Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $579 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
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Zanzibar Living Index
59

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

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Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$579

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $579 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zanzibar $579
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $864 per month in Zanzibar vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zanzibar $864
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,148 per month in Zanzibar vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,148
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Zanzibar is about 52% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zanzibar and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Zanzibar 57% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

$10.86 MX$201

-56.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

$44.21 MX$817

-50.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

$11.76 MX$217

-52.47%

Cappuccino

$2.20 TZS 5,769

$3.68 MX$68.0

-40.22%

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

$0.58 TZS 1,520

$1.34 MX$24.79

-56.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 776

$0.82 MX$15.24

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,879

$3.06 MX$56.6

-39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 TZS 6,764

$4.94 MX$91.2

-47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 TZS 5,521

$1.47 MX$27.17

43.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 TZS 1,859

$2.22 MX$40.95

-68.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,058

$1.48 MX$27.32

-46.62%

Eggs

$2.71 TZS 7,092

$2.49 MX$45.99

8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

$7.52 MX$139

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,776

$7.96 MX$147

-72.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

$12.57 MX$232

-53.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 TZS 7,271

$2.78 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,001

$1.43 MX$26.37

-19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,050

$2.62 MX$48.37

-70.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,428

$2.14 MX$39.49

-74.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 TZS 2,351

$2.02 MX$37.38

-55.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 TZS 4,063

$1.99 MX$36.74

-22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 TZS 2,003

$1.14 MX$21.01

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,274

$1.20 MX$22.18

-59.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 TZS 5,445

$4.26 MX$78.7

-51.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

$10.02 MX$185

-4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TZS 3,921

$1.54 MX$28.41

-2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 TZS 3,536

$2.66 MX$49.17

-49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 825

$0.53 MX$9.73

-41.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 TZS 9,672

$4.90 MX$90.6

-24.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 TZS 1,920

$3.43 MX$63.5

-78.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 TZS 6,964

$5.38 MX$99.4

-50.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 TZS 3,180

$1.45 MX$26.76

-16.55%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

112.53%

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

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

$85.4 MX$1,577

-12.95%

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$23.46 MX$434

-51.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

$28.43 MX$525

70.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-53.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

$5.10 MX$94.3

81.57%

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

$44.39 MX$820

-70.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

$41.35 MX$764

-59.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

$72.7 MX$1,344

-79.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-85.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 TZS 385.1K

$979 MX$18.1K

-84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

$373 MX$6,887

-73.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 518.2K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-88.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 TZS 388.8K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-86.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.8K TZS 99.1M

$3,949 MX$73.0K

858.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$6,137 MX$113.4K

87.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 TZS 816.7K

$738 MX$13.6K

-57.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 57.4% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$134 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 2.4% $3.2

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.3%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 273% $273

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$99 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 103% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$47 8.2%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 53.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 327% $85

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 500% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $147 in Zanzibar versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 136% 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 $22.00 in Zanzibar versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $258 – making Zanzibar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

06:39 6:39 AM

8 h behind Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

149,923

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Playa del Carmen 14,020 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
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

Zanzibar vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $869 per month in Zanzibar and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanzibar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Zanzibar and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Zanzibar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zanzibar – 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 Zanzibar. 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.