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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $794 in Mutare, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,254 in Mutare, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,714 in Mutare, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% 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 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.82 ZWL 262

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$49.05 ZWL 1,309

-14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.38 ZWL 117

139.95%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.24 ZWL 32.96

189.52%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.66 ZWL 17.65

128.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.43 ZWL 11.43

113.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.39 ZWL 37.06

112.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.78 ZWL 47.41

147.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.23 ZWL 32.72

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.01 ZWL 27.04

86.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.33 ZWL 35.35

17.29%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.93 ZWL 51.6

35.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

171.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.90 ZWL 104

114.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$4.89 ZWL 130

122.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.62 ZWL 43.14

-6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.99 ZWL 53.0

-6.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.97 ZWL 26.01

125.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.54 ZWL 41.09

20.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 ZWL 27.35

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.49 ZWL 12.97

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.99 ZWL 26.54

10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.08 ZWL 28.90

287.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.15 ZWL 164

69.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.18 ZWL 31.38

40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.74 ZWL 46.29

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.48 ZWL 12.71

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$26.97 ZWL 719

-3.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.92 ZWL 78.0

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.96 ZWL 52.4

22.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.10 ZWL 136

-38.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.56 ZWL 41.59

-16.03%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.1K ZWL 535.5K

48.52%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$23.3K ZWL 622.6K

-0.06%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$57.8 ZWL 1,541

40.74%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$15.22 ZWL 406

48.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$60.3 ZWL 1,610

-50.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$40.37 ZWL 1,077

31.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$4.94 ZWL 132

272.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$10.09 ZWL 269

-51.24%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$148 ZWL 3,951

35.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,359 ZWL 196.3K

-29.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$10.03 ZWL 268

258.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$9.58 ZWL 255

318.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$24.60 ZWL 656

223.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$20.04 ZWL 535

331.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$351 ZWL 9,353

179.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$255 ZWL 6,791

84.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$763 ZWL 20.4K

116.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$399 ZWL 10.6K

201.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$251 ZWL 6,705

1473.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$248 ZWL 6,606

173.30%

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 Mutare: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $351 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 173% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.00 in Mutare. Groceries tell a different story – $252 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 59%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,191 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 3% less in Mutare. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $201 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 $794, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.