Culture Shock: Prices and Laundry Rant

In developing countries, items tend to be cheaper, especially compared to the U.S. It’s pretty easy when traveling around Ghana to get a hotel for 15-20 cedi (actually less but I’m willing to pay $10-15).

Food is cheaper- a plate of food that holds twice as much as I can eat, starts at 6 cedi ($4) and of course goes up from there but the average restaurant is about $10. Street vendor food is of course cheaper but nothing I’ve had yet. Although there was one day I bought 2 bags of plantain chips (a little larger than snack size chip bags in the U.S.) for 1 cedi ($0.75). I had an orange on the side of the road for 20 pesewas ($0.15). So those items are pretty cheap. This is in Accra though, and I hear it just gets cheaper when you leave the capital city.

But some things have a similar cost. A latter here is comparable to a Starbucks latte.

The main idea- if you buy it off the side of the road, it will be much cheaper than if you buy it in a restaurant or shopping store.

My biggest shock today was the cost of laundry services at my hotel. It was made to seem like having my laundry done at a hotel was not a big deal, my daily allowance will cover it, no big deal. I turned in the clothes I’ve been wearing for the past 3 weeks (I only brought 9 pants and 10 work shirts in total). I turned in my shirts, t’s, delicates, etc. Total cost of washing: 241 cedi ($150)!!! I was outraged! And said I wasn’t paying and I’m not. That is a ridiculous cost. I bought two tailored two-piece suits in Thailand made from scratch for less than $150. There is no telling me it costs that much to wash them!! Needless to say, I’m appalled. My host pays for my hotel and I told the hotel to likewise charge them for the laundry services.

The other part that makes this situation so stressful is that I am given a monthly allowance since I am here for so long. I leave tomorrow for Tamale where I will have to pay for everything myself and since we didn’t get around to getting my November allowance, I’m on limited funds and have to pay for my hotel and daily expenses, whereas here in Accra, the host pays for the hotel.

Now, I’m concerned that I may not have enough cash for the hotel and daily expenses but things are cheaper outside of Accra AND a volunteer gave me the number and information on other hotels in Tamale that cost 15-22 cedi so I have a back up if the hotel the Tamale office suggests is too expensive. I’m glad I was given that information; it makes me feel a lot better and less stressed but man! $150 for laundry! Not sure I’ll get over that one. Needless to say, I don’t plan on ever using the laundry services here again!