₵50 for Two Pears: When Did Everyday Food Become a Luxury in Accra?

Yesterday, after church, I decided to treat myself to a simple, familiar meal—yam, ripe plantain, pear, and egg stew. Nothing extravagant. Just good food, the kind many Ghanaians grew up eating without much thought. On my way home, I stopped at the market to buy the ingredients. The yam was expensive but expected. The plantain was not cheap either. Then I got to the pears. One pear was selling for ₵30. A smaller one for ₵20. I hesitated. Asked again. Looked around. Then I paid ₵50 for two pears—and I took pictures. As I walked away, one question refused to leave my mind: when did everyday food become a luxury in Accra? This article is not really about pears. It is about what their price reveals. The quiet shock at the marketThere was no argument at the stall. No raised voice. No public protest. Just that familiar Ghanaian pause—the one where you calculate quickly, sigh inwardly, and pay anyway. That pause is becoming common.Across Accra, consumers are encountering prices that feel ...