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Los Cabos vs Oaxaca 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 Oaxaca
At a glance
- Where Oaxaca is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (75%โ), Entry ticket (74%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (70%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 Oaxaca 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Los Cabos | Oaxaca | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Oaxaca โ40% |
| Street food1 item | MX$ 100$5.38 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Oaxaca โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | MX$ 600$32.3 | MX$ 300$16.1 | Oaxaca โ50% |
| Coffeeone cup | MX$ 60$3.23 | MX$ 60$3.23 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | MX$ 80$4.3 | MX$ 50$2.69 | Oaxaca โ38% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | MX$ 180$9.68 | MX$ 130$6.99 | Oaxaca โ28% |
| Bottled water | MX$ 17$0.91 | MX$ 15$0.81 | Oaxaca โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | MX$ 25$1.34 | MX$ 22$1.18 | Oaxaca โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Oaxaca โ65% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | MX$ 150$8.06 | MX$ 45$2.42 | Oaxaca โ70% |
| Transitone ride | MX$ 16$0.86 | MX$ 10$0.54 | Oaxaca โ38% |
| Scooter rentalper day | MX$ 800$43 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Oaxaca โ75% |
| Hotel night3-star | MX$ 1,800$96.8 | MX$ 1,700$91.4 | Oaxaca โ6% |
| Studio rent (month) | MX$ 16,000$860 | MX$ 7,500$403 | Oaxaca โ53% |
| Laundry | MX$ 35$1.88 | MX$ 25$1.34 | Oaxaca โ29% |
| SIM card1 week data | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Oaxaca โ25% |
| Haircutcut | MX$ 200$10.8 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Oaxaca โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | MX$ 900$48.4 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Oaxaca โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | MX$ 900$48.4 | MX$ 400$21.5 | Oaxaca โ56% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | MX$ 360$19.4 | MX$ 95$5.11 | Oaxaca โ74% |
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 Oaxaca?
Oaxaca is 41% cheaper than Los Cabos. Daily budget $201 vs $145; a month $3,771 vs $1,751.
Which is easier to travel, Los Cabos or Oaxaca?
About the same: Los Cabos 2.8/5, Oaxaca 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Los Cabos and Oaxaca?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Los Cabos is about $3,771 and Oaxaca about $1,751 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.