Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,106 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,747 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,389 in Los Cabos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$10.62 MX$182

22.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$38.93 MX$668

35.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.98 MX$137

18.17%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.38 MX$58.1

5.62%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.25 MX$21.40

28.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.90 MX$15.37

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.44 MX$41.91

29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.89 MX$66.8

24.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.49 MX$25.52

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.54 MX$43.63

3.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.62 MX$27.86

17.28%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.30 MX$39.56

10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.16 MX$140

23.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$7.74 MX$133

7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$10.73 MX$184

7.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.65 MX$45.55

14.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.43 MX$24.55

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.71 MX$29.32

19.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.64 MX$28.21

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.93 MX$33.10

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.93 MX$33.17

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.21 MX$20.76

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.98 MX$16.82

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.28 MX$73.5

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$10.90 MX$187

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.59 MX$27.37

5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.78 MX$47.75

32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.61 MX$10.51

-37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.54 MX$43.68

-45.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.61 MX$27.59

-82.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.14 MX$140

-33.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.27 MX$21.87

0.79%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.5K MX$368.8K

-11.66%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$22.4K MX$384.6K

4.71%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$56.3 MX$966

-27.09%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$22.01 MX$378

22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$28.40 MX$487

4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.36 MX$624

43.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.88 MX$273

65.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.53 MX$77.8

36.42%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$206 MX$3,543

106.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,530 MX$60.6K

203.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$53.4 MX$917

6.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$39.34 MX$675

13.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$89.7 MX$1,540

16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$78.0 MX$1,339

35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$512 MX$8,790

94.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$396 MX$6,794

56.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$950 MX$16.3K

123.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$769 MX$13.2K

62.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,973 MX$33.9K

97.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,269 MX$21.8K

65.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$874 MX$15.0K

26.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.48

-1.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $512 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 27% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $250 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

Mexico City vs Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 27% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $512 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Mexico City versus $1,106 in Los Cabos – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.