Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmina and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmina and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $532 in Elmina versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $903 in Elmina versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,274 in Elmina versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Elmina costs roughly 78% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elmina is 60% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 GHS 50.7

$17.58 €15.12

-75.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.20 GHS 554

$68.4 €58.9

-31.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 GHS 92.9

$14.06 €12.09

-43.74%

Cappuccino

$3.49 GHS 40.97

$2.78 €2.39

25.54%

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

$0.93 GHS 10.87

$2.80 €2.41

-66.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 GHS 4.05

$2.06 €1.78

-83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 GHS 18.37

$4.46 €3.84

-65.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 GHS 30.01

$4.61 €3.96

-44.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 GHS 40.52

$1.24 €1.07

178.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 GHS 16.81

$2.03 €1.74

-29.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 GHS 27.59

$1.92 €1.65

22.40%

Eggs

$2.30 GHS 26.98

$3.31 €2.85

-30.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 GHS 133

$18.43 €15.85

-38.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 GHS 56.2

$9.49 €8.16

-49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.00 GHS 70.5

$19.16 €16.48

-68.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 GHS 33.93

$2.64 €2.27

9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 GHS 16.81

$2.45 €2.11

-41.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 GHS 19.83

$2.12 €1.82

-20.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 GHS 37.48

$2.85 €2.45

11.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 GHS 36.34

$2.04 €1.75

51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 GHS 28.55

$1.85 €1.59

31.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 GHS 9.00

$1.47 €1.26

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 GHS 6.03

$0.84 €0.73

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 GHS 18.62

$7.14 €6.14

-77.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 GHS 82.8

$7.88 €6.78

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 GHS 13.16

$1.38 €1.19

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 GHS 22.68

$2.31 €1.99

-16.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 GHS 18.18

$4.60 €3.95

-66.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 GHS 14.18

$2.07 €1.78

-41.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 GHS 63.3

$29.18 €25.10

-81.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 GHS 12.59

$1.84 €1.58

-41.85%

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

$7,843 GHS 92.1K

$39.0K €33.6K

-79.90%

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

$9,458 GHS 111.0K

$32.7K €28.1K

-71.07%

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

$54.7 GHS 642

$188 €162

-70.90%

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

$13.44 GHS 158

$22.93 €19.73

-41.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 GHS 440

$36.71 €31.58

2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 GHS 114

$11.19 €9.63

-13.32%

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

$73.4 GHS 861

$721 €620

-89.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,040 GHS 94.4K

$15.0K €12.9K

-46.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.53 GHS 171

$86.2 €74.2

-83.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.52 GHS 217

$37.07 €31.89

-50.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.62 GHS 348

$102 €87.8

-70.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.75 GHS 478

$116 €99.7

-64.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.4

3.39

649.26%

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

Last update for Elmina: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Elmina vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $318 per month, with Elmina cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elmina and Barcelona differ by about 345% in total monthly costs ($532 vs $2,367 including rent). Elmina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $798 in Elmina and $3,550 in Barcelona 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.

Childcare runs $73.4 in Elmina versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elmina – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $532 in Elmina versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elmina but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Elmina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Elmina and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Elmina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 345% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.