Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalajara: $1,273 a month against $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index
79

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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Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,273

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guadalajara and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Guadalajara vs $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Guadalajara $1,273
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,611

A couple spends around $2,041 per month in Guadalajara vs $2,409 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Guadalajara $2,041
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,409

A family of three spends $2,810 per month in Guadalajara vs $3,207 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Guadalajara $2,810
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,207

Guadalajara is about 21% cheaper than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Guadalajara sits 6% below the global median, while Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 MX$254

$10.35 MX$191

32.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 MX$798

$48.09 MX$889

-10.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 MX$172

$9.88 MX$182

-5.67%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.5

$3.37 MX$62.2

11.57%

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

$1.66 MX$30.62

$1.44 MX$26.54

15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.08

$0.91 MX$16.86

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$49.31

$2.39 MX$44.20

11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 MX$88.7

$4.41 MX$81.5

8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MX$32.32

$1.78 MX$32.84

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$47.00

$3.03 MX$55.9

-16.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$28.68

$2.38 MX$43.92

-34.87%

Eggs

$2.42 MX$44.71

$2.35 MX$43.47

2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 MX$162

$11.47 MX$212

-23.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 MX$172

$9.65 MX$178

-3.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 MX$213

$13.41 MX$248

-14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$50.1

$2.59 MX$47.82

4.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.91

$1.57 MX$28.94

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$34.98

$1.62 MX$29.98

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$33.14

$1.71 MX$31.57

4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.08

$1.21 MX$22.29

70.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.62

$1.84 MX$33.99

-1.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$27.84

$2.77 MX$51.3

-45.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$19.40

$1.21 MX$22.31

-13.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$88.6

$4.81 MX$88.9

-0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$193

$10.87 MX$201

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.51

$1.54 MX$28.53

24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$60.8

$3.48 MX$64.3

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.61

$0.90 MX$16.59

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.97 MX$554

$52.4 MX$968

-42.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 MX$41.06

$4.37 MX$80.8

-49.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 MX$26.71

$2.97 MX$54.9

-51.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 MX$176

$10.43 MX$193

-8.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.36

$1.41 MX$26.14

8.51%

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

$21.4K MX$394.8K

$21.3K MX$394.1K

0.19%

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

$23.9K MX$440.8K

$23.9K MX$441.5K

-0.15%

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

$49.71 MX$919

$84.4 MX$1,560

-41.12%

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

$23.09 MX$427

$24.86 MX$459

-7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.23 MX$540

$31.45 MX$581

-7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.01 MX$536

$45.08 MX$833

-35.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 MX$202

$30.06 MX$556

-63.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.15 MX$114

$4.13 MX$76.3

48.91%

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

$237 MX$4,381

$226 MX$4,180

4.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MX$195.7K

$8,280 MX$153.0K

27.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 MX$1,045

$71.3 MX$1,317

-20.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 MX$739

$52.5 MX$970

-23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,943

$95.2 MX$1,759

10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 MX$1,479

$68.0 MX$1,257

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 MX$15.0K

$1,190 MX$22.0K

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MX$8,725

$733 MX$13.5K

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 MX$27.8K

$2,509 MX$46.4K

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 MX$17.4K

$1,179 MX$21.8K

-20.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,221 MX$59.5K

$3,827 MX$70.7K

-15.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,720 MX$31.8K

$2,210 MX$40.8K

-22.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 MX$14.2K

$750 MX$13.9K

2.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.53

11.6

-0.60%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: October 19, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guadalajara

$472 37.1%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$733 45.5% 55.2% $261

Groceries & Markets

Guadalajara

$272 21.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$297 18.4% 9.2% $25

Eating Out

Guadalajara

$217 17.1%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$183 11.4% 15.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Guadalajara

$127 10%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$129 8% 1.9% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guadalajara

$102 8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$141 8.7% 37.9% $39

Getting Around

Guadalajara

$42 3.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$75 4.7% 79.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Guadalajara

$41 3.2%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$53 3.3% 29.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $811 in Guadalajara versus $1,190 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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 Guadalajara, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Guadalajara versus $48.00 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $297 – making Guadalajara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

1 h behind Guadalajara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,385,629

202,694

💱 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

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Between locations

Guadalajara Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Guadalajara
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

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

Guadalajara vs Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Guadalajara and $2,416 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 75% less in Guadalajara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $237 per month in Guadalajara and $226 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guadalajara, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,611. In Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara – 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 Guadalajara. 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.