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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,484 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,376 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,268 in Los Cabos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 13% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Los Cabos 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$24.29 MX$412

-50.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$46.37 MX$787

16.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$13.81 MX$234

-19.70%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$5.46 MX$92.7

-24.91%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.43 MX$41.29

-30.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$2.04 MX$34.56

-31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$4.98 MX$84.5

-33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$8.97 MX$152

-34.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.70 MX$28.85

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$3.18 MX$54.0

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.52 MX$42.77

-17.86%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.57 MX$43.66

14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.04 MX$170

25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.22 MX$173

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$19.15 MX$325

-15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$4.46 MX$75.6

-23.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.88 MX$31.87

10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.13 MX$53.2

-32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.71 MX$45.96

-11.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.42 MX$41.02

-11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.85 MX$48.35

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.39 MX$23.59

11.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.88 MX$14.92

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.99 MX$84.6

15.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.27 MX$191

57.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.65 MX$28.05

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.35 MX$56.8

37.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.45 MX$24.57

-74.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$2.82 MX$47.83

-27.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$2.17 MX$36.79

-73.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$11.65 MX$198

-47.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.54 MX$26.07

0.65%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$22.4K MX$380.4K

2.00%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$25.6K MX$433.9K

6.48%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$63.7 MX$1,080

5.84%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$29.60 MX$502

3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$26.66 MX$452

39.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$37.35 MX$634

64.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$21.34 MX$362

27.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.76 MX$80.8

49.37%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$247 MX$4,191

84.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$4,856 MX$82.4K

181.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$98.2 MX$1,666

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$46.04 MX$781

23.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$131 MX$2,231

-12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$91.3 MX$1,548

33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$650 MX$11.0K

76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$421 MX$7,134

68.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,135 MX$19.3K

127.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$831 MX$14.1K

55.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,976 MX$33.5K

102.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,212 MX$20.6K

75.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$892 MX$15.1K

21.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $650 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $334 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $650 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,484 in Los Cabos – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,484 in Los Cabos versus $1,677 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 13% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.