Visiting Puerto Vallarta - Part 8

Tipping Guide for Mexico

In previous parts of this article, I have mentioned the tips a few times so I thought I would cover the subject in more detail here before we really looked at all the area can offer. Depending on your culture the subject of tips can be very emotive; all I can say here is that this is deeply ingrained in this part of the world so the best way to enjoy your time here is to understand what is expected.

This guide is valid for all of Mexico although one difference with large cities is employees working in resort towns like Puerto Vallarta literally live on their tips. At the time of writing this guide, the exchange rate for the Peso means that $1 U. S. or 1 Euro would get you $20 Pesos, while £1 would bring the total to 25.

On December 18, 2015, the National Commission on Minimum Wages approved a general minimum wage increase of 4. 2%, effective January 1, 2016. The wage increase raised the general minimum wage from $70. 10 Mexican pesos per day to $73. 04 Mexican pesos per day. Yes, you did read that correctly and it is equivalent to around $3. 50 USD per day.

The people here work very hard to give all of us a pleasant stay so the least we can do in return is to make sure they are rewarded for their hard work. It is not their fault that this system exists so please factor the cost of tips into your stay. There is a wide variety of situations here where a tip will be expected so how do you know when to tip and what amount is appropriate for each occasion? This is where the rest of this guide should help you. However, before we get into the detail there are a few extra things you should know.

Staff at restaurants who are waiting tables will be expected to split their tips with the bus boys, cooks, bartenders, as well as the hostesses who greeted and seated customers. So your tip has to spread over a number of people.

It is best to only tip in Pesos because when you tip in any other currency the person receiving the tip will need to go to a bank and wait to convert the notes into pesos, and then will, of course, end up with a lower amount during the conversion process. I say notes because all foreign coins have no value. If you do not have any pesos then U. S. dollars are the next best thing but you should add a little extra to account for what they will lose at the bank. Now you understand the background we can get onto the practical advice about where and how much to tip.

Continued in part 9