Summary
Only if it is well run, and only in a few areas. Across Tulum, a typical 2-bed keeps 2.2% a year on Airbnb after costs, against 2.3% on a yearly lease; Tulum Country Club has our highest Airbnb yield at 2.5%, and Aldea Tulum our lowest, losing 0.7% a year.
That makes Airbnb a near tie with a plain lease for the city, and a loss in most areas. Only Tulum Beach, Aldea Zama and La Veleta come out slightly ahead of a yearly lease, plus Tankah on very few listings, while in Tumben Kaa, Region 15, Villas Tulum, Aldea Tulum and on the Cobá Road the lease wins by far.
Tourism explains part of the squeeze. El País reported that passengers at Tulum airport fell 33% from January through July 2026, and AirROI put average Airbnb revenue down 7.9% over the 12 months to October 2026.
Even the size of the market is uncertain: trackers count from 3,400 to 8,300 active listings and put occupancy between 30% and 46%, because they treat blocked nights differently. We work with ~35% for the city.
Winter should help, with Canadian airlines returning and US carriers adding flights from November 2026, but extra flights feed the months that already do best, not the slow summer and autumn.
Costs then eat what is left. Furnishing a 2-bed takes US$20,000-30,000, building fees are due every month, and Airbnb's fee plus a manager's commission can take a large share of each booking.
The rules are tightening too: Quintana Roo now requires state registration and the lodging tax for platform rentals, and has announced that platforms will have to hide unregistered listings. For most buyers, a yearly tenant is the simpler and often better choice; Airbnb only pays in a handful of areas, for an owner who runs it well.
Our Tulum Airbnb table by area
This table gives our verdict for each of the 15 areas of Tulum we track, with the figures behind it: net Airbnb yield, the gap with a yearly lease, nightly rate, occupancy, monthly revenue, price and building fees.
It also shows why the answer changes so much from one part of Tulum to another, so a buyer can weigh the return against the asking price and the monthly costs instead of looking only at gross Airbnb revenue.
If you want real answers from the field about a specific home or street, ask a pro in Tulum for free.
| Area |
Verdict our short answer |
Airbnb Net Rental Yield % of the priceiNightly rate × 365 × occupancy, minus ~32% for manager, platform and cleaning, building fees, utilities US$2,400, property tax and upkeep (0.65% of price), divided by the 2-bed price. |
Vs a Yearly Lease in points iAirbnb net yield minus the net yield of the same flat on a yearly lease (2 months empty, 10% manager, same building costs). |
Nightly Rate 2-bed flat, averageiAirROI 2-bed rate, scaled by area with Airbtics area rates (Zona Hotelera MXN 1,784, La Veleta 1,201, Centro 892 vs city 1,424) and guides' area ranges. |
Occupancy Rate nights booked iCity ~35%; beach and Aldea Zama/La Veleta a bit higher (demand, guides), Region 15 and resident areas lower (managers: 'low 30s or below'). |
Monthly Revenue average, before costsiNightly rate × 365 × occupancy ÷ 12. |
Price 2-bed flat, asking iPrice per sq ft of the area × 950 sq ft (a typical 2-bed of ~88 m²). |
HOA Fees building fees, per monthiTypical 2-bed building fee seen on listings per area (database values), converted at 18.6. |
Why what drives the verdict here |
Data confidence iHigh: direct data for this area. Medium: one strong source, or several pointing the same way, with our own estimate. Low: few signals, an order of magnitude. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TulumChecked Nov 2026 | Only if well run | 2.2% | −0.1 pts | US$134 | ~35% | US$1,430 | US$245K | US$190 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 2.2% a year on Airbnb, against 2.3% on a yearly lease. Lots of new condos, fewer buyers and softer tourism since 2024. | Medium |
| Tulum Beach | Only if well run | 2.3% | +0.3 pts | US$220 | ~38% | US$2,540 | US$475K | US$380 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 2.3% a year on Airbnb, against 2.0% on a yearly lease. Beachfront is scarce and building is restricted. It is booked about 38% of nights. | Medium |
| Selva Zama | Only if well run | 1.2% | −0.4 pts | US$160 | ~33% | US$1,610 | US$361K | US$320 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 1.2% a year on Airbnb, against 1.6% on a yearly lease. A newer, pricier jungle area next to Aldea Zama with little built around it yet. | Medium |
