Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Walton Beach, FL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index
59

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

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Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,162

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Walton Beach, FL 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 Fort Walton Beach, FL and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,162 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,162
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,344 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,344
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,526
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Fort Walton Beach, FL costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fort Walton Beach, FL sits 60% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 $14.82

$10.76 MX$199

37.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$43.03 MX$795

85.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 $10.38

$11.79 MX$218

-11.96%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$3.87 MX$71.4

27.13%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.37 MX$25.29

91.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.84 MX$15.44

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.10 MX$57.3

57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$5.07 MX$93.6

39.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.44 MX$26.55

-28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.23 MX$41.23

28.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.47 MX$27.17

37.41%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$2.53 MX$46.71

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 $11.40

$7.30 MX$135

56.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.86 MX$145

25.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$12.79 MX$236

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.90 MX$53.6

22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.44 MX$26.53

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.55 MX$47.07

27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.06 MX$38.03

39.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.00 MX$36.97

-28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.01 MX$37.07

1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.19 MX$22.02

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.26 MX$23.23

19.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.20 $9.20

$4.40 MX$81.4

109.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$9.59 MX$177

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.59 MX$29.41

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.81 MX$51.9

-27.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.57 MX$10.47

256.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.66 $49.66

$27.82 MX$514

78.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.98 MX$92.1

23.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.50 MX$64.6

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.52 $45.52

$5.40 MX$99.8

742.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.47 MX$27.08

-35.37%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

26.76%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

5.53%

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

$171 $171

$84.2 MX$1,556

103.29%

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

$49.37 $49.37

$23.99 MX$443

105.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$29.02 MX$536

122.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 $46.91

$63.0 MX$1,164

-25.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 $13.39

$4.94 MX$91.3

171.05%

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

$826 $826

$204 MX$3,763

305.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K $13.5K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

243.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.36 $30.36

$43.60 MX$806

-30.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.91 $19.91

$43.12 MX$797

-53.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$75.8 MX$1,400

26.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$88.6 MX$1,637

18.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$1,008 MX$18.6K

62.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 $1,048

$374 MX$6,911

180.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,842 $2,842

$1,708 MX$31.6K

66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 $2,008

$1,106 MX$20.4K

81.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 $4,773

$3,944 MX$72.9K

21.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,105 $5,105

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-17.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,269 $3,269

$754 MX$13.9K

333.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

11.45

-43.93%

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

Last update for Fort Walton Beach, FL: October 13, 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

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$1K 48.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 64.3% $674

Groceries & Markets

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$304 14%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 14.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 51.9% $148

Eating Out

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$266 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 23.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$113 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$74 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 1.1% $0.8

Getting Around

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$73 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 28% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,643 in Fort Walton Beach, FL 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 333% higher in Fort Walton Beach, FL, 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 $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Fort Walton Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,507

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Fort Walton Beach, FL Playa del Carmen 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Walton Beach, FL
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

Fort Walton Beach, FL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,244 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL 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.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Fort Walton Beach, FL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap 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 Fort Walton Beach, FL at $2,162. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Walton Beach, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,210 in Playa del Carmen to $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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