Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anacortes, WA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,527 in Anacortes, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Anacortes, WA
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Anacortes, WA Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Anacortes, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,527

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Anacortes, WA and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Anacortes, WA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,527 in Anacortes, WA versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Anacortes, WA $2,527
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,761 in Anacortes, WA versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Anacortes, WA $3,761
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,995 in Anacortes, WA versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Anacortes, WA $4,995
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Anacortes, WA is roughly 110% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Anacortes, WA is 86% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 $17.81

$10.92 MX$204

63.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.37 MX$808

94.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 $13.55

$11.78 MX$220

15.03%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.81 MX$71.0

32.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.28 MX$23.90

78.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.78 MX$14.59

160.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.17 MX$59.0

72.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.93 MX$92.0

24.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.41 MX$26.22

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.22 MX$41.33

122.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.42 MX$26.42

23.24%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.52 MX$47.03

62.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$7.26 MX$135

54.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$7.70 MX$143

88.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$12.69 MX$237

81.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.78 MX$51.9

117.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.37 MX$25.50

35.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.55 MX$47.55

25.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.12 MX$39.58

161.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.94 MX$36.13

-28.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.89 MX$35.16

67.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.15 MX$21.37

33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.18 MX$21.98

97.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.51 $12.51

$4.30 MX$80.1

190.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 $14.24

$9.95 MX$185

43.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.58 MX$29.52

82.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.67 MX$49.79

58.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.19 $5.19

$0.55 MX$10.31

843.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 $21.95

$26.62 MX$496

-17.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.97 MX$92.6

-47.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.33 MX$62.1

-49.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.26 $30.26

$5.36 MX$99.8

464.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.44 MX$26.92

-9.72%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.6K $36.6K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

77.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

11.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 $167

$84.8 MX$1,581

97.39%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$52.0 $52.0

$23.41 MX$436

122.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$28.66 MX$534

164.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 $50.2

$57.1 MX$1,063

-11.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$16.98 $16.98

$5.14 MX$95.8

230.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,161 $2,161

$207 MX$3,851

946.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

686.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.35 MX$808

27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.96 $26.96

$41.44 MX$772

-34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$74.2 MX$1,383

28.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$89.3 MX$1,664

85.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 $1,760

$980 MX$18.3K

79.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 $1,203

$381 MX$7,099

215.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,958 $2,958

$1,708 MX$31.8K

73.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 $1,982

$1,075 MX$20.0K

84.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,625 $2,625

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-33.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,417 $2,417

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-60.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,130 $7,130

$735 MX$13.7K

870.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

11.45

-50.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Anacortes, WA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Anacortes, WA

$1.2K 47.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 68.3% $822

Groceries & Markets

Anacortes, WA

$437 17.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 41.7% $182

Eating Out

Anacortes, WA

$301 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.7% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anacortes, WA

$295 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 53.6% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Anacortes, WA

$154 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 27.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Anacortes, WA

$84 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 20% $17

Getting Around

Anacortes, WA

$54 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 5.9% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,760 in Anacortes, WA and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anacortes, WA pays about 9.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Anacortes, WA vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $437 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Anacortes, WA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

11:08 11:08 AM

2 h ahead of Anacortes, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,637

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Anacortes, WA Playa del Carmen 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Anacortes, WA
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Anacortes, WA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Anacortes, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Anacortes, WA is about 9.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,760 in Anacortes, WA versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $85 in Anacortes, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,527 per month in Anacortes, WA versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,527 in Anacortes, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Anacortes, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Anacortes, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.