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Cost Guide  ·  Cabo San Lucas

What Cabo San Lucas Villas Cost by Week

A six-bedroom villa in Pedregal de Cabo San Lucas over high season (15 November through 31 May) lists at $34,000 to $135,000 per week. The same villa across Christmas Week (20 December through 3 January) runs $52,000 to $185,000. Trophy oceanfront estates inside Diamante and Querencia run $90,000 to $280,000 across the Christmas-New Year window. After the 16 percent IVA, the 4 percent Baja California Sur ISH lodging tax, the SJD transfer ($120 to $220 each way), the chef rate ($400 to $900 per service), and the gratuity line, the all-in week lands 30 to 45 percent above the headline. The full structure, line by line, with three worked examples.

By Morten Andersen · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson · Updated 2026-05-20

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High season (15 Nov – 31 May)$34,000 to $135,000 / 6BR Pedregal / wk
Christmas Week$52,000 to $185,000 / 6BR / wk
IVA (federal VAT)16% of headline
ISH (Baja California Sur lodging tax)4% of room charge
Chef (independent)$400 to $900 / service plus food
Last verified2026-05

Cabo San Lucas pricing has three structural facts worth understanding before reading the bands. First: the tax line is simpler than the Caribbean but heavier than it looks. The federal IVA is 16 percent on accommodation, and the state of Baja California Sur levies the Impuesto Sobre Hospedaje (ISH), a lodging tax the state raised to 4 percent of the room charge for 2026. The combined tax line lands near 20 percent of the headline, the single largest add-on in this guide. Second: this is a desert market on the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez, which means almost no rain, reliable sun from November to May, and a real chubasco and hurricane window from August to October. Hurricane Odile struck as a Category 3 in September 2014 and reset the building code for the trophy estates that followed. Third: the chef bench is deep and the restaurant scene (El Farallon at Waldorf Astoria Pedregal, Flora Farms, Cocina de Autor at Grand Velas) carries the dollar-per-head you would expect from the rates below.

The rates below were verified against May 2026 cards from the Pedregal owner-rental desk, Discovery Land Company’s Querencia and El Dorado portfolios, the Diamante club-rental list, Cabo Villas, Earth, Sea & Sky Vacations, Onefinestay, Vrbo Premier, and three direct Cabo managers operating Pedregal, the Corridor, and Puerto Los Cabos. All figures are weekly except line items.

No. I  ·  Headline Rates by Pocket

The starting number, by pocket, bedroom count, and season.

Headline weekly rate before the 16 percent IVA, the 4 percent ISH lodging tax, the chef fee, the SJD transfer, SUV rental, and staff gratuities. Christmas Week (20 December through 3 January) holds a 7 to 10-night minimum at the trophy estates. High season runs 15 November through 31 May. Shoulder runs late May through June and October. Low season (chubasco and hurricane window) is July through September.

Bedrooms (Pedregal)Christmas WeekHigh seasonShoulderLow season (Jul-Sep)
4 BR$32,000 to $78,000$19,000 to $52,000$12,000 to $28,000$8,500 to $19,000
5 BR$42,000 to $118,000$26,000 to $78,000$16,000 to $42,000$11,000 to $28,000
6 BR$52,000 to $185,000$34,000 to $135,000$21,000 to $62,000$14,000 to $42,000
6BR trophy (Diamante / Querencia oceanfront)$120,000 to $280,000$72,000 to $185,000$44,000 to $110,000$30,000 to $74,000
8 BR$78,000 to $220,000$48,000 to $145,000$30,000 to $82,000$20,000 to $55,000
10 BR+ estate$165,000 to $420,000$95,000 to $260,000$58,000 to $150,000$40,000 to $98,000
Pocket (6BR, Christmas Week)Headline weekly rateNote
Diamante (Pacific, Discovery Land)$120,000 to $260,000The trophy band, Tiger Woods and Davis Love courses, gated, full staff the norm. Pacific surf, not swimmable
Querencia / El Dorado (Corridor, Discovery Land)$95,000 to $210,000The members-club golf band, Tom Fazio course, calm Corridor access
Pedregal de Cabo San Lucas$52,000 to $135,000The hillside above the marina, walk to town and Sunset Monalisa, the standard first-time pocket
Chileno Bay / Maravilla (Corridor)$58,000 to $145,000The swimmable-beach band, Chileno and Santa Maria coves, Auberge anchor
Cabo del Sol (Corridor)$48,000 to $110,000The two-course golf band, Cove Club beach, value at matched bedrooms
Palmilla (San Jose side)$48,000 to $125,000The One&Only anchor, swimmable Palmilla beach, the calm family band
Puerto Los Cabos / San Jose del Cabo$32,000 to $72,000The value band, marina-and-art-town pace, Flora Farms dinner nearby

Diamante is the single most price-disciplined corridor in Los Cabos because of the Discovery Land membership model and the Pacific-front scarcity. Chileno Bay and Palmilla are the only pockets with genuinely swimmable beach in front of the house, which is the question first-time Cabo renters get wrong most often.

