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

Name: Ghana
Address: GH

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $376 in Ghana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $633 in Ghana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $889 in Ghana.

Living in South Africa is roughly 171% more expensive than Ghana on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Ghana 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$3.78 GHS 44.39

139.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$43.89 GHS 515

-10.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$7.80 GHS 91.5

-36.67%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$3.15 GHS 36.93

-34.60%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.90 GHS 10.55

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.36 GHS 4.25

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.27 GHS 14.90

74.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.30 GHS 27.01

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$2.92 GHS 34.26

-61.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.43 GHS 16.78

-28.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$2.20 GHS 25.77

-29.09%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.37 GHS 27.83

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$8.45 GHS 99.2

-8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$4.54 GHS 53.3

-1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$5.45 GHS 64.0

23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.77 GHS 32.50

-43.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.40 GHS 16.38

2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$1.55 GHS 18.18

-7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$2.79 GHS 32.78

-45.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$2.75 GHS 32.27

-55.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$2.06 GHS 24.15

-37.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.87 GHS 10.22

19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.54 GHS 6.32

74.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.57 GHS 18.48

90.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$7.12 GHS 83.6

-27.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.12 GHS 13.18

24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.86 GHS 21.79

-10.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$1.04 GHS 12.21

56.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$35.61 GHS 418

26.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.53 GHS 17.93

-26.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.28 GHS 14.98

-14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$4.44 GHS 52.2

9.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.12 GHS 13.13

10.71%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$7,860 GHS 92.3K

158.50%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$10.3K GHS 120.5K

128.71%

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

$113 R 1,843

$48.69 GHS 572

132.96%

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

$32.36 R 526

$13.26 GHS 156

144.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$42.41 GHS 498

-2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$32.26 GHS 379

-2.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$15.62 GHS 183

-38.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$9.85 GHS 116

-30.66%

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

$187 R 3,039

$77.1 GHS 905

142.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$7,341 GHS 86.2K

-40.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$16.18 GHS 190

205.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$20.55 GHS 241

48.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$31.48 GHS 370

191.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$44.93 GHS 527

75.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$509 GHS 5,980

-13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$159 GHS 1,863

131.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,044 GHS 12.3K

-15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$406 GHS 4,764

78.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$3,146 GHS 36.9K

-65.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$1,719 GHS 20.2K

-54.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$238 GHS 2,798

553.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

26.83

-56.95%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ghana: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $89.0 in Ghana. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $529 in Accra.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $292 in Ghana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 313% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 30% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 167% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 421% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

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

At $401 per month in Ghana and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 169% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Ghana is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 South Africa, it works in regional areas but 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.