Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,661 a month against $2,321 in Papeete, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,321

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Papeete 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 $2,321 in Papeete, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661
Papeete $2,321

A couple spends around $2,454 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $3,432 in Papeete, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454
Papeete $3,432

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $4,544 in Papeete, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248
Papeete $4,544

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is about 28% cheaper than Papeete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and Papeete sit above the global median – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%, Papeete by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.31 MX$189

$18.62 CFPF 1,983

-44.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 MX$929

$93.1 CFPF 9,917

-45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$186

$14.59 CFPF 1,554

-30.50%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$64.8

$3.32 CFPF 354

6.33%

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

$1.49 MX$27.43

$2.71 CFPF 289

-45.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.15

$3.37 CFPF 359

-70.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 MX$46.03

$3.34 CFPF 356

-24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$82.0

$3.87 CFPF 412

15.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.49

$1.43 CFPF 152

23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$58.3

$2.74 CFPF 291

16.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 MX$47.04

$1.65 CFPF 176

55.15%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$43.21

$6.42 CFPF 684

-63.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 MX$213

$27.71 CFPF 2,951

-58.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$186

$15.09 CFPF 1,607

-33.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 MX$252

$26.13 CFPF 2,783

-47.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.1

$4.82 CFPF 513

-43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.40

$2.54 CFPF 270

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.24

$6.64 CFPF 707

-76.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.81

$7.90 CFPF 841

-78.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 MX$23.09

$2.64 CFPF 282

-52.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 MX$33.89

$2.21 CFPF 236

-16.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 MX$50.9

$3.76 CFPF 401

-26.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.38

$1.11 CFPF 118

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 MX$92.9

$12.92 CFPF 1,376

-60.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 MX$205

$20.89 CFPF 2,225

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 MX$27.37

$2.80 CFPF 298

-46.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$64.8

$3.19 CFPF 339

10.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$15.98

$1.92 CFPF 205

-54.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 MX$976

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MX$80.2

$9.22 CFPF 982

-52.60%

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

$1.47 CFPF 156

-0.68%

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

$21.5K MX$394.1K

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

15.11%

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

$24.4K MX$448.0K

$28.4K CFPF 3.0M

-14.17%

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

$86.9 MX$1,595

$184 CFPF 19.6K

-52.79%

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

$25.56 MX$469

$19.80 CFPF 2,109

29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 MX$589

$69.0 CFPF 7,344

-53.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 MX$843

$84.2 CFPF 8,967

-45.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.59 MX$562

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MX$77.8

$14.24 CFPF 1,517

-70.22%

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

$231 MX$4,246

$467 CFPF 49.7K

-50.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,373 MX$153.7K

$9,465 CFPF 1.0M

-11.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 MX$1,335

$69.4 CFPF 7,388

4.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 MX$979

$72.9 CFPF 7,763

-26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 MX$1,785

$77.8 CFPF 8,290

24.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 MX$1,240

$88.4 CFPF 9,410

-23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 MX$22.0K

$1,342 CFPF 142.9K

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 MX$13.9K

$936 CFPF 99.7K

-18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 MX$46.7K

$1,834 CFPF 195.4K

38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$22.3K

$1,492 CFPF 158.9K

-18.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 MX$70.0K

$7,135 CFPF 759.9K

-46.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 MX$40.3K

$7,632 CFPF 812.9K

-71.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 MX$13.9K

$2,195 CFPF 233.8K

-65.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

4.5

157.78%

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 Papeete: October 3, 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%

Papeete

$936 41.1% 23.4% $178

Groceries & Markets

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4%

Papeete

$519 22.8% 70.6% $215

Eating Out

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3%

Papeete

$281 12.4% 50.7% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7%

Papeete

$273 12% 88.8% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9%

Papeete

$139 6.1% 6.1% $7.9

Getting Around

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6%

Papeete

$17 * 0.7% 77.8% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3%

Papeete

$113 5% 107% $58

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 $1,342 in Papeete. 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 190% higher in Papeete, 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 $93.0 in Papeete. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $519 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇵🇫 Papeete

🕒 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

26,050 Capital

💱 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 = 8.38 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 = 20.57 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 = 8.38 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Papeete 6,230 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Papeete

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 Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Papeete is pricier by about 40%, 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 $3,481 in Papeete. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $93.0 in Papeete. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Papeete, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,661, than in Papeete at $2,321. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Papeete 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, Papeete makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.