| Cobá Road | No | 1.4% | −0.6 pts | US$130 | ~30% | US$1,190 | US$266K | US$160 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 1.4% a year on Airbnb, against 2.0% on a yearly lease. Jungle villas and lots west of town, car‑dependent. It is booked about 30% of nights. | Medium |
| Aldea Zama | Only if well run | 2.2% | +0.2 pts | US$145 | ~37% | US$1,630 | US$249K | US$320 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 2.2% a year on Airbnb, against 2.0% on a yearly lease. The best‑known area, but nearly a thousand homes for sale. | Medium |
| Centro Tulum | No | 1.7% | −0.7 pts | US$105 | ~38% | US$1,210 | US$247K | US$130 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 1.7% a year on Airbnb, against 2.4% on a yearly lease. Where locals live, but resale is very slow. It is booked about 38% of nights. | Medium |
| Region 8 | No | 1.2% | −0.8 pts | US$120 | ~30% | US$1,100 | US$242K | US$160 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 1.2% a year on Airbnb, against 2.0% on a yearly lease. Close to the beach road but still half building site, with many lots and slow sales. | Medium |
| Villas Tulum | No | 0.4% | −1.3 pts | US$90 | ~27% | US$740 | US$238K | US$100 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 0.4% a year on Airbnb, against 1.7% on a yearly lease. A quieter residential area with few new projects, where prices held but rents were cut. | Medium |
| La Veleta | Only if well run | 2.2% | +0.2 pts | US$120 | ~37% | US$1,350 | US$238K | US$160 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 2.2% a year on Airbnb, against 2.0% on a yearly lease. The liveliest area with cafes and shops, still crowded with condos and some unpaved streets. | Medium |
| Region 15 | No | 0.7% | −1.7 pts | US$100 | ~28% | US$850 | US$223K | US$130 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 0.7% a year on Airbnb, against 2.4% on a yearly lease. Packed with near‑identical studios that no longer rent. It is booked about 28% of nights. | Medium |
| Tulum Country Club | No | 2.5% | −0.7 pts | US$140 | ~35% | US$1,490 | US$220K | US$240 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 2.5% a year on Airbnb, against 3.2% on a yearly lease. A gated golf community outside town, finished and calm, where homes sell faster than in town. | Medium |
| Holistika | Only if well run | 1.9% | −0.3 pts | US$120 | ~32% | US$1,170 | US$218K | US$130 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 1.9% a year on Airbnb, against 2.2% on a yearly lease. A small wellness enclave in the jungle, liked by buyers but with very few sales. | Medium |
| Tumben Kaa | No | 0.5% | −2.6 pts | US$85 | ~27% | US$700 | US$162K | US$120 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 0.5% a year on Airbnb, against 3.1% on a yearly lease. A local residential area, cheaper than the condo zones, with houses doing better than flats. | Medium |
| Aldea Tulum | No | −0.7% | −3.3 pts | US$60 | ~22% | US$400 | US$114K | US$80 | After all costs, a 2-bed loses about 0.7% a year on Airbnb, while a yearly lease keeps 2.6%. A huge development of about 6,000 small flats bought to rent out, many now empty. | Medium |
| Fewer listings, rough estimates ?We're still digging into these areas. Once we find solid sources, they'll move up into the main table. | ||||||||||
| Tankah | Only if well run | 1.8% | +0.1 pts | US$230 | ~33% | US$2,310 | US$504K | US$320 | After all costs, a 2-bed keeps about 1.8% a year on Airbnb, against 1.7% on a yearly lease. A thin beachfront market with halted projects. It is booked about 33% of nights. | Medium |
| Bahia Soliman | — | — | — | — | — | — | US$446K | US$350 | — | Medium |
Count US$20,000-30,000 to furnish a 2-bed, not included above. Guests pay a 6% state lodging tax on each night, and each building's rules decide if short rentals are allowed: read the condo bylaws before buying.
How we got these numbers. We read 133 short-rental signals (AirROI, AirDNA, Airbtics, BNBCalc, the state vacation-rental association APAR, managers' models, owners' accounts) plus 150 rent and price signals. Data providers disagree on occupancy (30% to 46%) because they count blocked nights differently; we used ~35% for the city and placed each area around it. Nightly rates start from AirROI's 2-bed rate (MXN 2,492), adjusted with Airbtics' area rates (beach +25%, Centro −37%).
