Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and in Avarua: $1,661 and $1,609 a month, rent and utilities included.

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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

Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Avarua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,661 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $1,609 in Avarua, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661
Avarua $1,609

A couple spends around $2,454 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $1,634 in Avarua, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454
Avarua $1,634

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $1,658 in Avarua, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248
Avarua $1,658

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur costs about 3% more than Avarua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and Avarua sit above the global median – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%, Avarua by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.31 MX$189

$11.27 NZ$20.08

-8.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 MX$929

$55.8 NZ$99.5

-9.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$186

$8.65 NZ$15.42

17.23%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$64.8

$3.11 NZ$5.53

13.50%

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

$1.49 MX$27.43

$2.22 NZ$3.95

-32.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.15

$2.21 NZ$3.94

-55.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 MX$46.03

$5.38 NZ$9.59

-53.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$82.0

$4.24 NZ$7.56

5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.49

$1.64 NZ$2.93

7.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$58.3

$3.37 NZ$6.00

-5.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.04

$1.73 NZ$3.08

47.98%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$43.21

$4.84 NZ$8.63

-51.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 MX$213

$11.12 NZ$19.81

4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$186

$7.96 NZ$14.18

27.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 MX$252

$9.91 NZ$17.66

38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.1

$2.82 NZ$5.03

-3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.40

$1.64 NZ$2.91

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.24

$3.30 NZ$5.88

-51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.81

$9.16 NZ$16.33

-81.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 MX$23.09

$2.73 NZ$4.86

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 MX$33.89

$2.17 NZ$3.87

-14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 MX$50.9

$2.19 NZ$3.90

26.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.38

$2.82 NZ$5.02

-54.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 MX$92.9

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 MX$205

$14.02 NZ$24.99

-20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$64.8

$4.24 NZ$7.56

-16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$15.98

$2.78 NZ$4.96

-68.71%

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

$2.17 NZ$3.86

-32.72%

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

$111 NZ$197

-21.47%

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

$25.56 MX$469

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 MX$589

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

$934 NZ$1,665

28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 MX$13.9K

$946 NZ$1,686

-19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 MX$46.7K

$113 NZ$201

2151.21%

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

$940 NZ$1,676

133.51%

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 Avarua: 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%

Avarua

–

Groceries & Markets

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4%

Avarua

–

Eating Out

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3%

Avarua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7%

Avarua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9%

Avarua

–

Getting Around

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6%

Avarua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3%

Avarua

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,197 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $934 in Avarua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $56.0 in Avarua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $354 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇨🇰 Avarua

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

3 h behind Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

5,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, 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).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Avarua 7,290 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Avarua

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 Avarua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur costs about 3% more than Avarua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,491 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $2,414 in Avarua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Avarua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $1,609 in Avarua. That's a gap of about 3%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Avarua, where all-in costs run around $1,609, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,661. In Avarua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Avarua – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Avarua. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.