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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in Harare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,706 in Harare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,385 in Harare.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 26% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Harare 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$9.95 ZWL 266

17.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

15.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.92 ZWL 158

96.79%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

32.79%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

47.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

126.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

237.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

8.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

119.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

7.93%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

45.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$11.97 ZWL 320

-23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$5.52 ZWL 148

61.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$6.50 ZWL 174

93.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

-4.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

54.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

15.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

10.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

136.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.88 ZWL 237

20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

48.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

-44.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

-50.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$4.08 ZWL 109

33.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$4.89 ZWL 131

22.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

-13.41%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

-0.43%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

-5.29%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

63.60%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$21.79 ZWL 582

14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

-53.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$22.89 ZWL 612

26.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$10.10 ZWL 270

-50.00%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$471 ZWL 12.6K

-52.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

-53.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$24.01 ZWL 642

97.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$20.84 ZWL 557

115.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

110.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

117.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$410 ZWL 10.9K

160.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$320 ZWL 8,559

26.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$823 ZWL 22.0K

135.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$744 ZWL 19.9K

74.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$932 ZWL 24.9K

328.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$385 ZWL 10.3K

1619.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$430 ZWL 11.5K

74.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.69

-16.36%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $410 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 74% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $218 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

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, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $471 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Harare versus $1,293 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 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.