Source: TheLatinvestor property database, November 2026.
Ask a Tulum pro
today, for free.
They know the building rules and local permits.
Message a proIs Airbnb worth it in Tulum now?
Only if it is well run, and only in a few areas: a typical 2-bed in Tulum keeps 2.2% a year on Airbnb after costs, against 2.3% on a yearly lease.
For the city as a whole, that is a tie at best. Short stays bring more work, more wear and more risk for slightly less money than a tenant on a one-year contract.
The spread between areas is wide. Of the 15 areas we track, six get an "only if well run" verdict from us, eight get a plain no, and Bahia Soliman has too few rentals to judge.
Demand has softened since 2024. Lots of new condos, fewer buyers and fewer tourists mean more units chasing the same guests, and the slow months now weigh heavily on the year.
Seasonality gives good operators a strong winter. AirROI recorded 42.0% occupancy in February 2026, against 26.2% in September 2026. A unit that looks excellent in January can finish the year with a thin return once the weak months are counted.
So the question is less "Airbnb or not" than "which area, and who runs it". The answers below go area by area, then through the costs and the rules that decide what an owner keeps.
Does Airbnb still beat a yearly lease in Tulum?
No. Across Tulum, Airbnb now keeps slightly less than a yearly lease, and in eight of our 15 areas we would not choose short stays.
The surprise is that some areas with decent Airbnb revenue still lose after costs. Centro Tulum is booked about 38% of nights, yet keeps 1.7% on Airbnb against 2.4% on a lease, because its nightly rate is low and its tenants are locals who rent all year.
Tulum Country Club is the clearest case. Its Airbnb yield is our highest, and a yearly lease there keeps 3.2%.
Recent owner accounts point the same way. An owner of two finished Tulum properties wrote on a forum in April 2026 that Airbnb looked too crowded from the start and that long-term tenants had been easier to manage, even if the return came in below what the owner had hoped. No manager or local paper has published a count of owners switching to yearly tenants as of now, so that move is visible only in accounts like this one.
A yearly tenant also spares the owner nightly repricing, guest turnover and most of the cleaning and platform costs.
The table below shows what a 2-bed keeps on Airbnb and on a yearly lease in ten Tulum areas, with our verdict.
| Area | Airbnb keeps | Yearly lease keeps | Gap | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulum Beach | 2.3% | 2.0% | +0.3 pts | Only if well run |
| Aldea Zama | 2.2% | 2.0% | +0.2 pts | Only if well run |
| La Veleta | 2.2% | 2.0% | +0.2 pts | Only if well run |
| Tankah | 1.8% | 1.7% | +0.1 pts | Only if well run |
| Centro Tulum | 1.7% | 2.4% | −0.7 pts | No |
| Cobá Road | 1.4% | 2.0% | −0.6 pts | No |
| Region 15 | 0.7% | 2.4% | −1.7 pts | No |
| Villas Tulum | 0.4% | 1.7% | −1.3 pts | No |
| Tumben Kaa | 0.5% | 3.1% | −2.6 pts | No |
| Aldea Tulum | −0.7% | 2.6% | −3.3 pts | No |
Note: Tankah's figures rest on very few listings.
Why do Tulum Airbnb trackers disagree so much?
Because they count different things: AirDNA counted 3,444 active rentals at 46% occupancy in October 2026, while AirROI counted 8,269 active Airbnb listings at 30.1% occupancy over the 12 months to October 2026.
The first difference is what counts as an available night. AirROI reports the share of open nights that were booked, and separates the nights an owner blocks. AirDNA measures occupancy over the nights its system treats as available. Owner stays, temporary closures and seasonal blocking can push the two figures apart.
The second difference is which listings count. AirDNA's Tulum market includes Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, but its rules on what is active produce a much smaller count. AirROI looks at Airbnb only, over a rolling 12 months, so a listing that was active early in the year stays in its total.
Even the trends point opposite ways. AirDNA reported active listings down 73.4% year on year in October 2026 and average revenue up 77.0%; AirROI reported listings up 5% and revenue down. Each figure only makes sense inside its own provider's definition.
We use ~35% occupancy for the city as a working level and place each area around it. Neither tracker decides the whole case on its own.
