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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $991 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,659 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,327 in Harare.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than Harare, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Harare 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.14 ZWL 273

15.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$50.2 ZWL 1,349

-17.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.03 ZWL 189

51.35%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.89 ZWL 77.8

21.80%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.67 ZWL 17.98

125.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.47 ZWL 12.69

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.47 ZWL 39.59

100.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.06 ZWL 55.3

116.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.63 ZWL 43.74

-15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.03 ZWL 27.58

83.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.89 ZWL 50.8

-13.23%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.16 ZWL 58.1

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.78 ZWL 290

-22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.24 ZWL 168

33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.24 ZWL 168

71.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.97 ZWL 80.0

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.64 ZWL 44.22

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.28 ZWL 61.4

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.66 ZWL 44.62

25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.51 ZWL 40.73

17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.99 ZWL 53.4

10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.98 ZWL 26.26

6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.97 ZWL 26.05

11.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.12 ZWL 30.03

264.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.18 ZWL 247

12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.18 ZWL 31.84

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.71 ZWL 45.91

50.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.97 ZWL 26.19

-47.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$43.15 ZWL 1,160

-38.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$4.89 ZWL 131

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.05 ZWL 55.2

21.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$4.95 ZWL 133

-34.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.57 ZWL 42.20

-16.56%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.8K ZWL 531.3K

53.24%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$23.9K ZWL 641.7K

-1.82%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$58.6 ZWL 1,575

41.46%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$17.79 ZWL 478

24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$93.2 ZWL 2,505

-68.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$53.5 ZWL 1,439

-3.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.20 ZWL 382

29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$9.93 ZWL 267

-48.94%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$283 ZWL 7,611

-29.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$7,356 ZWL 197.8K

-29.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$19.00 ZWL 511

94.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$21.04 ZWL 566

89.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$34.77 ZWL 935

125.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$40.05 ZWL 1,077

117.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$403 ZWL 10.8K

141.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$280 ZWL 7,538

66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$941 ZWL 25.3K

74.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$688 ZWL 18.5K

77.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$899 ZWL 24.2K

339.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$390 ZWL 10.5K

1565.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$393 ZWL 10.6K

68.78%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $403 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 69% 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 $50.0 in Harare. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $219, 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 69% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $403 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,297 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.