Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmina and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Elmina: $668 a month against $734 in Tema, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tema outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

33

Cost of Living Index in Elmina
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Elmina Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index

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Elmina

🇬🇭 Ghana

$668

/mo nomad

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elmina and in Tema

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

A single person spends $668 per month in Elmina vs $734 in Tema, rent included.

Elmina $668
Tema $734

A couple spends around $1,125 per month in Elmina vs $1,166 in Tema, rent included.

Elmina $1,125
Tema $1,166

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in Elmina vs $1,598 in Tema, rent included.

Elmina $1,582
Tema $1,598

Elmina is about 9% cheaper than Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Elmina and Tema are more affordable than the global median – Elmina 51% lower, Tema 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 GHS 91.0

$6.64 GHS 77.2

17.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 GHS 591

$28.26 GHS 329

79.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 GHS 119

Cappuccino

$4.46 GHS 51.9

$4.97 GHS 57.9

-10.26%

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

$1.53 GHS 17.85

$0.88 GHS 10.23

73.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 GHS 5.12

$0.28 GHS 3.25

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 GHS 21.03

$3.22 GHS 37.45

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 GHS 25.19

$2.57 GHS 29.85

-15.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.67 GHS 42.68

$3.11 GHS 36.13

18.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 GHS 19.37

$1.52 GHS 17.72

9.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 GHS 35.63

$2.02 GHS 23.45

51.49%

Eggs

$2.68 GHS 31.21

$2.33 GHS 27.08

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 GHS 140

$4.27 GHS 49.67

181.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 GHS 82.3

$3.12 GHS 36.31

126.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 GHS 112

$3.48 GHS 40.50

176.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 GHS 41.93

$2.52 GHS 29.29

43.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 GHS 16.32

$2.18 GHS 25.37

-35.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 GHS 20.58

$2.08 GHS 24.19

-14.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 GHS 41.44

$3.32 GHS 38.65

7.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 GHS 31.29

$3.43 GHS 39.94

-21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 GHS 30.82

$2.78 GHS 32.37

-4.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 GHS 8.34

$0.40 GHS 4.64

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 GHS 7.02

$0.71 GHS 8.30

-15.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 GHS 29.19

$1.24 GHS 14.37

102.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 GHS 82.1

$8.72 GHS 101

-19.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 GHS 14.10

$2.15 GHS 24.97

-43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 GHS 27.14

$2.95 GHS 34.30

-21.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 GHS 20.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.78 GHS 474

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 GHS 20.29

$2.18 GHS 25.35

-20.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 GHS 14.65

$0.44 GHS 5.11

186.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 GHS 50.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 GHS 15.58

$1.19 GHS 13.84

12.61%

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

$77.4 GHS 900

-4.77%

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

$19.07 GHS 222

$14.74 GHS 171

29.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.25 GHS 491

$80.4 GHS 935

-47.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.40 GHS 272

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 GHS 147

$8.70 GHS 101

45.52%

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

$470 GHS 5,464

$167 GHS 1,946

180.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K GHS 216.6K

$2,522 GHS 29.3K

638.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.18 GHS 165

$13.00 GHS 151

9.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.59 GHS 216

$15.35 GHS 179

21.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 GHS 427

$42.57 GHS 495

-13.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 GHS 605

$31.35 GHS 365

65.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$129 GHS 1,503

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.7 GHS 823

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 GHS 5,037

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 GHS 2,401

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K GHS 118.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 GHS 70.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 GHS 4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.75

-23.57%

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

Last update for Elmina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elmina

$276 41.4%

Tema

$213 29.1% 22.8% $63

Eating Out

Elmina

$168 25.2%

Tema

$139 * 18.9% 17.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elmina

$135 20.2%

Tema

$173 23.5% 27.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Elmina

$55 8.2%

Tema

$46 6.3% 15.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Elmina

$25 * 3.8%

Tema

$41 5.6% 61.2% $16

Getting Around

Elmina

$8 * 1.2%

Tema

$52 7.1% 548% $44

Accommodation & Living

Elmina

- * 0%

Tema

$71 9.6%

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 Elmina versus $28.00 in Tema. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $213 – making Tema the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Elmina

🇬🇭 Tema

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

Same time as Elmina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,403

160,000

💱 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

Elmina Tema 160 km

From you

Elmina
Tema

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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tema is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,101 in Tema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Elmina and $28.00 in Tema. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Tema – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $668 in Elmina and $734 in Tema, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Tema makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.