Cost of Living Comparison Between Accra and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Accra and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,105 per month in Accra vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,727 per month in Accra vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,348 per month in Accra vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Accra is about 15% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Accra and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Accra 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 GHS 91.3

$11.96 MX$203

-33.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 GHS 593

$47.38 MX$804

9.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 GHS 123

$11.75 MX$199

-8.68%

Cappuccino

$4.59 GHS 52.5

$4.12 MX$70.0

11.41%

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

$1.62 GHS 18.53

$1.40 MX$23.74

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 GHS 5.17

$0.91 MX$15.48

-50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 GHS 21.70

$3.21 MX$54.4

-40.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 GHS 26.66

$7.07 MX$120

-67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.68 GHS 42.03

$1.68 MX$28.44

119.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 GHS 19.62

$2.15 MX$36.48

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 GHS 36.18

$1.77 MX$30.10

79.10%

Eggs

$2.70 GHS 30.80

$2.82 MX$47.76

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 GHS 140

$9.20 MX$156

33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 GHS 86.1

$9.23 MX$157

-18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 GHS 115

$12.64 MX$214

-20.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 GHS 42.87

$2.95 MX$50.1

27.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 GHS 16.29

$1.58 MX$26.79

-9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 GHS 20.59

$2.22 MX$37.70

-18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 GHS 41.01

$2.36 MX$40.09

52.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 GHS 31.01

$1.99 MX$33.81

36.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 GHS 31.48

$1.98 MX$33.58

39.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 GHS 8.34

$1.24 MX$21.04

-41.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 GHS 7.15

$1.21 MX$20.55

-47.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 GHS 29.77

$4.60 MX$78.1

-43.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 GHS 83.5

$10.52 MX$178

-30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 GHS 14.81

$1.69 MX$28.70

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 GHS 27.77

$2.77 MX$47.06

-12.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 GHS 18.01

$0.60 MX$10.22

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.03 GHS 480

$29.70 MX$504

41.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 GHS 20.38

$5.24 MX$88.8

-66.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 GHS 15.31

$3.65 MX$61.9

-63.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 GHS 51.7

$5.78 MX$98.1

-21.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 GHS 15.76

$1.54 MX$26.09

-10.39%

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

$7,902 GHS 90.2K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

-65.34%

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

$10.2K GHS 116.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-60.60%

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

$75.8 GHS 865

$90.7 MX$1,538

-16.46%

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

$19.38 GHS 221

$25.19 MX$427

-23.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.26 GHS 506

$31.75 MX$539

39.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 GHS 833

$68.8 MX$1,167

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 GHS 211

$29.37 MX$498

-37.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 GHS 148

$4.86 MX$82.5

167.49%

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

$468 GHS 5,344

$226 MX$3,828

107.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K GHS 210.6K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

339.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.45 GHS 165

$47.38 MX$804

-69.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.99 GHS 217

$43.45 MX$737

-56.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.24 GHS 425

$80.2 MX$1,361

-53.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 GHS 623

$91.4 MX$1,550

-40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 GHS 7,909

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-36.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 GHS 3,180

$409 MX$6,933

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 GHS 12.6K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 GHS 5,419

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-62.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,888 GHS 33.0K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,474 GHS 16.8K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-78.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$181 GHS 2,068

$773 MX$13.1K

-76.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.75

11.45

133.62%

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

Last update for Accra: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $693 in Accra versus $1,086 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 327% 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 $52.0 in Accra versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $278 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,105 in Accra, $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 18% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,658 per month in Accra and $1,958 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 Accra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Accra and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Accra, where all-in costs run around $1,105, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Accra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,105 in Accra to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Accra. 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.