Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,746 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,612 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,478 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 26% cheaper than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$11.27 MX$190

3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$52.0 MX$878

-10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.92 MX$168

17.44%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.53 MX$59.7

15.86%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.54 MX$26.03

-11.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.04 MX$17.62

-20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.69 MX$45.54

24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.68 MX$79.1

47.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.87 MX$31.68

-7.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$3.27 MX$55.3

-30.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$2.64 MX$44.59

-32.95%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$2.46 MX$41.63

10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$12.73 MX$215

-27.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.65 MX$180

-16.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$14.62 MX$247

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.82 MX$47.58

7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.62 MX$27.45

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$1.71 MX$28.87

24.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$1.82 MX$30.74

24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.34 MX$22.71

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$2.03 MX$34.31

1.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$2.99 MX$50.5

-60.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.29 MX$21.83

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$5.20 MX$87.9

-10.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$11.99 MX$203

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.60 MX$27.06

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$3.73 MX$63.0

-22.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.99 MX$16.65

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$55.5 MX$937

-46.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$4.68 MX$79.0

16.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$3.36 MX$56.7

10.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$11.51 MX$194

-48.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.59 MX$26.82

-2.52%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

-0.85%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$25.4K MX$429.7K

2.06%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$89.6 MX$1,514

-0.52%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$27.14 MX$459

-7.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$33.74 MX$570

-6.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$49.06 MX$829

38.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$30.14 MX$509

-4.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$4.50 MX$76.1

12.22%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$253 MX$4,277

-11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$8,964 MX$151.5K

-52.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$77.0 MX$1,301

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$55.7 MX$941

-19.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$101 MX$1,704

-18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$72.6 MX$1,227

26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,224 MX$20.7K

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$793 MX$13.4K

-48.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$2,590 MX$43.8K

-25.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,251 MX$21.1K

4.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,864 MX$65.3K

3.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$2,174 MX$36.7K

204.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$806 MX$13.6K

-7.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.6

-1.29%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 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 8% higher in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $52.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $322 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur is pricier by about 35%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,618 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $253 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur at $1,746. In Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. 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.