Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,620 a month against $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index
78

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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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,605 per month in Kauai, Hawaii vs $1,620 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Kauai, Hawaii $2,605
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,620

A couple spends around $3,851 per month in Kauai, Hawaii vs $2,413 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Kauai, Hawaii $3,851
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,413

A family of three spends $5,097 per month in Kauai, Hawaii vs $3,207 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Kauai, Hawaii $5,097
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,207

Kauai, Hawaii costs about 61% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kauai, Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Kauai, Hawaii by 91%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$10.31 MX$192

87.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$48.57 MX$905

56.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$9.99 MX$186

9.91%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.41 MX$63.6

45.16%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.42 MX$26.56

78.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.96 MX$17.94

103.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.46 MX$45.81

146.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$4.21 MX$78.5

65.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.79 MX$33.43

-44.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.95 MX$55.0

17.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.45 MX$45.58

74.29%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.32 MX$43.17

76.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.69 MX$218

6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$9.50 MX$177

20.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$13.70 MX$255

13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.55 MX$47.48

87.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.57 MX$29.21

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.55 MX$28.95

180.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.63 MX$30.43

181.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.24 MX$23.07

131.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.82 MX$33.98

58.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.80 MX$52.3

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.25 MX$23.30

73.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$4.76 MX$88.8

98.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$10.64 MX$198

29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.52 MX$28.28

16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.54 MX$66.0

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.83 MX$15.55

148.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$51.8 MX$965

7.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.36 MX$81.2

-18.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.07 MX$57.2

-48.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 $29.13

$10.45 MX$195

178.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.46 MX$27.18

-42.47%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$20.7K MX$386.1K

41.37%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.4K MX$436.7K

10.70%

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

$185 $185

$83.4 MX$1,554

121.53%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$25.36 MX$473

112.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$31.16 MX$581

118.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 $43.26

$45.36 MX$846

-4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.79 MX$555

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 $13.53

$3.94 MX$73.5

243.40%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$228 MX$4,243

463.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$7,924 MX$147.7K

191.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$71.9 MX$1,341

-30.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 $39.37

$51.8 MX$966

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$94.5 MX$1,761

-9.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$66.4 MX$1,238

69.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$1,182 MX$22.0K

35.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$744 MX$13.9K

78.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,647 $2,647

$2,452 MX$45.7K

7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$1,182 MX$22.0K

91.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$3,857 MX$71.9K

-26.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,188 MX$40.8K

13.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 MX$14.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.6

-43.88%

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

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$744 45.9% 44% $585

Groceries & Markets

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$296 18.3% 23.2% $89

Eating Out

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$184 11.3% 40.7% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$140 8.6% 54.4% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$128 7.9% 0.8% $1

Getting Around

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$75 4.6% 0.4% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$53 3.3% 24.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,182 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $49 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $296 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

14:06 2:06 PM

3 h ahead of Kauai, Hawaii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,610

202,694

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kauai, Hawaii Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kauai, Hawaii
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

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

Yes – Kauai, Hawaii is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,907 per month in Kauai, Hawaii and $2,429 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,182 there versus $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,282 per month in Kauai, Hawaii and $228 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 $1,620, than in Kauai, Hawaii at $2,605. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kauai, Hawaii 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.

For expats, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.