Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,611

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,611 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,611
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,409 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,409
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,207 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,207
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sits 19% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.35 MX$191

$10.86 MX$201

-4.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.09 MX$889

$44.21 MX$817

8.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 MX$182

$11.76 MX$217

-15.99%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$62.2

$3.68 MX$68.0

-8.42%

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

$1.44 MX$26.54

$1.34 MX$24.79

7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$16.86

$0.82 MX$15.24

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MX$44.20

$3.06 MX$56.6

-21.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$81.5

$4.94 MX$91.2

-10.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$32.84

$1.47 MX$27.17

21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 MX$55.9

$2.22 MX$40.95

36.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 MX$43.92

$1.48 MX$27.32

60.81%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$43.47

$2.49 MX$45.99

-5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 MX$212

$7.52 MX$139

52.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 MX$178

$7.96 MX$147

21.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 MX$248

$12.57 MX$232

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$47.82

$2.78 MX$51.3

-6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$28.94

$1.43 MX$26.37

9.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.98

$2.62 MX$48.37

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.57

$2.14 MX$39.49

-20.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 MX$22.29

$2.02 MX$37.38

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$33.99

$1.99 MX$36.74

-7.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 MX$51.3

$1.14 MX$21.01

142.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.31

$1.20 MX$22.18

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MX$88.9

$4.26 MX$78.7

12.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$201

$10.02 MX$185

8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.53

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MX$64.3

$2.66 MX$49.17

30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$16.59

$0.53 MX$9.73

69.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 MX$968

$27.51 MX$508

90.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MX$80.8

$4.90 MX$90.6

-10.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 MX$54.9

$3.43 MX$63.5

-13.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.43 MX$193

$5.38 MX$99.4

93.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.14

$1.45 MX$26.76

-2.76%

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

$21.3K MX$394.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

0.79%

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

$23.9K MX$441.5K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

3.79%

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

$84.4 MX$1,560

$85.4 MX$1,577

-1.10%

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

$24.86 MX$459

$23.46 MX$434

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 MX$581

$28.43 MX$525

10.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 MX$833

$62.2 MX$1,149

-27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.06 MX$556

$28.68 MX$530

4.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 MX$76.3

$5.10 MX$94.3

-19.02%

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

$226 MX$4,180

$201 MX$3,715

12.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,280 MX$153.0K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

109.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 MX$1,317

$44.39 MX$820

60.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 MX$970

$41.35 MX$764

26.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 MX$1,759

$72.7 MX$1,344

30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 MX$1,257

$89.6 MX$1,656

-24.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 MX$22.0K

$979 MX$18.1K

21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 MX$13.5K

$373 MX$6,887

96.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 MX$46.4K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

49.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.8K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

7.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,827 MX$70.7K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,210 MX$40.8K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-63.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 MX$13.9K

$738 MX$13.6K

1.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.45

1.31%

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

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$733 45.5%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 49.1% $360

Groceries & Markets

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$297 18.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 12.9% $38

Eating Out

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$183 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 9.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$141 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 2.5% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$129 8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13.6% $18

Getting Around

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$75 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 31.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$53 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 35.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,190 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 2% higher in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, 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 $48.00 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

2 h ahead of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Playa del Carmen 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,416 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 90% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,611. In Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. 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.