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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $768 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,261 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,753 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than Bulawayo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bulawayo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bulawayo 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.55 ZWL 122

160.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.96 ZWL 802

43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.59 ZWL 150

90.52%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.33 ZWL 62.3

48.07%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.52 ZWL 13.86

188.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.40 ZWL 10.74

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.70 ZWL 45.48

78.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.45 ZWL 65.6

88.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.55 ZWL 41.54

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.00 ZWL 26.83

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.80 ZWL 48.08

-10.56%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.73 ZWL 46.23

49.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.40 ZWL 278

-20.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.97 ZWL 106

110.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.44 ZWL 119

140.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.51 ZWL 40.54

74.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.52 ZWL 40.72

-1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.32 ZWL 62.2

-17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.09 ZWL 29.14

91.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.20 ZWL 32.15

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.40 ZWL 37.58

61.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.01 ZWL 27.08

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.01 ZWL 26.94

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.52 ZWL 40.62

173.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.11 ZWL 137

103.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.54 ZWL 41.35

11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.12 ZWL 56.7

23.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 ZWL 13.08

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$29.43 ZWL 788

-8.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.97 ZWL 79.4

5.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.28 ZWL 60.9

10.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.04 ZWL 135

-37.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.69 ZWL 45.24

-24.85%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$70.3 ZWL 1,880

18.15%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.25 ZWL 488

24.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$134 ZWL 3,579

-77.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.90 ZWL 667

104.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.93 ZWL 266

-50.35%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$139 ZWL 3,728

41.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$21.94 ZWL 587

68.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$13.26 ZWL 355

200.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$69.2 ZWL 1,853

15.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$55.6 ZWL 1,488

60.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$186 ZWL 4,981

413.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$112 ZWL 3,000

325.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$473 ZWL 12.7K

248.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$411 ZWL 11.0K

197.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,131 ZWL 57.0K

83.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,044 ZWL 54.7K

216.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$296 ZWL 7,914

125.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $186 in Bulawayo. 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 126% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $180 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 65%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,152 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $768 in Bulawayo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Bulawayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bulawayo, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Bulawayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulawayo – 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 Bulawayo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.