Is right now a good time to buy a property in Cancún? (2026)

Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Mexico Property Pack

Yes, the analysis of Cancún's property market is included in our pack

Is it smart to buy now in Cancún, or should I wait as of 2026?

Do real estate prices look too high in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, property prices in Cancún look roughly 10% to 20% above what local income fundamentals alone would justify, but that gap is partly explained by the strong tourism economy and foreign buyer demand that make Cancún unlike a typical Mexican city.

One clear on-the-ground signal supporting the idea of stretched prices in Cancún is that the Inmuebles24 Quintana Roo index describes price-per-square-meter levels at or near their all-time series high, which typically means sellers are testing the top of what the market will pay.

Another telling sign is that mortgage borrowing costs in Mexico remain in double digits (with CAT indicators well above 10%), and when financing is that expensive, buyers who actually need a loan have less purchasing power, so listings that are priced too aggressively tend to sit longer on portals in Cancún.

You can also read our latest update regarding the housing prices in Cancún.

Does a property price drop look likely in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, the likelihood of a meaningful property price drop in Cancún over the next 12 months is low to medium, mostly because the city's tourism-driven demand and population growth keep providing a floor under prices.

The plausible range for Cancún property prices over the next year is somewhere between a 5% decline in the softest segments (like investor-heavy condo towers with short-term rental exposure) and a 5% to 8% increase in the strongest pockets (like well-located family homes and beachfront units with limited supply).

The single most important macro factor that would increase the odds of a price drop in Cancún is a sudden tourism slump, because tourism is the engine that drives jobs, migration, rental demand, and investor appetite in this city, and without it, the buyer pool shrinks fast.

That said, a major tourism slump is not the base case for 2026 because arrivals have remained resilient, Mexico's tourism infrastructure keeps expanding, and Cancún remains one of the top Caribbean destinations for North American travelers.

Finally, please note that we cover the price trends for next year in our pack about the property market in Cancún.

Could property prices jump again in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, the likelihood of a renewed price surge in Cancún within the next 12 months is medium, because the conditions that could trigger it (cheaper borrowing, strong tourism, investor confidence) are present but not all firing at once yet.

If things line up well, Cancún property prices could realistically climb another 5% to 10% over the next year, with the upper end most likely in supply-constrained areas like the Zona Hotelera, Puerto Cancún, and Playa Mujeres.

The single biggest demand-side trigger that could push Cancún prices higher is a resumption of Banxico rate cuts, because even a modest 50-basis-point reduction from 7% to 6.5% would improve mortgage affordability and bring sidelined buyers back into the market. Analysts from major banks suggest this could happen by the second half of 2026 if inflation converges toward Banxico's 3% target.

Please also note that we regularly publish and update real estate price forecasts for Cancún here.

Are we in a buyer or a seller market in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, Cancún's residential market leans slightly toward buyers overall, because high borrowing costs are keeping many potential purchasers on the sidelines and giving those who can buy right now more room to negotiate.

While Cancún does not publish an official months-of-inventory figure like U.S. markets do, the combination of elevated listing volumes on portals and longer average selling times suggests the market is behaving more like 6 to 8 months of supply in the condo segment, which is above the 4 to 5 months that typically indicates a balanced market.

In line with this, a growing share of Cancún listings, especially investor-oriented condos in areas like Avenida Huayacán or newer developments away from the beach, appear to be sitting on portals for longer or being relisted at adjusted prices, which is a classic sign that sellers are losing some of their leverage.

Are homes overpriced, or fairly priced in Cancún as of 2026?

Are homes overpriced versus rents or versus incomes in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, Cancún homes look moderately overpriced when measured against local incomes, but closer to fair value when measured against rental income, especially for well-located units that attract steady tenant demand.

The estimated price-to-rent ratio in Cancún sits around 14 to 15 years of gross rent (based on the roughly 7% gross yield reported by the Inmuebles24 Quintana Roo Index), which is reasonable by international standards and below the 20-plus-year ratios you see in clearly overheated markets.

However, the price-to-income picture is tougher: with INEGI's ENIGH 2024 data showing median Mexican household income well below what is needed to service a typical Cancún mortgage, the price-to-income multiple in Cancún likely exceeds 10 for the average local worker, which is stretched by almost any affordability benchmark.

Finally please note that you will have all the indicators you need in our property pack covering the real estate market in Cancún.

Are home prices above the long-term average in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, Cancún home prices sit well above their long-term average, with both national-level indices and the local Quintana Roo portal data confirming that the market is in the upper part of its historical range.

Over the last 12 months, property prices in the Cancún area have grown by an estimated 8% to 14% depending on the segment, which is faster than the roughly 5% to 7% pace that was typical in pre-pandemic years, signaling that recent appreciation has been running above the long-run trend.

When you adjust for inflation (which has been running around 3.8% in Mexico), real price gains in Cancún are still positive, meaning the market has not just kept up with rising costs but has delivered genuine purchasing-power increases, and in some premium pockets like Puerto Cancún or Playa Mujeres, real prices are likely at or near their prior cycle peak.

