Tulum's drinking scene mirrors its eating scene: the beach road runs heavily to candle-lit cocktail bars built into the jungle, often attached to a boutique hotel; the pueblo has a handful of straightforward cantinas and an excellent coffee culture that has emerged in the last few years.
Cocktails on the beach road are not cheap. Going for sunset, having one or two, and moving on is the standard pattern. The pueblo bars are louder, livelier, and a quarter of the price.