Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Accra and Elmina

For one person, living is cheaper in Elmina: $668 a month against $1,064 in Accra, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Accra
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Accra Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Elmina
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Elmina Living Index

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Accra

🇬🇭 Ghana

$1,064

/mo nomad

Elmina

🇬🇭 Ghana

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Accra and in Elmina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Accra and in Elmina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,064 per month in Accra vs $668 in Elmina, rent included.

Accra $1,064
Elmina $668

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Accra vs $1,125 in Elmina, rent included.

Accra $1,684
Elmina $1,125

A family of three spends $2,303 per month in Accra vs $1,582 in Elmina, rent included.

Accra $2,303
Elmina $1,582

Accra costs about 59% more than Elmina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Accra and Elmina are more affordable than the global median – Accra 21% lower, Elmina 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 GHS 92.4

$7.82 GHS 91.0

1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 GHS 597

$50.8 GHS 591

1.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 GHS 121

$10.26 GHS 119

1.75%

Cappuccino

$4.33 GHS 50.4

$4.46 GHS 51.9

-2.91%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 GHS 18.29

$1.53 GHS 17.85

2.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 GHS 5.55

$0.44 GHS 5.12

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 GHS 21.01

$1.81 GHS 21.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 GHS 25.37

$2.17 GHS 25.19

0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.66 GHS 42.53

$3.67 GHS 42.68

-0.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 GHS 18.63

$1.67 GHS 19.37

-4.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 GHS 35.85

$3.06 GHS 35.63

0.65%

Eggs

$2.69 GHS 31.26

$2.68 GHS 31.21

0.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.85 GHS 138

$12.03 GHS 140

-1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.25 GHS 84.3

$7.08 GHS 82.3

2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 GHS 111

$9.62 GHS 112

-0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 GHS 43.55

$3.61 GHS 41.93

3.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 GHS 16.77

$1.40 GHS 16.32

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 GHS 21.20

$1.77 GHS 20.58

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 GHS 42.52

$3.56 GHS 41.44

2.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 GHS 32.46

$2.69 GHS 31.29

3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 GHS 30.84

$2.65 GHS 30.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 GHS 8.80

$0.72 GHS 8.34

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 GHS 7.07

$0.60 GHS 7.02

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 GHS 29.39

$2.51 GHS 29.19

0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 GHS 81.4

$7.06 GHS 82.1

-0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 GHS 14.14

$1.21 GHS 14.10

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 GHS 27.69

$2.33 GHS 27.14

2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 GHS 17.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 GHS 467

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 GHS 19.59

$1.74 GHS 20.29

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 GHS 14.41

$1.26 GHS 14.65

-1.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 GHS 48.91

$4.30 GHS 50.0

-2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 GHS 15.56

$1.34 GHS 15.58

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$8,042 GHS 93.5K

$7,913 GHS 92.0K

1.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$9,810 GHS 114.1K

$9,662 GHS 112.4K

1.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$73.3 GHS 852

$73.7 GHS 857

-0.60%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.20 GHS 223

$19.07 GHS 222

0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.37 GHS 504

$42.25 GHS 491

2.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 GHS 822

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 GHS 212

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 GHS 150

$12.66 GHS 147

1.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$457 GHS 5,318

$470 GHS 5,464

-2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K GHS 213.7K

$18.6K GHS 216.6K

-1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.47 GHS 168

$14.18 GHS 165

2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.48 GHS 215

$18.59 GHS 216

-0.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.89 GHS 429

$36.74 GHS 427

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 GHS 601

$52.0 GHS 605

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 GHS 7,811

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 GHS 3,224

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 GHS 12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 GHS 5,329

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,839 GHS 33.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 GHS 17.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 GHS 2,003

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.75

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Accra: October 12, 2026

Last update for Elmina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Accra

$278 26.1%

Elmina

$276 41.4% 0.6% $1.6

Accommodation & Living

Accra

$277 26%

Elmina

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Accra

$168 15.8%

Elmina

$168 25.2% 0.2% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Accra

$136 12.8%

Elmina

$135 20.2% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Accra

$96 9.1%

Elmina

$25 * 3.8% 73.8% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Accra

$55 5.1%

Elmina

$55 8.2% 0% $0

Getting Around

Accra

$54 5.1%

Elmina

$8 * 1.2% 85.1% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Accra versus $51.0 in Elmina. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Accra vs $276 in Elmina – so Elmina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Accra

🇬🇭 Elmina

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

Same time as Accra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,388,000 Capital

34,403

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Accra Elmina 140 km

From you

Accra
Elmina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Accra vs Elmina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,064 in Accra, $668 in Elmina – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,597 per month in Accra and $1,001 in Elmina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,064 in Accra and $668 in Elmina. That's a gap of about 59%.

Kindergarten costs $457 per month in Accra and $470 in Elmina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elmina, where all-in costs run around $668, than in Accra at $1,064. In Elmina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Accra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elmina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elmina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Accra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.