Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Coast and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Coast and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,292 per month in Cape Coast vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Cape Coast vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,797 per month in Cape Coast vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cape Coast and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cape Coast and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Cape Coast 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 GHS 92.1

$11.71 MX$198

-30.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 GHS 612

$46.59 MX$788

16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 GHS 123

$11.65 MX$197

-6.44%

Cappuccino

$4.62 GHS 52.2

$4.09 MX$69.2

12.96%

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

$1.66 GHS 18.71

$1.37 MX$23.23

21.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 GHS 5.20

$0.83 MX$14.09

-44.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 GHS 21.83

$3.35 MX$56.7

-42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 GHS 26.51

$6.91 MX$117

-65.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.68 GHS 41.61

$1.73 MX$29.20

112.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 GHS 19.34

$2.26 MX$38.21

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 GHS 35.42

$1.77 MX$29.91

76.84%

Eggs

$2.68 GHS 30.26

$2.73 MX$46.19

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 GHS 138

$9.18 MX$155

33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 GHS 85.9

$8.92 MX$151

-14.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 GHS 112

$12.60 MX$213

-21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 GHS 41.36

$3.02 MX$51.1

21.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 GHS 16.31

$1.57 MX$26.55

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 GHS 20.56

$2.13 MX$35.93

-14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 GHS 41.46

$2.26 MX$38.28

62.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 GHS 31.27

$2.00 MX$33.88

38.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 GHS 32.21

$2.06 MX$34.90

38.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 GHS 8.87

$1.18 MX$19.94

-33.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 GHS 6.66

$1.20 MX$20.35

-50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 GHS 30.70

$4.63 MX$78.4

-41.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 GHS 80.5

$10.69 MX$181

-33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 GHS 14.72

$1.62 MX$27.38

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 GHS 27.65

$2.88 MX$48.70

-14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 GHS 20.65

$5.45 MX$92.1

-66.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 GHS 15.42

$3.70 MX$62.6

-63.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 GHS 50.3

$5.98 MX$101

-25.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 GHS 15.27

$1.55 MX$26.26

-12.90%

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

$7,970 GHS 90.1K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

-64.30%

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

$9,968 GHS 112.6K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-61.59%

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

$73.7 GHS 832

$89.1 MX$1,507

-17.35%

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

$19.82 GHS 224

$25.04 MX$423

-20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 GHS 505

$31.50 MX$532

41.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 GHS 151

$5.05 MX$85.4

165.35%

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

$467 GHS 5,281

$225 MX$3,803

107.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K GHS 212.9K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

346.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.97 GHS 169

$47.44 MX$802

-68.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.90 GHS 214

$44.98 MX$760

-57.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.76 GHS 427

$82.0 MX$1,386

-53.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 GHS 613

$92.1 MX$1,557

-41.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 GHS 7,110

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 GHS 6,729

$405 MX$6,852

46.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 GHS 14.6K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-33.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 GHS 13.0K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-11.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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 Cape Coast: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $629 in Cape Coast versus $1,069 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Cape Coast versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $277 – 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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,937 per month in Cape Coast and $1,940 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 Cape Coast, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Cape Coast and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $467 per month in Cape Coast and $225 in Playa del Carmen. 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 Cape Coast, where all-in costs run around $1,292, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Cape Coast it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cape Coast – 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 Cape Coast. 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.