A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Accra vs. Cancun for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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.


Which place is cheaper, Cancun or Accra?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Accra is $49, while the average daily cost in Cancun is $153. 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
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Accra $21
    Cancun $89
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Accra $42
    Cancun $178
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.

Hotels in Accra


Hotels in Cancun


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Accra $18
    Cancun $16

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: $77
  • Private Airport Transfer to from ACC Kotoka by Business Car: $80
  • Airport & City Transfers: $100
  • Aburi Gardens Transfers: $187

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cancun

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cancun:


  • Taxi Around Town
    $1.52
  • Airport Shuttle (for 2)
    $13
  • Ferry to Isla de Mujeres (for 2)
    $15
  • Local Bus (for 2)
    $1.85

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: $6.00
  • Shared Transfer from Cancun Airport : $6.00
  • Cancun Airport Shared Transfer: $8.50
  • Cancun Airport private transfer to Cancun hotel zone: $15
  • CUN Airport to Cancun City Centre Hotels Shared Transfer: $17
  • Cancun airport private transfer: $17
  • Private Transfer in Cancun: $17
  • Shared Round-Trip Transfer To/From Cancun International Airport: $20
  • transfers between hotels in Cancun hotel strip: $20
  • Private Transfer to Cancun Airport (CUN): $23
  • Cancun Hotel Zone Private Transfer From and To Cancun Airport: $23
  • Private transfer to Cancun Airport from hotels in Cancun Area: $23

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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Accra $18
    Cancun $45

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Accra

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Accra.

  • Authentic Ghanaian Cooking Class in Accra: $25
  • Local Ghanaian Cooking Class in Accra to help support wellness community center: $45
  • Ghana Jollof Cooking Class with Bottomless Wine : $80
  • Accra Makola Market Food Tour With Full Lunch: $82
  • Home Cooking Class by Auntie K: $89
  • Culinary for Social Change-Cooking Class : $90
  • Authentic Ghanaian Cooking Class in Accra: $90
  • Authentic Ghanaian Cooking Lessons and Take Out Services.: $100
  • Hands-On Cooking Class With Local Market Tour Option : $130
  • Accra Ghana Private Food and Cooking Class: $130
  • Fulani Dinner Experience: $150
  • Quad Biking, Landmark Tours and Dinner in Aburi: $218

Typical Food Prices in Cancun

For Cancun, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch for Two
    $19

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cancun

For Cancun, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Cancun Pirate Ship Adventure : Dinner & Show at Sea 2 for 1 Deal: $50
  • Mayan Chichen Itza And Pirate Dinner Two Day Experience: $57
  • Pirate Show in Cancun! Dinner & drinks: $62
  • Pirate Shop & Dinner at Cancun! Drinks, Adventure and Fun: $65
  • Pirate Night! Dinner, Fun and Show at Cancun : $65
  • Puerto Morelos Walking Food Tour: $77
  • Cancun Hands-On Mexican Cooking Class : $79
  • Columbus Romantic Dinner in Cancún: $79
  • Cancun Private Mural Art and Food Tour: $81
  • Pirate’s Night Out: Dinner and Entertainment in the Caribbean: $89
  • Cancun City Shopping and Local Food Tour Private Experience: $92
  • Feel the love on a romantic dinner at Cancun sea, with live music and open bar.: $95

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Accra $3.70
    Cancun $32

Tours and Activities in Accra

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Accra are as follows:

  • 1 Day Accra City Tour: $100
  • Accra Luxury Beachfront Experience : $81
  • Accra Nightlife Experience: $150
  • Accra Private Surfing Experience with Pick Up: $250
  • Accra to Cape Coast Tour (Slave Castles and Kakum Park): $220
  • Cape Coast Elmina Kakum Park Private Day Tour: $200
  • Cape Coast Root ,History, & Active Adventure tour: $174
  • Ghana Chocolate Tasting Experience : $180
  • 2 Days Exciting Accra and Cape Coast City Tour: $250
  • 2-day Tour of Downtown Accra: $216
  • 3.5 Hours Private City Tour of Accra: $120
  • A day tour of Accra : $150

Typical Entertainment Prices in Cancun

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cancun's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Seasick Pills
    $0.54
  • Whale Shark Tour (for 2)
    $92

Tours and Activities in Cancun

For Cancun, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • ATV Tour, Zip Lines, Horseback Riding, Cenote and Tequila Tasting: $10
  • Cancun Mayan Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket: $14
  • Speedboat and Snorkeling Adventure in Cancun: $14
  • Isla Mujeres Catamaran Adventure Snorkeling, Spinnaker and Lunch: $15
  • Tour to Isla Mujeres with Snorkeling : $15
  • Chichen Itza Day Tour with Cenote Swim and Valladolid Visit: $16
  • Full Day Tour to Coba and Tulum Cenote Swim and Lunch: $16
  • Speedboat Tour with Snorkeling in Cancun – Drive Your Own Boat!: $16
  • Isla Mujeres Catamaran Adventure Snorkeling Spinnaker and Lunch: $16
  • Chichen Itza Tour Full day food included: $16
  • Full-Day Catamaran Tour to Isla Mujeres from Cancun with Lunch: $17
  • Chichen Itza Day Tour Cenote Swim Buffet and Valladolid : $18

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Accra $5.30
    Cancun $12


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.