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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,180 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Los Cabos versus $1,856 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Los Cabos versus $2,533 in Guadalajara.

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 6% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Los Cabos 18% lower, Guadalajara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$182

$10.74 MX$184

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 MX$668

$38.89 MX$667

0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 MX$137

$7.95 MX$136

0.38%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.1

$3.17 MX$54.4

6.62%

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

$1.25 MX$21.40

$1.37 MX$23.58

-8.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.37

$0.87 MX$14.96

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$41.91

$2.11 MX$36.19

15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$66.8

$3.88 MX$66.6

0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.52

$1.43 MX$24.57

4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$43.63

$2.59 MX$44.52

-1.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.86

$1.64 MX$28.09

-1.22%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$39.56

$2.45 MX$42.00

-6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$140

$9.60 MX$165

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 MX$133

$8.06 MX$138

-3.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$184

$10.07 MX$173

6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.55

$2.61 MX$44.73

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.55

$1.44 MX$24.74

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.84 MX$31.57

-7.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.21

$1.59 MX$27.35

3.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.10

$1.71 MX$29.33

12.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.17

$2.01 MX$34.49

-3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.31 MX$22.54

-7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.82

$1.08 MX$18.51

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$73.5

$4.39 MX$75.3

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$187

$11.06 MX$190

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.59 MX$27.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$47.75

$3.24 MX$55.7

-14.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.51

$0.51 MX$8.75

19.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MX$450

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$43.68

$2.66 MX$45.65

-4.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.59

$1.56 MX$26.73

3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 MX$140

$11.83 MX$203

-31.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.32 MX$22.68

-3.79%

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

$21.5K MX$368.8K

$23.6K MX$405.7K

-9.09%

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

$22.4K MX$384.6K

$24.2K MX$414.6K

-7.24%

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

$56.3 MX$966

$30.68 MX$527

83.38%

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

$22.01 MX$378

$24.03 MX$412

-8.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$487

$26.77 MX$459

6.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 MX$624

$33.29 MX$571

9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 MX$273

$19.53 MX$335

-18.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$77.8

$4.81 MX$82.5

-5.82%

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

$206 MX$3,543

$189 MX$3,243

9.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$6,258 MX$107.4K

-43.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MX$917

$49.66 MX$852

7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 MX$675

$51.6 MX$885

-23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,540

$101 MX$1,729

-10.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,339

$93.1 MX$1,598

-16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,790

$697 MX$12.0K

-26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,794

$452 MX$7,750

-12.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$1,326 MX$22.8K

-28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MX$13.2K

$847 MX$14.5K

-9.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 MX$33.9K

$3,268 MX$56.1K

-39.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$21.8K

$2,003 MX$34.4K

-36.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$874 MX$15.0K

$788 MX$13.5K

10.90%

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 Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Los Cabos and $697 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 11% 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 Los Cabos vs $39.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $257 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

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

Los Cabos vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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.

Los Cabos pays 11% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $512 in Los Cabos versus $697 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Los Cabos versus $189 in Guadalajara. 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 $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,180 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 $1,106 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 7% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.