Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,292 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
160

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,292 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Federal Way, WA $3,292

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,328 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Federal Way, WA $4,328

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,364 in Federal Way, WA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Federal Way, WA $5,364

Playa del Carmen is about 63% cheaper than Federal Way, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Federal Way, WA is 142% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$25.43 $25.43

-57.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$75.7 $75.7

-42.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$12.64 $12.64

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$5.79 $5.79

-34.20%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.96 $2.96

-56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.66 $1.66

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$7.20 $7.20

-55.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.09 $7.09

-30.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.11 $1.11

27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$4.06 $4.06

-45.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.17 $3.17

-55.21%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$5.25 $5.25

-52.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$16.13 $16.13

-54.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.70 $10.70

-28.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$19.14 $19.14

-33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$5.03 $5.03

-44.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.57 $1.57

-12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$4.15 $4.15

-38.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$4.63 $4.63

-54.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.59 $2.59

-25.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.46 $2.46

-23.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.29 $2.29

-49.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$2.50 $2.50

-52.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$12.41 $12.41

-65.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$15.26 $15.26

-34.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.78 $1.78

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$4.90 $4.90

-45.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.60 $2.60

-78.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.65 $2.65

87.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.71 $1.71

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$29.95 $29.95

-82.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.31 $1.31

9.92%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$27.7K $27.7K

-25.50%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

-13.60%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$158 $158

-46.40%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$77.5 $77.5

-69.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$87.1 $87.1

-67.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$13.02 $13.02

338.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$11.91 $11.91

-56.84%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$1,423 $1,423

-85.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-87.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$45.30 $45.30

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$44.29 $44.29

-6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$84.7 $84.7

-12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$101 $101

-11.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$2,006 $2,006

-51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,987 $1,987

-80.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,761 $2,761

-38.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$2,448 $2,448

-56.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$4,459 $4,459

-83.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.64

72.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Federal Way, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.4% 422% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Federal Way, WA

$420 12.8% 64.9% $165

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Federal Way, WA

$379 11.5% 87.5% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Federal Way, WA

$323 9.8% 136% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.8% 10.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1% 45.3% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7% 57.2% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,006 in Federal Way, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Federal Way, WA are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $76 in Federal Way, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $420 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

11:08 11:08 AM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

101,030

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
Federal Way, WA

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

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

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,938 in Federal Way, WA. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $2,006 in Federal Way, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,292 in Federal Way, WA. That’s a gap of about 173%.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,423 in Federal Way, WA. 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 Federal Way, WA at $3,292. 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.

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.