Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

For one person, living costs are similar in Mexico City and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,548 and $1,611 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
79

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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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $1,611 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,611

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $2,409 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,409

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $3,207 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,207

Mexico City is about 4% cheaper than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$10.35 MX$191

6.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$48.09 MX$889

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$9.88 MX$182

10.32%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.37 MX$62.2

9.20%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.44 MX$26.54

13.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.91 MX$16.86

37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$2.39 MX$44.20

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.41 MX$81.5

25.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.78 MX$32.84

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.03 MX$55.9

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.38 MX$43.92

-19.33%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.35 MX$43.47

16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$11.47 MX$212

2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$9.65 MX$178

-1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$13.41 MX$248

7.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.59 MX$47.82

16.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.57 MX$28.94

20.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.62 MX$29.98

22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.71 MX$31.57

28.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.21 MX$22.29

58.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.84 MX$33.99

1.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.77 MX$51.3

-48.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$1.21 MX$22.31

4.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$4.81 MX$88.9

8.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$10.87 MX$201

48.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.54 MX$28.53

23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.48 MX$64.3

21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.90 MX$16.59

-62.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$52.4 MX$968

-62.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$4.37 MX$80.8

-54.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.97 MX$54.9

-82.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$10.43 MX$193

-48.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.41 MX$26.14

7.80%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$21.3K MX$394.1K

3.53%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$23.9K MX$441.5K

2.59%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$84.4 MX$1,560

-27.66%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$24.86 MX$459

14.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$31.45 MX$581

9.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$45.08 MX$833

25.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$30.06 MX$556

-17.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$4.13 MX$76.3

61.26%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$226 MX$4,180

88.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$8,280 MX$153.0K

40.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$71.3 MX$1,317

-4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$52.5 MX$970

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$95.2 MX$1,759

11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$68.0 MX$1,257

65.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,190 MX$22.0K

-13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$733 MX$13.5K

-10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$2,509 MX$46.4K

-7.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,179 MX$21.8K

5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$3,827 MX$70.7K

-5.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,210 MX$40.8K

-12.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$750 MX$13.9K

28.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.6

-2.59%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$733 45.5% 12% $78

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$297 18.4% 6.8% $22

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$183 11.4% 10.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$129 8% 15.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$141 8.7% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$53 3.3% 23.5% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$75 4.7% 193% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,190 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 28% higher in Mexico City, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $48.00 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $297 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

20:18 8:18 PM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

202,694

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

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

Yes – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $2,416 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 Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 167% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Mexico City and $226 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,611. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.