Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,589 in Auburn, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, WA
Learn more

Auburn, WA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Auburn, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auburn, 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 Auburn, WA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Auburn, WA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Auburn, WA $2,589
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,092 per month in Auburn, WA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Auburn, WA $4,092
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $5,595 per month in Auburn, WA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Auburn, WA $5,595
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Auburn, WA costs about 115% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Auburn, WA sits 91% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$10.86 MX$201

81.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 $96.2

$44.21 MX$817

117.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$11.76 MX$217

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$4.46 $4.46

$3.68 MX$68.0

21.20%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$1.34 MX$24.79

52.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.82 MX$15.24

145.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.06 MX$56.6

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.94 MX$91.2

45.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.47 MX$27.17

-39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.22 MX$40.95

15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.48 MX$27.32

153.38%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$2.49 MX$45.99

22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$7.52 MX$139

14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$7.96 MX$147

72.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.56 $18.56

$12.57 MX$232

47.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.78 MX$51.3

70.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.43 MX$26.37

25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.62 MX$48.37

45.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.14 MX$39.49

93.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.02 MX$37.38

53.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.99 MX$36.74

63.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.14 MX$21.01

60.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.20 MX$22.18

75.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$4.26 MX$78.7

153.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$10.02 MX$185

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.54 MX$28.41

10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.66 MX$49.17

9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.90 MX$90.6

-27.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.43 MX$63.5

-46.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$5.38 MX$99.4

833.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.45 MX$26.76

-10.34%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

21.02%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

6.52%

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

$216 $216

$85.4 MX$1,577

153.61%

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

$40.51 $40.51

$23.46 MX$434

72.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 $79.5

$28.43 MX$525

179.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.39 $34.39

$62.2 MX$1,149

-44.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$5.10 MX$94.3

189.61%

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

$1,077 $1,077

$201 MX$3,715

435.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

324.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$44.39 MX$820

25.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 $46.82

$41.35 MX$764

13.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$72.7 MX$1,344

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 $81.3

$89.6 MX$1,656

-9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$979 MX$18.1K

50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$373 MX$6,887

270.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$1,681 MX$31.1K

36.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,844 $2,844

$1,095 MX$20.2K

159.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,864 $6,864

$738 MX$13.6K

830.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.45

-42.45%

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

Last update for Auburn, WA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, WA

$1.4K 53.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 73% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, WA

$375 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 31.1% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, WA

$336 13%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.2% $199

Eating Out

Auburn, WA

$301 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 33.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, WA

$118 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 5.5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, WA

$64 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 13.3% $8.5

Getting Around

Auburn, WA

$13 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 305% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,470 in Auburn, WA versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 831% higher in Auburn, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Auburn, WA versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, WA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

2 h ahead of Auburn, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Auburn, WA Playa del Carmen 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, 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

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

Auburn, WA costs about 115% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,884 per month in Auburn, WA and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,589 in Auburn, WA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 115%.

Kindergarten costs $1,077 per month in Auburn, WA and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Auburn, WA at $2,589. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Auburn, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $2,589 in Auburn, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Auburn, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.