City?
Not expected, but appreciated. Locals tend to tip 20–40 MXN for airport runs or long rides, nothing on short trips.
How much do you tip housekeeping at a Mexico City hotel?
40–80 MXN per night, left on the pillow daily rather than at checkout. Daily tipping reaches the person who actually cleaned your room that day; a single checkout tip often goes only to whoever is on shift the day you leave.
Do I need to tip in pesos or is USD fine?
Always tip in pesos. Dollars are hard for staff to exchange and lose value on the way to a bank. Carry 20 and 50 MXN bills specifically for tips.