Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Guadalajara versus $1,101 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,864 in Guadalajara versus $1,757 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,541 in Guadalajara versus $2,414 in Los Cabos.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 8% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 11% lower, Los Cabos 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.38 MX$180

$10.48 MX$181

-0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.82 MX$672

$38.57 MX$667

0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 MX$137

$7.95 MX$138

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$3.31 MX$57.2

$3.37 MX$58.2

-1.78%

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

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.25 MX$21.57

5.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$14.99

$0.96 MX$16.66

-9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MX$35.62

$2.34 MX$40.53

-11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 MX$65.5

$3.83 MX$66.2

-1.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.02

$1.44 MX$24.92

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$46.79

$2.60 MX$44.90

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.56 MX$26.99

6.41%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$42.52

$2.33 MX$40.32

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 MX$166

$8.12 MX$140

18.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 MX$136

$8.05 MX$139

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 MX$174

$10.49 MX$181

-3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.86

$2.69 MX$46.49

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.03

$1.38 MX$23.95

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.16

$1.72 MX$29.78

4.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.59 MX$27.44

-5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.00

$1.84 MX$31.88

-5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.68

$1.94 MX$33.62

0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.21 MX$20.87

9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.99 MX$17.09

13.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$77.3

$4.28 MX$74.1

4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 MX$197

$10.70 MX$185

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.30

$1.61 MX$27.82

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$2.75 MX$47.64

14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.35

$0.61 MX$10.54

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.18 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 MX$44.80

$2.53 MX$43.72

2.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.74

$1.60 MX$27.76

-3.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 MX$202

$8.39 MX$145

38.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.01

$1.25 MX$21.69

1.60%

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

$23.3K MX$403.7K

$21.5K MX$372.0K

8.52%

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

$24.0K MX$415.4K

$22.7K MX$392.0K

5.96%

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

$31.27 MX$541

$57.2 MX$990

-45.33%

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

$23.78 MX$411

$22.39 MX$387

6.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.22 MX$471

$27.66 MX$478

-1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 MX$578

$35.54 MX$615

-6.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 MX$340

$15.99 MX$277

22.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.3

$4.75 MX$82.2

0.21%

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

$193 MX$3,333

$205 MX$3,540

-5.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,278 MX$108.6K

$3,637 MX$62.9K

72.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MX$874

$53.9 MX$932

-6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 MX$885

$39.95 MX$691

27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MX$1,724

$88.3 MX$1,528

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 MX$1,603

$78.0 MX$1,350

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.4K

$514 MX$8,888

40.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 MX$7,734

$389 MX$6,730

14.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 MX$23.2K

$947 MX$16.4K

41.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 MX$14.9K

$777 MX$13.4K

10.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 MX$55.5K

$1,865 MX$32.3K

72.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,062 MX$35.7K

$1,232 MX$21.3K

67.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.5K

$845 MX$14.6K

-7.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

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

Last update for Guadalajara: July 27, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $514 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $39.00 in Los Cabos. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $250, with Los Cabos cheaper for home cooking.

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Los Cabos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Los Cabos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $720 in Guadalajara versus $514 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $193 in Guadalajara versus $205 in Los Cabos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Los Cabos – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,101 in Los Cabos versus $1,187 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Los Cabos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,101 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Los Cabos hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.