The table below shows how far apart the two trackers and our own estimate sit.
| Tracker | Period | Active listings | Listings vs a year ago | Occupancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirDNA | October 2026 | 3,444 | −73.4% | 46% |
| AirROI | 12 months to Oct. 2026 | 8,269 | +5% | 30.1% |
| AirROI, median listing | 12 months to Oct. 2026 | — | — | 27% |
| Our table, whole city | — | — | — | ~35% |
Is Tulum's tourism slump still hurting Airbnb bookings?
Yes. Airbnb demand in Tulum is weaker than a year ago, and airport, hotel and rental data all point the same way.
El País reported that Tulum airport handled just over 529,800 passengers from January through July 2026, down 33% from the same months of 2025. La Jornada then reported federal aviation data (AFAC) showing international passengers down 76.4% in August 2026 from a year earlier, with international flights down 63.8%.
Hotels weakened too. El País reported that hotel occupancy over the first seven months of 2026 had dropped by almost nine percentage points. Hotels and apartments do not serve exactly the same guest, but both depend on the same airlines and the same willingness to pay Tulum prices.
The rental trackers fit that picture. AirROI put average annual revenue per listing at MX$265,083 for the 12 months to October 2026, down 7.9% on the year before, and its monthly occupancy slid from 39.5% in January 2026 to 26.2% in September 2026.
Sargassum is part of the story. In its October 2026 report on Tulum, El País named heavy sargassum, high local prices and weak air links as the three causes of the slowdown, so beach conditions are hitting bookings at the same time as flights and prices.
The slowdown hurts the generic inland unit first. A condo with nothing special to offer competes on price with thousands of others when fewer travelers arrive, while a unit near the beach keeps more of its guests.
Ask a property manager
in Tulum, for free.
They find tenants, fix things and send reports.
Message a pro
Will Tulum's winter flight rebound rescue Airbnb returns?
Only partly. More winter flights will help Tulum bookings, but they will not fix the yearly numbers in the most crowded condo areas.
Grupo Mundo Maya, the airport's operator, said in October 2026 that Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat would return for the high season, while American, Delta and United planned to raise their international operations from 552 to 1,064 between November 2026 and March 2027. It expected more than 710 international operations from the returning Canadian airlines over the same period.
The rebound starts from a low base, after the collapse in international passengers in August 2026. A strong winter can lift bookings sharply without bringing the year back to what many owners expected when they bought.
The extra flights also land in the months that already do best. AirROI's data shows January as the strongest month for revenue and September as the weakest, so a better winter mostly makes the good months better.
The weak areas need the other eight months too. In Region 15 and Aldea Tulum, the gap with a yearly lease is too wide for one good season to close; a strong winter does not pay for carrying those units through the rest of the year.
Tulum Beach has the most to gain. Its guests come for the beach, and the new flights bring exactly the travelers who are looking for it.
Which Tulum areas still make Airbnb work best?
Tulum Beach, Aldea Zama and La Veleta, the three areas where Airbnb beats a yearly lease on solid listing counts; Tankah does too, but on very few listings.
Tulum Beach has the clearest edge, but a 2-bed there asks US$475K, with the highest building fees in our table, US$380 a month. The unit has to earn a lot before the owner sees a small premium over a lease.
Aldea Zama is the best-known area, at US$249K, with US$320 a month in building fees. Its edge over a yearly lease is thin, and a weak manager or long owner stays can wipe it out.
La Veleta asks US$238K with US$160 a month in fees. Cafes, shops and street life give travelers more reason to stay there than in a half-built fringe area.
Tankah is harder to call. It has our highest asking price, US$504K, and a thin beachfront market with halted projects, so its rough estimates carry less weight.
Selva Zama and Holistika also get an "only if well run" verdict, but there a yearly lease keeps more: Selva Zama 1.2% on Airbnb against 1.6% on a lease, Holistika 1.9% against 2.2%. Airbnb can work there only for an owner who beats the average.
The table below shows the price, fees and revenue in the six areas where we would consider Airbnb.
| Area | 2-bed price | Building fees / month | Monthly revenue | Nightly rate | Occupancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulum Beach | US$475K | US$380 | US$2,540 | US$220 | ~38% |
| Selva Zama | US$361K | US$320 | US$1,610 | US$160 | ~33% |
| Aldea Zama | US$249K | US$320 | US$1,630 | US$145 | ~37% |
| La Veleta | US$238K | US$160 | US$1,350 | US$120 | ~37% |
| Holistika | US$218K | US$130 | US$1,170 | US$120 | ~32% |
| Tankah | US$504K | US$320 | US$2,310 | US$230 | ~33% |
Note: Tankah's figures are rough estimates on very few listings.
