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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $747 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,184 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,620 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 75% 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 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.42 ZWL 118

170.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$29.78 ZWL 794

59.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.89 ZWL 130

140.29%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.15 ZWL 57.4

91.63%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.48 ZWL 12.66

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.40 ZWL 10.59

127.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.48 ZWL 39.48

116.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.03 ZWL 54.1

248.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.59 ZWL 42.42

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.02 ZWL 27.05

110.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.53 ZWL 40.76

15.69%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

49.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.46 ZWL 252

-2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.99 ZWL 106

131.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$4.46 ZWL 119

183.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.85 ZWL 49.31

59.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.60 ZWL 42.76

-1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.48 ZWL 66.2

-10.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.00 ZWL 26.70

136.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.21 ZWL 32.36

64.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.44 ZWL 38.33

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.10 ZWL 29.32

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.79 ZWL 21.13

53.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.46 ZWL 38.85

215.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.14 ZWL 137

104.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.40 ZWL 37.30

20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.92 ZWL 51.1

44.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.73 ZWL 19.49

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$29.64 ZWL 790

0.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.04 ZWL 81.1

72.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.02 ZWL 54.0

80.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$4.89 ZWL 130

18.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.63 ZWL 43.34

-5.52%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$25.0K ZWL 667.5K

-8.96%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$24.5K ZWL 653.1K

5.33%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$96.4 ZWL 2,569

-5.95%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$17.81 ZWL 475

41.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$110 ZWL 2,922

-71.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$30.91 ZWL 824

122.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$19.91 ZWL 531

47.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$9.92 ZWL 264

-51.01%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$231 ZWL 6,168

-2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$3,519 ZWL 93.8K

19.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$21.48 ZWL 572

120.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$11.53 ZWL 307

276.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$45.41 ZWL 1,210

76.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$58.1 ZWL 1,549

57.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$174 ZWL 4,646

522.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$109 ZWL 2,915

273.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$404 ZWL 10.8K

387.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$319 ZWL 8,514

301.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,069 ZWL 55.1K

95.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$2,009 ZWL 53.5K

233.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$302 ZWL 8,045

156.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-23.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $174 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 156% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $177 – 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 75%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,121 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $747 in Bulawayo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 0% 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 $747, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.