# Cancun Walmart and Costco



## travelbuff (Jul 18, 2011)

What is everyone buying  at Walmart or Costco on the way from the airport?
We are staying at the Royal Sands for the first time and  thought everything was walkable and that we would go grocery shopping after check-in? Thanks:


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## Former Cruiser (Jul 18, 2011)

The Royal Sands has a VERY nice market on site (wish Marriott's was as nice), but overpriced, of course.  Other than that there are no groceries that are walk-able. We don't have a Costco membership, but I'm sure the people that do are buying at least liquor, soda and snacks.  We booked our transportation from the airport ahead of time, and added a stop at Walmart.  They offer it for almost nothing extra, and will wait for you at least 1/2 an hour.  Thought the Walmart in Puerto Vallarta is just like in the States, the one in Cancun isn't.  It's more of a grocery store with a bit of extras. We bought soda, beer, cereal and WATER (way cheaper than the Sands market), and lunch fixings (PB&J, bread), and snacks.  We bought the milk and juice at the market as we didn't know how long it would be before we got into a room.  We ate out for dinner.  The prices were way more than we expected.  We paid more for dinners in Cancun than many places we ate out at in Kauai. Go figure.

You'll love the Sands!!  We went in December of 2009 on an AC, and bought a resale last fall.  Our next trip back will be December of this year.


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## ilene13 (Jul 18, 2011)

travelbuff said:


> What is everyone buying  at Walmart or Costco on the way from the airport?
> We are staying at the Royal Sands for the first time and  thought everything was walkable and that we would go grocery shopping after check-in? Thanks:



We've been going to Cancun three weeks a year a year since 1991.  Years ago we went to Walmart to buy what we needed--but we only buy water and soda.  We  bring my protein powder  for breakfast, coffee and creamer, almond butter and English muffins.  We eat out for lunch and dinner.  So, we use the market at the Sands or the Haciendas.  I guess it depends on how much you want to buy to decide if it warrants a trip to the store.


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## Phydeaux (Jul 18, 2011)

Support the locally owned business. We prefer shopping at Comercial Mexicana. Much better bakery, fresh seafoods & meats, produce, and other goods vs. WallyWorld.


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## pjrose (Jul 18, 2011)

It is definitely NOT walkable from the Sands.

Several times we have added the $30 to our Cancun Valet transportation to go to WalMart on the way, and several times we have taken the bus instead.  

I think it's a toss-up whether it's worth going.

On the plus side, the prices are less than at the resort mini-market, and there is a huge selection.  If you are planning to eat in a lot, if you have a bunch of adolescents, if you buy alcohol, you can save.  You can't get fresh meat or seafood at the Royals' Minimarkets, so for "real" cooking, WalMart (or Costco) lets you buy them.  The Walmart bakery is amazing and really inexpensive.  Beverages are definitely less expensive and there's a big variety.  It's fun to see the different types of seafood, produce, and other foods, and also fun to go over to the rest of the store to see the Mexican versions of things.  Lotteria is a kind of Mexican Bingo that is played daily at the resort, and you can buy a lotteria game to take home.  You can get pool toys and innertubes for the kids.  There is a pharmacy.  If you do it on a bus rather than on the way there, you aren't constrained to just an hour.  There's a McDonald's right inside of the store. 

On the minus side, it's a half-day of vacation.  We're experienced with the Cancun WalMart, and last time we went with a list and divvied it up among four people with four carts, and still it took us more than an hour.  Later we compared prices with the minimarket and though most things were less at WalMart, some weren't much less, and some were actually more. If you plan to eat out or just do light cooking (e.g. just breakfasts/coffees/snacks), or if there are just two people, then it may not be worth the time.

After ~20 years of going to the Royals every year, we skip the WalMart trip and instead bring a few things that are harder to find and/or strange and/or way way over priced, and just stay on site.  (Everyone has their own list - ours is Peanut Butter, dry chicken gravy mix, and microwave popcorn.)  We either eat at one of the restaurants on-site (usually at the Tri-Royals rather than the Sands) or we get ribs or rotisserie chicken, soup, salad, Mexican rice, and a brownie pie from the Express take-out that is inside the resort restaurant.  Leftovers from that make a second dinner, for example we'll make fajitas with some of the chicken, tortillas and beans and salsa etc from the minimarket.

For us, WalMart is now a rainy-afternoon activity if that, but it is fun the first few times if you're interested in seeing the Mexican version of things.


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## travelbuff (Sep 10, 2011)

*Thanks*

Thank you for the information, it is very helpful.  

Also what transfer company did you use and what is the cost?  I know Thomas Moore is booked from the hotel...







Former Cruiser said:


> The Royal Sands has a VERY nice market on site (wish Marriott's was as nice), but overpriced, of course.  Other than that there are no groceries that are walk-able. We don't have a Costco membership, but I'm sure the people that do are buying at least liquor, soda and snacks.  We booked our transportation from the airport ahead of time, and added a stop at Walmart.  They offer it for almost nothing extra, and will wait for you at least 1/2 an hour.  Thought the Walmart in Puerto Vallarta is just like in the States, the one in Cancun isn't.  It's more of a grocery store with a bit of extras. We bought soda, beer, cereal and WATER (way cheaper than the Sands market), and lunch fixings (PB&J, bread), and snacks.  We bought the milk and juice at the market as we didn't know how long it would be before we got into a room.  We ate out for dinner.  The prices were way more than we expected.  We paid more for dinners in Cancun than many places we ate out at in Kauai. Go figure.
> 
> You'll love the Sands!!  We went in December of 2009 on an AC, and bought a resale last fall.  Our next trip back will be December of this year.


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## travelbuff (Sep 10, 2011)

*Thanks*

You have all been helpful, thanks for the input, really.

I may have more questions because of all your help, really.


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## KarenLK (Sep 10, 2011)

To former cruiser, I am not sure which WalMart you are referring to, because the one downtown on routes 2 and 15 is nearly as big and well-supplied as the one in Puerto Vallarta. Perhaps you are referring to the Superama which is just as you enter town?? That one is mostly groceries.


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