No. II  ·  The Line Items

What sits on top of the headline.

IVA: 16% of headline (federal VAT)

Mexico applies a 16% IVA on accommodation services. The line is itemized on a compliant contract. On a $48,000 weekly headline, the IVA line is $7,680. On a $185,000 Christmas-Week trophy headline, the IVA line is $29,600. A villa quoting a headline with no IVA line is either absorbing it (rare) or operating informally; ask for the factura.

ISH (lodging tax): 4% of room charge

Baja California Sur levies the Impuesto Sobre Hospedaje on temporary lodging, and the state raised the rate to 4% for 2026. On a $48,000 headline, the line is $1,920. The combined tax line (IVA plus ISH) lands near 20% of the headline, the heaviest government overhead of any market in this guide.

Service charge: 0 to 12% (operator-dependent)

The Cabo market splits on this line. Discovery Land club rentals and the Pedregal owner desk typically fold the service charge into an all-in club fee. Third-party managers and the larger portfolios (Cabo Villas, Earth Sea & Sky) run a 5 to 12% management or concierge fee on top. Direct managers often run zero and bill concierge time hourly. Verify the line on the contract.

Staff: daytime cook included on roughly 70 percent of editorial-list villas

The standard Cabo luxury villa includes a daily housekeeper, a houseman, and pool maintenance in the headline. Roughly 70 percent of the editorial-list Pedregal, Corridor, and Diamante inventory also includes a daytime cook for breakfast and lunch. The Discovery Land and Querencia estates also include a concierge, a butler, and 24-hour gated security. The remaining inventory uses a chef-on-call model. Verify the staff bench in writing before signing.

Evening chef: $400 to $900 per service plus food at cost

An independent evening chef runs $400 to $900 per service plus food at cost for ten. The strongest chef benches are alumni of El Farallon at Waldorf Astoria Pedregal, Manta at The Cape, Cocina de Autor at Grand Velas, and Flora Farms. Food cost lands at $70 to $160 per person depending on protein (local yellowtail, dorado, marlin, ribeye, in-season chocolate clams and lobster), tequila and mezcal pairings, and wine. The Christmas-Week lead time runs six to ten weeks.

Restaurant nights: $90 to $260 per head

El Farallon (the cliff-side seafood room at Waldorf Astoria Pedregal) runs $180 to $260 per head before wine. Flora Farms (the farm-to-table dinner outside San Jose) runs $110 to $180. Cocina de Autor (the tasting menu at Grand Velas) runs $200 to $300. Sunset Monalisa above the marina runs $140 to $220. Manta at The Cape runs $120 to $190. A family of eight at El Farallon with reasonable wine lands between $2,400 and $3,200. The reservation lead time at Flora Farms runs eight to twelve weeks at Christmas Week.

Boat charter and sport-fishing: $1,200 to $9,000 per day

Cabo is one of the strongest sport-fishing markets in the world. A 31 to 35-foot center-console or sport-fisher for a striped-marlin or dorado day runs $1,200 to $2,800 plus fuel and a 15% crew tip. A 40 to 50-foot Hatteras or Viking for a blue-marlin day runs $3,200 to $5,800. A 60 to 80-foot motor yacht for an Arch-and-Land’s-End cruise with lunch runs $5,800 to $9,000 plus fuel and tip. The Cabo San Lucas Billfish Tournament weeks (mid-October) book the best boats a year out.

SUV rental: $90 to $220 per day

An SUV rental runs $90 to $220 per day during high season. Cabo is a right-hand-drive market with US-style rules, and the Highway 1 toll road between San Jose and Cabo San Lucas is fast and well-paved. Self-drive works for the Corridor and the towns. Many groups skip it and run a villa driver instead, because the marina parking and the Friday-night town traffic are the two friction points. A second SUV for the week runs $500 to $1,200.

SJD (Los Cabos) transfers: $120 to $220 each way (Escalade)

SJD is the only commercial airport, beside San Jose del Cabo. A Cadillac Escalade or Suburban from SJD to Pedregal or the marina runs $120 to $220 each way (40 to 55 minutes on the Highway 1 toll road). SJD to the Corridor runs $90 to $170 (25 to 40 minutes). SJD to Palmilla or Puerto Los Cabos runs $60 to $120 (15 to 25 minutes). A Sprinter van for groups of eight or more runs $200 to $360. Most luxury villas include the arrival transfer.

