Cost of Living Comparison Between Ghana and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Ghana and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $525 in Ghana versus $1,143 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $860 in Ghana versus $1,781 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,195 in Ghana versus $2,419 in South Africa.

Living in Ghana costs about 54% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ghana 62% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 GHS 81.4

$11.30 R 182

-36.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.49 GHS 565

$44.51 R 717

11.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 GHS 119

$5.90 R 95.0

76.44%

Cappuccino

$4.05 GHS 46.27

$2.44 R 39.22

65.98%

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

$1.15 GHS 13.12

$1.16 R 18.64

-0.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 GHS 5.11

$0.96 R 15.39

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 GHS 20.35

$2.56 R 41.29

-30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 GHS 29.66

$3.08 R 49.60

-15.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.32 GHS 37.95

$1.28 R 20.57

159.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 GHS 19.14

$1.13 R 18.15

48.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 GHS 34.91

$1.83 R 29.55

67.21%

Eggs

$2.72 GHS 31.02

$2.55 R 41.12

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 GHS 132

$8.35 R 134

38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 GHS 68.1

$5.44 R 87.6

9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 GHS 83.9

$7.88 R 127

-6.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 GHS 33.80

$1.90 R 30.61

55.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 GHS 15.95

$1.70 R 27.36

-17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 GHS 19.25

$1.81 R 29.14

-6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 GHS 37.15

$1.88 R 30.23

72.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 GHS 33.72

$1.54 R 24.76

91.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 GHS 26.70

$1.49 R 24.03

57.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 GHS 10.51

$1.33 R 21.45

-30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 GHS 7.31

$1.19 R 19.09

-46.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 GHS 25.54

$3.41 R 55.0

-34.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.10 GHS 81.1

$5.08 R 81.7

39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 GHS 16.19

$1.51 R 24.28

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 GHS 28.99

$2.03 R 32.64

25.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 GHS 17.77

$1.76 R 28.39

-11.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.58 GHS 463

$63.1 R 1,016

-35.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 GHS 19.44

$1.12 R 17.97

51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 GHS 15.39

$1.01 R 16.33

33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 GHS 41.59

$8.07 R 130

-54.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 GHS 14.82

$1.46 R 23.53

-10.96%

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

$8,158 GHS 93.2K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-77.84%

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

$10.2K GHS 116.9K

$32.5K R 523.6K

-68.52%

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

$78.8 GHS 900

$136 R 2,185

-41.92%

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

$19.52 GHS 223

$35.72 R 575

-45.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.51 GHS 543

$41.40 R 667

14.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 GHS 718

$34.96 R 563

79.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.89 GHS 216

$12.46 R 201

51.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 GHS 141

$7.62 R 123

62.34%

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

$409 GHS 4,672

$231 R 3,725

76.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K GHS 174.1K

$5,726 R 92.2K

166.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.97 GHS 160

$56.4 R 908

-75.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.85 GHS 215

$33.91 R 546

-44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.73 GHS 454

$102 R 1,639

-60.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.3 GHS 586

$93.0 R 1,497

-44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 GHS 6,592

$506 R 8,154

14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 GHS 2,781

$418 R 6,727

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 GHS 13.1K

$979 R 15.8K

16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 GHS 5,691

$838 R 13.5K

-40.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,171 GHS 36.2K

$1,151 R 18.5K

175.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,728 GHS 19.7K

$800 R 12.9K

115.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$224 GHS 2,554

$1,554 R 25.0K

-85.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

28.8

11.24

156.23%

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

Last update for Ghana: September 7, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $97.0 in Ghana, $445 in South Africa. Capital cities: $693 in Accra vs $324 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $348 in Ghana, $1,553 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 359% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 21% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 346% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

Ghana vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $635 per month in Ghana and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 94% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Ghana: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Ghana across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Ghana, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Ghana wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.