Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shurugwi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shurugwi: $600 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Shurugwi, Zimbabwe
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Shurugwi
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
$600
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shurugwi and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shurugwi and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $600 per month in Shurugwi vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Shurugwi $600
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $986 per month in Shurugwi vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Shurugwi $986
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,371 per month in Shurugwi vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Shurugwi $1,371
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Shurugwi is about 50% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Shurugwi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Shurugwi 56% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.57 ZWL 334
$10.67 MX$198
17.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.97 ZWL 1,087
$43.80 MX$813
-6.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.39 ZWL 143
$11.79 MX$219
-54.28%
Cappuccino
$1.65 ZWL 43.83
$3.79 MX$70.3
-56.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 ZWL 21.89
$1.30 MX$24.07
-36.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 ZWL 11.20
$0.83 MX$15.47
-49.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 ZWL 34.14
$3.15 MX$58.4
-59.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ZWL 54.5
$4.93 MX$91.6
-58.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ZWL 40.46
$1.41 MX$26.14
7.80%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 ZWL 26.32
$2.20 MX$40.75
-55.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 ZWL 42.96
$1.47 MX$27.33
10.20%
Eggs
$1.95 ZWL 51.7
$2.50 MX$46.34
-22.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 ZWL 305
$7.29 MX$135
57.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.47 ZWL 145
$7.95 MX$148
-31.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.64 ZWL 176
$12.86 MX$239
-48.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 ZWL 81.0
$2.90 MX$53.8
5.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ZWL 44.90
$1.38 MX$25.67
22.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ZWL 53.8
$2.49 MX$46.23
-18.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.59 ZWL 42.20
$2.03 MX$37.67
-21.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 ZWL 45.28
$2.02 MX$37.58
-15.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 ZWL 40.25
$1.90 MX$35.32
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 ZWL 35.25
$1.14 MX$21.24
16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ZWL 25.39
$1.24 MX$22.99
-22.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.83 ZWL 48.61
$4.27 MX$79.3
-57.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.24 ZWL 219
$9.81 MX$182
-16.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 ZWL 37.46
$1.59 MX$29.43
-11.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ZWL 49.46
$2.75 MX$51.0
-32.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.51 MX$9.56
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.39 MX$508
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.10 ZWL 109
$4.76 MX$88.4
-13.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 ZWL 51.6
$3.25 MX$60.3
-40.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.89 ZWL 130
$5.39 MX$100
-9.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 ZWL 48.70
$1.53 MX$28.36
20.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K ZWL 580.3K
$21.2K MX$393.7K
3.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.9K ZWL 741.6K
$23.3K MX$431.7K
20.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.1 ZWL 1,384
$83.5 MX$1,549
-37.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.53 ZWL 571
$23.19 MX$430
-7.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.2 ZWL 1,917
$27.61 MX$512
161.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$56.4 MX$1,047
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$523
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.05 ZWL 267
$5.00 MX$92.8
101.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$419 ZWL 11.1K
$207 MX$3,843
102.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K ZWL 445.7K
$5,231 MX$97.1K
221.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$21.10 ZWL 560
$43.45 MX$806
-51.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.20 ZWL 536
$42.54 MX$789
-52.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.40 ZWL 966
$72.8 MX$1,350
-49.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.15 ZWL 1,092
$88.4 MX$1,640
-53.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$995 MX$18.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$382 MX$7,097
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,674 MX$31.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,909 MX$72.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,138 MX$113.9K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shurugwi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.69
11.45
19.56%

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

Last update for Shurugwi: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Shurugwi
$215
Playa del Carmen
$257 19.8% $43
Eating Out
Shurugwi
$152
Playa del Carmen
$200 31.7% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shurugwi
$146
Playa del Carmen
$134 8% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Shurugwi
$53
Playa del Carmen
$111 108% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Shurugwi
$20 *
Playa del Carmen
$66 231% $46
Getting Around
Shurugwi
$14 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 265% $37
Accommodation & Living
Shurugwi
- *
Playa del Carmen
$382

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Shurugwi versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $257 – making Shurugwi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇼 Shurugwi
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
18:44 6:44 PM
11:44 11:44 AM
7 h behind Shurugwi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,866
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 26.54 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.77 USD). 1 EUR = 29.82 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.35 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.85 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Shurugwi Playa del Carmen 13,490 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Shurugwi
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Shurugwi vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shurugwi cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $900 per month in Shurugwi and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Shurugwi and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $600 in Shurugwi and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Shurugwi about 50% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $419 per month in Shurugwi and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Shurugwi or in Playa del Carmen?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Shurugwi, where all-in costs run around $600, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Shurugwi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Shurugwi or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $600 in Shurugwi to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Shurugwi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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