What's The Tipping Etiquette For When You Dine Out At A Restaurant In Mexico?

Tipping culture isn't as common outside of the United States as you might think — and in the U.S., it's slowly becoming less popular. A CreditCards.com study revealed that tipping in the U.S. has been on the decline. Back in 2019, 77% of diners left some tip; that number is down to 73% in 2022, meaning more than one-quarter of Americans don't tip at all for a sit-down dinner. With that said, Americans have been becoming more vocally agitated with tip requests; since the pandemic, tip machines have been installed in nearly every form of service. Drive-thrus, convenience stores, and more regularly ask people to tip, leaving some Americans frustrated. Etiquette experts even weighed in, explaining to Fortune how the concept has created "social pressure."

Elsewhere in the world, tipping is much more cut and dry — and often a much lower percentage. Mexico, for example, has a tipping culture similar to ours, but its etiquette varies slightly. So, how much should you tip if you're dining at a restaurant in Mexico?

If you're enjoying one of Mexico's many all-inclusive resorts, you might not have to worry so much about tipping. However, if you venture into the town center or explore somewhere with an exciting dining scene, such as Mexico City, you'll want to know how much to tip. Whether you're at a bar or a restaurant in Mexico, showing your appreciation for service is often expressed through a tip. Similarly to the United States, you should tip as much as 20% for excellent service, while so-so service might yield closer to a 10% tip. However, it's not quite as expected to tip in Mexico as in the U.S., and it isn't necessarily frowned upon to leave without tipping, but it is certainly appreciated. If you're enjoying a drink at a bar, a $1-per-drink tip is the general expectation for a cocktail. As for quick-stop food establishments, tips are generally not expected (but, once again, would be appreciated).

Let's say you are done enjoying your sit-down meal and decide to take a taxi to the meet-up spot of a tour you just signed up for. In the United States, it isn't far-fetched to tip your taxi driver and tour guide, but what about in Mexico?

You can save a little cash when tipping the taxi driver; there is no need to tip unless they handle your luggage. In that case, no more than $1 is expected. Tours, however, are treated similarly to how they are in the U.S. — the tipping percentage should be at least 10% of the tour cost itself, but tipping up to 20% is appreciated if the tour guide does a great job.

As for other potential tipping situations, such as when you're at a hotel, it varies depending on the hotel itself. All-inclusive resorts don't necessarily expect tips, but they are usually encouraged, though be sure to check your resort's policy — some brands, such as Sandals and Beaches, advise against tipping. If a resort is not all-inclusive, guests are expected to tip housekeeping, bellhops, etc.