Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Walla Walla, WA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,431 in Walla Walla, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Walla Walla, WA
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Walla Walla, 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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Walla Walla, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,431 per month in Walla Walla, WA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Walla Walla, WA $2,431
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,609 per month in Walla Walla, WA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Walla Walla, WA $3,609
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $4,787 per month in Walla Walla, WA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Walla Walla, WA $4,787
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Walla Walla, WA costs about 102% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Walla Walla, WA sits 79% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$10.86 MX$203

82.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 $69.2

$44.21 MX$824

56.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$11.76 MX$219

-5.10%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$3.68 MX$68.6

37.23%

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

$2.32 $2.32

$1.34 MX$25.01

73.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.82 MX$15.38

137.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.06 MX$57.1

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.94 MX$92.1

22.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.47 MX$27.41

-36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.22 MX$41.32

55.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.48 MX$27.57

108.11%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$2.49 MX$46.41

60.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$7.52 MX$140

113.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.51 $13.51

$7.96 MX$148

69.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$12.57 MX$234

33.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.78 MX$51.8

54.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.43 MX$26.61

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.62 MX$48.81

-18.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.14 MX$39.85

60.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.02 MX$37.72

3.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.99 MX$37.08

9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.14 MX$21.20

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.20 MX$22.38

56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.46 $8.46

$4.26 MX$79.4

98.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 $12.08

$10.02 MX$187

20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.54 MX$28.67

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.66 MX$49.62

76.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.53 MX$9.82

-3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 $9.97

$27.51 MX$513

-63.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$4.90 MX$91.4

-59.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$3.43 MX$64.1

-64.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.83 $39.83

$5.38 MX$100

640.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.45 MX$27.00

-17.24%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$21.2K MX$394.5K

34.07%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$23.0K MX$429.2K

17.05%

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

$226 $226

$85.4 MX$1,592

164.60%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$23.46 MX$438

222.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$28.43 MX$530

138.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.56 $42.56

$62.2 MX$1,160

-31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$535

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 $10.81

$5.10 MX$95.2

111.96%

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

$1,388 $1,388

$201 MX$3,749

590.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K $21.2K

$3,947 MX$73.6K

436.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.35 $39.35

$44.39 MX$828

-11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 $34.63

$41.35 MX$771

-16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$72.7 MX$1,356

16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 $84.0

$89.6 MX$1,671

-6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$979 MX$18.3K

40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$373 MX$6,950

219.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,314 $2,314

$1,681 MX$31.3K

37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$1,095 MX$20.4K

91.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,704 $2,704

$3,949 MX$73.6K

-31.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$6,137 MX$114.4K

-54.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,193 $5,193

$738 MX$13.8K

604.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.45

-43.76%

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

Last update for Walla Walla, WA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Walla Walla, WA

$1.2K 48.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 68.7% $817

Groceries & Markets

Walla Walla, WA

$378 15.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 31.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walla Walla, WA

$369 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 62.8% $232

Eating Out

Walla Walla, WA

$301 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 33.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Walla Walla, WA

$109 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.2% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Walla Walla, WA

$64 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 12.8% $8.2

Getting Around

Walla Walla, WA

$20 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 157% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Walla Walla, WA versus $979 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 in Walla Walla, WA are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Walla Walla, WA versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walla Walla, WA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

2 h ahead of Walla Walla, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,060

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.89 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Walla Walla, WA Playa del Carmen 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Walla Walla, 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

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

Yes – Walla Walla, WA is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,647 per month in Walla Walla, WA and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $979 there versus $1,378 in Walla Walla, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,431 in Walla Walla, WA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 102%.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Walla Walla, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Walla Walla, WA at $2,431. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Walla Walla, 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, Walla Walla, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.