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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,760 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,427 in Los Cabos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.62 MX$186

22.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$39.18 MX$686

35.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.06 MX$141

20.60%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.29 MX$57.6

13.98%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.23 MX$21.56

27.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.99 MX$17.27

14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.41 MX$42.19

31.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.89 MX$68.0

19.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.50 MX$26.23

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.60 MX$45.50

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.63 MX$28.54

15.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.36 MX$41.36

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.89 MX$138

27.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.66 MX$134

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.55 MX$185

13.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.61 MX$45.59

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.38 MX$24.13

26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.80 MX$31.47

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.64 MX$28.74

20.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.92 MX$33.69

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.94 MX$33.91

12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.19 MX$20.89

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.01 MX$17.76

10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.26 MX$74.6

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$11.01 MX$193

29.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.59 MX$27.91

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.76 MX$48.21

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.61 MX$10.69

-36.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.61 MX$45.59

-46.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.59 MX$27.91

-81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.21 MX$144

-33.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.32 MX$23.07

2.27%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.5K MX$376.3K

-12.19%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$22.2K MX$387.9K

4.44%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$56.0 MX$981

-27.16%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$22.04 MX$386

24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$27.65 MX$484

9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$35.87 MX$628

48.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$15.92 MX$279

65.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.52 MX$79.1

38.72%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$205 MX$3,592

112.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,627 MX$63.5K

188.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$52.4 MX$917

8.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$40.06 MX$701

11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$91.2 MX$1,597

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$80.0 MX$1,399

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$504 MX$8,826

98.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$394 MX$6,897

57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$949 MX$16.6K

125.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$762 MX$13.3K

62.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,992 MX$34.9K

94.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,288 MX$22.5K

81.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$854 MX$14.9K

24.95%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $504 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 25% 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 $286 vs $249 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 25% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $504 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 $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Los Cabos – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,484 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.