Municipality · Baja California Sur

Buying a home in Los Cabos: tax, fees, prices

Acquisition tax computed from the 2026 municipal law · recording fee of the state · SHF price index · Banco de México mortgage rates.

In short

On a MX$3 million home in Los Cabos (Baja California Sur), the acquisition tax is MX$83,577 (2.79% of the value) and the fee to record the deed MX$10,594, under its 2026 law. Appraisal values in Los Cabos changed by +8.5% over a year (SHF index, second quarter of 2026). The average fixed-rate mortgage offer was 11.31% in August 2026 (Banco de México).

Includes: Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo (municipality of Los Cabos).

Calculate for Los Cabos

If you buy

Acquisition tax, recording fee and loan in Los Cabos

Rates of Ley de Hacienda para el Municipio de Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, art. 35-39 (last reform BOGE 10 July 2025). Change any field: the amounts are recalculated instantly.

Value taxedMX$3,000,000
Acquisition taxMX$83,577
Recording fee (Registro Público)MX$10,594
Total of the lines aboveMX$94,171
Loan with 20% downMX$2,400,000
Monthly payment, 20 years at 11.31%MX$25,281

The law deducts « five times the daily UMA, raised to a year » before the 3% rate: Payotte computes 5 × MX$117.31 × 365. Baja California Sur: MX$375 to examine the deed, MX$469 fixed and 3.25 per thousand of the value.

General rate; notary, appraisal, liens certificate, SRE and broker fees excluded. Payment at the Banco de México average offer, not an offer. All the rates and sources.

If you sell

Income tax on the sale

Federal rules, the same in every state: your tax residence decides.

Rule applied25% of the gross price, no deduction (LISR art. 160)
Income tax on the saleMX$750,000
Sale price after the taxMX$2,250,000

Default rule for a non-resident; the notary pays it at the signing. Option: 35% on the gain instead, computed with the resident rules (not computed here); it is cheaper when the gain is below about 71% of the price.

Main home only for the exemption; the 5% state payment and fees are excluded. How the tax on a sale works.

The questions, answered

How much tax and recording fee on a MX$3 million home in Los Cabos?

On a MX$3 million home in Los Cabos (Baja California Sur), taxed on the highest of the contract price, the cadastral value and an expert commercial appraisal (under 90 days), less five times the daily UMA over a year, the buyer pays property acquisition tax (ISABI) MX$83,577, recording fee, Registro Público de la Propiedad MX$10,594: MX$94,171 in all under the 2026 laws read by Payotte, before notary fees.

How much tax and recording fee on a MX$8 million home in Los Cabos?

On a MX$8 million home in Los Cabos (Baja California Sur): property acquisition tax (ISABI) MX$233,577, recording fee, Registro Público de la Propiedad MX$26,844, MX$260,421 in all, before notary fees.

Are home prices rising in Los Cabos?

The SHF price index for Los Cabos (Baja California Sur) changed by +8.5% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026, against +7.3% for Mexico; it measures appraisal values of homes bought with a mortgage (Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal).

What monthly payment on a MX$3 million home in Los Cabos?

MX$2,400,000 borrowed (20% down) costs MX$25,281 a month over 20 years at 11.31% (Banco de México, August 2026); average CAT 13.78%.

How much tax when you sell a home in Los Cabos?

Federal rules apply in Los Cabos as in every state: a seller who is not a Mexican tax resident pays by default 25% of the gross price (LISR art. 160), MX$750,000 on a MX$3 million sale, paid by the notary; a resident selling their own home is exempt up to 700,000 UDIS, about MX$6,199,266 at 15 October 2026 (art. 93-XIX-a).

How Los Cabos compares

On a MX$3 million home the acquisition tax of Los Cabos is MX$83,577 (2.79%), 11.4% above the MX$75,000 median of the 54 municipios computed; 20 charge more and 33 less.

