Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index
59

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

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Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $5,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Federal Way, WA costs about 175% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Federal Way, WA sits 146% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$10.76 MX$199

129.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$43.03 MX$795

76.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$11.79 MX$218

6.53%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.87 MX$71.4

50.39%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.37 MX$25.29

113.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.84 MX$15.44

98.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.10 MX$57.3

127.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.07 MX$93.6

40.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.44 MX$26.55

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.23 MX$41.23

82.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.47 MX$27.17

107.48%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$2.53 MX$46.71

101.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$7.30 MX$135

122.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$7.86 MX$145

33.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$12.79 MX$236

51.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.90 MX$53.6

76.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.44 MX$26.53

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.55 MX$47.07

69.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.06 MX$38.03

125.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.00 MX$36.97

34.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.01 MX$37.07

18.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.19 MX$22.02

87.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.26 MX$23.23

107.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$4.40 MX$81.4

197.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.59 MX$177

58.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.59 MX$29.41

7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.81 MX$51.9

72.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.57 MX$10.47

364.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$4.98 MX$92.1

-47.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.50 MX$64.6

-52.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$5.40 MX$99.8

452.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.47 MX$27.08

-10.20%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

73.51%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

7.48%

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

$157 $157

$84.2 MX$1,556

86.93%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$23.99 MX$443

220.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$29.02 MX$536

203.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$63.0 MX$1,164

-79.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$4.94 MX$91.3

138.66%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$204 MX$3,763

610.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

718.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$43.60 MX$806

5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$43.12 MX$797

3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$75.8 MX$1,400

11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$88.6 MX$1,637

13.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$1,008 MX$18.6K

100.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$374 MX$6,911

441.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$1,708 MX$31.6K

62.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$1,106 MX$20.4K

118.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 $4,440

$754 MX$13.9K

488.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.45

-42.01%

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 Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 81.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 38.6% $162

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 45.8% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 57.4% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 99.5% $36

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 144% $31

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 $1,008 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 489% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

2 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

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 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

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Between locations

Federal Way, WA Playa del Carmen 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, 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

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

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 175%, 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 $1,816 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 $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 175%.

Kindergarten costs $1,446 per month in Federal Way, WA and $204 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 $1,210, than in Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. 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.