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: $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Los Cabos versus $1,873 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,427 in Los Cabos versus $2,589 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 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$186

$10.55 MX$185

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.18 MX$686

$38.56 MX$675

1.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 MX$141

$7.75 MX$136

4.00%

Cappuccino

$3.29 MX$57.6

$3.26 MX$57.0

0.92%

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

$1.23 MX$21.56

$1.33 MX$23.23

-7.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.27

$0.86 MX$14.97

15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$2.08 MX$36.32

15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$68.0

$3.87 MX$67.8

0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$26.23

$1.45 MX$25.36

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.50

$2.70 MX$47.33

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.54

$1.69 MX$29.65

-3.55%

Eggs

$2.36 MX$41.36

$2.41 MX$42.12

-2.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 MX$138

$9.26 MX$162

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 MX$134

$7.90 MX$138

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 MX$185

$10.33 MX$181

2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.59

$2.61 MX$45.70

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.13

$1.45 MX$25.39

-4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.47

$1.77 MX$30.95

1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.74

$1.54 MX$26.90

6.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.69

$1.71 MX$29.94

12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.91

$1.98 MX$34.73

-2.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$20.89

$1.39 MX$24.24

-14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.76

$1.12 MX$19.52

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$74.6

$4.38 MX$76.6

-2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 MX$193

$11.60 MX$203

-5.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.91

$1.58 MX$27.63

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MX$48.21

$3.24 MX$56.8

-14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.69

$0.55 MX$9.57

10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.39 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MX$45.59

$2.61 MX$45.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.91

$1.54 MX$26.91

3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.75 MX$206

-30.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.07

$1.28 MX$22.33

3.13%

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

$21.5K MX$376.3K

$24.0K MX$419.7K

-10.33%

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

$22.2K MX$387.9K

$24.5K MX$428.8K

-9.53%

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

$56.0 MX$981

$31.09 MX$544

80.25%

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

$22.04 MX$386

$23.67 MX$414

-6.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.65 MX$484

$26.68 MX$467

3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 MX$628

$33.77 MX$591

6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 MX$279

$19.39 MX$339

-17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MX$79.1

$4.82 MX$84.3

-6.22%

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

$205 MX$3,592

$189 MX$3,304

8.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,627 MX$63.5K

$6,386 MX$111.8K

-43.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MX$917

$49.80 MX$872

5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$701

$50.9 MX$890

-21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,597

$99.6 MX$1,744

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 MX$1,399

$92.9 MX$1,625

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MX$8,826

$719 MX$12.6K

-29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,897

$436 MX$7,631

-9.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.6K

$1,344 MX$23.5K

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.3K

$872 MX$15.3K

-12.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 MX$34.9K

$3,252 MX$56.9K

-38.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 MX$22.5K

$1,996 MX$34.9K

-35.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$854 MX$14.9K

$755 MX$13.2K

13.11%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Los Cabos and $719 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 13% 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 $249 vs $258 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 6% 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 13% 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: $504 in Los Cabos versus $719 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 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 $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,157 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 $1,093 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 6% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.