Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Accra

For one person, living is cheaper in Accra: $1,073 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,806
/mo nomad
Accra
🇬🇭 Ghana
$1,073
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Accra

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Athens vs $1,073 in Accra, rent included.

  • Athens $1,806
  • Accra $1,073

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Athens vs $1,700 in Accra, rent included.

  • Athens $2,731
  • Accra $1,700

A family of three spends $3,656 per month in Athens vs $2,327 in Accra, rent included.

  • Athens $3,656
  • Accra $2,327

Athens costs about 68% more than Accra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Athens sits 35% above the global median, while Accra is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Accra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$8.11 GHS 95.3
105.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.2 €59.1
$51.8 GHS 609
27.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.06 €9.87
$10.46 GHS 123
5.74%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.69
$4.51 GHS 53.0
-8.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$1.54 GHS 18.13
81.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.45 GHS 5.25
26.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$1.86 GHS 21.88
203.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$2.24 GHS 26.33
143.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Accra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 €1.75
$3.61 GHS 42.44
-45.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.59 GHS 18.67
-11.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.83 €2.53
$3.19 GHS 37.48
-11.29%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.50
$2.58 GHS 30.29
95.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.35 €13.70
$11.93 GHS 140
28.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.34 €9.23
$7.02 GHS 82.5
47.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.97 €16.93
$9.91 GHS 116
91.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$3.69 GHS 43.32
-41.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.40 GHS 16.44
36.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.78 GHS 20.88
-22.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.68 GHS 43.19
-40.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.64 GHS 31.05
-58.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.00
$2.62 GHS 30.73
-56.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 €0.99
$0.76 GHS 8.87
44.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.59 GHS 6.98
40.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.60 €4.99
$2.50 GHS 29.37
124.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 €9.09
$7.33 GHS 86.2
39.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.95
$1.28 GHS 15.02
70.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.29 GHS 26.93
6.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Accra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.47 GHS 17.31
-6.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.87 €27.55
$40.26 GHS 473
-23.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.90
$1.72 GHS 20.26
154.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.25 GHS 14.73
-16.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.11 €15.27
$4.16 GHS 48.87
311.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.28 GHS 15.08
80.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$8,061 GHS 94.7K
247.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K €25.0K
$9,921 GHS 116.6K
182.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Accra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 €187
$74.8 GHS 878
180.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.70 €23.83
$18.90 GHS 222
41.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.13 €26.89
$41.82 GHS 491
-27.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Accra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.6 €48.72
$71.6 GHS 841
-23.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.03 €23.23
$18.07 GHS 212
44.05%
Cinema Ticket
$10.78 €9.62
$12.59 GHS 148
-14.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Accra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 €513
$470 GHS 5,520
22.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$18.6K GHS 218.7K
-29.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Accra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.1
$14.28 GHS 168
552.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.68 €36.30
$18.36 GHS 216
121.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.9
$36.02 GHS 423
188.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €115
$52.4 GHS 616
144.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Accra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$691 GHS 8,123
9.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$280 GHS 3,291
132.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 €1,154
$1,092 GHS 12.8K
18.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,038
$467 GHS 5,489
148.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,008 €3,577
$2,799 GHS 32.9K
43.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,452 €3,081
$1,424 GHS 16.7K
142.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Accra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,243 €1,110
$175 GHS 2,051
612.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
26.75
-83.25%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Accra: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$652
Accra
$280 57.1% $372
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$315
Accra
$277 12% $38
Eating Out
Athens
$269
Accra
$172 35.9% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$267
Accra
$135 49.2% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$165
Accra
$54 66.9% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$76
Accra
$97 27% $21
Getting Around
Athens
$46
Accra
$54 17.8% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Athens versus $691 in Accra. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 612% higher in Athens, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Athens versus $52.0 in Accra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $277 – making Accra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇬🇭 Accra
🕒 Local time
14:14 2:14 PM
11:14 11:14 AM
3 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
2,388,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.75 GHS (100 GHS = 8.51 USD). 1 EUR = 13.17 GHS (100 GHS = 7.59 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Accra 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Accra

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
Athens vs Accra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Athens and in Accra compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Athens, $1,073 in Accra – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Athens compared to Accra?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,709 per month in Athens and $1,610 in Accra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Athens and Accra?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Accra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Athens, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Athens and $52.0 in Accra. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Accra, where all-in costs run around $1,073, than in Athens at $1,806. In Accra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Athens and Accra?
It depends on your priorities. Athens has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,073 in Accra to $1,806 in Athens. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Athens or Accra safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Athens and Accra?
If budget matters most, go with Accra. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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