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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$8.15 GHS 92.1

43.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$54.2 GHS 612

-13.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$10.90 GHS 123

6.88%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$4.62 GHS 52.2

-11.47%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.66 GHS 18.71

-17.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.46 GHS 5.20

80.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.93 GHS 21.83

73.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.35 GHS 26.51

194.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$3.68 GHS 41.61

-52.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.71 GHS 19.34

32.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$3.13 GHS 35.42

-43.45%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.68 GHS 30.26

1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$12.24 GHS 138

-25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$7.60 GHS 85.9

17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$9.90 GHS 112

27.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.66 GHS 41.36

-17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.44 GHS 16.31

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.82 GHS 20.56

17.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$3.67 GHS 41.46

-38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$2.77 GHS 31.27

-27.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$2.85 GHS 32.21

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.78 GHS 8.87

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.59 GHS 6.66

103.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$2.72 GHS 30.70

70.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.13 GHS 80.5

49.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.30 GHS 14.72

24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.45 GHS 27.65

17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.83 GHS 20.65

197.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.36 GHS 15.42

172.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$4.45 GHS 50.3

34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.35 GHS 15.27

14.81%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$7,970 GHS 90.1K

180.14%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$9,968 GHS 112.6K

160.32%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$73.7 GHS 832

20.99%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$19.82 GHS 224

26.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$44.67 GHS 505

-29.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$13.40 GHS 151

-62.31%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$467 GHS 5,281

-51.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$18.8K GHS 212.9K

-77.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$14.97 GHS 169

216.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$18.90 GHS 214

137.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$37.76 GHS 427

117.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$54.3 GHS 613

69.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$629 GHS 7,110

69.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$595 GHS 6,729

-31.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,289 GHS 14.6K

50.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,147 GHS 13.0K

13.45%

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 %)

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cape Coast: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $629 in Cape Coast. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $54.0 in Cape Coast. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $284 – 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 Cape Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,937 in Cape Coast. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $54.0 in Cape Coast. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $467 in Cape Coast. 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.