Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kariba

60

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Kariba

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$819

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$218

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.5

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

$1.31 MX$23.95

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$91.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.62

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.48

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.34

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.94

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$234

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.96

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.84

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.02

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.55

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.9

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.58

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$501

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$89.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.12

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

$21.2K MX$387.8K

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

$24.5K MX$447.1K

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

$83.6 MX$1,527

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

$24.03 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$536

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,184

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$538

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$92.9

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

$208 MX$3,792

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$813

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$768

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,668

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,033

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kariba: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Kariba

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Kariba

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Kariba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Kariba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Kariba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Kariba

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Kariba

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇼 Kariba

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

03:44 3:44 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

24,210

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.75 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 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 October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 26.69 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.75 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kariba 13,280 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kariba

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 Kariba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Kariba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kariba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.