Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Victoria Falls

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria Falls: $908 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Victoria Falls

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 Victoria Falls actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $908 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Victoria Falls $908

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,479 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Victoria Falls $1,479

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,051 in Victoria Falls, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Victoria Falls $2,051

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Victoria Falls, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Victoria Falls are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Victoria Falls 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$10.16 ZWL 270

7.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$45.27 ZWL 1,203

-4.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$5.87 ZWL 156

-35.09%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$0.98 ZWL 26.03

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.51 ZWL 13.59

52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$4.92 ZWL 131

-35.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.04 ZWL 54.1

-30.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

115.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

-27.55%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$3.54 ZWL 94.2

-28.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$2.47 ZWL 65.7

193.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$6.11 ZWL 162

26.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$7.93 ZWL 211

60.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.01 ZWL 80.0

-7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$2.99 ZWL 79.3

-54.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

-14.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$3.88 ZWL 103

-45.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$2.01 ZWL 53.5

-5.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$1.99 ZWL 52.8

-42.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$1.54 ZWL 40.97

-23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.49 ZWL 92.7

23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$20.32 ZWL 540

-51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$0.99 ZWL 26.26

236.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.83 ZWL 48.72

-21.31%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$25.48 ZWL 677

232.77%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$24.62 ZWL 654

-4.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$68.4 ZWL 1,816

-58.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$59.7 ZWL 1,585

-4.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$15.03 ZWL 399

92.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$20.10 ZWL 534

-74.43%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$101 ZWL 2,697

103.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$5,959 ZWL 158.3K

-34.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$14.75 ZWL 392

193.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$25.41 ZWL 675

63.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$60.7 ZWL 1,612

22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$45.84 ZWL 1,218

94.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$250 ZWL 6,654

291.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$178 ZWL 4,738

113.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$491 ZWL 13.0K

247.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$348 ZWL 9,258

208.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$808 ZWL 21.5K

-9.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Victoria Falls

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Victoria Falls

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Victoria Falls

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Victoria Falls

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Victoria Falls

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Victoria Falls

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Victoria Falls

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $250 in Victoria Falls. 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 10% higher in Victoria Falls, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in Victoria Falls. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $250 in Victoria Falls – so Victoria Falls wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

16:39 4:39 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,215

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.37 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.65 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Victoria Falls 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Victoria Falls

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 Victoria Falls: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,361 in Victoria Falls. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Victoria Falls, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $45 in Victoria Falls. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $101 in Victoria Falls. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Victoria Falls, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Victoria Falls it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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