Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Accra?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Accra or Cancun?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Accra or Cancun, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Accra or Cancun?
Accra
Accra is the capital city of Ghana, located on the Atlantic coast of West Africa. Popular attractions include the National Museum of Ghana, local beaches, markets, and cultural landmarks like those dedicated to Civil Rights activist W.E.B. DuBois.
Cancun
In the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun is one of Mexico's most popular destinations. The area that is now Cancun was actually selected specifically by the Mexican government for development as a tourist destination. The area was chosen because it has fourteen miles of beautiful white beaches, nearby Mayan ruins, and turquoise blue water with nearby snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities. Prior to its development as a tourist destination, there were few inhabitants in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Ghana, The Best Adventure Tours to Ghana, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAccra $37Cancun $145
The average daily cost (per person) in Accra is $37, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $145. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Accra and Cancun in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAccra $19Cancun $96
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAccra $38Cancun $192
Compare Hotels in Accra and Cancun
Looking for a hotel in Accra or Cancun? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Accra Hotel Prices and Cancun Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Accra $16Cancun $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Accra
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Accra:
- Private Transfer from Kotoka Airport Accra Ghana (ACC) to Accra city: $109
- Kotoka Airport Exclusive Wheelchair Accessible Transfers!: $130
- Kotoka Airport Exclusive Wheelchair Accessible Transfers!: $115
- Arrival Transfer From Accra Airport To Hotel: $100
- Accra Airport Hotel City Transfers: $58
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:
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Taxi Around Town$1.65
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Airport Shuttle (for 2)$14
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Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)$16
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Local Bus (for 2)$2.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cancun
Also for Cancun, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Cancun Airport Small-Group Transfer to Cancun Hotels: $8.00
- Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $15
- Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport: $15
- Cancun airport private transfer: $17
- Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
- Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $19
- transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
- Private transfer to Cancun Airport from hotels in Cancun Area: $23
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From & To Cancun Airport: $25
- Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From and To Cancun Airport: $25
- Private transfer from Cancun Airport CUN to Cancun zones: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into Accra or Cancun?
Prices for flights to both Cancun and Accra change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAccra $9.28Cancun $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Accra
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Accra.
- Private Ghanaian Cuisine Cooking Class: $40
- Local Ghanaian Cooking Class in Accra to help support wellness community center: $45
- Cooking Class: $75
- Flavors of Ghana: Food Tour Experience.: $78
- Authentic Ghanaian Cooking Lessons: $80
- Home Cooking Class by Auntie K: $89
- Cooking Class with Auntie KK in Osu: $89
- Ghanaian Cooking Class Authentic Tour: $100
- Savor & Learn: Authentic Ghanaian Cooking Experience: $128
- Quad Biking, Landmark Tours and Dinner in Aburi: $204
- Ghanaian Local Foods Cooking Class: $216
Typical Food Prices in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun
For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Captain Hook: Pirate Show and Dinner Cruise in Cancun: $46
- Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
- The Ultimate Cancun Taco & Street Mexican Food Tour: $59
- Dinner Show with Pirates! (2x1 Price): $62
- (2x1 price) Dinner Show and Pirates Experience : $63
- (2x1 price) Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show: $63
- (2x1 price)Pirate Adventure! Open Bar, Dinner and Show : $63
- Pirate Show and Dinner (2x1 price)! Best Promo : $64
- Cancun Street Food Tour with Food Stalls, Local Market and Murals: $64
- Private Ultimate Cancun Taco and Street Mexican Food Tour: $69
- Guided Cancun Local Mexican Food Tour: $77
- Cancun Authentic Downtown Food Tour: Tacos and Local Flavors: $78
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Accra $3.32Cancun $35
Tours and Activities in Accra
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Accra are as follows:
- 1 Day Accra City Tour: $71
- Accra City Tour: $161
- Accra E-waste and Recycling experience in Agbogbloshie: $100
- Accra Zoo, Canopy Walk and Botanical Gardens Private Tour: $145
- 3 Days Special Tour of Ghana: $950
- 6 Hours Cape Coast Tour: $210
- 6-Day Electric Enchantment-Off the grid Tour: $1,650
- 7 Hours Cape Coast Tour From Accra: $174
- A Day tour to the Cape Coast Castle and Kakum National Pack: $180
- Aburi Botanic Gardens and Boti Falls Full-Day Private Tour: $180
- Aburi Botanical Gardens And Boti Falls Private Tour: $220
- Accra - Guided City Tour: $100
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Seasick Pills$0.59
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Whale Shark Tour (for 2)$100
Tours and Activities in Cancun
For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- ATV Jungle Adventure with Ziplines, Cenote Transportation Included: $8.00
- Visit to 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen + Shopping Tour: $8.17
- Cancun Mayan Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket: $12
- Guided Walking Tour of the Punta Cancun Lighting Tower: $14
- Half Day National Reef Park Snorkel Adventure in Puerto Morelos: $15
- El Sol De Cancun : Panoramic Tour in Regular Cabin: $20
- Explore Tulum, Coba, Cenote, Playa del Carmen full day 4x1 tour: $22
- Day Tour to Isla Mujeres Catamarán with Unlimited Drinks: $22
- Chichén Itzá Marvels Day Trip:Cenote Oxman & Valladolid Adventure: $25
- ATV, Ziplines and Cenote swim full experience from Cancún : $25
- Adrenaline day in Cancun, Atvs, Ziplines and Cenote experience in the best park!: $25
- Zipline, Cenote and ATV Adventure with Pickup: $25
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAccra $4.76Cancun $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cancun
Also in Cancun, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Social Pub Crawl in Cancun: $37
- Small Group EkBalam Pink Lakes Cenote and Tequila Distillery Tour: $287
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Accra and Cancun, we can see that Cancun is more expensive. And not only is Accra much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Accra is in Africa and Cancun is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Accra would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Accra and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Cancun would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cancun than you might in Accra.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Accra Expensive? and Is Cancun Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Accra or Cancun?
Accra has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Cancun. When comparing the sizes of Accra and Cancun, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.