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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $619 in Masvingo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,111 in Masvingo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,604 in Masvingo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 104% more than Masvingo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Masvingo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Masvingo 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.86 ZWL 263

18.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$50.9 ZWL 1,358

-17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.09 ZWL 189

48.24%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.98 ZWL 79.5

20.47%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.71 ZWL 18.94

112.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.46 ZWL 12.32

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.46 ZWL 38.90

102.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.02 ZWL 54.0

118.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.56 ZWL 41.56

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.02 ZWL 27.19

84.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.07 ZWL 55.1

26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.04 ZWL 295

-24.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.54 ZWL 174

27.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.58 ZWL 176

65.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.87 ZWL 76.6

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.27 ZWL 60.6

-17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.70 ZWL 45.42

28.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.56 ZWL 41.68

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

12.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.02 ZWL 27.20

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.97 ZWL 25.84

12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.09 ZWL 28.96

284.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.77 ZWL 261

6.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.13 ZWL 30.11

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.74 ZWL 46.39

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.87 ZWL 130

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.87 ZWL 130

-35.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.62 ZWL 43.21

-19.14%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$19.9K ZWL 531.2K

49.72%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$23.6K ZWL 628.7K

-1.04%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$57.7 ZWL 1,539

40.92%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.62 ZWL 470

28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$93.7 ZWL 2,499

-67.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$9.90 ZWL 264

-50.30%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$275 ZWL 7,335

-26.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,208 ZWL 192.3K

-28.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$19.12 ZWL 510

87.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$20.96 ZWL 559

91.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$34.80 ZWL 928

129.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$40.56 ZWL 1,082

113.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$60.2 ZWL 1,607

1524.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$297 ZWL 7,916

456.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$148 ZWL 3,950

712.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Masvingo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $60.2 in Masvingo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $51.0 in Masvingo. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $222 in Masvingo – so Masvingo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Masvingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $619 in Masvingo – roughly 104% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $928 in Masvingo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Masvingo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $619 in Masvingo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Masvingo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Masvingo, where all-in costs run around $619, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Masvingo 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 $619 in Masvingo to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Masvingo. 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.