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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $990 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,688 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,385 in Harare.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Harare 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.92 ZWL 265

20.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$49.31 ZWL 1,316

-15.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.09 ZWL 189

51.62%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

18.24%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.70 ZWL 18.70

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.46 ZWL 12.36

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.53 ZWL 40.70

92.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.57 ZWL 42.01

-8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.97 ZWL 25.93

89.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.86 ZWL 49.50

-15.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.10 ZWL 55.9

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.83 ZWL 289

-23.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.23 ZWL 166

35.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.21 ZWL 166

71.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

-9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.69 ZWL 45.01

-14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.17 ZWL 57.9

-9.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.70 ZWL 45.39

22.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.55 ZWL 41.36

19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.00 ZWL 53.3

8.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.03 ZWL 27.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.95 ZWL 25.31

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.08 ZWL 28.83

279.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.32 ZWL 249

9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.71 ZWL 45.70

47.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.98 ZWL 26.27

-47.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$41.84 ZWL 1,116

-37.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.98 ZWL 133

-35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.98 ZWL 52.9

21.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.03 ZWL 134

-35.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.55 ZWL 41.37

-14.84%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.9K ZWL 531.5K

49.07%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$23.0K ZWL 613.8K

2.85%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$58.0 ZWL 1,547

41.45%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$17.53 ZWL 468

30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$92.1 ZWL 2,456

-67.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$54.1 ZWL 1,442

-3.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.23 ZWL 380

30.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$10.11 ZWL 270

-50.74%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$277 ZWL 7,384

-28.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,215 ZWL 192.5K

-26.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$19.55 ZWL 522

82.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$21.55 ZWL 575

87.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$35.11 ZWL 937

124.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$40.98 ZWL 1,093

117.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$398 ZWL 10.6K

138.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$279 ZWL 7,436

70.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$954 ZWL 25.5K

72.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$695 ZWL 18.5K

74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$934 ZWL 24.9K

334.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$390 ZWL 10.4K

1559.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$400 ZWL 10.7K

63.51%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Harare: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $398 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 64% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $49.00 in Harare. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $217, with Harare 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 Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $398 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $277 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $990 in Harare versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.