Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $359 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$359

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $359 per month in Manzini vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Manzini $359
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $383 per month in Manzini vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Manzini $383
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $406 per month in Manzini vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Manzini $406
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Manzini is about 70% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manzini and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Manzini 73% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SZL 21.08

$1.41 MX$26.22

-9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 SZL 14.81

$2.20 MX$40.86

-59.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 SZL 29.15

$1.47 MX$27.40

19.05%

Eggs

$1.17 SZL 19.45

$2.50 MX$46.46

-53.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 SZL 119

$7.29 MX$136

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 49.35

$7.95 MX$148

-62.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.77 SZL 29.41

$12.86 MX$239

-86.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 SZL 22.84

$2.90 MX$53.9

-52.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 SZL 10.46

$1.38 MX$25.74

-54.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 SZL 12.67

$2.49 MX$46.35

-69.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 SZL 8.18

$2.03 MX$37.77

-75.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 SZL 10.19

$2.02 MX$37.68

-69.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 SZL 7.71

$1.90 MX$35.42

-75.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 SZL 6.69

$1.14 MX$21.30

-64.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.48

$1.24 MX$23.05

-49.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 SZL 49.31

$4.27 MX$79.5

-30.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.32 SZL 55.3

$9.81 MX$183

-66.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SZL 9.65

$1.59 MX$29.51

-63.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 SZL 13.16

$2.75 MX$51.1

-71.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 SZL 10.29

$0.51 MX$9.58

21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 SZL 22.20

$1.53 MX$28.44

-13.07%

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

$16.7K SZL 277.5K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-21.42%

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

$15.6K SZL 259.3K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-33.07%

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

$72.2 SZL 1,202

$83.5 MX$1,554

-13.53%

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

$12.21 SZL 203

$23.19 MX$431

-47.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.64 SZL 494

$27.61 MX$514

7.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$3.65 SZL 60.8

$5.00 MX$93.1

-27.00%

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 SZL 2,949

$995 MX$18.5K

-82.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$121 SZL 2,020

$382 MX$7,116

-68.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 SZL 8,018

$832 MX$15.5K

-42.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Manzini: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $177 in Manzini versus $995 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 run about 73% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

09:08 9:08 AM

7 h behind Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

149,923

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.01 USD

100 SZL = 5.36 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.65 SZL (100 SZL = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.64 SZL (100 SZL = 5.36 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manzini Playa del Carmen 13,770 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 235% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $539 per month in Manzini and $1,804 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 Manzini, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $359 in Manzini and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Manzini about 70% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 126% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $359 in Manzini to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Manzini. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.