Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,371 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $42,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Los Cabos
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,371
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,950
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Cabos and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Los Cabos and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Los Cabos versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

  • Los Cabos $1,371
  • New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,211 in Los Cabos versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

  • Los Cabos $2,211
  • New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,051 in Los Cabos versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

  • Los Cabos $3,051
  • New York, NY $9,581

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 72% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Cabos 2% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.30 MX$412
$24.65 $24.65
-9.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.70 MX$807
$122 $122
-64.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.76 MX$254
$13.91 $13.91
-1.08%
Cappuccino
$5.22 MX$96.5
$6.59 $6.59
-20.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 MX$42.51
$3.84 $3.84
-40.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 MX$38.06
$2.87 $2.87
-28.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.99 MX$92.2
$7.79 $7.79
-35.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 MX$154
$9.85 $9.85
-15.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 MX$30.46
$1.38 $1.38
19.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.86 MX$52.8
$4.68 $4.68
-38.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.38 MX$44.07
$7.54 $7.54
-68.44%
Eggs
$2.41 MX$44.49
$5.93 $5.93
-59.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.96 MX$166
$18.83 $18.83
-52.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.56 MX$177
$17.36 $17.36
-44.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 MX$328
$18.51 $18.51
-4.05%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 MX$76.4
$6.74 $6.74
-38.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 MX$32.89
$2.09 $2.09
-14.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.93 MX$54.2
$6.07 $6.07
-51.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.53 MX$46.70
$6.74 $6.74
-62.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.16
$4.05 $4.05
-42.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.53 MX$46.73
$4.37 $4.37
-42.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 MX$22.99
$2.89 $2.89
-57.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.94
$2.60 $2.60
-66.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.52 MX$83.6
$18.72 $18.72
-75.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.32 MX$191
$20.06 $20.06
-48.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$29.70
$3.25 $3.25
-50.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 MX$57.8
$3.73 $3.73
-16.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 MX$25.98
$3.06 $3.06
-53.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$140 $140
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.66 MX$49.20
$3.04 $3.04
-12.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.93 MX$35.59
$2.15 $2.15
-10.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.63 MX$215
$41.82 $41.82
-72.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$25.43
$1.12 $1.12
23.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.2K
$35.5K $35.5K
-40.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$449.9K
$26.0K $26.0K
-6.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.6 MX$1,083
$219 $219
-73.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.70 MX$512
$73.2 $73.2
-62.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.59 MX$454
$72.0 $72.0
-65.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.48 MX$637
$123 $123
-71.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.05 MX$371
$67.7 $67.7
-70.37%
Cinema Ticket
$4.28 MX$79.1
$22.85 $22.85
-81.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$215 MX$3,971
$3,333 $3,333
-93.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,652 MX$86.0K
$60.0K $60.0K
-92.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.3 MX$1,724
$75.2 $75.2
24.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.63 MX$751
$52.4 $52.4
-22.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 MX$2,298
$122 $122
2.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.7 MX$1,657
$133 $133
-32.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$612 MX$11.3K
$4,389 $4,389
-86.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$391 MX$7,226
$3,130 $3,130
-87.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,044 MX$19.3K
$8,918 $8,918
-88.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$781 MX$14.4K
$5,354 $5,354
-85.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,933 MX$35.7K
$19.4K $19.4K
-90.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,131 MX$20.9K
$6,806 $6,806
-83.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Los Cabos
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$811 MX$15.0K
$5,343 $5,343
-84.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
6.82
65.69%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: October 12, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Los Cabos
$391
New York, NY
$3.1K 700% $2.7K
Eating Out
Los Cabos
$341
New York, NY
$404 18.2% $62
Groceries & Markets
Los Cabos
$310
New York, NY
$545 75.7% $235
Clothing & Footwear
Los Cabos
$157
New York, NY
$172 9.9% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Cabos
$111
New York, NY
$364 229% $253
Sport & Entertainment
Los Cabos
$43
New York, NY
$168 291% $125
Getting Around
Los Cabos
$18 *
New York, NY
$167 829% $149

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $612 in Los Cabos and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 559% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Los Cabos vs $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $545 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Los Cabos
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
09:57 9:57 AM
12:57 12:57 PM
3 h ahead of Los Cabos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
202,694
8,804,190
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Los Cabos New York, NY 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Los Cabos
  • New York, NY

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
Los Cabos vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is New York, NY cheaper than Los Cabos?
Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 261% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Los Cabos or New York, NY?
On paper, salaries run 559% lower in New York, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Los Cabos and New York, NY?
Rent for a central apartment: $612 in Los Cabos versus $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Los Cabos and in New York, NY?
Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Los Cabos and in New York, NY?
All in, you'll spend $1,371 per month in Los Cabos versus $4,950 in New York, NY – a 261% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Los Cabos or in New York, NY?
At $1,371 in Los Cabos versus $4,950 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Los Cabos or New York, NY more family-friendly?
For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 261% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Los Cabos vs other spots: cost of living compared

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