Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
Learn more

Federal Way, WA Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Federal Way, WA and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $5,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
Mexico City $3,333

Federal Way, WA costs about 112% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Federal Way, WA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Federal Way, WA by 146%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$10.75 MX$199

130.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$50.3 MX$929

51.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$11.10 MX$205

13.15%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.68 MX$68.1

58.15%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.65 MX$30.42

77.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.30 MX$24.08

28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.32 MX$61.3

112.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.54 MX$102

28.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.77 MX$32.68

-38.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.05 MX$56.4

33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.01 MX$37.20

51.74%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$2.77 MX$51.1

83.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$11.91 MX$220

36.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$9.33 MX$172

12.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$15.02 MX$278

28.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.08 MX$56.8

66.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.95 MX$35.97

-18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.03 MX$37.54

112.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.21 MX$40.92

109.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.02 MX$37.41

33.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.82 MX$33.67

31.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.52 MX$28.07

46.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.28 MX$23.65

103.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$5.27 MX$97.4

148.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.12 MX$298

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.95 MX$36.05

-12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.25 MX$78.6

13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.31 MX$5.82

754.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.00 MX$36.93

31.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.53 MX$9.86

215.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$5.62 MX$104

430.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.52 MX$28.07

-13.16%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

73.13%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

2.05%

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

$157 $157

$62.5 MX$1,155

151.90%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$28.77 MX$532

167.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$34.45 MX$637

155.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$57.1 MX$1,055

-77.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$6.67 MX$123

76.76%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$431 MX$7,964

235.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

174.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$70.8 MX$1,308

-35.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$51.8 MX$958

-13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$109 MX$2,011

-22.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$112 MX$2,076

-10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$1,051 MX$19.4K

91.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$665 MX$12.3K

204.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$2,346 MX$43.3K

18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$1,227 MX$22.7K

97.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 $4,440

$975 MX$18.0K

355.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.3

-41.24%

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

Last update for Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 67.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 23.3% $98

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 45.6% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

Mexico City

$126 8% 61% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 24.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 92.8% $34

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 19.5% $4.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,017 in Federal Way, WA versus $1,051 in Mexico City. 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 356% higher in Federal Way, 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 $76.0 in Federal Way, WA versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $323 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

22:20 10:20 PM

1 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

9,209,944 Capital

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Federal Way, WA Mexico City 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, WA
Mexico City

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

Federal Way, WA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,985 per month in Federal Way, WA and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, 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 $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 112%.

Kindergarten costs $1,446 per month in Federal Way, WA and $431 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Federal Way, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.