Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
80

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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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilo, HI 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 Hilo, HI and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,966 per month in Hilo, HI vs $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

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

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

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

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

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

Hilo, HI costs about 79% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 $19.26

$10.31 MX$189

86.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$50.6 MX$929

50.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$10.14 MX$186

20.41%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$3.53 MX$64.8

62.04%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.49 MX$27.43

80.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.99 MX$18.15

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.51 MX$46.03

143.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.47 MX$82.0

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.77 MX$32.49

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$9.55 $9.55

$3.18 MX$58.3

200.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.56 MX$47.04

67.19%

Eggs

$6.72 $6.72

$2.35 MX$43.21

185.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.71 $19.71

$11.62 MX$213

69.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.73 $17.73

$10.11 MX$186

75.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.34 $30.34

$13.70 MX$252

121.46%

Apples (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$2.73 MX$50.1

214.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.55 MX$28.40

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.21 $10.21

$1.59 MX$29.24

542.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$1.73 MX$31.81

587.86%

Potato (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$1.26 MX$23.09

603.97%

Onion (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$1.85 MX$33.89

309.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.77 MX$50.9

99.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.27 MX$23.38

140.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.04 $12.04

$5.06 MX$92.9

137.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.62 $21.62

$11.19 MX$205

93.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.49 MX$27.37

18.12%

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)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.37 MX$80.2

-5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$3.06 MX$56.1

-59.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 MX$194

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.46 MX$26.78

-1.37%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$21.5K MX$394.1K

41.17%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.4K MX$448.0K

5.92%

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

$297 $297

$86.9 MX$1,595

241.96%

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

$65.7 $65.7

$25.56 MX$469

157.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 $126

$32.06 MX$589

292.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.55 $43.55

$45.89 MX$843

-5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 $24.52

$30.59 MX$562

-19.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$4.24 MX$77.8

209.91%

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)

$37.10 $37.10

$72.7 MX$1,335

-48.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.30 $30.30

$53.3 MX$979

-43.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$97.2 MX$1,785

-31.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 $83.8

$67.5 MX$1,240

24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$1,197 MX$22.0K

40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$758 MX$13.9K

65.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 $2,187

$2,543 MX$46.7K

-13.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$1,215 MX$22.3K

72.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,484 $5,484

$3,814 MX$70.0K

43.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,339 $5,339

$2,196 MX$40.3K

143.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,434 $4,434

$756 MX$13.9K

486.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

11.6

-42.93%

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

Last update for Hilo, HI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilo, HI

$1.3K 42.5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$758 45.8% 39.6% $497

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$707 * 23.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4% 56.9% $402

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$489 16.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7% 70.4% $344

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$324 11%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3% 42.3% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$98 3.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9% 33.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$70 2.4%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3% 22.1% $15

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$10 * 0.4%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6% 642% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,682 in Hilo, HI versus $1,197 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 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 $76.0 in Hilo, HI versus $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $707 vs $304 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

01:59 1:59 AM

3 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

202,694

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hilo, HI Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
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

Hilo, HI vs Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: 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 $4,450 per month in Hilo, HI and $2,491 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 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 $76.0 in Hilo, HI and $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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.