Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mutare

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $780 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
Learn more

Mutare Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$780

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mutare

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Mutare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $780 in Mutare, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Mutare $780

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,212 in Mutare, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mutare $1,212

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,643 in Mutare, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Mutare $1,643

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Mutare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$198

$9.80 ZWL 260

8.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$813

$44.81 ZWL 1,189

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$4.48 ZWL 119

163.17%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.3

$1.21 ZWL 32.22

213.22%

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

$1.30 MX$24.07

$0.73 ZWL 19.31

78.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.47

$0.47 ZWL 12.35

76.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.4

$1.24 ZWL 32.84

154.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.6

$1.84 ZWL 48.80

167.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.14

$1.22 ZWL 32.51

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.75

$0.98 ZWL 26.02

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.33

$1.27 ZWL 33.79

15.75%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.34

$1.92 ZWL 50.9

30.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$135

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

145.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.91 ZWL 104

103.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$5.12 ZWL 136

151.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.8

$2.06 ZWL 54.6

40.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.67

$1.72 ZWL 45.56

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.23

$2.05 ZWL 54.5

21.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.67

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

97.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.58

$1.67 ZWL 44.33

20.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.32

$0.97 ZWL 25.80

95.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.24

$0.52 ZWL 13.81

119.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.99

$1.00 ZWL 26.47

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.3

$1.19 ZWL 31.49

258.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$182

$5.85 ZWL 155

67.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.43

$1.22 ZWL 32.45

30.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.0

$1.67 ZWL 44.26

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.56

$0.73 ZWL 19.26

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$508

$27.36 ZWL 726

0.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.4

$2.98 ZWL 79.1

59.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.3

$2.03 ZWL 53.9

60.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$5.05 ZWL 134

6.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.36

$1.81 ZWL 47.99

-15.47%

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

$21.2K MX$393.7K

$21.8K ZWL 577.9K

-2.58%

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

$23.3K MX$431.7K

$24.1K ZWL 640.4K

-3.59%

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

$83.5 MX$1,549

$50.3 ZWL 1,336

65.85%

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

$23.19 MX$430

$14.71 ZWL 390

57.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$512

$59.6 ZWL 1,583

-53.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,047

$39.90 ZWL 1,059

41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$523

$4.95 ZWL 131

469.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$92.8

$10.17 ZWL 270

-50.84%

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

$207 MX$3,843

$150 ZWL 3,983

37.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.1K

$8,598 ZWL 228.2K

-39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$806

$9.93 ZWL 263

337.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$789

$9.69 ZWL 257

339.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,350

$25.39 ZWL 674

186.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,640

$20.14 ZWL 534

338.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$356 ZWL 9,447

179.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,097

$247 ZWL 6,542

55.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.1K

$747 ZWL 19.8K

124.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$393 ZWL 10.4K

175.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.5K

$254 ZWL 6,751

1436.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.4K

$254 ZWL 6,728

228.29%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mutare: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Mutare

$247 31.6% 35.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Mutare

$155 19.8% 39.9% $103

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Mutare

$121 15.5% 39.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Mutare

$125 16% 7.1% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Mutare

$29 3.8% 73.6% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Mutare

$60 7.7% 9.3% $6.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mutare

$43 5.6% 14% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $356 in Mutare. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $155 in Mutare – so Mutare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇼 Mutare

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

18:22 6:22 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

188,243

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.77 USD

100 ZWL = 3.35 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.85 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 26.54 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.77 USD). 1 EUR = 29.82 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mutare 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mutare

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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,170 in Mutare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mutare, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $356 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $150 in Mutare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mutare, where all-in costs run around $780, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Mutare it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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