Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,647 a month against $4,119 in Kailua, HI, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

201

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, 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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Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,119

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,119 per month in Kailua, HI vs $1,647 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Kailua, HI $4,119
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,647

A couple spends around $6,034 per month in Kailua, HI vs $2,449 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Kailua, HI $6,034
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,449

A family of three spends $7,950 per month in Kailua, HI vs $3,250 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Kailua, HI $7,950
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,250

Kailua, HI costs about 150% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kailua, HI and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Kailua, HI by 205%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.44 $27.44

$10.59 MX$196

159.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 $139

$48.87 MX$903

184.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 $11.31

$9.90 MX$183

14.24%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$3.37 MX$62.3

86.65%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$1.51 MX$27.88

103.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.92 MX$17.00

148.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.78 $9.78

$2.40 MX$44.42

307.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.20 $9.20

$4.36 MX$80.6

111.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.82 MX$33.55

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.01 MX$55.7

158.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.90 $7.90

$2.53 MX$46.72

212.25%

Eggs

$8.13 $8.13

$2.25 MX$41.52

261.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.97 $18.97

$11.62 MX$215

63.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.95 $15.95

$10.00 MX$185

59.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.45 $21.45

$13.89 MX$257

54.43%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$2.67 MX$49.36

197.00%

Banana (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.54 MX$28.39

191.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$1.59 MX$29.34

325.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$1.65 MX$30.57

478.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.20 MX$22.09

200.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.90 MX$35.20

145.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.89 MX$53.4

54.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.21 MX$22.38

149.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.67 $12.67

$4.91 MX$90.8

158.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 $16.63

$10.82 MX$200

53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.48 MX$27.36

79.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.59 MX$66.4

-40.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 $3.92

$0.91 MX$16.73

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.7 $90.7

$53.3 MX$986

70.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.43 MX$81.8

-18.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.07 MX$56.8

-13.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.40 $45.40

$10.55 MX$195

330.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.43 MX$26.35

-9.09%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.0K MX$388.6K

68.63%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.3K MX$449.1K

10.17%

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

$249 $249

$84.0 MX$1,552

196.46%

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

$49.11 $49.11

$24.93 MX$461

96.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$32.21 MX$595

105.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 $71.4

$46.53 MX$860

53.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.59 $39.59

$30.45 MX$563

30.02%

Cinema Ticket

$18.47 $18.47

$4.22 MX$77.9

337.68%

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

$2,175 $2,175

$229 MX$4,233

849.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K $26.9K

$8,297 MX$153.3K

224.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 $62.0

$72.6 MX$1,342

-14.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.54 $47.54

$52.5 MX$969

-9.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$95.0 MX$1,756

4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$66.5 MX$1,229

97.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 $2,786

$1,183 MX$21.9K

135.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 $2,320

$759 MX$14.0K

205.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,185 $4,185

$2,524 MX$46.6K

65.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,679 $3,679

$1,197 MX$22.1K

207.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K $12.3K

$3,775 MX$69.8K

226.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,689 $9,689

$2,170 MX$40.1K

346.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,797 $4,797

$754 MX$13.9K

536.35%

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 Kailua, HI: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$759 46.1% 67.3% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Kailua, HI

$632 15.4%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$301 18.3% 52.4% $331

Eating Out

Kailua, HI

$418 10.1%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$185 11.3% 55.6% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kailua, HI

$364 8.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$141 8.6% 61.2% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Kailua, HI

$153 3.7%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$129 7.8% 15.7% $24

Getting Around

Kailua, HI

$123 3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$77 4.7% 37.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$55 3.3% 49.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,786 in Kailua, HI versus $1,183 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 536% higher in Kailua, 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 Kailua, HI versus $49.00 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $632 vs $301 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

3 h ahead of Kailua, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,975

202,694

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kailua, HI Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kailua, 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

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

Yes – Kailua, HI is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,179 per month in Kailua, HI and $2,471 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 $2,175 per month in Kailua, HI and $229 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 $1,647, than in Kailua, HI at $4,119. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kailua, 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, Kailua, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.