Gratuities: $120 to $250 per staff member per week

Cabo villa staff are paid through the operator in pesos. A cash gratuity on departure of $120 to $250 USD per staff member per week is the practice at this tier. For a five-staff villa on a seven-night stay (two housekeepers, houseman, cook, concierge), plan for $700 to $1,250 in cash gratuities. USD and pesos are both accepted; staff typically prefer USD. The chef and the boat crew are tipped separately at 15 to 20%.

No. III  ·  Worked Examples

Three weeks. Three real totals.

Three trip configurations we priced for clients in 2024 and 2025. Numbers verified against the source contracts. The takeaway: the line items add 30 to 45 percent on top of the headline rate, a steeper premium than the Caribbean because the combined 20 percent tax line and the sport-fishing days both scale fast.

Example I

Two couples, late February, four-bedroom Pedregal villa.

Headline: $28,000 / wk (high season, Pedregal hillside, daytime cook included).

IVA (16%) $4,480. ISH (4%) $1,120. Management fee (8% portfolio) $2,240. Chef four nights food cost at $110 per person for four = $1,760 plus chef fees $2,400. Wine and tequila $620. Pre-stock $640. SUV rental seven days at $130 = $910. SJD round-trip Escalade $360. El Farallon dinner for four $1,000. Flora Farms dinner for four $640. Striped-marlin day 33-foot $1,800 plus tip $270. Gratuities (4 staff) $800.

All-in: $47,640 for the week.
Premium over headline: 70%.

Example II

Family of 10, Christmas Week, six-bedroom Diamante oceanfront estate.

Headline: $185,000 / 7 nights (Diamante Discovery Land, full staff including cook, concierge, security).

IVA (16%) $29,600. ISH (4%) $7,400. Club service fee (all-in) included. Chef five nights food cost at $150 per person for 10 = $7,500 plus chef fees $3,500. Wine $3,800. Pre-stock $2,100. Two SUVs the week $2,400. SJD round-trip Suburban plus Sprinter $620. El Farallon dinner for 10 $2,400. Flora Farms dinner for 10 $1,600. Cocina de Autor for 10 $2,800. Blue-marlin day 48-foot Viking $5,200 plus fuel $360 plus tip $830. Land’s End yacht cruise $6,800 plus tip $1,020. Golf 4 rounds Dunes course $1,400. Gratuities (7 staff) $1,750.

All-in: $264,710 for the week.
Premium over headline: 43%.

Example III

Group of 12, Spring Break week, eight-bedroom Chileno Bay villa.

Headline: $82,000 / wk (Chileno Bay swimmable beach, full staff including cook).

IVA (16%) $13,120. ISH (4%) $3,280. Management fee (10%) $8,200. Chef five nights food cost at $130 per person for 12 = $7,800 plus chef fees $3,000. Wine and mezcal $2,400. Pre-stock $1,900. Two SUVs the week $2,300. SJD round-trip Escalade plus Sprinter $560. El Farallon dinner for 12 $2,800. Manta dinner for 12 $2,000. Sunset Monalisa for 12 $2,200. Dorado day 35-foot $2,400 plus tip $360. Catamaran snorkel day $2,200 plus tip $330. Gratuities (5 staff) $1,000.

All-in: $141,250 for the week.
Premium over headline: 72%.

Dollar figures as quoted. The Diamante Christmas math (Example II) carries the lowest premium-over-headline at 43 percent because the club fee bundles staff and service into the trophy headline. The four-bedroom Pedregal week (Example I) carries the highest at 70 percent because the fixed line items (chef fees, transfers, a fishing day) do not shrink with the smaller headline.

No. IV  ·  Reducing the Bill

How to cut the total, without cutting the trip.

Five levers move the all-in figure on a Cabo San Lucas week, and one thing we would pass on.

Move to late January, early February, or May. The headline drops 30 to 45 percent from Christmas and Spring Break. The water is calm, the marlin are running, and the El Farallon reservation lead time drops from twelve weeks to three. The first two weeks of December are the structurally underpriced window before the holiday spike.

Trade Diamante for the Corridor. Chileno Bay and Cabo del Sol give you the same calm Sea-of-Cortez access and the swimmable beach Diamante lacks, at 35 to 50 percent less per matched bedroom. The trade is the Discovery Land amenity bundle, which a beach-focused family rarely uses.

Choose the cook-included villa, not the chef-on-call villa. Roughly 70 percent of the editorial-list inventory includes a daytime cook. The chef-on-call villas run $400 to $900 per service for the evening meals on top. Over five chef nights, the cook-included villa saves $1,000 to $3,000 on the labor line alone.

Run one fishing day, not three. Cabo tempts groups into a fishing day, a cruise, and a snorkel charter. The single striped-marlin or dorado day is the canonical Cabo charter. A second deep-water day rarely adds new content. Save $2,000 to $5,500.

