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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Accra, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.99 GHS 91.3

49.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$51.9 GHS 593

-8.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$10.73 GHS 123

9.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$4.59 GHS 52.5

-10.24%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.62 GHS 18.53

-13.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.45 GHS 5.17

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.90 GHS 21.70

68.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.33 GHS 26.66

203.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$3.68 GHS 42.03

-54.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.72 GHS 19.62

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$3.17 GHS 36.18

-44.16%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.70 GHS 30.80

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$12.24 GHS 140

-24.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.54 GHS 86.1

22.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.04 GHS 115

25.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.75 GHS 42.87

-21.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.43 GHS 16.29

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.80 GHS 20.59

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.59 GHS 41.01

-34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.72 GHS 31.01

-26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.76 GHS 31.48

-28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.73 GHS 8.34

69.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.63 GHS 7.15

92.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.61 GHS 29.77

76.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.32 GHS 83.5

43.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.30 GHS 14.81

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.43 GHS 27.77

13.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.58 GHS 18.01

-62.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$42.03 GHS 480

-29.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.78 GHS 20.38

194.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.34 GHS 15.31

172.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$4.52 GHS 51.7

27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.38 GHS 15.76

11.59%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$7,902 GHS 90.2K

188.55%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$10.2K GHS 116.1K

153.80%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$75.8 GHS 865

19.70%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$19.38 GHS 221

29.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$44.26 GHS 506

-28.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$73.0 GHS 833

-5.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$18.49 GHS 211

58.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$13.00 GHS 148

-62.62%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$468 GHS 5,344

-51.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$18.4K GHS 210.6K

-77.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$14.45 GHS 165

227.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$18.99 GHS 217

128.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$37.24 GHS 425

115.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$54.6 GHS 623

67.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$693 GHS 7,909

56.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$278 GHS 3,180

46.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,104 GHS 12.6K

78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$475 GHS 5,419

170.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,888 GHS 33.0K

40.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,474 GHS 16.8K

354.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$181 GHS 2,068

327.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

26.75

-57.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Accra: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $693 in Accra. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $52.0 in Accra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $285 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $1,105 in Accra – 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,658 in Accra. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $52.0 in Accra. 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.