Why does Tulum Beach hold up better than inland condo zones?
Because the beach is the one thing inland Tulum cannot copy: a 2-bed on Tulum Beach earns US$2,540 a month before costs, our highest monthly revenue.
Building on the beach is restricted and the strip is physically limited, so new supply cannot flood it. A typical 2-bed there gets US$220 a night and is booked about 38% of nights.
Region 15 shows the other side. It was built with large numbers of near-identical apartments aimed at the same short-stay guest, and a 2-bed there gets US$100 a night at ~28% occupancy.
Price does not cancel the beach advantage. A Tulum Beach 2-bed is far pricier than one in Region 15, yet keeps 2.3% a year on Airbnb, against 0.7% in Region 15. The cheaper purchase price inland is not enough to make up for weaker demand and lower rates.
The tourism slowdown makes that split sharper. When fewer travelers choose among thousands of rentals, the units with a clear location advantage keep their pricing power.
Tankah is the warning against taking the idea too far. It has our highest nightly rate, US$230, but ~33% occupancy and a high purchase price leave it a thin 1.8% yield. The beach helps; the price you pay decides how much of the premium you keep.
Is Aldea Zama still worth running as an Airbnb?
Yes, but only with tight management: Aldea Zama keeps 2.2% on Airbnb against 2.0% on a yearly lease.
Aldea Zama has two real advantages. Guests know the name, and it sits between the town center and the beach road. A 2-bed there earns US$1,630 a month before costs, at US$145 a night and ~37% occupancy.
Competition is the weak point. Nearly a thousand homes are for sale in Aldea Zama, so a plain 2-bed enters a market where many owners are chasing the same buyers and the same guests. Good photos are no longer enough.
The gap between good and bad operators is wide. AirROI's 2026 data shows the top quarter of Tulum listings earning at least MX$42,600 in a typical month, while the bottom quarter earns MX$7,620 or less. With such a small edge over a lease, an Aldea Zama unit that drifts toward the bottom of that range loses its reason to be on Airbnb.
The management contract matters as much as the unit. A commission a few points higher than planned can turn Aldea Zama's small lead into a small loss, as the answer on fees below shows.
Aldea Zama works for short stays, but no longer by default: the unit has to book above the middle of the Tulum market.
Ask a local agent
in Tulum, for free.
They know what tenants really pay.
Message a proIs Region 15 too saturated for Airbnb now?
Yes. Region 15 is one of the clearest places in Tulum where condo supply has run ahead of what a normal Airbnb can earn.
A typical 2-bed in Region 15 asks US$223K, earns US$850 a month before costs and keeps 0.7% a year on Airbnb. A yearly lease keeps 2.4%.
Region 15 is close to the beach road, but it is packed with near-identical studios that no longer rent, and parts of it feel unfinished. Guests have plenty of substitutes, and owners end up competing on price and availability.
The wider market makes that harder. AirROI counts thousands of active Airbnb listings in Tulum, and its median listing was booked 27% of open nights over the 12 months to October 2026. Region 15, at ~28%, sits right in the crowded middle of that field.
Fewer arrivals mean fewer guests for all those units. A town can absorb a lot of similar condos while visitors are rising fast; it is much harder when air traffic moves the other way, as it did in 2026.
Region 15 already rents at US$100 a night. Cutting further may fill a few more nights, but it leaves less to cover platform fees, management, utilities, repairs and building fees. A yearly lease is the cleaner choice here.
Can a cheap apartment in Aldea Tulum make money on Airbnb?
No. Aldea Tulum has our lowest asking price, US$114K, and a typical 2-bed there still loses 0.7% a year on Airbnb.
The problem is revenue. A 2-bed in Aldea Tulum averages US$60 a night at ~22% occupancy, for US$400 a month before costs, our lowest on all three counts. Building fees are only US$80 a month, the lowest in our table, but the income is too small to carry the full cost of short-term renting.
A yearly lease keeps 2.6% in Aldea Tulum. The low price gets a buyer into Tulum, but it does not create the tourist demand that short stays need.
