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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $790 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,215 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,639 in Mutare, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Mutare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mutare are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Mutare 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.15 ZWL 271

14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$39.66 ZWL 1,057

18.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.47 ZWL 119

165.77%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.28 ZWL 34.11

210.94%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$0.71 ZWL 19.05

101.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.48 ZWL 12.76

70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.39 ZWL 36.92

129.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.83 ZWL 48.87

271.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.27 ZWL 33.78

32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$0.98 ZWL 25.99

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$1.26 ZWL 33.67

35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

44.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$2.96 ZWL 78.9

223.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.97 ZWL 106

126.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$5.07 ZWL 135

152.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.61 ZWL 42.86

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$2.05 ZWL 54.5

4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.01 ZWL 26.93

123.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$1.66 ZWL 44.27

19.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$0.98 ZWL 26.18

103.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$0.48 ZWL 12.85

156.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.99 ZWL 26.43

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$1.21 ZWL 32.30

276.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.99 ZWL 160

73.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.17 ZWL 31.21

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.72 ZWL 45.73

67.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.71 ZWL 19.00

-15.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$26.48 ZWL 706

8.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.04 ZWL 81.0

77.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$2.01 ZWL 53.7

85.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$4.98 ZWL 133

15.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$1.85 ZWL 49.30

-16.76%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$22.3K ZWL 593.7K

1.22%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$24.3K ZWL 646.3K

7.45%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$54.0 ZWL 1,438

69.28%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$15.04 ZWL 401

67.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$59.8 ZWL 1,594

-47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$39.27 ZWL 1,047

71.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.95 ZWL 132

488.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$9.93 ZWL 265

-51.06%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$149 ZWL 3,981

49.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$9,070 ZWL 241.7K

-53.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$9.81 ZWL 261

380.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$9.26 ZWL 247

378.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$25.03 ZWL 667

220.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$20.27 ZWL 540

357.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$347 ZWL 9,257

205.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$246 ZWL 6,546

58.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$744 ZWL 19.8K

188.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$399 ZWL 10.6K

218.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$252 ZWL 6,726

1485.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$252 ZWL 6,711

201.09%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mutare: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $347 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 201% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Mutare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $154 – making Mutare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 60%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,186 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 9% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $149 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 $790, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.