Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honolulu, 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 $3,943 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, 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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Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,943

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,943 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $3,943
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661

A couple spends around $6,041 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $2,454 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $6,041
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454

A family of three spends $8,140 per month in Honolulu, HI vs $3,248 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Honolulu, HI $8,140
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248

Honolulu, HI costs about 137% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Honolulu, HI and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Honolulu, HI by 194%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.98 $27.98

$10.31 MX$189

171.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$50.6 MX$929

174.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$10.14 MX$186

47.63%

Cappuccino

$10.46 $10.46

$3.53 MX$64.8

196.32%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$1.49 MX$27.43

239.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$0.99 MX$18.15

255.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.29 $10.29

$2.51 MX$46.03

309.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.46 $11.46

$4.47 MX$82.0

156.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.77 MX$32.49

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.18 MX$58.3

149.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$2.56 MX$47.04

299.22%

Eggs

$8.68 $8.68

$2.35 MX$43.21

269.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.37 $28.37

$11.62 MX$213

144.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$10.11 MX$186

94.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.26 $21.26

$13.70 MX$252

55.18%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$2.73 MX$50.1

200.73%

Banana (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.55 MX$28.40

232.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.59 MX$29.24

327.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.75 $9.75

$1.73 MX$31.81

463.58%

Potato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.26 MX$23.09

296.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.85 MX$33.89

151.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.77 MX$50.9

90.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.27 MX$23.38

148.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.47 $12.47

$5.06 MX$92.9

146.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.69 $17.69

$11.19 MX$205

58.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.49 MX$27.37

87.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.53 MX$64.8

58.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.87 MX$15.98

240.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.5 $90.5

$53.2 MX$976

70.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.37 MX$80.2

-19.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.06 MX$56.1

-16.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.98 $43.98

$10.59 MX$194

315.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.46 MX$26.78

-2.05%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.5K MX$394.1K

65.23%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.4K MX$448.0K

9.40%

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

$252 $252

$86.9 MX$1,595

190.31%

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

$66.1 $66.1

$25.56 MX$469

158.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$32.06 MX$589

106.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 $62.9

$45.89 MX$843

37.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.80 $31.80

$30.59 MX$562

3.96%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 $19.86

$4.24 MX$77.8

368.40%

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

$2,138 $2,138

$231 MX$4,246

824.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K $27.3K

$8,373 MX$153.7K

225.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$72.7 MX$1,335

-14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.96 $45.96

$53.3 MX$979

-13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$97.2 MX$1,785

2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$67.5 MX$1,240

97.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$1,197 MX$22.0K

143.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$758 MX$13.9K

155.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,543 MX$46.7K

96.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,662 $3,662

$1,215 MX$22.3K

201.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,608 $8,608

$3,814 MX$70.0K

125.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,060 $7,060

$2,196 MX$40.3K

221.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 $4,135

$756 MX$13.9K

446.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

11.6

-42.24%

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

Last update for Honolulu, 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

Honolulu, HI

$1.9K 49.5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$758 45.8% 60.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Honolulu, HI

$716 18.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4% 57.5% $412

Eating Out

Honolulu, HI

$503 12.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3% 62.9% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honolulu, HI

$384 9.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7% 62.4% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Honolulu, HI

$154 3.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9% 14.9% $23

Getting Around

Honolulu, HI

$119 3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6% 35.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Honolulu, HI

$103 2.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3% 47% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,908 in Honolulu, 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 447% higher in Honolulu, 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 $139 in Honolulu, HI versus $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $716 vs $304 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

01:06 1:06 AM

3 h ahead of Honolulu, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,964

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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Between locations

Honolulu, HI Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Honolulu, 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

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

Yes – Honolulu, HI is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,914 per month in Honolulu, 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.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,138 per month in Honolulu, HI and $231 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,661, than in Honolulu, HI at $3,943. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honolulu, 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, Honolulu, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.