Cabo San Lucas vs La Paz (Baja California Sur)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Cabo San Lucas edges it, 63 to 60, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Cabo San Lucas is stronger on air quality; La Paz (Baja California Sur) on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Baja's resort tip: marina, El Arco and sportfishing, at resort prices
Full Cabo San Lucas profile →Plan a trip to Cabo San Lucas →Sea of Cortez town with whale sharks and empty beaches
Full La Paz (Baja California Sur) profile →Plan a trip to La Paz (Baja California Sur) →Where they differ
- Air quality. Cabo San Lucas leads on air quality, 90 to 79, against La Paz (Baja California Sur). PM2.5: 9.6 µg/m³ vs 14.4 µg/m³.
- Climate. Cabo San Lucas leads on climate, 83 to 75, against La Paz (Baja California Sur). Comfortable months: 10 vs 9.
- Internet. Cabo San Lucas leads on internet, 70 to 63, against La Paz (Baja California Sur). Measured download: 38.3 Mbps vs 26 Mbps.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Cabo San Lucas if you want
- faster internet (38.3 Mbps measured)
- cleaner air
Pick La Paz (Baja California Sur) if you want
- no clear edge over Cabo San Lucas in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 58 | 58 |
| Safety | 28 | 28 |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 |
| Internet | 70 ✓ | 63 |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 18 ✓ | 12 |
| Climate | 83 ✓ | 75 |
| Air quality | 90 ✓ | 79 |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 |
Cost
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,400 | $1,400 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 25.64 | 25.64 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 55 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 79 | 79 |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs | 75.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 38.3 Mbps ✓ | 26 Mbps |
| Upload | 15.1 Mbps ✓ | 12.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 54 ✓ | 15 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Cabo San Lucas | La Paz (Baja California Sur) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 10 ✓ | 9 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.6 µg/m³ ✓ | 14.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or La Paz (Baja California Sur)?
- Cabo San Lucas and La Paz (Baja California Sur) cost about the same: roughly $1,400 per month for one person.
- Is Cabo San Lucas or La Paz (Baja California Sur) safer?
- Cabo San Lucas and La Paz (Baja California Sur) score the same on safety (28), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Cabo San Lucas or La Paz (Baja California Sur)?
- Cabo San Lucas: a measured median of 38.3 Mbps versus 26 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Cabo San Lucas vs Mazatlán
- Cabo San Lucas vs Todos Santos
- La Paz (Baja California Sur) vs Colima
- La Paz (Baja California Sur) vs Torreón
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.