Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koforidua

For one person, living is cheaper in Koforidua: $861 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Koforidua, Ghana
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Koforidua
🇬🇭 Ghana
$861
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Koforidua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Koforidua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $861 in Koforidua, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Koforidua $861

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,369 in Koforidua, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Koforidua $1,369

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,877 in Koforidua, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Koforidua $1,877

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Koforidua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Koforidua are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Koforidua 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$8.64 GHS 100
26.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$51.1 GHS 592
-15.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$10.38 GHS 120
13.49%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$4.52 GHS 52.4
-15.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$1.55 GHS 17.91
-17.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$0.44 GHS 5.08
77.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$1.90 GHS 21.98
66.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$2.29 GHS 26.52
115.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$3.60 GHS 41.71
-60.83%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$1.67 GHS 19.33
32.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$3.10 GHS 35.95
-54.19%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$2.60 GHS 30.16
-3.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$12.11 GHS 140
-40.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$7.21 GHS 83.5
6.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$9.96 GHS 115
27.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.59 GHS 41.61
-22.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.44 GHS 16.70
-4.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$1.86 GHS 21.49
37.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$3.54 GHS 41.03
-40.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.67 GHS 30.91
-27.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$2.68 GHS 31.04
-29.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$0.72 GHS 8.32
59.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$0.61 GHS 7.04
93.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$2.54 GHS 29.36
69.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$7.23 GHS 83.7
37.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$1.30 GHS 15.01
21.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$2.45 GHS 28.35
8.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$0.84 GHS 9.77
-34.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$1.75 GHS 20.28
184.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.27 GHS 14.75
162.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$4.32 GHS 49.98
24.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.36 GHS 15.80
5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$8,088 GHS 93.7K
155.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$20.2K GHS 233.9K
16.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$74.1 GHS 858
14.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$19.07 GHS 221
22.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$43.69 GHS 506
-34.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$13.07 GHS 151
-60.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$472 GHS 5,467
-56.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$18.8K GHS 217.7K
-79.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$14.42 GHS 167
200.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$18.80 GHS 218
120.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$36.97 GHS 428
100.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$54.0 GHS 626
65.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$345 GHS 4,000
183.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$175 GHS 2,028
117.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$524 GHS 6,072
225.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$255 GHS 2,958
320.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Koforidua
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$349 GHS 4,040
110.52%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Koforidua: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Koforidua
$175 54% $206
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Koforidua
$279 9.5% $24
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Koforidua
$177 12.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Koforidua
$137 0% $0
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Koforidua
$56 50% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Koforidua
$26 * 61.2% $41
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Koforidua
$11 * 77.2% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $345 in Koforidua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $51 in Koforidua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $279 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇭 Koforidua
🕒 Local time
14:03 2:03 PM
19:03 7:03 PM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
130,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 11.58 GHS (100 GHS = 8.64 USD). 1 EUR = 12.89 GHS (100 GHS = 7.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Koforidua 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Koforidua

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
Playa del Carmen vs Koforidua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Koforidua compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $861 in Koforidua – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Koforidua?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,292 in Koforidua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Koforidua?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Koforidua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Koforidua?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $861 in Koforidua. That’s a gap of about 40%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Koforidua?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $472 in Koforidua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Koforidua, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Koforidua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Koforidua?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $861 in Koforidua to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Koforidua?
If budget matters most, go with Koforidua. 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.

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