San Miguel de Allende vs Los Cabos
The short answer
San Miguel de Allende is the cheaper trip, by roughly 30% a day — $75–170 against $100–250 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Nov–Apr, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende | 🇲🇽 Los Cabos | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $75–170cheaper | $100–250 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $5–9cheaper | $7–12 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $110–230cheaper | $150–350 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.30cheaper | $0.60 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $700 | ≈ $750 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende
A UNESCO-listed colonial hill town of pink-stone spires, cobblestone lanes, and courtyard galleries that's become one of Mexico's biggest expat and arts hubs — pricier and more polished than a typical Mexican town, but genuinely, jaw-droppingly beautiful.
- La Azotea$$Nightlife
- Áperi$$$Restaurants
- Fábrica La Aurora$Culture & landmarks
- Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar$$$Nightlife
- The Restaurant$$Restaurants
🇲🇽 Los Cabos
Where the Baja California desert meets the Sea of Cortés — the twin towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, sportfishing marinas, El Arco's rock formations, and Mexico's most American-tourist-heavy, priciest resort stretch.
- Cabo Wabo Cantina$$Nightlife
- Flora's Field Kitchen$$$Restaurants
- Mango Deck$$Beach clubs
- El Squid Roe$$$Nightlife
- Edith's$$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| San Miguel de Allende | Los Cabos | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Spanish, with one of Mexico's largest English-speaking expat populations — you can get by in English in the centro more easily than almost anywhere else in the country. | Spanish, but English is the practical default in almost every hotel, restaurant, and shop — Los Cabos is built around US visitors more than any other Mexican destination. |
| Currency | Mexican peso (MX$). US$1 ≈ MX$18–19 | Mexican peso (MX$). US$1 ≈ MX$18–19 — US dollars are accepted everywhere, often at a worse rate than paying in pesos or by card. |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6), no daylight saving | MST (UTC-7), no daylight saving |
| Tap water | Don't drink it — bottled water is standard even in nice restaurants | Don't drink it — resorts and restaurants use purified water throughout |
The same in both:
- Power
- Type A/B plugs, 127V (US plugs fit)
- Emergency
- 911