Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmina and Tamale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $142 a month against $668 in Elmina, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Elmina
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Elmina Living Index

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Elmina

🇬🇭 Ghana

$668

/mo nomad

Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elmina and in Tamale

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 Tamale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $668 per month in Elmina vs $142 in Tamale, rent included.

Elmina $668
Tamale $142

A couple spends around $1,125 per month in Elmina vs $215 in Tamale, rent included.

Elmina $1,125
Tamale $215

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in Elmina vs $288 in Tamale, rent included.

Elmina $1,582
Tamale $288

Elmina costs about 369% more than Tamale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Elmina and Tamale are more affordable than the global median – Elmina 51% lower, Tamale 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 GHS 91.0

$3.45 GHS 40.12

126.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 GHS 591

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 GHS 119

$10.24 GHS 119

0.20%

Cappuccino

$4.46 GHS 51.9

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

$1.53 GHS 17.85

$0.81 GHS 9.45

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 GHS 5.12

$0.44 GHS 5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 GHS 21.03

$0.88 GHS 10.29

105.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 GHS 25.19

$1.26 GHS 14.61

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.67 GHS 42.68

$3.00 GHS 34.94

22.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 GHS 19.37

$1.70 GHS 19.80

-1.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 GHS 35.63

$3.72 GHS 43.29

-17.74%

Eggs

$2.68 GHS 31.21

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 GHS 140

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 GHS 82.3

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 GHS 112

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 GHS 41.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 GHS 16.32

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 GHS 20.58

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 GHS 41.44

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 GHS 31.29

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 GHS 30.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 GHS 8.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 GHS 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 GHS 29.19

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 GHS 82.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 GHS 14.10

$1.29 GHS 14.97

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 GHS 27.14

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 GHS 10.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 GHS 20.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 GHS 14.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 GHS 50.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 GHS 15.58

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

$7,913 GHS 92.0K

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

$9,662 GHS 112.4K

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

$73.7 GHS 857

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

$19.07 GHS 222

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.25 GHS 491

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 GHS 147

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

$470 GHS 5,464

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K GHS 216.6K

$8,618 GHS 100.2K

116.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.18 GHS 165

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.59 GHS 216

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 GHS 427

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 GHS 605

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 Elmina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tamale: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elmina

$276 41.4%

Tamale

–

Eating Out

Elmina

$168 25.2%

Tamale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elmina

$135 20.2%

Tamale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Elmina

$55 8.2%

Tamale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Elmina

$25 * 3.8%

Tamale

–

Getting Around

Elmina

$8 * 1.2%

Tamale

–

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

Good to know

🇬🇭 Elmina

🇬🇭 Tamale

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

Same time as Elmina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,403

950,124

💱 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

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Between locations

Elmina Tamale 480 km

From you

Elmina
Tamale

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 Tamale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Elmina is pricier by about 369%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,001 per month in Elmina and $213 in Tamale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $668 in Elmina and $142 in Tamale. That's a gap of about 369%.

Groceries cost about 304% more in Elmina, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $668 in Elmina and $142 in Tamale, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tamale – 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 Tamale. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elmina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.