By arlington 
My Beach vs City Budget Disaster
So I decided to actually live this “beach or city break” question with real pesos in my pocket. My wife was pushing hard for Mazatlán – sun, sand, you know the drill. Me? I kinda wanted Monterrey, those mountain views looked cool online. We flipped a coin. Heads for beach. Of course it landed heads.
Step one: booking flights sucked. Mazatlán flights? Way pricier than I figured. Searched like crazy one Tuesday night. Typed in dates, hit refresh ten thousand times. Found one red-eye flight that wouldn’t bankrupt us. Clicked “purchase.” That hurt. Monterrey flights? Half the price, seriously. Found dozens, morning, afternoon – didn’t matter. Already committed, so swallowed the cost.
- Flight Cost Pain: Mazatlán roundtrip: $295 USD per person. Monterrey option: $140. Ouch.
- Lesson Learned: Beach destinations bleed you dry before you even pack sunscreen.
Landed in Mazatlán, sweaty and tired. The taxi ride hit us next. Airport cabs? Robbery disguised as a Nissan Tsuru. Driver quoted some insane number in pesos. I choked. Bargained like a madman, waving pesos around. Still paid triple what a local Uber would cost. Checked Uber later – yep, got totally scammed.
- Transport Cost: Airport Taxi Scam: $28 USD. Real Uber price later: $9. Brutal.
Got to the hotel. Looked decent online. Reality? Tiny room smelling faintly of damp towels. Beach view meant craning your neck sideways. Wife was not amused. “Is this the budget paradise?” she asked. Dinner that night shocked us. Tourist strip restaurants? Charged gringo prices for tiny tacos. Like $12 USD for watery margaritas. We walked blocks inland, found a place locals eat. Better. Tacos al pastor, real flavor, fair prices.
- Food Trap: Beachfront “Nice” Restaurant: $60 USD for two barely-full meals + drinks.
- Survival Move: Local Taqueria 10 mins inland: $17 USD, stuffed & happy.
Beach stuff cost pesos I didn’t plan for. Sunbeds? Rentals. Umbrellas? Rentals. Cool drinks constantly? Cash evaporating. Sitting on your own towel? Free. We learned quick. Monterrey research later stung. Saw affordable Airbnbs with pools! City tours were cheaper than Mazatlán boat trips. Restaurants? Looked solid, not tourist-trap crazy.
- Unexpected Beach Bleed: Daily rentals (chairs/umbrella) + constant drinks: ~$25 USD/day extra.
- City Relief (from research): Monterrey museum entry: $3. Local bus rides: pennies.
The final kicker? Flying back, exhausted. Added up all receipts. Beach “paradise” cost us way more than a city break would have. Flights, taxis, food markups, beach fees – nickel and dimed us to death. Monterrey, next time. My wife finally agrees. Beach breaks? Great if you wanna just burn cash. City breaks? Actually exploring without crying over your wallet.
Real Damage Report:
- Mazatlán Total Splurge (for two): Flights $590 + Accommodation $420 + Food/Drinks $280 + Activities/Transport $175 = ~$1465 USD
- Estimated Monterrey (for two): Flights $280 + Accommodation $300 + Food/Drinks $180 + Activities $100 = ~$860 USD
Beach premium? Over $600. Never again. Packed the wrong clothes AND the wrong budget.