The development itself explains much of it. Aldea Tulum is a huge project of about 6,000 small flats, many bought to rent out and many now empty. A traveler choosing one small apartment can find dozens of near copies next door.
The citywide data offers no rescue. In AirROI's numbers, the weakest quarter of Tulum listings fills 14% or less of open nights, and Aldea Tulum sits much closer to that end than to the top.
At that revenue there is little left for management, platform fees, linen, humidity repairs, utilities and the nights an owner uses the flat. A cheap flat can be expensive to run as a nightly rental.
Is Tulum Country Club better for Airbnb or a yearly lease?
A yearly lease wins in Tulum Country Club: a typical 2-bed keeps 3.2% on a lease, against 2.5% on Airbnb.
That is easy to miss, because Tulum Country Club has our highest Airbnb yield. A 2-bed there asks US$220K, averages US$140 a night, is booked about 35% of nights and brings in US$1,490 a month before costs. On the Airbnb side alone, those figures beat most of Tulum.
The long-term market is stronger still. Tulum Country Club is a finished, gated golf community outside town, and homes there sell faster than in town. That appeals to residents and long-stay tenants who want security, quiet and a complete neighborhood.
The same features count for less with a short-stay guest whose first wish is the beach, restaurants or nightlife. A guest who books Tulum Country Club has to want that resort setting, while a yearly tenant sees the distance from the center as a plus.
So the highest Airbnb yield in our table is not the best Airbnb choice. Tulum Country Club is one of the strongest rental areas we track, and the better way to rent it is to a yearly tenant.
Do management fees wipe out Tulum Airbnb returns?
They can. Tulum Airbnb margins are thin enough that a management contract can turn a unit from slightly ahead of a yearly lease to slightly behind it.
Airbnb takes the first cut. The company says Mexican listings on its single-fee structure pay 16%, and hosts using property-management software were moved to that structure in October 2026.
Local managers add their own. Vacaciones Yeah publishes a 20% base commission on short-stay nights in Tulum plus cleaning, and Mango Property Management publishes 20% to 25% of net revenue plus a fixed maintenance fee. These are two companies' current rate cards, not a market average, and no survey of what Tulum owners really pay in total is published.
The areas with the smallest edge are the most exposed. Tulum Beach, Aldea Zama, La Veleta and Tankah beat a lease by a few tenths of a point at most, so a cost structure a little heavier than ours erases the gap.
The upfront bill matters too, and it is not included in our yields. Furniture and appliances in Tulum also face humidity, heavy air-conditioning use and frequent guest turnover, so they wear out faster than in a long-term rental.
Building fees are fixed whatever the bookings. A manager's fee that looks small as a share of gross revenue can be large next to the net yield the owner finally keeps.
The table below shows the main costs an Airbnb owner in Tulum faces, who sets them and on what basis.
| Cost | Who sets it | Rate or amount | Charged on | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Airbnb | 16% | Each booking | Oct. 2026 |
| Manager, short stays | Vacaciones Yeah | 20% plus cleaning | Nightly revenue | 2026 rate card |
| Manager, full service | Mango Property Management | 20% to 25% plus maintenance | Net revenue | 2026 rate card |
| State lodging tax | Quintana Roo | 6% | Each night, paid by guests | 2026 |
| Furnishing a 2-bed | Owner | US$20,000-30,000 | Once, before renting | Our estimate |
| Building fees | Each condo | US$80 to US$380 a month | Every month | Our table |
Are Tulum's new Airbnb rules a serious risk for owners?
Yes, for owners who skip the paperwork: Tulum faces stricter registration, not an announced ban on short rentals.
What is decided: the Quintana Roo government said in January 2026 that lodging businesses must hold state and town operating licenses, pay the lodging tax and be listed in the state tourism register, RETURQ. The state tourism ministry's 2026 rules make RETURQ registration yearly, free and mandatory, and require digital platforms to hold their own state registration. Registration comes with basic safety equipment: smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, extinguishers, first-aid kits and gas controls.
The tax side is already in force. Quintana Roo's lodging-tax law covers hosts who rent through platforms, and the state tax authority requires platforms to register, withhold tax where it applies and share host details. Guests pay the 6% state tax on each night.
What is only announced: the same January 2026 statement said platforms would have to stop showing unregistered listings once new controls are in place, with no start date published as of now. The common state rules for platform rentals, and the push by Tulum's hotel sector against unregistered rentals, have not produced a published Tulum ordinance so far.
