Los Cabos is one of the most expensive destinations in all of Mexico for a couple of reasons.
The main problem that Los Cabos has which drives up the prices for basically everything is the fact that it’s isolated from the rest of the Mexican mainland. This means that getting goods to Cabo is more expensive than getting them to basically any other part of Mexico.
Goods have to get to Cabo either on land from Tijuana or even the US. That’s a 1000 plus mile trip that trucks have to cover in about a full day on the road.
The other way that goods get to Cabo is by boat from Mazatlan. These added shipping costs make the price of even simple goods in Cabo more expensive than what you’ll typically see in the Mexican mainland.
That’s why you may find that even the prices for tacos at a food truck are steeper here in Cabo than they are in the rest of Mexico.
The rise of tourism and more specifically the fact that foreign nationals are buying second homes in Cabo is being blamed for the recent massive uptick in real estate prices. It would seem that some businesses are seeing this new money arrive at Cabo shores and want to take advantage of it.
That has led to a rise in the prices of everything from hotels, to tours to restaurants and just about everything in and around Cabo.
In spite of all this there are still ways to get the most out of your Cabo vacation without necessarily having to break the bank to do so. Here are a couple tips to help you save on your next vacation to Cabo.
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Book A Cabo Trip In The Low Season & In Advance
The low season in Cabo may fall in the middle of some people’s summer vacation. It runs from July to around mid-September.
You may not get the best weather during this period and that’s the reason why it’s the low season. Some deals that you can find on flights and lodging may very well be worth betting that you’ll find clear skies in Cabo when you get here.
If you’re going to make that bet and vacation here in the off season be sure to book your flights and hotel well in advance. That can almost guarantee that you’ll get a good rate. Six months in advance is a good time frame to book your flights to Cabo.
That later September date may be best to avoid the main hurricane season while at the same time, also still keeping your trip within the low season.
Early October is also not a bad date to come to Cabo while you avoid massive crowds. These two dates can be safer bets than a weekend in the middle of July.
Airbnb & Buying Your Own Food Versus An All Inclusive
If you’re visiting Cabo with a large group renting an Airbnb can be a good option. There are plenty of large villas that house over 10 people in Los Cabos and some of these homes can be rented out at decent prices.
Buying your own food, doing your own cooking and not renting a beach front property will save you a lot of money.
By splitting the cost of a large property between several different groups, a Los Cabos vacation can become much more affordable.
If you want to head to Los Cabos on a budget, but you do want to eat at high-end local restaurants, it may be a good idea to book an all-inclusive, especially if you’re traveling as a couple.
The average nightly rate at Cabo hotels is currently over 450 dollars a night. Yes, that can seem like the least budget friendly price ever. Remember though that it includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.
Some of the top resorts provide high dining experiences that are included with your nightly rate.
If you were to eat at a fancy Cabo restaurant every night of your stay while not staying at an all inclusive hotel you may end up paying more than you would in that 450 dollar nightly rate.
There are ways to book an all-inclusive resort and truly enjoy everything that it has to offer without paying full price for it. You’re going to combine though this next tip with the previous idea of booking ahead of schedule.
Booking Rooms or Flights With Points
You don’t necessarily need to shy away from the popular hotels from the top brands that we referenced earlier.
If you can pay even part of your trip with credit card points, you can make your stay in Cabo less of a strain on your wallet.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of Cabo hotels run by the top hotel chains across the world. Many of them offer all-inclusive deals for Cabo stays that they won’t offer in other cities across the globe.
This makes spending your points on Cabo nights a great deal!
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Michele
Thursday 30th of November 2023
Having just returned, I can honestly say it's highly unlikely I'll return to Cabo, and will advise all my friends of this. There isn't much draw to the destination other than the beaches which are few and far between, so add the cost of taxis or Uber every time plus the time to get there. The many cons outweigh the time, hassle and expense of traveling there: an average vacation will be $300-500/pp/day easy so for a family of 4 a week vacation at $14k is LUDICROUS! The entire area is so run down, infrastructure is horrendous, the scams and scummy feeling just walking around as you're accosted to buy something every second at every liston is extremely uncomfortable and not at all enjoyable. The overwhelming security protocol doesn't make me feel safe but rather I went to a hostile country that if I'm not staying in a resort or secure facility of some type me and my family are in danger. I don't believe that is the case but the protocol adds to the anxiety and hassle of just being on a vacation. The last and most upsetting piece is the unchecked amount of development across the peninsula. Of course the beach areas are the most congested but it's not stopping there. It looks like Cancun already, which I despise, with dilapidated hovels or unkempt land next to mega mansions and resorts. The worst epitome of over urbanization and gentrification, if that can be an appropriate word to apply here. No type of environmental review occurs which is so glaringly apparent in LA Paz with the unfinished resorts at the whale shark habitat. And let's not even touch pong the looming water crisis. I didn't expect the extreme corporate and oligarchy take-over to a once idealic destination, it encompasses all that is bad in a corrupt government chasing mass development $.
Mark
Saturday 29th of July 2023
There is no excuse for alcoholic beverages being ridiculously overpriced. Yes, perhaps, alcohol has to be brought in, but there are enough ports that a ship could bring in a lot of alcohol. When Bagatelle charges $300 pesos for a glass of mediocre sangria - fruit juices and a little wine - fruit certainly is inexpensive - and people are foolish enough to pay such prices - this is what keeps food and beverage prices in the stratosphere. But there are excellent restaurants where food and drinks are reasonable and we wish more tourists would seek them out and cause competition to bring down prices.