Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ghana and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Ghana: $991 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Ghana
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Ghana Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇬🇭 Ghana

$991

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ghana and in the United States

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Ghana versus $2,734 in the United States.

Ghana $991
United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,570 in Ghana versus $3,985 in the United States.

Ghana $1,570
United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Ghana versus $5,235 in the United States.

Ghana $2,148
United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $3–$1,260 in Ghana. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Ghana costs about 64% less than in the United States on average.

Ghana (27% below) and the United States (101% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.87 GHS 79.5

$20.03 $20.03

-65.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.92 GHS 578

$80.0 $80.0

-37.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 GHS 120

$11.80 $11.80

-12.37%

Cappuccino

$3.97 GHS 45.98

$5.55 $5.55

-28.47%

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

$1.09 GHS 12.61

$2.66 $2.66

-59.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 GHS 5.59

$2.17 $2.17

-77.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 GHS 19.40

$6.12 $6.12

-72.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 GHS 30.15

$7.94 $7.94

-67.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.37 GHS 39.05

$1.04 $1.04

224.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 GHS 17.98

$3.59 $3.59

-56.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 GHS 34.33

$4.52 $4.52

-34.51%

Eggs

$2.65 GHS 30.74

$4.28 $4.28

-38.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 GHS 127

$13.22 $13.22

-16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 GHS 67.9

$12.60 $12.60

-53.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 GHS 86.8

$17.60 $17.60

-57.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 GHS 35.78

$5.30 $5.30

-41.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 GHS 15.96

$1.69 $1.69

-18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 GHS 19.26

$4.44 $4.44

-62.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 GHS 36.79

$4.77 $4.77

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 GHS 32.65

$2.97 $2.97

-5.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 GHS 25.69

$3.15 $3.15

-29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 GHS 10.52

$2.20 $2.20

-58.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 GHS 7.31

$2.35 $2.35

-73.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 GHS 25.21

$10.98 $10.98

-80.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.25 GHS 84.0

$15.05 $15.05

-51.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 GHS 16.17

$2.06 $2.06

-32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 GHS 29.61

$3.79 $3.79

-32.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 GHS 14.61

$1.94 $1.94

-35.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.42 GHS 456

$59.4 $59.4

-33.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 GHS 19.09

$3.58 $3.58

-53.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 GHS 14.56

$1.88 $1.88

-32.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 GHS 41.96

$29.84 $29.84

-87.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 GHS 14.71

$1.02 $1.02

24.51%

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

$7,959 GHS 92.2K

$28.8K $28.8K

-72.32%

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

$20.4K GHS 236.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

-21.99%

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

$77.7 GHS 900

$218 $218

-64.35%

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

$18.87 GHS 218

$62.5 $62.5

-69.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.54 GHS 539

$74.5 $74.5

-37.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 GHS 696

$41.86 $41.86

43.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.97 GHS 208

$22.81 $22.81

-21.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 GHS 143

$14.70 $14.70

-16.12%

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

$409 GHS 4,731

$1,489 $1,489

-72.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K GHS 180.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

-38.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.00 GHS 162

$54.3 $54.3

-74.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.28 GHS 212

$42.71 $42.71

-57.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.76 GHS 449

$94.1 $94.1

-58.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.88 GHS 578

$114 $114

-56.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 GHS 6,414

$1,659 $1,659

-66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 GHS 2,889

$1,348 $1,348

-81.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 GHS 12.2K

$2,682 $2,682

-60.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 GHS 4,935

$2,169 $2,169

-80.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,225 GHS 37.3K

$3,283 $3,283

-1.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,719 GHS 19.9K

$2,482 $2,482

-30.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 GHS 2,855

$4,296 $4,296

-94.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

28.8

6.55

339.69%

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

Last update for Ghana: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ghana

$253 25.6%

United States

$415 15.2% 63.9% $162

Accommodation & Living

Ghana

$250 25.2%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 440% $1.1K

Eating Out

Ghana

$153 15.5%

United States

$328 12% 114% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ghana

$143 14.4%

United States

$355 13% 148% $212

Sport & Entertainment

Ghana

$85 8.6%

United States

$71 2.6% 16% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ghana

$54 5.5%

United States

$137 5% 152% $83

Getting Around

Ghana

$52 5.3%

United States

$80 2.9% 52.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $444 in Ghana, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $686 in Accra vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $340 in Ghana, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 265% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 60% more in the United States.

Public transport is 85% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Ghana

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

4 h behind Ghana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,833,031

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.64 USD

100 GHS = 7.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 11.58 GHS (100 GHS = 8.64 USD). 1 EUR = 12.89 GHS (100 GHS = 7.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to GHS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ghana United States 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ghana
United States

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

Ghana vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $991 per month in Ghana and $2,734 in the United States, Ghana comes out about 64% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Ghana: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $444 in Ghana. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Ghana, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.