What local changes could move prices in Cancún as of 2026?

Are big infrastructure projects coming to Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, the single biggest infrastructure project already affecting Cancún property values is the Tren Maya, which reached the Cancún corridor in late 2023 and early 2024, and whose real-world impact on daily mobility and tourism access is still unfolding but has already contributed to price appreciation in nearby areas.

The Tren Maya is now operational in phases, so the timeline has moved past "planning" and into "adoption and improvement," meaning the price impact depends less on construction completion and more on whether ridership and connectivity actually make neighborhoods along the route more convenient for residents and visitors.

For the latest updates on the local projects, you can read our property market analysis about Cancún here.

Are zoning or building rules changing in Cancún as of 2026?

The most important zoning conversation in Cancún right now revolves around how the municipality of Benito Juárez manages density in fast-growing inland corridors (like Avenida Huayacán and the areas around Avenida Colosio), where new condo and residential projects are multiplying rapidly.

As of early 2026, the net effect of likely zoning adjustments in Cancún is modestly price-supportive for owners of existing properties in already built-out, low-density pockets (because restricted supply protects scarcity), while potentially price-dampening for areas where higher density is approved and new construction can flood the market.

The areas most affected by these dynamics in Cancún are the inland growth corridors mentioned above, as well as transition zones between the established Zona Hotelera and the newer residential extensions toward Costa Mujeres and Puerto Juárez.

Are foreign-buyer or mortgage rules changing in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, there are no major new foreign-buyer restrictions on the horizon in Cancún, but mortgage costs remain the real barrier: Banxico held its policy rate at 7% in February 2026, pausing a long easing cycle, and mortgage CAT rates for Mexican-bank loans still sit well above 10%, which keeps the cost of borrowing high for anyone financing a purchase.

For foreign buyers specifically, the long-standing fideicomiso (bank trust) requirement for coastal properties in Cancún remains the key framework, and there are no imminent legislative moves to change that structure, though trust setup fees (around $1,000 USD) and annual maintenance costs ($500 to $2,000 USD per year) should always be factored in.

On the mortgage side, the most likely shift in Cancún's favor would be a resumption of Banxico rate cuts in the second half of 2026, which major bank forecasts see as plausible if inflation moves closer to the 3% target, and even a modest decrease could meaningfully improve affordability for buyers relying on peso-denominated financing.

You can also read our latest update about mortgage and interest rates in Mexico.

Will it be easy to find tenants in Cancún as of 2026?

Is the renter pool growing faster than new supply in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, renter demand in Cancún is growing roughly in line with new supply, meaning the balance is tight but not dramatically tilted in either direction, which translates to stable occupancy rather than effortless rent increases.

The strongest signal of renter demand growth in Cancún is the ongoing population expansion: Quintana Roo crossed the 2 million resident mark in recent projections (up from about 1.86 million in the 2020 census), and much of that growth concentrates in the Cancún metro area, driven by migration of service-sector workers and families looking for economic opportunity.

On the supply side, the pipeline is not small: the federal government announced roughly 22,000 new housing units planned for Quintana Roo through SEDATU, CONAVI, and INFONAVIT programs, and private developers are also active, so landlords should not assume scarcity will do all the work for them.

Are days-on-market for rentals falling in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, time-to-let for rentals in Cancún is relatively stable overall, with well-priced units in prime areas typically finding tenants within two to four weeks, while overpriced or poorly located units can sit for one to three months, especially during off-peak tourism periods.

The difference is significant: in high-demand neighborhoods like the Zona Hotelera, Puerto Juárez, or Supermanzana 11, correctly priced rentals tend to get snapped up quickly, while units in newer inland developments without strong transport links or walkable amenities take noticeably longer to fill.

One common reason days-on-market can drop sharply in Cancún is the seasonal tourism surge between November and April, when short-term rental demand peaks and landlords who also offer mid-term or furnished rentals benefit from the spillover of visitors looking for alternatives to hotels.

Are vacancies dropping in the best areas of Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, vacancy rates in Cancún's best-performing rental areas, including the Zona Hotelera, Puerto Juárez, and Supermanzana 11, appear to be holding steady at low levels thanks to the overlap of local professional renters, domestic relocators, and seasonal tourism demand.

In those prime areas, estimated vacancy is notably lower than the market-wide average in Cancún, because they attract multiple types of tenants (a hotel-zone condo can serve a seasonal tourist, a digital nomad, or a hospitality worker), whereas secondary locations rely on a single demand pool and are more vulnerable to gaps between tenants.

One practical sign that these best areas are tightening in Cancún is that landlords in Puerto Juárez and parts of the Zona Hotelera are increasingly able to demand six-month or 12-month lease commitments from tenants, rather than accepting month-to-month arrangements, which signals that tenants are competing enough that they are willing to lock in longer terms to secure a unit.

By the way, we've written a blog article detailing what are the current rent levels in Cancún.

Am I buying into a tightening market in Cancún as of 2026?

