Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,661 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
80

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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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $2,454 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $3,248 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248

San Jose costs about 17% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$10.31 MX$189

18.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$50.6 MX$929

18.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.14 MX$186

16.07%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$3.53 MX$64.8

21.81%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$1.49 MX$27.43

82.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$0.99 MX$18.15

85.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$2.51 MX$46.03

30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$4.47 MX$82.0

-2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$1.77 MX$32.49

34.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$3.18 MX$58.3

-1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$2.56 MX$47.04

-5.86%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$2.35 MX$43.21

47.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$11.62 MX$213

-9.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$10.11 MX$186

4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$13.70 MX$252

0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$2.73 MX$50.1

84.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.55 MX$28.40

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$1.59 MX$29.24

188.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$1.73 MX$31.81

121.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.26 MX$23.09

199.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$1.85 MX$33.89

103.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.77 MX$50.9

-59.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.27 MX$23.38

151.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$5.06 MX$92.9

15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$11.19 MX$205

76.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$1.49 MX$27.37

84.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.53 MX$64.8

3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.87 MX$15.98

28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$53.2 MX$976

22.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$4.37 MX$80.2

-43.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$3.06 MX$56.1

-49.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$10.59 MX$194

-20.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.46 MX$26.78

6.16%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$21.5K MX$394.1K

1.11%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$24.4K MX$448.0K

42.91%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$86.9 MX$1,595

9.02%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$25.56 MX$469

37.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$32.06 MX$589

82.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$45.89 MX$843

57.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$30.59 MX$562

-17.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$4.24 MX$77.8

84.67%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$231 MX$4,246

320.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$8,373 MX$153.7K

103.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$72.7 MX$1,335

-1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$53.3 MX$979

2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$97.2 MX$1,785

32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$67.5 MX$1,240

97.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,197 MX$22.0K

-21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$758 MX$13.9K

1.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,543 MX$46.7K

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,215 MX$22.3K

8.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$3,814 MX$70.0K

-40.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$2,196 MX$40.3K

-18.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$756 MX$13.9K

33.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.6

-25.69%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$758 45.8% 1.5% $12

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4% 23.7% $95

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3% 18.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7% 23.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9% 25.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3% 38.1% $33

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6% 4.3% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,197 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 33% higher in San Jose, 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $304 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

202,694

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $2,491 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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $971 per month in San Jose and $231 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,661, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur – 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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.