Tulum: the vibe
Videos from people who went, played right here, with what viewers said underneath. Not part of the score.
The verdict
Wary · 38Commenters describe Tulum as a once-idyllic place ruined by overdevelopment, high prices, and scams, so remote workers should expect more warnings than praise.
- beaches and natural scenery
- bohemian, vegan and wellness scene
- laid-back early memories
- friendly local people and culture
- gentrification and rising housing costs
- overtourism and private beach access
- inflated prices and tourist traps
- scams at airport and car rentals
- police bribery and corruption
- seaweed and degraded beaches
- poor infrastructure
- Tulum was paradise decades ago but has declined sharply
- Rising costs are pushing locals out of town
- Expats and nomads are seen as contributing to the problem
- Rental car and airport scams are a real risk
- Puerto Escondido is often preferred as a quieter alternative
Read from 8 videos, 40 comments and 0 posts on 2026-11-07; the summary is written by a language model and can misread sarcasm.
TULUM: Expat Revelations. Why People Swap US for the Mexican Jungle | @BORDERLESS_Vlog
BORDERLESS · 608K views · 2024
What viewers said
“The beaches are mostly private, leaving locals with very limited access to public beach areas. Many locals are being forced to move out of Tulum because they can no longer afford to live there. Nature is being exploited—beaches have turned ”
♥ 285 likes
“The people and Mexican government need to start protecting Tulum. With better and more eco friendly infrastructure. Tulum is a treasure and should be protected”
♥ 419 likes
“Shocked to see how much Tulum has developed. I was lucky enough to visit 35 years ago and see it in its truly natural environment. Sad to see how development is affecting the indigenous community.”
♥ 221 likes
“So when other people go into your country we are inmigrants but when you come to ours you’re EXPATS. Got it 👎🏼”
♥ 837 likes
“You are IMMIGRANTS, so am l. Living in Mexico for more than 40 years. A USA immigrant living in Mexico.”
♥ 83 likes
“Ask locals natives if they are happy working for you all”
♥ 187 likes
“Estas personas hacen que incremente el precio de la vivienda así como la canasta básica para los locales ...ya no son turistas...son migrantes”
♥ 230 likes
“The death of Tulum, so sad, it was a true paradise in 1990.”
♥ 18 likes
“Please respect the culture the people. We are all humans. It’s sad everyone wants to make money out of virgin lands and ruin it for the locals. Mexicans are hard workers and smart people if you’re gonna come into their country why discrimin”
♥ 64 likes
“Tulum was a paradise. About 14 years ago, everything went to shit. People who think they are very original for walking barefoot, paying inflated prices for everything. In a "city" with businessmen who only came like rats to cheese to take a”
♥ 349 likes
Found with a YouTube search for the city and “digital nomad”, fetched 2026-11-07; titles, descriptions and comments belong to their authors and link to the originals.