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Los Cabos vs Mexico City cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐ฝ Los Cabos
๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico City
At a glance
- Where Mexico City is clearly cheaper: Transit (69%โ), Entry ticket (67%โ), Scooter rental (66%โ)
- Where Los Cabos is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (16%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Los Cabos 4 vs Mexico City 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Cabos | Mexico City | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 160$8.6 | Mexico City โ20% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 100$5.38 | MX$ 75$4.03 | Mexico City โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 600$32.3 | MX$ 450$24.2 | Mexico City โ25% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 60$3.23 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Los Cabos โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 80$4.3 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Mexico City โ25% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 180$9.68 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Los Cabos โ10% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 17$0.91 | MX$ 15$0.81 | Mexico City โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 25$1.34 | MX$ 25$1.34 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 100$5.38 | Mexico City โ50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 150$8.06 | MX$ 65$3.49 | Mexico City โ57% |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 16$0.86 | MX$ 5$0.27 | Mexico City โ69% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 800$43 | MX$ 272$14.6 | Mexico City โ66% |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,800$96.8 | MX$ 1,900$102 | Los Cabos โ5% |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 16,000$860 | MX$ 19,000$1,022 | Los Cabos โ16% |
| Laundry | MX$ 35$1.88 | MX$ 30$1.61 | Mexico City โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 200$10.8 | similar |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Mexico City โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 900$48.4 | MX$ 700$37.6 | Mexico City โ22% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 900$48.4 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Mexico City โ33% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 360$19.4 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Mexico City โ67% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Los Cabos or Mexico City?
Mexico City is 10% cheaper than Los Cabos. Daily budget $201 vs $177; a month $3,771 vs $3,443.
Which is easier to travel, Los Cabos or Mexico City?
About the same: Los Cabos 2.8/5, Mexico City 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Cabos and Mexico City?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Cabos is about $3,771 and Mexico City about $3,443 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.