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: $990 in Harare versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,688 in Harare versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Harare versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harare costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Harare 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ZWL 265

$11.99 MX$210

-17.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

$41.78 MX$733

18.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 ZWL 189

$10.75 MX$189

-34.05%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

$3.50 MX$61.3

-15.43%

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

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

$1.45 MX$25.41

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

$0.88 MX$15.52

-47.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

$2.95 MX$51.7

-48.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$4.51 MX$79.1

-54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

$1.43 MX$25.12

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

$1.84 MX$32.23

-47.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

$1.57 MX$27.51

18.47%

Eggs

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

$2.51 MX$44.06

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ZWL 289

$8.28 MX$145

30.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ZWL 166

$8.43 MX$148

-26.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 ZWL 166

$10.68 MX$187

-41.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

$2.61 MX$45.76

9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

$1.44 MX$25.22

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

$1.96 MX$34.41

10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

$2.09 MX$36.74

-18.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

$1.85 MX$32.47

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

$2.17 MX$38.02

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

$1.03 MX$18.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

$1.07 MX$18.84

-11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

$4.10 MX$72.0

-73.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 ZWL 249

$10.17 MX$178

-8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

$1.68 MX$29.38

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

$2.53 MX$44.31

-32.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

$0.51 MX$8.93

92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

$26.04 MX$457

60.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$3.23 MX$56.7

54.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

$2.41 MX$42.19

-17.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 ZWL 134

$3.23 MX$56.6

55.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

$1.32 MX$23.17

17.42%

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

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-32.92%

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

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-2.77%

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

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

$82.0 MX$1,439

-29.30%

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

$17.53 ZWL 468

$22.95 MX$403

-23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

$30.11 MX$528

205.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

$52.0 MX$912

4.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 ZWL 380

$18.53 MX$325

-23.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 ZWL 270

$4.98 MX$87.3

103.01%

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

$277 ZWL 7,384

$197 MX$3,463

40.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

35.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.55 ZWL 522

$35.60 MX$624

-45.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.55 ZWL 575

$40.33 MX$707

-46.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.11 ZWL 937

$78.8 MX$1,381

-55.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

$88.9 MX$1,560

-53.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ZWL 10.6K

$947 MX$16.6K

-58.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ZWL 7,436

$474 MX$8,314

-41.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 ZWL 25.5K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 ZWL 18.5K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-42.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 ZWL 24.9K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-76.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.4K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-93.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 ZWL 10.7K

$654 MX$11.5K

-38.84%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Harare and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 64% 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: $49.00 in Harare vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% 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: $398 in Harare versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $277 in Harare versus $197 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 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $990 in Harare versus $1,256 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 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.