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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $792 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,230 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,669 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 4% lower, Mutare 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.19 ZWL 258

17.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$50.1 ZWL 1,267

-14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.63 ZWL 117

128.73%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.22 ZWL 30.97

196.72%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.72 ZWL 18.09

104.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.44 ZWL 11.10

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.39 ZWL 35.14

122.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.77 ZWL 44.75

151.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.21 ZWL 30.73

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.03 ZWL 25.97

82.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.26 ZWL 31.98

29.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.88 ZWL 47.57

40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$2.94 ZWL 74.3

179.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.07 ZWL 103

103.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$4.92 ZWL 124

125.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.01 ZWL 51.0

31.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.70 ZWL 42.92

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.05 ZWL 51.9

-2.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.97 ZWL 24.55

114.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.51 ZWL 38.31

18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.97 ZWL 24.54

124.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.52 ZWL 13.23

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.01 ZWL 25.61

2.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.12 ZWL 28.35

254.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.95 ZWL 151

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.17 ZWL 29.69

47.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.72 ZWL 43.58

45.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.48 ZWL 12.12

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$27.10 ZWL 686

-0.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.06 ZWL 77.5

2.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.95 ZWL 49.35

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.89 ZWL 124

-36.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.55 ZWL 39.30

-18.06%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.4K ZWL 515.3K

51.61%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$23.0K ZWL 582.6K

1.26%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$57.2 ZWL 1,447

43.40%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$15.03 ZWL 380

49.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$61.1 ZWL 1,546

-51.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$40.40 ZWL 1,022

28.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$4.87 ZWL 123

283.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.12 ZWL 256

-50.89%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$146 ZWL 3,686

35.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,422 ZWL 187.8K

-28.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$9.91 ZWL 251

266.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$9.43 ZWL 239

324.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$25.45 ZWL 644

213.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$19.94 ZWL 504

345.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$346 ZWL 8,761

178.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$251 ZWL 6,358

84.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$750 ZWL 19.0K

112.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$400 ZWL 10.1K

202.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$253 ZWL 6,397

1458.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$252 ZWL 6,365

186.33%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mutare: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $346 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 186% 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 $50.0 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $154 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,187 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 $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $146 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 $792, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.