The law applies one rate, 3%, to the taxable base, so the tax grows in step with the price: MX$23,577 on MX$1 million, MX$83,577 on MX$3 million and MX$233,577 on MX$8 million. In Los Cabos, 5 daily UMA a year, MX$214,091, come off the base before the rate.

Inside Baja California Sur, the nearest computed neighbours on a MX$3 million home are La Paz MX$83,581 (MX$4 more) and Loreto MX$87,431 (MX$3,854 more). The MX$10,594 recording fee comes from the state's own law, so it is identical in each of them and the gap is the municipal tax alone.

Tax and recording fee together take 3.14% of a MX$3 million price, MX$94,171, which is 3.7 monthly payments of MX$25,281 and 15.7% on top of the MX$600,000 down payment. On a home at the state median appraisal of MX$1,845,565 the same rules give MX$55,786, 3.02% of the price.

Ranked from the lightest to the heaviest of the 54 areas, Los Cabos is 34th: just below it in the national ranking is San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato) at MX$82,007 and just above it is La Paz at MX$83,581. The lightest, Guanajuato, takes MX$24,144 on the same MX$3 million, so a buyer in Los Cabos pays MX$59,433 more; the heaviest, Querétaro, takes MX$170,306, MX$86,729 more than Los Cabos.

Beyond the three prices of this page, tax and fee reach MX$60,921 on MX$2 million, MX$160,671 on MX$5 million and MX$393,421 on MX$12 million. Between MX$3 million and MX$8 million, each extra peso of price carries 3 centavos of acquisition tax, more than the 2.79% average at MX$3 million. In the daily unit of account (UMA, MX$117 in 2026) the MX$3 million tax is 712 UMA and the recording fee 90.

The SHF index of Los Cabos itself moved +8.5% in a year, behind Baja California Sur (+8.7%) and above Mexico (+7.3%): 13th of the 36 cities with an index of their own.

MeasureValueReferenceRank
Los Cabos: Acquisition tax on MX$1 millionMX$23,577median MX$21,58830th of 54 lightest
Los Cabos: Acquisition tax on MX$3 millionMX$83,577median MX$75,00034th of 54 lightest
Los Cabos: Acquisition tax on MX$8 millionMX$233,577median MX$232,23928th of 54 lightest
Los Cabos: Effective rate at MX$3 million2.79%median 2.5%34th of 54 lightest
Los Cabos: Effective rate at MX$1 and 8 million2.36% and 2.92%gap 0.56 pointsrising
Los Cabos: Tax on MX$3 million in UMA712 UMAMX$117 per UMA23.4 monthly UMA
Los Cabos: Recording fee on MX$3 millionMX$10,5940.35% of the price12.7% of the tax
Los Cabos: Tax and fee on MX$3 millionMX$94,1713.14% of the price38th of 54 lightest
Los Cabos: Tax and fee on MX$12 millionMX$393,4213.28% of the price4.2 times the MX$3 million bill
SHF index, Los Cabos+8.5%Mexico +7.3%13th of 36

Appraisal values, home loans and renting for the whole of Baja California Sur are on its state page.

The figures

MeasureValueSource
Property acquisition tax (ISABI) on MX$3 millionMX$83,577Ley de Hacienda para el Municipio de Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, art. 35-39 (last reform BOGE 10 July 2025)
Recording fee, Registro Público de la Propiedad on MX$3 millionMX$10,594Ley de Derechos y Productos del Estado de Baja California Sur, art. 27-III (last reform BOGE 39, 14 May 2026)
SHF price index, Los Cabos, change over a year+8.5%SHF, Q2 2026
Average fixed-rate mortgage offer (Aug. 2026)11.31%Banco de México, CF303

The SHF publishes home prices in pesos by state only; for a municipality it publishes an index, not a price. The appraisal values, loans and renting of Baja California Sur are on its state page.

Elsewhere in Baja California Sur

Sources