Reasons People Are Moving to Cabo in 2026: A Local's Honest List

Every winter we meet someone who came for a week and is now pricing out a lease. It happens so often that we stopped being surprised. The reasons people are moving to Cabo are not complicated, but they are also not all sunsets. Here is the honest list, the good and the things you should sort out first.

1. The weather is the headline

Cabo gets more than 350 days of sunshine a year. From November through April it is warm, dry and the kind of weather people move for. Summers are hot, and you will run the air conditioning. Most people who live here year round will tell you the trade is worth it, and a lot of them travel in the hottest months.

2. You can eat very well, every day

A place is livable when the Tuesday dinner is good, not just the anniversary one. That is true here.

Flora Farms

The farm-to-table restaurant at km 30 near San José del Cabo. $$$, a 4.7 rating from about 3,400 reviews. Closed Monday, Sunday brunch only. It is where you take visitors to explain why you moved.

Acre Restaurant

Also farm-to-table, also San José, $$$, with a 4.6 from over 1,600 reviews. Open from 11:30am on weekdays.

Los Tres Gallos

Downtown Cabo San Lucas, Mexican, $$, open 11am to 10pm daily. A 4.4 from around 1,530 reviews. The regular weeknight.

Salvatore G's

Italian on Vicente Guerrero, $$$, and a 4.8 from close to 2,000 reviews. Locals are loyal to it for a reason.

Baja Brewing Company

The San José brewpub, $$, open 11am to 10pm, a 4.5 from about 1,380 reviews, with live music. Every town needs a local, and this is one.

3. Three towns, three lives

Los Cabos is not one place. Cabo San Lucas has the marina, Medano Beach and the energy. San José del Cabo is quieter, with an art district and a slower evening. Todos Santos, up the Pacific coast, is smaller still and draws people who want a village. Where you live decides what your days look like, so spend time in each before you choose.

4. There is already a community

You will not be the first. Cabo has a thriving expat community, and it shows in the everyday things: English is widely spoken, services are used to newcomers, and it is easy to meet people who made the same move a few years ahead of you. They are the best source of advice you will find.

5. The lifestyle is outdoors

Life here happens outside. Mornings on the water, evenings on a terrace, weekends at the beach. Whale season runs December through April. If your idea of a good day involves the ocean, that is reason enough for many people.

The practical side

This is the part to get right before you sign anything.

• Property. Foreigners buying near the coast typically hold the property through a fideicomiso, a bank trust. It is a standard process, but use a qualified local attorney.
• Residency. There are residency requirements to understand before you stay long term. Get current advice from an immigration professional, not a forum.
• Neighborhood. Pick for daily life: how close you are to a grocery store, a hospital and the beach you will actually use.
• Traffic. It is real in peak season. Drive your likely commute at a busy hour before you commit.
• Visit in two seasons. Come once between November and April to see the area at its best, and once in summer so you know what the heat feels like.

The honest downsides

It is not cheap in the tourist zones. Summer is hot. Peak season brings crowds and traffic. Spanish is not strictly required, but life gets better and cheaper the more of it you speak. None of these stop people from moving. They just surprise the ones who only visited in February.

Our advice: rent for a month or two in the neighborhood you like before you buy anything. You can start that search on our villas in Cabo page.