Skip the second SUV and run a villa driver. The marina parking and the Friday town traffic make self-drive the wrong default for most groups. A villa driver for the week runs $1,400 to $2,600 and removes the two friction points. For a beach-and-restaurant trip, the driver wins over a second rental.

What we would pass on: the Pacific-front Diamante villas if your group includes young children or non-strong swimmers. The Pacific surf at Diamante is not swimmable and the riptide is real. The view is the best in Los Cabos; the beach is for walking, not swimming. Put a young family in Chileno Bay or Palmilla and use Diamante for the golf, not the water.

FAQ

The questions readers ask.

What does a Cabo San Lucas villa cost per week?

For a six-bedroom villa in Pedregal or the Cabo Corridor over high season (November through May), the headline weekly rate runs $34,000 to $135,000. Trophy oceanfront estates inside Diamante and Querencia run $90,000 to $280,000 over Christmas-New Year. After the 16 percent IVA, the 4 percent ISH lodging tax, the SJD transfer, chef fees, and the gratuity line, the all-in week typically lands 30 to 45 percent above the headline.

What taxes apply to Cabo San Lucas villa rentals?

Two taxes apply. The federal IVA is 16 percent on accommodation. On top of that, Baja California Sur levies the Impuesto Sobre Hospedaje (ISH), a lodging tax the state raised to 4 percent of the room charge for 2026. The combined tax line lands near 20 percent of the headline. Reputable operators itemize both on the contract; ask for the factura.

When is peak season in Cabo San Lucas?

High season runs November through May. Christmas-New Year (7 to 10-night minimum at the trophy estates), Presidents Day, Spring Break, and Thanksgiving carry the sharpest premiums. Shoulder runs late May through June and October. Low season is July through September, which overlaps the chubasco and hurricane window. Hurricane Odile struck as a Category 3 in September 2014; September is the highest-risk month.

Which Cabo San Lucas pocket should I rent in?

Four answers. Pedregal is the gated hillside above the marina, the standard first-time pocket. The Corridor (Cabo del Sol, Chileno Bay, Maravilla, Querencia) is the resort band with the swimmable beaches at Chileno and Santa Maria. Diamante on the Pacific is the Discovery Land trophy band with the golf. Palmilla and Puerto Los Cabos near San Jose are the calmer family band.

How much does a private chef in Cabo cost?

An independent evening chef runs $400 to $900 per service plus food at cost for ten. The strongest benches are alumni of El Farallon, Manta, Cocina de Autor, and Flora Farms. Food cost lands at $70 to $160 per person depending on protein, tequila and mezcal pairings, and wine. The Christmas-Week lead time runs six to ten weeks. Most villas include a daytime cook for breakfast and lunch.

What is the SJD airport transfer math?

SJD (Los Cabos International) sits beside San Jose del Cabo, roughly 30 miles from Cabo San Lucas. An Escalade or Suburban from SJD to Pedregal or the marina runs $120 to $220 each way (40 to 55 minutes). SJD to the Corridor runs $90 to $170. SJD to Palmilla or Puerto Los Cabos runs $60 to $120. A Sprinter van for eight or more runs $200 to $360. Most villas include the arrival transfer.

Is the staff included in Cabo villa rates?

Roughly 70 percent of the editorial-list Pedregal, Corridor, and Diamante villas include a daytime cook, a daily housekeeper, a houseman, and pool maintenance in the headline. The Discovery Land and Querencia estates also include a concierge, a butler, and 24-hour gated security. The remaining inventory uses a chef-on-call model. Verify the staff bench in writing before signing.

The Buyer’s Guide PDF

The full destination cost report.

The 20-page PDF with line-item math for Pedregal, Diamante, Querencia, Chileno Bay, Palmilla, and Puerto Los Cabos; the six chefs we have used by name across Los Cabos; the four sport-fishing captains we trust; the Baja California Sur ISH schedule snapshot for May 2026; and the rebook calendar for Christmas Week. Free. We trade it for an email.

Get the Cabo San Lucas cost report

The For Kings Network

The rest of the Cabo trip.

When a hotel beats a villa on the booking math. The restaurants worth booking before the trip. The bars that take a tequila programme seriously.

Hotels For Kings · Cabo San Lucas Restaurants For Kings · Cabo San Lucas Bars For Kings · Cabo San Lucas

Where to next.

CostLos Cabos Corridor rates by season. Best-Ofthe best villas in the Riviera Maya. DestinationThe full Cabo San Lucas destination guide, by pocket. Best-ofThe best villas in Cabo San Lucas, ranked. Cost guideWhat Punta Mita villas actually cost. Cost guideTulum villa prices, by zone. Cost guideCabo villa prices across the wider market. PillarAll cost guides for luxury villa rentals. OccasionVillas for a multi-generational family week. How-ToHow to negotiate villa rates. ToolThe villa cost calculator: 7-night estimates by destination.