The Cost of Flexing: Living Beyond Your Means in Accra

Growing my career as a young professional in Accra, work has given me the chance to be in spaces with some incredibly affluent people. And every time, I find myself wondering—how did they get here?

Hold up! I am launching this new writing series, I call it AccraLife - this article is one of them, will tell you more later!

As a heavy social media user, I see the influencer lifestyle, celebrity culture, and endless luxury on display, and the question pops up again—Yo! Where is all this money coming from? Is it the same Ghana, the same Accra we all live in? Or, even worse—what am I not doing right? 😂

Kool kool, I want to talk about the downsides to this, I have observed social culture, especially amongst young people, and I want to speak on it - mind you, I am still studying this - make you nor bore!

In Accra, appearances matter. From popping bottles at Polo Beach Club to weekend getaways in Ada, the pressure to “look the part” is undeniable. Social media fuels the illusion of an endless soft life, but behind the curated posts, many young professionals and hustlers are drowning in debt, living paycheck to paycheck just to keep up. So, is the flex worth the financial strain? And what’s really driving this unspoken competition to appear successful—status, survival, or pure social pressure?

The rise of social media influencers, celebrity culture, and luxury lifestyle displays has redefined success, making it more about material possessions than financial stability. Scrolling through Instagram, you might wonder if some people live in a different Accra—or if they just had a straightforward head start. Because why is a 24-year-old casually cruising in a Range Rover, dining at high-end restaurants, and dripping in designer? Sure, some genuinely come from wealth, but for others? Let’s just say their lifestyles are more curated than financially sustainable.

In Accra, where social status and perception hold significant weight, the pressure to appear successful can trap individuals in unsustainable spending. Many of these flashy lifestyles are funded by loans, side hustles, and, in some cases, outright financial recklessness. Young professionals burn through their entire salaries to maintain an image, while some entrepreneurs prioritize aesthetics over business sustainability. The cost of flexing is steep—and often hidden.

Data from Paylab Ghana makes this even clearer. With monthly salaries ranging from 2,099 GHS to 7,940 GHS, the average young professional in Ghana isn’t exactly making “Range Rover money.” Even at the median salary of 55,320 GHS per year (about 4,610 GHS per month), sustaining a luxury lifestyle—designer clothes, expensive restaurants, and high-end cars—would require either substantial external support, multiple income streams, or serious financial compromises.

As Ghana’s social media culture continues to evolve, it’s important to separate online personas from reality. Success isn’t just about curated aesthetics—it’s about sustainability, financial security, and real growth. Because at the end of the day, true wealth isn’t about flexing the hardest; it’s about maintaining a lifestyle without falling into financial ruin.

Alright, lemme know your thoughts about this in the comments below.- is it real or all be setting?