Closing Costs in Quintana Roo: Notario, ISAI, Title

Closing costs in Mexico real estate are easy to underestimate and simple to control once you know which lines are fixed by law and which are negotiable. In Quintana Roo, only one item is set by statute: the acquisition tax, ISAI, at 3% in Cancún, 4% in Tulum and Playa del Carmen and 2% in Bacalar. Everything else, from notario fees to the bank trust, is a professional fee or a published government charge. This guide sets out each item for 2026, shows how it is calculated, and applies it to three real Ownext listings in Cancún, Tulum and Bacalar. For the wider purchase process, start with our guide to buying property in Mexico as a foreigner.

Total closing costs for Mexico real estate: the realistic range

Two published estimates frame the budget. A Riviera Maya brokerage puts total closing costs for foreign buyers at 5–8% of the purchase price. A national Mexican mortgage guide puts deed costs at 6–9% of the property value, while listing Quintana Roo's ISAI at 2%. That figure comes from the general state law, which most of the state's main markets no longer use; the rate is set municipality by municipality, as the next section shows.

Built line by line, the picture is more nuanced. The fixed-percentage items (ISAI, notario fees, registration) scale with price; the trust, appraisal and permit costs are close to flat. On a higher-value purchase, the flat items weigh less, so an itemised budget can come in below the headline percentage. The worked examples at the end of this guide show that effect clearly.

Who pays what

The buyer pays the acquisition tax: under each municipal law, the taxpayer is the person who acquires the property. The buyer customarily also covers the notario, appraisal, registration and trust costs. The seller bears income tax on any gain. When the seller is not resident in Mexico and the sale is formalised in a public deed, the notario calculates that tax and pays it within 15 days of signing, under Article 160 of the income tax law. Our guide to Mexico property taxes for foreigners covers the ongoing side.

ISAI rates by municipality and how they're calculated

The Impuesto sobre Adquisición de Bienes Inmuebles is a municipal tax, and in Quintana Roo the rate depends on where the property sits. Each of the main markets now sets it in its own Ley de Hacienda:

Municipality	ISAI rate	Law
Benito Juárez (Cancún)	3%	Ley de Hacienda del Municipio de Benito Juárez, Art. 27 (last reform 21 Dec 2023)
Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen)	4%	Ley de Hacienda del Municipio de Solidaridad, Art. 23 Quinquies (reformed 10 Dec 2025)
Tulum	4%	Ley de Hacienda del Municipio de Tulum, Art. 50 (reformed 9 Dec 2024)
Bacalar	2%	Ley de Hacienda del Municipio de Bacalar, Art. 57 (last reform 5 Jun 2024)

Base: in all four laws, the highest of the agreed price (adjusted for inflation), the cadastral value and an appraisal by a registered valuer or bank, each appraisal no more than 180 days old. Cancún, Solidaridad and Bacalar add a fourth reference: the last value declared by the seller.
Deadline: payment within 15 days of the taxable event, at the municipal treasury (Benito Juárez, Art. 28).
Collection: the notario calculates the tax under their own responsibility, records it in the deed and remits it (Benito Juárez, Art. 29).

The practical consequence: if the appraisal comes in above the agreed price, ISAI is charged on the appraisal. Budget the local rate on whichever figure is likely to be highest, not simply on the price. A deed recorded below true value does not reduce the base, and it would leave a larger taxable gain on resale.

Pre-sales

On an off-plan purchase, most closing costs fall due when title transfers, which may be years after the contract. The ISAI base is then measured at that point, so the appraisal of the finished property matters. See our Tulum pre-sale checklist.

Notario fees and what the notario does

A notario público in Mexico is a state-regulated legal officer, not a notary in the US or Canadian sense. Quintana Roo has 124 notary offices, supervised by the state government under the State Notary Law. In August 2026 the state reported eight offices fined and one suspended following inspections and complaints, a reminder to confirm the notario's standing before you sign.

In a purchase, the notario:

drafts and certifies the deed (escritura pública);
reviews title and obtains the government certificates, including lien and tax clearances;
calculates and remits ISAI, and, for a non-resident seller, the seller's income tax;
files the deed for registration in the public property registry.

The notario certifies the transaction and the taxes; they are not retained to negotiate for you. Many foreign buyers also engage an independent lawyer to review the contract and the title file.

Appraisal, registration and the lien certificate

Appraisal (avalúo)

The municipal ISAI laws require the valuer to be registered, and the appraisal to be no older than 180 days. It sets the tax floor, so commission it early.

Registration

The notario files the deed with the Registro Público de la Propiedad y del Comercio of Quintana Roo. Registration makes your ownership enforceable against third parties; until it is complete, ask the notario for evidence that the filing is in process.

Lien certificate

The certificado de libertad de gravamen, issued by the registry, confirms whether the property carries mortgages, embargoes or other encumbrances. The notario obtains it before signing, together with proof that property tax (predial) and water are paid up. Read it yourself: it is the single most useful page in the file.

