Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,661 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Austin, TX 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 $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,454 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur costs roughly 39% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 24% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.31 MX$189

$20.22 $20.22

-49.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 MX$929

$85.0 $85.0

-40.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$186

$12.35 $12.35

-17.89%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$64.8

$5.47 $5.47

-35.47%

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

$1.49 MX$27.43

$3.82 $3.82

-60.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.15

$2.50 $2.50

-60.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 MX$46.03

$8.06 $8.06

-68.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$82.0

$8.99 $8.99

-50.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.49

$1.13 $1.13

56.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$58.3

$3.78 $3.78

-15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.04

$3.25 $3.25

-21.23%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$43.21

$4.14 $4.14

-43.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 MX$213

$13.08 $13.08

-11.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$186

$14.31 $14.31

-29.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 MX$252

$15.96 $15.96

-14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.1

$4.38 $4.38

-37.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.40

$1.45 $1.45

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.24

$4.54 $4.54

-64.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.81

$4.19 $4.19

-58.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 MX$23.09

$2.63 $2.63

-52.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 MX$33.89

$2.36 $2.36

-21.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 MX$50.9

$1.76 $1.76

57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.38

$2.16 $2.16

-41.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 MX$92.9

$9.81 $9.81

-48.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 MX$205

$14.72 $14.72

-23.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.37

$2.78 $2.78

-46.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$64.8

$3.48 $3.48

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$15.98

$1.49 $1.49

-41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 MX$976

$40.51 $40.51

31.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MX$80.2

$2.67 $2.67

63.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 MX$56.1

$1.58 $1.58

93.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 MX$194

$35.29 $35.29

-69.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.78

$0.99 $0.99

47.47%

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

$21.5K MX$394.1K

$35.8K $35.8K

-40.05%

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

$24.4K MX$448.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

-10.20%

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

$86.9 MX$1,595

$219 $219

-60.39%

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

$25.56 MX$469

$58.0 $58.0

-55.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 MX$589

$68.4 $68.4

-53.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 MX$843

$57.9 $57.9

-20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.59 MX$562

$14.82 $14.82

106.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MX$77.8

$14.13 $14.13

-69.99%

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

$231 MX$4,246

$1,509 $1,509

-84.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,373 MX$153.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-60.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MX$1,335

$51.7 $51.7

40.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 MX$979

$44.05 $44.05

21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 MX$1,785

$85.1 $85.1

14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 MX$1,240

$105 $105

-35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 MX$22.0K

$1,932 $1,932

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 MX$13.9K

$1,272 $1,272

-40.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 MX$46.7K

$3,670 $3,670

-30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$22.3K

$2,525 $2,525

-51.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 MX$70.0K

$7,617 $7,617

-49.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 MX$40.3K

$3,199 $3,199

-31.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 MX$13.9K

$5,105 $5,105

-85.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.79

70.84%

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 Austin, TX: 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%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 67.8% $514

Groceries & Markets

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 32.4% $99

Eating Out

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 86.4% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 139% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 1.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 25.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 58.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,197 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 575% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $403 per month, with Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

01:03 1:03 AM

2 h ahead of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

974,447

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Austin, TX 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 575% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,197 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,661 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur runs roughly 31% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.