Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Puerto Escondido

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Escondido: $1,151 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $31,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,800
/mo nomad
Puerto Escondido
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,151
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Puerto Escondido

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,151 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $3,800
  • Puerto Escondido $1,151

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,856 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $5,702
  • Puerto Escondido $1,856

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,561 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $7,603
  • Puerto Escondido $2,561

Seattle, WA costs about 230% more than Puerto Escondido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seattle, WA sits 182% above the global median, while Puerto Escondido is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.32 $25.32
$10.52 MX$194
140.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$42.96 MX$794
136.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.85 $14.85
$8.65 MX$160
71.68%
Cappuccino
$6.59 $6.59
$3.58 MX$66.1
84.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 $3.22
$1.42 MX$26.25
126.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.05 MX$19.38
199.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.18 $8.18
$3.04 MX$56.2
169.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.03 $8.03
$4.05 MX$74.9
98.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.85 MX$34.14
-34.59%
White Bread (500g)
$5.12 $5.12
$2.84 MX$52.5
80.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.30 $6.30
$1.64 MX$30.22
284.15%
Eggs
$4.90 $4.90
$2.80 MX$51.7
75.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.10 $19.10
$8.20 MX$152
132.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.50 $18.50
$10.98 MX$203
68.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.03 $23.03
$11.54 MX$213
99.57%
Apples (1kg)
$5.81 $5.81
$2.68 MX$49.45
116.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.59 MX$29.42
22.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$1.86 MX$34.42
184.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.48 $6.48
$1.73 MX$32.01
274.57%
Potato (1kg)
$3.57 $3.57
$1.59 MX$29.46
124.53%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 $3.15
$2.02 MX$37.35
55.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.48 MX$27.28
92.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.14 MX$21.15
112.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.75 $12.75
$4.48 MX$82.7
184.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.99 $14.99
$10.36 MX$191
44.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.17 $4.17
$2.46 MX$45.43
69.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.99 $5.99
$3.09 MX$57.1
93.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 $3.04
$0.83 MX$15.35
266.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$110 $110
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.80 MX$51.7
-8.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.78 MX$32.92
-7.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.58 $29.58
$9.89 MX$183
199.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.36 MX$25.14
4.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K $35.7K
$18.7K MX$344.9K
91.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$25.2K MX$465.2K
1.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$299 $299
$64.7 MX$1,196
362.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.8 $70.8
$22.92 MX$424
208.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.3 $88.3
$36.45 MX$674
142.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.5 $79.5
$27.77 MX$513
186.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.37 $35.37
$19.89 MX$368
77.83%
Cinema Ticket
$17.12 $17.12
$4.56 MX$84.2
275.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,013 $3,013
$220 MX$4,069
1268.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.6K $31.6K
$4,364 MX$80.6K
624.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.2 $77.2
$49.88 MX$922
54.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.1 $55.1
$42.79 MX$791
28.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 $126
$91.6 MX$1,693
37.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 $163
$84.0 MX$1,553
93.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,464 $2,464
$601 MX$11.1K
310.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 $1,956
$382 MX$7,061
411.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,711 $4,711
$960 MX$17.7K
390.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,550 $3,550
$778 MX$14.4K
356.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,346 $7,346
$2,036 MX$37.6K
260.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,048 $5,048
$1,289 MX$23.8K
291.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Puerto Escondido
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,286 $6,286
$327 MX$6,035
1824.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
11.3
-39.38%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$2K
Puerto Escondido
$382 80.5% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$542
Puerto Escondido
$285 47.3% $256
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$458
Puerto Escondido
$124 72.9% $334
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$409
Puerto Escondido
$186 54.4% $222
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$189
Puerto Escondido
$121 36.2% $69
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$133
Puerto Escondido
$15 * 88.7% $118
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$114
Puerto Escondido
$37 67.6% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $601 in Puerto Escondido. 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 1825% higher in Seattle, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $43.00 in Puerto Escondido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $285 – making Puerto Escondido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇲🇽 Puerto Escondido
🕒 Local time
09:58 9:58 AM
10:58 10:58 AM
1 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
25,902
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Puerto Escondido 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Puerto Escondido

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
Seattle, WA vs Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puerto Escondido cheaper than Seattle, WA?
Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 230%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,726 in Puerto Escondido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Escondido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Seattle, WA and in Puerto Escondido?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $1,151 in Puerto Escondido. That's a gap of about 230%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $220 in Puerto Escondido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Seattle, WA or in Puerto Escondido?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Escondido, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Puerto Escondido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Seattle, WA or Puerto Escondido more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Puerto Escondido – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Seattle, WA or Puerto Escondido?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Puerto Escondido. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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