Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kumasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $488 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Kumasi
🇬🇭 Ghana
$488
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kumasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $488 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Kumasi $488

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $805 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Kumasi $805

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,123 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Kumasi $1,123

Playa del Carmen costs about 148% more than Kumasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kumasi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Kumasi 64% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$3.50 GHS 40.74
207.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$33.71 GHS 392
27.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$10.15 GHS 118
16.16%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$1.08 GHS 12.53
258.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$0.71 GHS 8.22
92.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$0.26 GHS 3.05
223.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$0.91 GHS 10.53
240.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$1.66 GHS 19.34
205.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.78 GHS 20.65
-19.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.64 GHS 19.09
35.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.75 GHS 20.35
-16.00%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$2.39 GHS 27.81
5.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$5.49 GHS 63.8
32.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$4.54 GHS 52.8
73.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$4.81 GHS 55.9
165.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$1.68 GHS 19.50
72.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$0.83 GHS 9.66
73.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$0.84 GHS 9.73
203.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$2.10 GHS 24.39
-1.90%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.66 GHS 19.34
20.48%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.28 GHS 14.89
57.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$0.75 GHS 8.70
58.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.57 GHS 6.59
121.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$0.87 GHS 10.18
405.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$1.25 GHS 14.56
667.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.22 GHS 14.22
30.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$2.40 GHS 27.88
17.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$0.52 GHS 6.09
9.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$20.34 GHS 237
36.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$0.82 GHS 9.49
507.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$1.24 GHS 14.44
182.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$1.72 GHS 20.03
213.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.13 GHS 13.18
30.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$7,902 GHS 91.9K
165.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$9,972 GHS 116.0K
139.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$41.97 GHS 488
100.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$19.43 GHS 226
23.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$42.24 GHS 491
-31.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$30.23 GHS 352
108.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$12.60 GHS 147
-60.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$459 GHS 5,337
-55.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$5,536 GHS 64.4K
-28.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$14.50 GHS 169
200.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$18.32 GHS 213
135.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$35.88 GHS 417
111.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$51.8 GHS 602
71.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kumasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$408 GHS 4,750
84.67%
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 10, 2026

Last update for Kumasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Kumasi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Kumasi
$162 37.2% $96
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Kumasi
$83 58.9% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Kumasi
$104 24.5% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Kumasi
$54 52% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Kumasi
$55 23.9% $17
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Kumasi
$29 43.9% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 85% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Kumasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $162 – making Kumasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇭 Kumasi
🕒 Local time
17:10 5:10 PM
22:10 10:10 PM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,517,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Kumasi 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Kumasi

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 Kumasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Kumasi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, $488 in Kumasi – roughly 148% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Kumasi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $732 in Kumasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 59% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $34.00 in Kumasi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Kumasi 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 Kumasi?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $488 in Kumasi to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Kumasi?
If budget matters most, go with Kumasi. 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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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