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: $1,028 in Harare versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,706 in Harare versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Harare versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harare costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ZWL 266

$11.71 MX$198

-15.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

$46.59 MX$788

-13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 ZWL 158

$11.65 MX$197

-49.18%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

$4.09 MX$69.2

-24.69%

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

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

$1.37 MX$23.23

-32.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

$0.83 MX$14.09

-40.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

$3.35 MX$56.7

-55.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$6.91 MX$117

-70.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

$1.73 MX$29.20

-7.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

$2.26 MX$38.21

-54.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

$1.77 MX$29.91

-7.34%

Eggs

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

$2.73 MX$46.19

-31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 ZWL 320

$9.18 MX$155

30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 ZWL 148

$8.92 MX$151

-38.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.50 ZWL 174

$12.60 MX$213

-48.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

$3.02 MX$51.1

4.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

$1.57 MX$26.55

1.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

$2.13 MX$35.93

-5.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

$2.26 MX$38.28

-35.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

$2.00 MX$33.88

-13.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

$2.06 MX$34.90

-9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

$1.18 MX$19.94

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

$1.20 MX$20.35

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

$4.63 MX$78.4

-57.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 ZWL 237

$10.69 MX$181

-16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

$1.62 MX$27.38

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

$2.88 MX$48.70

-32.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

$0.57 MX$9.69

80.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

$29.83 MX$504

102.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ZWL 109

$5.45 MX$92.1

-25.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

$3.70 MX$62.6

-44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$5.98 MX$101

-18.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

$1.55 MX$26.26

15.48%

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

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

0.43%

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

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

5.59%

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

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

$89.1 MX$1,507

-38.88%

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

$21.79 ZWL 582

$25.04 MX$423

-12.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

$31.50 MX$532

114.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

$67.8 MX$1,146

-28.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 ZWL 612

$28.92 MX$489

-20.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 ZWL 270

$5.05 MX$85.4

100.00%

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

$471 ZWL 12.6K

$225 MX$3,803

109.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

113.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.01 ZWL 642

$47.44 MX$802

-49.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.84 ZWL 557

$44.98 MX$760

-53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

$82.0 MX$1,386

-52.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

$92.1 MX$1,557

-54.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 ZWL 10.9K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ZWL 8,559

$405 MX$6,852

-20.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 ZWL 22.0K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-57.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ZWL 19.9K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-42.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 ZWL 24.9K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-76.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$385 ZWL 10.3K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-94.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 ZWL 11.5K

$749 MX$12.7K

-42.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

11.45

19.56%

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

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Harare and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 74% 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: $40.00 in Harare vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $277 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

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, Sport & Entertainment, Clothing & Footwear. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $410 in Harare versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $471 in Harare versus $225 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 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Harare versus $1,293 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 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.