Fideicomiso costs

Cancún, Tulum and Bacalar all lie inside Mexico's restricted zone: 50 km from the coast and 100 km from the borders (Constitution, Art. 27, fr. I). Foreign individuals hold residential property there through a bank trust, which requires a permit from the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (Foreign Investment Law, Art. 11). The trust runs for up to 50 years and can be extended (Art. 13). The SRE must resolve a permit within five business days at its central office, or 30 at a state office; silence counts as approval (Art. 14).

Item	Amount	Basis
SRE trust permit	MX$21,650	Official 2026 fee
Trust term extension	MX$595 review + MX$9,740 issue	Official 2026 fee, filed on time
Bank set-up fee	US$500–1,000	Estimate
Annual trust fee	US$500–900	Estimate

Official fees are from the SRE's 2026 costs table; bank fees are brokerage estimates and vary by bank.

For non-residential use, such as a boutique hotel, a Mexican company that admits foreign shareholders may own the land directly and file a notice with the SRE within 60 business days (Art. 10). The 2026 notice fee is MX$1,475 on time or MX$11,330 late. The company carries its own running costs. Our fideicomiso guide compares both routes.

Worked examples

Three current Ownext listings: Cascada 14, a corner lot in Vía Cumbres, Cancún; Casa Selva Alta, a house in pre-sale in Tulum; and Bacalar para Visionarios, a 6,000 m² lagoon-front lot. ISAI is computed exactly at each municipality's rate (3% Cancún, 4% Tulum, 2% Bacalar) on the listing price, assuming the price is the highest of the three values. Everything else is a labelled estimate.

Item	Cascada 14, Cancún	Casa Selva Alta, Tulum	Bacalar para Visionarios
Listing price	MX$3,068,875	MX$6,200,000	MX$42,000,000
ISAI (exact): 3% / 4% / 2%	MX$92,066.25	MX$248,000	MX$840,000
Notario fees, 0.5–1.5% plus IVA (estimate)	MX$15,344–46,033	MX$31,000–93,000	MX$210,000–630,000
Registration, 0.1–0.3% (estimate)	MX$3,069–9,207	MX$6,200–18,600	MX$42,000–126,000
SRE trust permit (official)	MX$21,650	MX$21,650	MX$21,650
Peso subtotal, before IVA	MX$132,129–168,956 (4.3–5.5%)	MX$306,850–381,250 (4.9–6.1%)	MX$1,113,650–1,617,650 (2.7–3.9%)
Appraisal (estimate)	US$500–1,500	US$500–1,500	US$500–1,500
Bank trust set-up (estimate)	US$500–1,000	US$500–1,000	US$500–1,000
Annual trust fee (estimate)	US$500–900	US$500–900	US$500–900

Reading the table

Cascada 14: the flat SRE fee is about 0.7% of the price on its own, so the itemised total sits closer to the headline estimates.
Casa Selva Alta: as a pre-sale, ISAI and the deed costs arise at title transfer, and the base will be the higher of the price and the appraisal of the finished house at that time.
Bacalar para Visionarios: ISAI dominates. If the lot were acquired by a Mexican company for a non-residential project, the trust lines would be replaced by the MX$1,475 SRE notice and the company's own costs.

In every case, ask the notario for a written presupuesto before you commit funds, and have an independent lawyer review it alongside the title file.

Questions investors ask

How much are closing costs when buying real estate in Quintana Roo?

Published broker and market estimates range from about 5–8% to 6–9% of the price. Only ISAI is fixed by law, at a rate set by each municipality: 3% in Cancún, 4% in Tulum and Playa del Carmen, 2% in Bacalar; the rest are fees and charges, so an itemised budget on a higher-value purchase can come in lower.

Is ISAI calculated on the purchase price or the appraisal?

On the highest of the agreed price, the cadastral value or an appraisal by a registered valuer or bank, each no more than 180 days old; Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Bacalar also count the seller's last declared value. The rate is 3% in Cancún, 4% in Tulum and Playa del Carmen and 2% in Bacalar.

Who pays ISAI, and when?

The buyer, as the acquirer of the property. The notario calculates it, records it in the deed and pays it to the municipal treasury, within 15 days of the taxable event.

How much does the SRE fideicomiso permit cost in 2026?

The official 2026 fee for the SRE permit to create a trust in the restricted zone is MX$21,650. Bank set-up and annual trust fees are separate and vary by bank.

When are closing costs paid on a pre-sale?

Most closing costs, including ISAI, fall due when title is transferred by deed, which can be well after the purchase contract. The ISAI base is then measured against an appraisal current at that time.

Does the notario represent the buyer?

The notario certifies the deed, checks title and certificates, and calculates the taxes, but is not retained to negotiate for either side. Many foreign buyers also hire an independent lawyer.

Sources

This guide is general information, current as of October 2026, and is not legal or tax advice. Laws, rates and thresholds change; confirm every figure with a notario público or an independent Mexican attorney before you act.

Closing Costs in Quintana Roo: Notario, ISAI and Title