Cost of Living Comparison Between Ghana and United States Cost of Living Comparison Between Ghana and United States

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $376 in Ghana versus $2,642 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $632 in Ghana versus $3,857 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $888 in Ghana versus $5,072 in United States.

Living in Ghana costs about 86% less than in United States on average.

Ghana (72% below) and United States (98% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 GHS 44.30

$19.63 $19.63

-80.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.81 GHS 518

$75.4 $75.4

-40.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 GHS 90.5

$11.57 $11.57

-32.32%

Cappuccino

$3.09 GHS 35.69

$5.22 $5.22

-40.80%

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

$0.94 GHS 10.85

$2.49 $2.49

-62.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 GHS 4.20

$2.06 $2.06

-82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 GHS 15.35

$5.91 $5.91

-77.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 GHS 26.38

$7.13 $7.13

-68.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 GHS 34.90

$1.09 $1.09

177.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 GHS 16.01

$3.56 $3.56

-60.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 GHS 24.74

$4.74 $4.74

-54.85%

Eggs

$2.31 GHS 26.74

$4.34 $4.34

-46.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 GHS 93.7

$12.68 $12.68

-36.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 GHS 51.3

$12.28 $12.28

-63.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.27 GHS 60.9

$16.60 $16.60

-68.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 GHS 32.73

$5.16 $5.16

-45.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 GHS 16.09

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 GHS 18.74

$4.45 $4.45

-63.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 GHS 31.52

$4.80 $4.80

-43.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 GHS 32.41

$2.93 $2.93

-4.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 GHS 23.82

$3.09 $3.09

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 GHS 9.28

$2.22 $2.22

-63.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 GHS 5.88

$2.25 $2.25

-77.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 GHS 18.62

$9.90 $9.90

-83.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 GHS 80.5

$15.28 $15.28

-54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 GHS 12.96

$1.91 $1.91

-41.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 GHS 20.95

$3.58 $3.58

-49.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 GHS 12.43

$2.46 $2.46

-56.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.62 GHS 400

$64.6 $64.6

-46.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 GHS 17.03

$3.77 $3.77

-61.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 GHS 14.01

$1.71 $1.71

-29.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 GHS 51.2

$30.08 $30.08

-85.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 GHS 12.40

$0.96 $0.96

11.46%

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

$8,033 GHS 92.8K

$29.9K $29.9K

-73.10%

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

$10.1K GHS 116.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-61.29%

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

$47.57 GHS 549

$210 $210

-77.36%

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

$13.53 GHS 156

$56.3 $56.3

-75.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.42 GHS 490

$72.9 $72.9

-41.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.03 GHS 370

$45.39 $45.39

-29.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.84 GHS 183

$21.60 $21.60

-26.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 GHS 111

$14.04 $14.04

-31.48%

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

$76.9 GHS 888

$1,377 $1,377

-94.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,372 GHS 85.1K

$22.4K $22.4K

-67.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.71 GHS 193

$52.7 $52.7

-68.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.70 GHS 239

$42.41 $42.41

-51.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.52 GHS 364

$91.8 $91.8

-65.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.13 GHS 521

$114 $114

-60.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 GHS 5,951

$1,765 $1,765

-70.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 GHS 1,819

$1,462 $1,462

-89.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 GHS 12.2K

$2,849 $2,849

-62.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 GHS 4,651

$2,369 $2,369

-83.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,228 GHS 37.3K

$3,364 $3,364

-4.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 GHS 19.6K

$2,665 $2,665

-36.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 GHS 2,914

$4,378 $4,378

-94.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.83

6.51

312.14%

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

Last update for Ghana: July 12, 2026

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $90.0 in Ghana, $1,635 in United States. Capital cities: $530 in Accra vs $1,625 in Washington, MI.

National salary averages: $305 in Ghana, $4,500 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1717% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 170% more in United States.

Public transport is 317% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1375% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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 $404 per month in Ghana and $3,259 in United States, there's a 707% 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 United States 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, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.