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Mexico’s currency is the peso. There are coins for 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 pesos; and notes for 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 pesos. There are also tiny coins for 5, 10, 20, and 50 centavos , of which there are 100 to the peso. The usual symbol for the peso is the same as the dollar sign; prices quoted in U.S. dollars usually have the prefix US$ or suffix USD.

Many Riviera businesses accept U.S. dollars as well as pesos, and a substantial number of visitors use only U.S. dollars during their trip. Hotel and restaurant listings in this book are given in price categories of U.S. dollars. Note, though, that U.S. dollar prices usually work out a bit higher than pesos. In the rest of the Yucatán, shops and businesses usually take pesos only.

There are clusters of banks in the center of all main towns, but they can be hard to find in rural areas. Banks are generally open 8:30am–4pm Monday to Friday, and 9am– 1pm Saturday, but some may not exchange money in the afternoons and on Saturdays. Most banks even in small towns now have ATMs, often the most economical way of obtaining cash (see Running Low on Cash).

All tourist areas have many small exchange offices (cambios ), open daily. Exchange rates are usually almost as good as in the banks.

MasterCard and VISA are widely accepted for larger purchases in shops, diving schools, and in hotels of mid-range level and above; Amex is less popular. Credit cards are virtually essential for car rentals, but restaurants and smaller shops rarely accept them.

White lada (long distance) payphones are easy to find in towns and tourist areas. Most take phone cards (tarjeta de teléfonos ) , which can be bought for 30, 50, or 100 pesos at any shop with the blue and yellow Ladatel sign. In villages, there is always a caseta, or phone office, where the attendant dials the number for you and you take the call in a booth. Cellphones operate on the same band as in the USA (European mobiles do not usually work).

To call anywhere in Mexico outside your local area you must first dial 01, then a three-figure area code (998 for Cancún, 999 for Mérida, and given with all numbers in this guide) and then the number. Within the same area code you need only dial the seven-figure number. To call outside Mexico, dial 00 followed by the country code. To call Mexico from abroad the international code is 52.

Telephone charges are high in Mexico. Making an international call from your hotel room will be the most expensive of all – ask people to ring you from abroad whenever possible.

Post offices in towns generally open 9am–6pm Monday to Friday, and 9am–1pm Saturday. Small village branches may open only on weekday mornings. Stamps (estampillas ) can also be bought at any shop with an Expendio de Estampillas sign. The Mexican mail service is very erratic, and postcards sent abroad can take weeks. For anything important, use the Mexpost courier service, available at main post offices.

Mexico has taken enthusiastically to the Internet, and Net cafés and easy-access Net shops are abundant, even in small towns. Most charge around $1–$2 an hour. E-mail is a far more reliable means of communication than the local postal service.