Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Harare and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Harare versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Harare versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Harare versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harare costs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 ZWL 273

$11.73 MX$203

-13.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 ZWL 1,349

$41.62 MX$721

20.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 ZWL 189

$10.64 MX$184

-33.93%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ZWL 77.8

$3.52 MX$61.0

-17.90%

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

$0.67 ZWL 17.98

$1.51 MX$26.17

-55.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 12.69

$0.97 MX$16.87

-51.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.59

$2.95 MX$51.1

-50.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ZWL 55.3

$4.45 MX$77.2

-53.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ZWL 43.74

$1.38 MX$23.97

18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.58

$1.89 MX$32.78

-45.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ZWL 50.8

$1.64 MX$28.37

15.24%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.1

$2.51 MX$43.42

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ZWL 290

$8.34 MX$145

29.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$8.34 MX$145

-25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$10.73 MX$186

-41.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 80.0

$2.60 MX$45.12

14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 44.22

$1.46 MX$25.25

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ZWL 61.4

$1.90 MX$32.94

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 44.62

$2.08 MX$35.98

-20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ZWL 40.73

$1.78 MX$30.77

-15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ZWL 53.4

$2.19 MX$37.87

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ZWL 26.26

$1.04 MX$18.02

-5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ZWL 26.05

$1.08 MX$18.66

-10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.12 ZWL 30.03

$4.08 MX$70.7

-72.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 ZWL 247

$10.32 MX$179

-11.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.84

$1.71 MX$29.67

-30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.91

$2.58 MX$44.63

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZWL 26.19

$0.51 MX$8.83

90.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 ZWL 1,160

$26.46 MX$459

63.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$3.26 MX$56.5

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 55.2

$2.49 MX$43.17

-17.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ZWL 133

$3.25 MX$56.3

52.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.20

$1.31 MX$22.65

19.85%

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

$19.8K ZWL 531.3K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-34.74%

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

$23.9K ZWL 641.7K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

1.85%

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

$58.6 ZWL 1,575

$82.9 MX$1,436

-29.31%

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

$17.79 ZWL 478

$22.22 MX$385

-19.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.2 ZWL 2,505

$29.34 MX$508

217.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ZWL 1,439

$51.6 MX$895

3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 ZWL 382

$18.32 MX$317

-22.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 ZWL 267

$5.07 MX$87.8

95.86%

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

$283 ZWL 7,611

$201 MX$3,480

40.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,356 ZWL 197.8K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

41.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.00 ZWL 511

$36.92 MX$640

-48.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.04 ZWL 566

$39.79 MX$689

-47.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.77 ZWL 935

$78.5 MX$1,360

-55.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.05 ZWL 1,077

$87.1 MX$1,509

-54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$973 MX$16.9K

-58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ZWL 7,538

$468 MX$8,105

-40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ZWL 25.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-42.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 ZWL 18.5K

$1,221 MX$21.2K

-43.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 ZWL 24.2K

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-77.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.5K

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-94.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 ZWL 10.6K

$664 MX$11.5K

-40.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

11.42

16.55%

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

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Harare and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Harare vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $249, with Harare cheaper for home cooking.

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

Harare vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 69% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Harare versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Harare versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.