The biggest rule for an owner is closer to home: each building's bylaws decide whether short rentals are allowed. The real danger is buying without reading them, then learning that the Airbnb income depended on a use the building will not accept.
So, is Airbnb worth it in Tulum now?
Only if it is well run, and only in a few areas. For Tulum as a whole, Airbnb now keeps a little less than a yearly lease, so short stays no longer win by default.
The exceptions are Tulum Beach, Aldea Zama and La Veleta, where Airbnb edges a lease by a few tenths of a point, plus Tankah on very few listings. In eight areas, from Centro Tulum to Aldea Tulum, the lease wins, sometimes by far, and a cheap purchase price does not rescue a unit when nightly demand is weak.
What drives it is supply meeting a tourism slump. Lots of new condos compete for fewer visitors, airport traffic fell sharply in 2026, and AirROI's revenue per listing went down. Winter flights are coming back, but they mostly strengthen the season that already performs best.
Costs decide the rest. Furnishing a 2-bed takes US$20,000-30,000 before the first guest, Airbnb's fee in Mexico is 16%, managers publish commissions of 20% or more, and building fees run every month whatever the bookings.
Our figures are estimates for a typical 2-bed, built around one working occupancy level for the city, with medium confidence on every area. The trackers disagree on the size of the market, so the gaps between areas are more reliable than any single yield; Tankah's figures rest on very few listings, and we give no figure for Bahia Soliman.
What to watch: bookings this winter against the new flights, whether Quintana Roo actually forces platforms to hide unregistered listings, and whether more owners in the crowded condo areas move to yearly tenants. Until then, for most Tulum buyers, a yearly tenant is the simpler bet, and Airbnb is worth the effort only for a well-run unit in the right area.
Our methodology
Our data runs through November 2026. For a typical 2-bed in each area, we compare what Airbnb keeps after all costs with what a yearly lease keeps, alongside the nightly rate, occupancy, monthly revenue before costs, asking price and building fees.
We read 650 signals from 124 websites: short-rental trackers (AirROI, AirDNA, Airbtics, BNBCalc), the state vacation-rental association APAR, managers' models and owners' accounts, plus rent and price data. Data providers disagree on occupancy (30% to 46%) because they count blocked nights differently; we used ~35% for the city and placed each area around it. Nightly rates start from AirROI's 2-bed rate (MXN 2,492), adjusted with Airbtics' area rates (beach +25%, Centro −37%).
High confidence means strong sources that agree. Medium means one strong source, or several that point the same way, with our own estimate per area built from the figure for Tulum as a whole and what we know of each area. Cells we could not estimate well are left empty, as for Bahia Soliman. Figures with "~" are our estimates, meant as orders of magnitude.
Outside figures stay in the currency their source publishes; AirROI publishes in pesos, so we quote its pesos as they are and its changes in %.
Two units in the same building can perform very differently. Floor, view, pool, reviews, the age of the listing, owner stays, the manager and the furniture all change bookings, so our table compares markets for a typical 2-bed rather than promising a result for one address.
A sceptical reader will ask whether a good operator can beat these averages. Yes: AirROI's own 2026 data shows a wide gap between the best and worst listings. We keep the typical case, because a purchase should make sense without assuming the buyer becomes one of Tulum's best hosts on day one.
Key sources used for this analysis include AirDNA Tulum listings, occupancy and revenue, October 2026, AirROI Tulum revenue, occupancy, monthly seasonality and listing counts through October 2026, Airbnb's October 2026 move to the single host fee, Airbnb host fees, including the 16% single fee in Mexico, Quintana Roo's January 2026 statement on registration, licenses and platform controls, Quintana Roo's RETURQ tourism register, State tourism ministry's 2026 rules on yearly RETURQ registration, Quintana Roo lodging-tax law covering platform hosts, State tax authority rules for platforms and host registration, Federal aviation data for Tulum airport traffic, October 2026 report on airport traffic, hotel occupancy and sargassum, October 2026 field report on Tulum's tourism slowdown, August 2026 drop in international flights and passengers at Tulum airport, Winter 2026-27 airline returns and flight projections, Published Tulum short-stay management fee and Published Tulum property-management fee range.
Spotted an error? Tell us, we fix it within days.