Is for-sale inventory shrinking in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, for-sale inventory in Cancún does not appear to be shrinking significantly. If anything, the combination of elevated prices and expensive financing is keeping a healthy number of listings on portals, especially in the condo segment where investor-owned units are common.

It is hard to estimate a precise months-of-supply figure for Cancún because there is no centralized MLS system like in the United States, but based on listing volumes and reported selling times, we estimate the market behaves like roughly 6 to 8 months of supply for condos, which is above the 4 to 5 months that typically marks a balanced market.

Are homes selling faster in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, homes in Cancún are not selling noticeably faster than a year ago across the board, though well-priced properties in prime locations like the Zona Hotelera or Puerto Cancún can still move within 30 to 60 days while overpriced listings in secondary areas may take 90 to 150 days or more.

Compared to last year, we do not see strong evidence of a significant drop in median days-on-market for Cancún overall, because the February 2026 Banxico rate pause at 7% keeps mortgage costs elevated, which limits the number of financed buyers entering the market and prevents a broad acceleration in transaction speed.

Are new listings slowing down in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, we do not have strong evidence that new for-sale listings are slowing down meaningfully in Cancún, and if anything, the ongoing delivery of new construction projects keeps fresh inventory entering the market.

Cancún's seasonal listing pattern typically sees a pickup in new listings around October through January (when developers want to catch the winter buying season from North American visitors) and a relative lull during the summer months, and the current level of new listings does not appear unusually low for this time of year.

Is new construction failing to keep up in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, new construction in Cancún is not clearly failing to keep up with demand, thanks to a substantial public and private development pipeline, though the pace of actual delivery can lag behind announcements.

The most visible trend is the federal government's plan for roughly 22,000 new housing units in Quintana Roo through SEDATU, CONAVI, and INFONAVIT, alongside active private development in corridors like Avenida Huayacán, Costa Mujeres, and the areas surrounding Avenida Colosio, which together represent a significant supply push.

The biggest bottleneck limiting new construction speed in Cancún is the combination of permitting complexity and rising land costs in desirable areas, which can delay projects and push developers toward cheaper inland parcels rather than the high-demand coastal and central zones where buyers most want to live.

Will it be easy to sell later in Cancún as of 2026?

Is resale liquidity strong enough in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, resale liquidity in Cancún is moderate to good compared to most Mexican cities, because the market attracts multiple buyer pools: local families, domestic migrants, second-home buyers from Mexico City and Monterrey, and some foreign purchasers using fideicomiso trusts.

For realistically priced resale homes in Cancún, median days-on-market likely falls in the 60 to 120 day range, which is acceptable by Mexican standards but slower than the under-30-day benchmarks you would see in the hottest U.S. or European markets.

The single property characteristic that most improves resale liquidity in Cancún is location within an established, well-serviced neighborhood with both tourism appeal and local demand, such as the Zona Hotelera for vacation buyers, or Supermanzanas 20 to 23 for families, because these areas consistently attract the widest range of end-buyers when it comes time to sell.

Is selling time getting longer in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, selling time in Cancún has likely stretched slightly compared to the peak activity of 2023-2024, mainly because financing costs are keeping some buyers out of the market and price expectations from sellers remain high.

The realistic range for most Cancún listings today is roughly 45 to 150 days on market, with the shorter end applying to well-priced two-bedroom condos in the Zona Hotelera or family houses near good schools, and the longer end applying to overpriced investor units or properties in less-established inland neighborhoods.

The clearest reason selling time can lengthen in Cancún specifically is the affordability squeeze: when mortgage CAT rates stay above 10% and property prices are near their all-time highs, the pool of qualified buyers who can actually close a deal shrinks, and sellers who refuse to adjust their asking price simply wait longer.

Is it realistic to exit with profit in Cancún as of 2026?

As of early 2026, the likelihood of exiting with a profit in Cancún is medium to high if you hold for at least five years, because the city's structural demand drivers (tourism, population growth, and limited coastal supply) tend to push prices upward over medium-term horizons.

The estimated minimum holding period that most often makes a profitable exit realistic in Cancún is around five to seven years, because that gives you enough time to absorb transaction costs, ride through at least one rate cycle, and benefit from cumulative price appreciation and rental income.

Total round-trip transaction costs in Cancún (buying plus selling) typically add up to roughly 10% to 16% of the property value: on the buying side, expect about 5% to 8% in closing costs (acquisition tax, notary fees, trust setup for foreigners), and on the selling side, about 5% to 9% in agent commissions and capital gains tax, which at current exchange rates means roughly $25,000 to $50,000 USD (or about 23,000 to 46,000 EUR) on a mid-range property worth around $300,000 USD.

The single factor that most increases your odds of exiting with profit in Cancún is buying below the asking price in a buyer-leaning market like the current one, because negotiating a 5% to 10% discount upfront effectively front-loads your profit margin and protects you against short-term price softness.

What sources have we used to write this blog article?

Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Cancún, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can ... and we don't throw out numbers at random.

We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.