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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $644 in Chinhoyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,031 in Chinhoyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,418 in Chinhoyi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 97% more expensive than Chinhoyi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chinhoyi 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.05 ZWL 54.8

479.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$49.87 ZWL 1,335

-13.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.55 ZWL 122

134.07%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.99 ZWL 26.37

248.48%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.32 ZWL 8.46

368.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.24 ZWL 6.40

295.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.98 ZWL 26.31

209.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.03 ZWL 54.5

127.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.54 ZWL 41.34

-10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.87 ZWL 23.39

112.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.61 ZWL 43.11

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.09 ZWL 55.9

23.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.80 ZWL 289

-23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.94 ZWL 78.7

184.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$3.97 ZWL 106

168.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.97 ZWL 26.06

171.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.03 ZWL 27.57

44.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.98 ZWL 26.21

95.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.02 ZWL 27.26

104.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.97 ZWL 26.09

91.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.03 ZWL 27.53

119.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.51 ZWL 13.75

107.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.77 ZWL 20.64

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.11 ZWL 29.79

273.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.12 ZWL 191

45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.51 ZWL 13.73

237.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$0.97 ZWL 26.09

169.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.02 ZWL 27.23

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$29.68 ZWL 794

-9.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.07 ZWL 109

-23.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.06 ZWL 55.1

21.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.04 ZWL 135

-37.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.46 ZWL 39.01

-13.01%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.6K ZWL 525.9K

54.61%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$23.0K ZWL 615.3K

2.53%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$40.29 ZWL 1,079

106.01%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.46 ZWL 468

30.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$88.4 ZWL 2,367

-66.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.97 ZWL 267

-50.55%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$282 ZWL 7,562

-30.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,193 ZWL 192.6K

-26.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$19.08 ZWL 511

93.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$20.93 ZWL 560

90.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$35.09 ZWL 939

128.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$40.32 ZWL 1,079

121.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$180 ZWL 4,809

165.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$296 ZWL 7,935

313.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$199 ZWL 5,339

234.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.31

-14.20%

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 Chinhoyi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 234% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Chinhoyi. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $153, with Chinhoyi 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Chinhoyi differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $644 including rent). Chinhoyi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 234% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Chinhoyi – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $644 in Chinhoyi – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $644 in Chinhoyi versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chinhoyi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chinhoyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chinhoyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.