Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,253 in Yakima, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Yakima, WA
Learn more

Yakima, WA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Yakima, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Yakima, WA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Yakima, WA $2,253
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Yakima, WA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Yakima, WA $3,276
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $4,299 per month in Yakima, WA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Yakima, WA $4,299
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Yakima, WA costs about 87% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Yakima, WA sits 66% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.57 $15.57

$10.86 MX$203

43.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 $64.1

$44.21 MX$824

44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$11.76 MX$219

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$4.54 $4.54

$3.68 MX$68.6

23.37%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.34 MX$25.01

60.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.82 MX$15.38

220.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.06 MX$57.1

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.94 MX$92.1

-15.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.47 MX$27.41

-32.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.22 MX$41.32

75.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.48 MX$27.57

143.24%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$2.49 MX$46.41

29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$7.52 MX$140

55.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.96 MX$148

11.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$12.57 MX$234

17.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.78 MX$51.8

25.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.43 MX$26.61

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.62 MX$48.81

62.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.14 MX$39.85

59.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.02 MX$37.72

12.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.99 MX$37.08

8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.14 MX$21.20

79.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.20 MX$22.38

40.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.34 $12.34

$4.26 MX$79.4

189.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 $14.06

$10.02 MX$187

40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.54 MX$28.67

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.66 MX$49.62

81.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 $5.08

$0.53 MX$9.82

858.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$4.90 MX$91.4

-46.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 $0.92

$3.43 MX$64.1

-73.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$5.38 MX$100

459.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.45 MX$27.00

-12.41%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$21.2K MX$394.5K

33.57%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.0K MX$429.2K

18.21%

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

$219 $219

$85.4 MX$1,592

156.21%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$23.46 MX$438

130.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$28.43 MX$530

143.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 $51.4

$62.2 MX$1,160

-17.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$535

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 $14.10

$5.10 MX$95.2

176.47%

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

$1,720 $1,720

$201 MX$3,749

755.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,241 $7,241

$3,947 MX$73.6K

83.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$44.39 MX$828

38.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$41.35 MX$771

5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$72.7 MX$1,356

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$89.6 MX$1,671

22.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$979 MX$18.3K

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 $1,063

$373 MX$6,950

185.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,681 MX$31.3K

0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 $1,749

$1,095 MX$20.4K

59.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,662 $2,662

$3,949 MX$73.6K

-32.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,471 $2,471

$6,137 MX$114.4K

-59.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,530 $3,530

$738 MX$13.8K

378.60%

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 Yakima, WA: October 19, 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

Yakima, WA

$1.1K 47.2%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 64.9% $690

Groceries & Markets

Yakima, WA

$348 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 25.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yakima, WA

$342 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.9% $205

Eating Out

Yakima, WA

$260 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 22.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Yakima, WA

$133 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 16.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Yakima, WA

$80 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 9% $7.2

Getting Around

Yakima, WA

$28 * 1.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 87.7% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Yakima, 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 Yakima, WA are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Yakima, WA versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yakima, WA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

2 h ahead of Yakima, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

96,968

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 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yakima, WA Playa del Carmen 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Yakima, 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

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

Yes – Yakima, WA is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,379 per month in Yakima, WA and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,044 in Yakima, WA and $979 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,253 in Yakima, WA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $1,720 per month in Yakima, WA and $201 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 $1,204, than in Yakima, WA at $2,253. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yakima, 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, Yakima, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.