Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gweru

For one person, living is cheaper in Gweru: $602 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Gweru
Learn more

Gweru Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Gweru

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Gweru

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Gweru actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $602 in Gweru, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Gweru $602

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,080 in Gweru, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Gweru $1,080

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,557 in Gweru, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Gweru $1,557

Playa del Carmen costs about 100% more than Gweru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gweru are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Gweru 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$3.79 ZWL 101

181.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$45.06 ZWL 1,197

-2.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$5.66 ZWL 150

108.30%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$2.97 ZWL 79.0

27.61%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$0.48 ZWL 12.86

170.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.41 ZWL 11.00

102.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$1.28 ZWL 34.07

146.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$1.67 ZWL 44.46

195.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$1.53 ZWL 40.60

-7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$1.01 ZWL 26.83

117.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$1.61 ZWL 42.79

-8.70%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$1.93 ZWL 51.2

29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$11.52 ZWL 306

-36.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$3.90 ZWL 104

103.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$5.34 ZWL 142

140.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$1.98 ZWL 52.5

46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.62 ZWL 43.07

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$2.02 ZWL 53.7

23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$0.99 ZWL 26.22

105.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$1.75 ZWL 46.35

15.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$1.01 ZWL 26.84

88.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$1.32 ZWL 35.08

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$0.92 ZWL 24.53

34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$1.74 ZWL 46.16

145.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$8.16 ZWL 217

20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$1.41 ZWL 37.57

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$1.78 ZWL 47.24

54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$0.48 ZWL 12.62

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$3.93 ZWL 104

21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$0.87 ZWL 23.07

273.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$5.12 ZWL 136

5.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.59 ZWL 42.31

-3.77%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$21.9K ZWL 581.5K

-3.10%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$27.9K ZWL 740.2K

-16.53%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$29.63 ZWL 787

181.78%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$17.19 ZWL 457

34.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$72.8 ZWL 1,933

-62.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$39.66 ZWL 1,053

42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$1.99 ZWL 52.8

1316.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$10.10 ZWL 268

-50.50%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$247 ZWL 6,571

-16.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$5,713 ZWL 151.7K

-8.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$21.74 ZWL 577

99.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$20.03 ZWL 532

112.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$36.69 ZWL 975

98.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$40.87 ZWL 1,085

116.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$148 ZWL 3,926

573.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$69.5 ZWL 1,846

450.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$557 ZWL 14.8K

200.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$305 ZWL 8,098

254.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$246 ZWL 6,532

238.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

63.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gweru: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Gweru

$70 11.5% 81.8% $313

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Gweru

$193 32% 25.1% $65

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Gweru

$96 16% 51.9% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Gweru

$120 19.9% 10.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Gweru

$54 8.9% 51.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Gweru

$60 9.9% 9.9% $6.6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Gweru

$10 * 1.7% 79.8% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $148 in Gweru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in Gweru. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $193 in Gweru – so Gweru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇼 Gweru

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

141,260

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 26.56 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.77 USD). 1 EUR = 29.78 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.36 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Gweru 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Gweru

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, $602 in Gweru – Gweru comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $903 in Gweru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gweru, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $148 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $247 in Gweru. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $602 in Gweru. That makes Gweru about 50% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Gweru, where all-in costs run around $602, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Gweru 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 $602 in Gweru to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Gweru. 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.