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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $779 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,247 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,715 in Mutare, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Mutare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.07 ZWL 270

17.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$50.8 ZWL 1,359

-15.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.63 ZWL 124

130.02%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.27 ZWL 34.11

171.65%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.67 ZWL 18.04

123.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.43 ZWL 11.51

120.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.31 ZWL 35.11

131.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.82 ZWL 48.65

153.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.24 ZWL 33.12

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.02 ZWL 27.41

81.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.33 ZWL 35.64

21.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.92 ZWL 51.5

34.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.01 ZWL 80.7

174.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.07 ZWL 109

105.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.17 ZWL 139

106.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.03 ZWL 54.3

29.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.64 ZWL 43.93

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.02 ZWL 54.0

-4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.99 ZWL 26.43

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.57 ZWL 41.97

18.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.98 ZWL 26.17

130.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.51 ZWL 13.70

107.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.02 ZWL 27.21

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.12 ZWL 29.91

270.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.89 ZWL 158

76.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.17 ZWL 31.39

47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.68 ZWL 44.96

55.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.51 ZWL 13.77

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$27.01 ZWL 723

-0.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.06 ZWL 81.9

2.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

27.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.85 ZWL 130

-35.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.56 ZWL 41.72

-18.59%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.8K ZWL 530.2K

53.36%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$23.5K ZWL 628.4K

0.39%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$57.5 ZWL 1,540

44.25%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$14.83 ZWL 397

53.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$60.8 ZWL 1,627

-51.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$39.97 ZWL 1,070

27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.90 ZWL 131

274.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.98 ZWL 267

-50.60%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$148 ZWL 3,961

33.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,258 ZWL 194.3K

-27.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$9.85 ZWL 264

274.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$9.39 ZWL 251

324.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$25.10 ZWL 672

218.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$19.78 ZWL 529

352.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$355 ZWL 9,491

169.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$252 ZWL 6,748

89.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$753 ZWL 20.2K

118.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$398 ZWL 10.7K

207.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$253 ZWL 6,783

1446.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$247 ZWL 6,599

170.58%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Mutare: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $355 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 run about 171% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $51.0 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $155 in Mutare – so Mutare 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 Mutare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 63%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,168 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $148 in Mutare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mutare, where all-in costs run around $779, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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, 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.