Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and Arue

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,024 a month against $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index

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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and in Arue

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and in Arue actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $1,024 in Arue.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661
Arue $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,454 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $1,521 in Arue.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454
Arue $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $2,018 in Arue.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248
Arue $2,018

Living in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is roughly 62% more expensive than in Arue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is 24% above, Arue is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.31 MX$189

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 MX$929

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$186

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$64.8

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.43

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 MX$46.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$82.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.49

$1.41 CFPF 150

25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$58.3

$4.65 CFPF 495

-31.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.04

$3.92 CFPF 417

-34.69%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$43.21

$11.52 CFPF 1,227

-79.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 MX$213

$56.8 CFPF 6,044

-79.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$186

$26.22 CFPF 2,792

-61.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 MX$252

$24.11 CFPF 2,568

-43.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.1

$5.36 CFPF 570

-49.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.40

$2.84 CFPF 302

-45.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.24

$7.67 CFPF 816

-79.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.81

$8.70 CFPF 927

-80.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 MX$23.09

$4.19 CFPF 446

-69.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 MX$33.89

$2.94 CFPF 313

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 MX$50.9

$3.71 CFPF 395

-25.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.38

$1.44 CFPF 153

-11.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 MX$92.9

$11.80 CFPF 1,257

-57.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 MX$205

$28.76 CFPF 3,063

-61.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.37

$2.90 CFPF 308

-48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$64.8

$7.65 CFPF 815

-53.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$15.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 MX$976

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MX$80.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 MX$56.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 MX$194

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.78

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.5K MX$394.1K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.4K MX$448.0K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$86.9 MX$1,595

$161 CFPF 17.1K

-45.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.56 MX$469

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 MX$589

$122 CFPF 13.0K

-73.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 MX$843

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.59 MX$562

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MX$77.8

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$231 MX$4,246

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,373 MX$153.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MX$1,335

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 MX$979

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 MX$1,785

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 MX$1,240

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 MX$22.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 MX$13.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 MX$46.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 MX$70.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 MX$40.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 5, 2026

Last update for Arue: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$758 45.8%

Arue

–

Groceries & Markets

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4%

Arue

–

Eating Out

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3%

Arue

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7%

Arue

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9%

Arue

–

Getting Around

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6%

Arue

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3%

Arue

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇵🇫 Arue

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

22:58 10:58 PM

3 h behind Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

10,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Arue 6,220 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Arue

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs Arue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,491 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $1,536 in Arue to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur pay roughly 147% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,661 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $1,024 in Arue – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Arue versus $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. The gap between the two cities makes Arue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.