Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Accra is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: language โ Accra 1 vs Merzouga 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Accra | Merzouga | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | GHโต 70$5.98 | MAD 70$7.37 | Accra โ19% |
| Street food1 item | GHโต 35$2.99 | MAD 30$3.16 | Accra โ5% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | GHโต 180$15.4 | MAD 130$13.7 | Merzouga โ11% |
| Coffeeone cup | GHโต 50$4.27 | MAD 20$2.11 | Merzouga โ51% |
| Beerone bottle | GHโต 25$2.13 | MAD 50$5.26 | Accra โ59% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | GHโต 90$7.69 | MAD 60$6.32 | Merzouga โ18% |
| Bottled water | GHโต 5$0.43 | MAD 5$0.53 | Accra โ19% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | GHโต 10$0.85 | MAD 8$0.84 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | GHโต 50$4.27 | MAD 50$5.26 | Accra โ19% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | GHโต 25$2.13 | MAD 40$4.21 | Accra โ49% |
| Transitone ride | GHโต 8$0.68 | MAD 15$1.58 | Accra โ57% |
| Scooter rentalper day | GHโต 250$21.3 | MAD 100$10.5 | Merzouga โ51% |
| Hotel night3-star | GHโต 850$72.6 | MAD 700$73.7 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | GHโต 4,000$342 | MAD 1,800$189 | Merzouga โ45% |
| Laundry | GHโต 20$1.71 | MAD 20$2.11 | Accra โ19% |
| SIM card1 week data | GHโต 150$12.8 | MAD 60$6.32 | Merzouga โ51% |
| Haircutcut | GHโต 40$3.42 | MAD 30$3.16 | Merzouga โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | GHโต 300$25.6 | MAD 250$26.3 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | GHโต 350$29.9 | MAD 500$52.6 | Accra โ43% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | GHโต 100$8.54 | MAD 60$6.32 | Merzouga โ26% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Merzouga is 7% cheaper than Accra. Daily budget $126 vs $129; a month $1,647 vs $1,392.
Accra is easier: Accra 2.4/5 vs Merzouga 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Accra is about $1,647 and Merzouga about $1,392 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.