Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,661 a month against $2,966 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index

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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hilo, HI 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 $2,966 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661
Hilo, HI $2,966

A couple spends around $2,454 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $4,340 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454
Hilo, HI $4,340

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $5,713 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248
Hilo, HI $5,713

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is about 44% cheaper than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and Hilo, HI sit above the global median – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%, Hilo, HI by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.31 MX$189

$19.26 $19.26

-46.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 MX$929

$76.1 $76.1

-33.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$186

$12.21 $12.21

-16.95%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$64.8

$5.72 $5.72

-38.29%

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

$1.49 MX$27.43

$2.69 $2.69

-44.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.15

$2.20 $2.20

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 MX$46.03

$6.12 $6.12

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$82.0

$7.07 $7.07

-36.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.49

$1.76 $1.76

0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$58.3

$9.55 $9.55

-66.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.04

$4.28 $4.28

-40.19%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$43.21

$6.72 $6.72

-65.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 MX$213

$19.71 $19.71

-41.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$186

$17.73 $17.73

-42.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 MX$252

$30.34 $30.34

-54.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.1

$8.58 $8.58

-68.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.40

$2.48 $2.48

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.24

$10.21 $10.21

-84.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.81

$11.90 $11.90

-85.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 MX$23.09

$8.87 $8.87

-85.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 MX$33.89

$7.58 $7.58

-75.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 MX$50.9

$5.52 $5.52

-49.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.38

$3.06 $3.06

-58.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 MX$92.9

$12.04 $12.04

-57.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 MX$205

$21.62 $21.62

-48.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.37

$1.76 $1.76

-15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$64.8

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

$4.15 $4.15

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 MX$56.1

$1.23 $1.23

148.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 MX$194

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.78

$1.44 $1.44

1.39%

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

$21.5K MX$394.1K

$30.3K $30.3K

-29.16%

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

$24.4K MX$448.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-5.59%

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

$86.9 MX$1,595

$297 $297

-70.76%

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

$25.56 MX$469

$65.7 $65.7

-61.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 MX$589

$126 $126

-74.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 MX$843

$43.55 $43.55

5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.59 MX$562

$24.52 $24.52

24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MX$77.8

$13.14 $13.14

-67.73%

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

$37.10 $37.10

95.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 MX$979

$30.30 $30.30

76.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 MX$1,785

$66.8 $66.8

45.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 MX$1,240

$83.8 $83.8

-19.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 MX$22.0K

$1,682 $1,682

-28.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 MX$13.9K

$1,255 $1,255

-39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 MX$46.7K

$2,187 $2,187

16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$22.3K

$2,093 $2,093

-41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 MX$70.0K

$5,484 $5,484

-30.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 MX$40.3K

$5,339 $5,339

-58.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 MX$13.9K

$4,434 $4,434

-82.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.62

75.23%

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 Hilo, HI: October 4, 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%

Hilo, HI

$1.3K 42.5% 65.5% $497

Groceries & Markets

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4%

Hilo, HI

$707 * 23.9% 132% $402

Eating Out

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3%

Hilo, HI

$324 11% 73.4% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7%

Hilo, HI

$489 16.6% 238% $344

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.3% 25% $33

Getting Around

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6%

Hilo, HI

$10 * 0.4% 86.5% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3%

Hilo, HI

$70 2.4% 28.4% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,197 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $1,682 in Hilo, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 486% higher in Hilo, HI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $76.0 in Hilo, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $707 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

23:59 11:59 PM

3 h behind Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

44,186

💱 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 = 20.57 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 Hilo, HI 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hilo, HI is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,491 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $4,450 in Hilo, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Hilo, HI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $76.0 in Hilo, HI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,661, than in Hilo, HI at $2,966. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hilo, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur – 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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hilo, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.