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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $784 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,259 in Bulawayo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,734 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 61% 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 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$4.39 ZWL 117

166.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$29.52 ZWL 789

41.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$5.34 ZWL 143

96.82%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.32 ZWL 62.0

54.74%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.48 ZWL 12.88

214.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.43 ZWL 11.49

113.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.80 ZWL 48.01

64.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.47 ZWL 66.0

78.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.56 ZWL 41.80

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.00 ZWL 26.81

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.78 ZWL 47.60

-12.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.75 ZWL 46.85

49.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$10.45 ZWL 279

-20.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.84 ZWL 103

117.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$4.42 ZWL 118

145.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.46 ZWL 39.11

85.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.47 ZWL 39.32

2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.23 ZWL 59.6

-16.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.12 ZWL 29.90

95.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.15 ZWL 30.70

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.36 ZWL 36.29

63.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.01 ZWL 26.93

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$1.54 ZWL 41.02

172.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$5.07 ZWL 135

105.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.53 ZWL 41.00

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.19 ZWL 58.5

19.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.51 ZWL 13.68

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$30.34 ZWL 811

-13.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$2.23 ZWL 59.5

7.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$4.96 ZWL 133

-36.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.66 ZWL 44.42

-21.08%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$72.5 ZWL 1,936

12.17%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$18.00 ZWL 481

25.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$135 ZWL 3,618

-77.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$24.96 ZWL 667

111.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$10.17 ZWL 272

-51.62%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$140 ZWL 3,734

43.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$21.40 ZWL 572

67.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$13.10 ZWL 350

206.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$69.7 ZWL 1,862

14.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$55.3 ZWL 1,478

56.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$183 ZWL 4,881

435.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$109 ZWL 2,904

332.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$473 ZWL 12.6K

248.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$420 ZWL 11.2K

186.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,089 ZWL 55.8K

89.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$2,041 ZWL 54.5K

223.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$294 ZWL 7,865

129.88%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $183 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 130% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $179 – 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 61%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,176 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $784 in Bulawayo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% 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 $784, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.