Quick facts
Cancún overview
Cancún (orange) and the other large cities of Mexico
Cancún lies in Quintana Roo in Mexico at 21.17°N, 86.85°W, about 11 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Cancun (UTC-5).
It is smaller than Chihuahua (925,762) and larger than Naucalpan de Juárez (834,434). The largest city in Mexico is Mexico City with 12,294,193 people; the capital, Mexico City, has 12,294,193.
The national capital, Mexico City, is about 1,295 km away; the nearest large city is Playa del Carmen, 65 km from Cancún.
Mexico as a whole has a live population of 133,308,124 (+0.8% a year) and ranks #11 of 238 countries — see the Mexico population page for the full statistics and the Mexico atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Cancún
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Playa del Carmen Quintana Roo | 65 km | 149,923 |
Largest cities in Mexico
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico CityCapital | Mexico City | 12,294,193 |
| 2 | Tijuana | Baja California | 1,922,523 |
| 3 | Puebla | Puebla | 1,692,181 |
| 4 | Ecatepec de Morelos | México | 1,645,352 |
| 5 | Santiago de Querétaro | Querétaro | 1,594,212 |
| 6 | León de los Aldama | Guanajuato | 1,579,803 |
| 7 | Ciudad Juárez | Chihuahua | 1,512,450 |
| 8 | Zapopan | Jalisco | 1,476,491 |
| 9 | Guadalajara | Jalisco | 1,385,629 |
| 10 | Mérida | Yucatán | 1,201,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cancún?
Cancún has about 888,797 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Cancún the capital of Mexico?
No. The capital of Mexico is Mexico City (12,294,193 people), about 1,295 km away. Cancún is the 15th largest city of the country.
How big is Cancún compared with the rest of Mexico?
Its 888,797 residents are 0.7% of the 133,308,124 people living in Mexico today. Mexico City is larger with 12,294,193 people.
Where is Cancún?
In Quintana Roo, Mexico, at latitude 21.17 and longitude -86.85, 11 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Playa del Carmen (65 km).
Explore more
Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Cancún Population 2026 — Mexico. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/mexico/cancun/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/mexico/cancun/">Cancún Population 2026 — Mexico</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.