Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmina and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Elmina: $668 a month against $1,775 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Elmina
🇬🇭 Ghana
$668
/mo nomad
Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elmina and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $668 in Elmina versus $1,775 in Athens.

  • Elmina $668
  • Athens $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,125 in Elmina versus $2,721 in Athens.

  • Elmina $1,125
  • Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,582 in Elmina versus $3,666 in Athens.

  • Elmina $1,582
  • Athens $3,666

Living in Elmina costs roughly 62% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elmina is 51% below, Athens is 31% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.82 GHS 90.8
$16.69 €14.88
-53.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.8 GHS 590
$67.8 €60.4
-25.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.26 GHS 119
$11.14 €9.93
-7.90%
Cappuccino
$4.46 GHS 51.7
$4.03 €3.59
10.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 GHS 17.80
$2.77 €2.47
-44.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 GHS 5.11
$0.55 €0.49
-20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.81 GHS 20.98
$5.74 €5.11
-68.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 GHS 25.12
$5.45 €4.86
-60.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.67 GHS 42.57
$1.82 €1.62
101.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 GHS 19.32
$1.38 €1.23
21.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.06 GHS 35.54
$2.80 €2.50
9.29%
Eggs
$2.68 GHS 31.13
$4.83 €4.31
-44.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.03 GHS 140
$15.05 €13.42
-20.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.08 GHS 82.1
$10.63 €9.47
-33.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.62 GHS 112
$18.43 €16.43
-47.80%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 GHS 41.82
$2.20 €1.96
64.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 GHS 16.28
$1.90 €1.69
-26.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 GHS 20.53
$1.37 €1.22
29.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.56 GHS 41.34
$2.10 €1.87
69.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 GHS 31.21
$1.08 €0.96
149.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.65 GHS 30.74
$1.12 €1.00
136.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 GHS 8.32
$1.12 €1.00
-35.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 GHS 7.01
$0.88 €0.79
-31.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.51 GHS 29.12
$5.48 €4.89
-54.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.06 GHS 81.9
$10.13 €9.03
-30.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 GHS 14.07
$2.13 €1.90
-43.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 GHS 27.07
$2.25 €2.01
3.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Elmina
Athens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.36 €1.22
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.89 €26.65
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.74 GHS 20.24
$4.45 €3.97
-60.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 GHS 14.61
$1.02 €0.91
23.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.30 GHS 49.87
$16.92 €15.09
-74.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 GHS 15.54
$2.25 €2.00
-40.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,913 GHS 91.8K
$28.0K €25.0K
-71.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$9,662 GHS 112.1K
$28.2K €25.2K
-65.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.7 GHS 855
$205 €182
-63.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.07 GHS 221
$26.65 €23.76
-28.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.25 GHS 490
$30.38 €27.09
39.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$54.5 €48.58
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.88 €23.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.66 GHS 147
$10.42 €9.29
21.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$470 GHS 5,450
$569 €507
-17.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.6K GHS 216.0K
$12.6K €11.2K
47.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.18 GHS 164
$88.7 €79.1
-84.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.59 GHS 216
$40.46 €36.08
-54.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.74 GHS 426
$105 €93.5
-64.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.0 GHS 603
$121 €108
-57.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Elmina
Athens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$741 €661
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$655 €584
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,300 €1,159
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,148 €1,023
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,014 €3,579
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,460 €3,085
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Elmina
Athens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,242 €1,108
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
26.75
4.48
497.10%

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

Last update for Elmina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Elmina
$276
Athens
$310 12.3% $34
Eating Out
Elmina
$168
Athens
$268 59.4% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elmina
$135
Athens
$262 93.8% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Elmina
$55
Athens
$160 192% $105
Sport & Entertainment
Elmina
$25 *
Athens
$75 198% $50
Getting Around
Elmina
$8 *
Athens
$45 458% $37
Accommodation & Living
Elmina
- *
Athens
$655

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $51.0 in Elmina vs $68.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $310 per month, with Elmina cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇭 Elmina
🇬🇷 Athens
🕒 Local time
11:33 11:33 AM
14:33 2:33 PM
3 h ahead of Elmina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,403
3,090,508 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 11.6 GHS (100 GHS = 8.62 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Elmina Athens 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Elmina
  • Athens

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
Elmina vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Elmina or Athens?
Elmina wins on cost – living expenses run 166% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elmina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Elmina and in Athens?
You'd need roughly $1,001 in Elmina and $2,662 in Athens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do childcare costs compare in Elmina and in Athens?
Childcare runs $470 in Elmina versus $569 in Athens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Elmina and in Athens?
Dining out is cheaper in Elmina – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $68.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Elmina or in Athens?
At $668 in Elmina versus $1,775 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elmina but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Elmina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Elmina or Athens?
Both work as nomad bases, but Elmina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $668 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Elmina hard to pass up.
How safe is Elmina compared to Athens?
Safety-wise, Elmina and Athens are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Elmina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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